Mead delivered the State of the State address on the second day of the 64th Wyoming Legislature. His speech mixed policy proposals with tributes to law enforcement, Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribal leaders and the 2017 teacher of the year, Ryan Furhman, from Sheridan Junior High. Lawmakers met jointly in the House and alternated between listening and applauding the Wyomingites whom Mead highlighted.
Mead noted that in March, lawmakers adopted a two-year, $3 billion budget with $68 million in government cuts from previous years.
The Republican governor said he appreciated how difficult those cuts were for legislators.
Then in June, as revenues continued to sink, the governor had to cut an additional $250 million from the budget.
“I made three and a half times more cuts in June, which, too, was very difficult,” he said.
In March, when the Legislature adopted the budget, they did not add any savings to the rainy day fund, said House Speaker Steve Harshman of Casper. Lawmakers also directed 1 percent of severance taxes to the general fund, which pays for government operations, instead of diverting to the Permanent Wyoming Mineral Trust Fund, Harshman said.
Speaking after Mead’s address in a press conference with other legislative leaders, Harshman said he expected lawmakers would not tuck any money away this year, the halfway point in the budget cycle, when lawmakers adopt what’s known as the supplemental budget to adjust for changes in revenue.
Although he hopes the $1.6 billion rainy day fund – formally called the Legislative Stabilization Reserve Account — grows with investment income.
Mead urged lawmakers to create guidelines around the rainy day fund. He’s asked the Legislature to have such a policy discussion for the past three years. Democrats agree.
