Understanding Wyoming's budget process

The Wyoming State Legislature began its budget session this week. While headlines have already appeared about various budget items debated prior to the session, the final budget bill was posted Feb. 6 — three days before the session convened — and introduced as mirror bills in both the House and the Senate.

The Legislature now has approximately four weeks to complete several major tasks. In addition to passing the state’s biennial budget (a budget covering two years), lawmakers will consider 335 bills this session, including interim committee bills, individual member bills, school finance recalibration, and other important topics.

The process

The budget process began in 2025, when state agencies submitted their budget requests to the governor. Each agency request includes three primary components:

1. The prior biennial budget

2. The funding needed to maintain current service levels (the standard budget)

3. Any requested increases or decreases (exception requests)

The governor reviews these requests and makes recommendations for each agency’s standard budget and exception requests, along with any proposals of his own. Once complete, the governor submits his recommended budget to the Joint Appropriations Committee (JAC), which includes members from both the House and the Senate.

The JAC then conducts its own detailed review of agency requests and the governor’s recommendations. After completing that process, the committee compiles its decisions into a single budget bill.

That bill is introduced simultaneously in the House and the Senate. This year’s budget was finalized last week and introduced on both floors on Feb. 12. At that point, legislators began debating the bill, offering amendments, and working toward passage in their respective chambers.

All of this must occur within the first two weeks of the session. After that, the House and Senate exchange budget bills, debate and amend the other chamber’s version, and ultimately reconcile differences to produce a final budget approved by the full Legislature.

Key concepts

If you want to follow the budget debate, a few concepts are essential:

1. The state budget covers a two-year period. A $100 million appropriation means $50 million per year for two years.

2. The standard budget represents the funding needed to maintain an agency’s current level of service.

3. An exception request is a proposed change—up or down—from that standard budget.

An example

Suppose Agency XYZ has a standard budget of $100 million for the biennium ($50 million per year), and that the agency requests an additional $30 million.

• The governor might recommend approving only $20 million of that request, reducing the proposed increase by 33%.

• The Legislature might further reduce the increase to $10 million, a 67% reduction from the agency’s original request.

If approved, Agency XYZ would receive a total appropriation of $110 million, or $55 million per year.

Was this a budget increase or a budget cut?

Some might say the governor cut the agency’s budget by 33%, or that the Legislature cut the budget by 67%. In reality, the agency’s funding increased by 10%, from $50 million to $55 million per year.

Understanding whether a change affects the standard budget or an exception request is fundamental to accurately interpreting budget headlines.

A final complication

Not all agencies are funded entirely through the state budget. Some operate with separate budgets or receive revenue from multiple sources. When reviewing proposed funding reductions, consider an entity’s entire revenue stream.

Confused yet? If you want to understand what’s really happening with the budget, rinse and repeat reading this article.

Also, head straight to the source. Watch legislative discussions on YouTube, review bills online and reach out to your legislators.

Yes, staying informed takes effort — but understanding the process can help equip you to develop your own informed opinion

-by The Sheridan Press Editorial Advisory Board