Wyoming’s economy is booming, and the national subprime mortgage crisis has not affected the state as it has many others, Gov. Dave Freudenthal (D) told the Republican-controlled Legislature in his Feb. 12 speech. But, he cautioned, “the abundance we enjoy requires discipline.”
Freudenthal stressed the need to balance environmental concerns with those of the energy industry, the major source of Wyoming’s economic strength. He said the state should become more energy-efficient as a way to cut operational costs, and he urged lawmakers to expand wind energy and carbon sequestration, a process that stores carbon dioxide instead of releasing it into the atmosphere.
The governor pushed a pilot project to help cut health-insurance costs for working families, though he stressed the project would not amount to an expansion of coverage.
He also asked lawmakers to approve property-tax relief for the elderly.
Aside from budget items, Freudenthal pushed bills to reduce business fraud in the state and make dogfighting a felony. Wyoming is one of two states (the other is Idaho) where dogfighting is a misdemeanor. To read the full text, click here.
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