Wyoming, which so far has avoided the dire fiscal straits facing more than 40 other states, typically enters a recession late — “and that pattern is being repeated in Wyoming today,” Gov. Dave Freudenthal (D) warned lawmakers in the Republican-controlled Legislature in his state of the state speech Jan. 14.
Freudenthal noted that expectations of a surplus of more than $1 billion have given way to a surplus of $259 million instead — partly the result of falling energy prices — and that any legislative proposals costing money would likely have to be reconsidered.
The governor did propose continued spending on capital projects to stimulate the state’s economy and expressed support for advertising efforts to encourage tourism. Proposals unrelated to economic stimulus included a new program to provide child care and what Freudenthal described as a “narrow” pilot project for an expansion of health care.
On the environment, Freudenthal urged lawmakers to continue their recent efforts to make the state a leader in carbon sequestration, the storage of harmful carbon gases from power plants to prevent their release into the atmosphere.
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