2014 Budget Session Comes to a Close

With the sound of a gavel, the Wyoming Legislature wrapped up the 2014 Budget Session, March 6, at the State Capitol in Cheyenne.At the start of the Session on Feb. 10, a total of 306 bills were numbered for introduction. The Wyoming Legislature passed a total of 132 bills. Of the 122 bills numbered in the Senate, the body introduced 101 pieces of legislation with 71 of those bills passing in both the House and Senate. Of the 184 bills numbered in the House, 128 bills were introduced with 61 of those garnering the approval of both bodies. Legislation that passed both houses has either been signed or is waiting to be signed or vetoed by Governor Matt Mead.

In addition to those bills, the Cowboy State’s biennial budget bill was signed by the Governor Wednesday. Governor Mead submitted 2015-2016 budget recommendations totaling $3.3 billion in General Fund (GF) monies. After the House and Senate acted on the legislation, a Joint Conference Committee was assigned and met a number of times to reconcile the differences in the House and Senate versions of the bill. An agreement of $3.3 billion in GF spending and $160 million in transfers to other accounts over the next two years was reached Monday afternoon. The total appropriations in the 2014 Budget Bill amounted to $8.7 billion, including federal and other funds.

Both the House and Senate have addressed a broad range of issues affecting Wyoming residents and while some of these laws will take effect immediately, many will not go into effect until July 1 of this year. Lawmakers will begin their interim committee work in the coming weeks. The Legislature’s Management Council finalized interim committee topics Wednesday. The list of approved studies can be found at http://www.wyoleg.gov. Wyoming’s Sixty-third Legislature will convene on Jan. 13, 2015 for a 40-day General Session.

The Wyoming Legislature encourages the public to participate in interim activities. The public can use the Legislature’s Website at http://www.wyoleg.gov to find information about interim legislative committees, including committee membership, the dates and locations of interim legislative committee meetings – which are held throughout the state – and minutes of committee meetings. The Website also contains a free email subscription service for all interim committee activities.