Budget deficit bound to overlie Legislature [View all]

Though the 2017 Wyoming Legislature session is not a regularly scheduled budget session, the state’s fiscal woes and their impacts on education, public lands and state investments will likely dominate the proceedings.

“It’s going to be a lot of serious discussion about the budget,” said newly elected state Rep. Mike Gierau, D-Jackson. “Prices for oil, gas and coal are down, and I don’t see that revenue coming back. Where do we go with that? That’s going to seemingly be the main tenor of the session, and it’s going to have great relevance for Teton County.”

The bill at the top of the list for Teton County representatives is the school facilities appropriations bill that, if passed, would modify the state’s appropriations for school facility projects.

Reps. Gierau, Marti Halverson, R-Etna, Andy Schwartz, D-Jackson, and Sen. Leland Christensen, R-Alta, said they expect funds for the Munger Mountain Elementary School will be made available, despite the state’s $700 million school funding deficit.

Read more: http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/news/legislature/budget-deficit-bound-to-overlie-legislature/article_60054d1c-bd8b-5f2a-9d53-27985a2db668.html