Cheyenne is filling up as the legislature is convening for the 2025 General Session. On Saturdays for the past month or so, I have been in your communities to hear from you. I enjoy that very much as we have an informal visit about the issues that are on your mind.
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CHEYENNE, WYOMING - Cheyenne is filling up as the legislature is convening for the 2025 General Session. On Saturdays for the past month or so, I have been in your communities to hear from you. I enjoy that very much as we have an informal visit about the issues that are on your mind. Every meeting you remind me that SMALL TOWNS ARE A BIG DEAL. Our conversations usually revolve around local issues like County budgets and education. When I mention the 2025 “legislative priorities” that are in the news, and on your text messages most of you patiently give me your perspective and then get back to the issues that are actually on your mind. Many of you are very proficient in cutting through the political bluster and getting to the heart of the matter. Your statements often sound something like this “I love the sound of that but how will that really impact our community?”
As always, there are many bills that have a great sounding name and either do virtually nothing, or have major unintended consequences. Whether it is the property tax conversation or the school finance situation, small towns and rural districts will be drastically affected. We have cut property taxes in Wyoming; we will cut them some more. That means county services will be cut accordingly until we shift that tax burden to another taxpayer. These are the facts. Local schools are the nucleus of the small towns in House District 2. Our current funding level is unsustainable. How we address these challenges will impact your family and your community. For example, in a meeting last Saturday one of you brought to my attention House Bill 80 (HB 0080). This bill is titled “Stop ESG-State funds fiduciary duty act.” In my opinion the bill is sponsored and co-sponsored by a great group of legislators with noble intentions. When my personal bank went “woke” I pulled all of my personal and business accounts and went elsewhere, I get it. However, as one of you pointed out there are many unintended consequences. The particular impact that was on your mind was the fiscal note that estimated revenue reduction to the Wyoming Retirement System Pension Fund of $193 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, $387 million in FY 2027, and $580 million in FY 2028 for a total of $1.16 billion in the next 3 years! Unfortunately, this is not the only unintended consequence of this great sounding, well intentioned piece of legislation. Check it out for yourself at WYOLEG.GOV. Eyes wide open everybody!
In the past weeks some of you have shared memories of when electricity came to the ranch, you remember when the county finally could afford to gravel the county road past your house. Some are still waiting, last week I heard “only 8 more miles of gravel to go and we can get to the highway rain or shine.” The county budgets in House District 2 are not fat, they are tight. Some of us have forgotten where we came from, the newcomers never knew. It is no one’s fault, it is where we are in our history. We can’t remember what we never knew.
You are correct in feeling that small-town Wyoming is under attack. We have a responsibility to preserve the rural, small town Wyoming that is the soul of the last best place on earth. I assure you that small towns and rural counties are on my mind as I go to Cheyenne. I will be back in your communities, weather permitting, on Saturdays throughout the legislative session. 8:00-10:00 Goshen County Library, Torrington; 11:00-1:00 Legends, Lusk; 4:00-6:00 Country Club, Newcastle. Please contact me anytime regarding the issues that are on your mind.