House Urges Senate to Resume Budget Talks as Tension Over Wyoming’s Supplemental Budget Grows

CHEYENNE— As the 68th Wyoming Legislature’s general session nears its end, tensions are rising between the House and the Senate over the state’s supplemental budget. The House is urging the Senate to resume negotiations and resolve funding issues, while Senate leaders place the blame on the House for the failure to come to an agreement.

House leadership, led by House Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. Jeremy Haroldson, expressed frustration on Monday after the Senate decided on February 26 to end talks on the supplemental budget. The House had hoped to continue the hard conversations necessary to finalize the budget for the state’s upcoming financial needs.

“We stand ready for the hard conversations that come with developing a budget,” Haroldson said in a statement.

However, the Senate has countered these calls, saying that the budget did not pass due to what they consider a lack of willingness to compromise in the House. Senate Majority Floor Leader Sen. Tara Nethercott claimed that the House’s approach, which she said included allocating funds for non-emergencies, was part of the reason behind the deadlock.

“We are well-funded for the next biennium, which will last until June 30, 2026,” Nethercott said. “There is no need to pass a supplemental budget this session.”

A Closer Look at the Budget Situation

The problem started when the two chambers were unable to reach an agreement over a $235 million difference in proposed budget amounts. Haroldson stated that the House’s proposal was balanced and lower than the governor’s suggested budget, as well as the Senate’s proposal. However, the Senate did not approve the House’s budget proposal.

At the heart of the disagreement was the supplemental budget, which traditionally addresses urgent or emergency needs that were not covered in the initial budget. In the current session, however, some House members pushed for the inclusion of non-emergency items, which the Senate rejected.

“We cannot use a supplemental budget as a continuation of another year’s budget,” Nethercott said. “It should focus only on emergent needs.”

While the House and Senate were discussing the supplemental budget for several weeks, disagreements over funding and priorities prevented them from reaching a consensus.

Senate’s Position on Funding Needs

According to Nethercott, the Senate had three primary priorities for the budget: restoring the full $66.3 million for K-12 education adjustments, adding $2.75 million for wildfire management, and allocating $49.5 million for conservation districts to recover from wildfire damage. These measures, she said, were critical and should take precedence over other funding.

“We focused on funding these essential needs until the next biennium’s planning begins,” Nethercott explained.

On the other hand, House members like Haroldson have argued that the Senate’s rejection of their budget proposal was an act of “gamesmanship,” accusing the Senate of hiding funding measures within other bills rather than addressing them openly in the supplemental budget. This practice, Haroldson argued, was like the type of political maneuvering often seen in Washington, D.C.

The Debate Over “Porking” Bills

In an attempt to resolve the deadlock, House leaders proposed a so-called “budget balancer,” where funds from the state’s reserves would be transferred to cover any gaps. However, Nethercott disagreed, emphasizing that the state already has enough money to get through the next few months without needing to make such transfers.

“The 2025-2026 budget was already balanced during the last session,” Nethercott said. “There’s more than enough in reserves to cover any expenses.”

The Senate, meanwhile, has argued that the House’s amendment strategy, including adding unrelated provisions to bills, is unproductive and detrimental to the process. Senate Vice President Sen. Tim Salazar emphasized that the Senate is trying to adhere to the rules while continuing to manage the state’s budget responsibly.

“We’re not ‘porking out’ bills. We are working within the established process,” Salazar said.

Looking Toward the Future: Special Session?

Despite the ongoing tensions, some House members have suggested that if the budget isn’t resolved in the current session, the governor could call a special session to address the issue.

Rep. John Bear of Gillette, a former leader of the Freedom Caucus, proposed that if no budget agreement is reached, a special session could be needed to fix the issue by moving funds from the state’s savings account.

“Without this budget balancer, the governor might need to call us back,” Bear warned.

However, Nethercott stood firm in her belief that the current budget situation is manageable without a special session. She reiterated that the reserves are more than sufficient to cover any financial needs until the new budget cycle begins.

A Path Forward?

With time running out in the legislative session, both sides remain entrenched in their positions. The House believes the Senate is not being transparent with taxpayers’ money, while the Senate argues that they are focused on what matters most for Wyoming’s immediate future.

Despite the conflict, Senate leaders like Biteman have remained optimistic, emphasizing the positive accomplishments made during the session, including property tax relief.

“We’ve accomplished a lot, but you’re only hearing the negative,” Biteman said.

As the 68th Wyoming Legislature wraps up, both chambers remain at odds, leaving the future of the state’s supplemental budget uncertain.

Conclusion

The clash over Wyoming’s supplemental budget shows the challenges and complexities of managing state finances. While both the House and Senate agree on the importance of funding essential services, their differing approaches to how that funding should be allocated have led to a standoff that might have lasting effects on the state’s financial planning.

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