This story is part of a collaborative legislative initiative by WyoFile, Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Sheridan Press and Jackson Hole News&Guide to deliver comprehensive coverage of Wyoming’s 2026 budget session.
CHEYENNE—Standing before a packed House chamber to kick off the state Legislature’s 2026 budget session, Gov. Mark Gordon presented a vision for Wyoming predicated on “the essentials” while forcefully pushing back against aggressive spending cuts proposed by the Legislature’s primary budgeting arm.
Calling the current moment a “crossroads” for the Cowboy State, Gordon delivered his seventh State of the State address Monday, emphasizing that fiscal discipline means not only austerity, but also strategic investment and stewardship.
The governor’s speech arrived as the Joint Appropriations Committee (JAC) finalized an array of alterations to his initial proposed $11.1 billion biennial budget. This approach was spearheaded by some Wyoming Freedom Caucus members on the JAC who took an “anti-acceleration” approach to government spending.
Gordon’s primary plea to an audience of members of the state Senate and House of Representatives was to restore his initial proposed budget.
He also discussed a windfall of $250 million in excess investment revenue harvested by the Wyoming State Treasurer’s Office. While some lawmakers have sought to use such funds to offset deeper cuts, Gordon doubled down on his request to move that entire sum into permanent savings.
“What we do today builds our future one way or another,” Gordon said, urging lawmakers to place the funds “beyond the reach of current temptation.” He argued that Wyoming must honor the wisdom of its forebears by “laying in a little extra against the prospect of a harsh winter,” according to his note in his proposed budget, rather than following the template of Washington, D.C., and piling up debt.
Wyoming Business Council
Gordon was particularly critical of the JAC’s move to essentially dismantle the Wyoming Business Council, leaving it with only $2 million for loan management, a move intended to reset the agency. The governor warned that news of the council’s potential demise has already “put a chill in the air” for the business community, describing it as a “closed for business sign” posted on Wyoming’s state borders.
“Our competitive neighbors are already salivating,” Gordon said. “Let us not feed their ambition.”
Instead of defunding the agency, he proposed a task force as a more appropriate way to “rejuvenate, renovate and reimagine” the state’s economic development efforts. He also touted the successful launch of Wyoming’s stable token, a first-of-its-kind dollar-backed digital asset that has made the state a national leader in digital asset regulation.
Gordon noted that tourism is the state’s second-largest revenue-generating sector and largest employer, contributing $4.9 billion in direct spending in 2024. He specifically mentioned the opportunity to relocate the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association headquarters, along with its ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy, from Colorado Springs to Wyoming, calling rodeo “part of our DNA.”
State employees
Throughout Gordon’s message, the human cost of budget cuts was a recurring theme. The governor highlighted several state employees in attendance to argue for his proposed $111.8 million pay adjustment, which would bring salaries from 2022 levels to 2024 market tables, a request the JAC recently denied.
“Some may believe there is never a good time to bolster state employees. And those may be some of the same people who criticize them for working for the government in the first place. But let me tell you, they’re wrong,” Gordon said.
To illustrate this, he introduced Rita Watson, a 56-year veteran of the Department of Education and State Medicaid Agent Jesse Springer. He noted that under Springer’s watch, Wyoming’s Medicaid payment error rate was a mere $400 out of a budget of nearly $750 million. Gordon also recognized State Trooper Timothy Howell for his quick action in response to the fatal vehicle crash at the Green River tunnel in February 2025.
“Let us remember more than half of Wyoming state employees work outside of Cheyenne. They’re your neighbors, serving families, protecting wildlife, keeping our parks and communities running,” Gordon said.
Water
The governor then shifted his focus to discuss water, a resource growing in scarcity across the West. Acknowledging that the region is approaching a 30-year drought, Gordon described Wyoming as “out-manned and out-gunned” by other states in the Colorado River Basin.
He implored the Legislature to fund additional staff for the State Engineer’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office to protect Wyoming’s water use in all basins where water flows out of the state.
Education
Education remains another controversial topic in this session. Gordon pushed back on a $40 million cut to the University of Wyoming’s block grant, which was approved by the JAC before the session.
“Simply cutting a budget won’t lead to improvement, but a dialogue could,” he said, once again urging elected lawmakers to restore his initial budget proposal.
Abortion and health care
Gordon received a standing ovation from most lawmakers when he stated, “Life is sacred,” and called for a clear, irrefutable, durable and morally sound resolution to the abortion issue following recent court rulings that upheld the constitutionality of abortion in the Equality State.
He connected “pro-life” values to health-care access, requesting Medicaid funding increases for obstetric services, behavioral health and in-home care to ensure rural families don’t have to travel out of state for maternity services.
First Lady Jennie Gordon also received a standing ovation for her Wyoming Hunger Initiative. The governor used the moment to ask lawmakers to reconsider their rejection of the SUN Bucks summer feeding program for children.
“What kind of people are we if we won’t feed our kids?” Gordon asked. “Why wouldn’t we do this?”
He concluded his speech with a symbolic gesture, presenting each chamber with a flag featuring 44 stars, representing Wyoming’s admission as the 44th state in 1890. He reminded the 68th Legislature that they are “temporary caretakers” whose legacy will be defined not by what they tear down, but by what they have the courage to build together.
“Let’s ride for the brand,” Gordon finished, to a final round of cheers.
The budget session will now proceed until around mid-March, as lawmakers decide which of the governor’s recommendations to restore and which cuts will remain.
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