By Brendan LaChance on February 24, 2021
Voters cast ballots in Vista West on Tuesday, Nov. 3. (Dan Cepeda, Oil City)
CASPER, Wyo. Wyoming and the United States operate as republic in which the people elect representatives who then have the authority to establish laws, including the ability to impose taxes.
Wyoming’s Senate Revenue Committee rejected an effort that could have moved the state in the direction of direct democracy rather than the republican form of government during their Tuesday, Feb. 23 meeting.
The committee rejected Senate Joint Resolution 01 on a vote of 1-4 during the meeting. That resolution wouldn’t have implemented full-blown direct democracy, but proposed putting a question before voters to amend the Wyoming Constitution such that voters would have to approve any new taxes or tax hikes.
Wyoming to debate cutting K-12 funding by $100 million to help avoid budget shortfalls By Brendan LaChance on February 9, 2021
(Dan Cepeda, Oil City)
CASPER, Wyo. The Wyoming Legislature will reconvene their 2021 General Session in March and one of the may topics of debate will be what should be done with K-12 education spending.
House Majority Floor Leader Albert Sommers (Sublette County) said during a press conference on Tuesday, Feb. 9 that the legislature will debate a proposal to cut K-12 education funding (provided through the School Foundation Program Account) by $100 million per year.
Wyoming Senate and House majority leaders said during the press conference that they expect the work of the legislature this session will be able to ensure a balanced budget for the remainder of the 2021-2022 biennium.