Tag Archives: Legislature

Tax Revenues Suffer from Sluggish Wyoming Economy

Recent employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show that the private sector of the U.S. economy has increased its number of employees by 3.4 percent since 2011. This is weak for a recovery, and you would expect that a low-tax state like Wyoming could beat that. Continue reading

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Responding to Severance Tax Loss: No Tax Hikes, Please

Last week I explained that the U.S. Department of Interior is withholding 5.1 percent of the severance taxes that they owe Wyoming for 2013. Another two dozen states will also lose money, though with $53 million Wyoming is by far … Continue reading

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2013 General Session: Mixed Messages Abound

The 2013 General Session came to a rather abrupt close last Wednesday as the gavel fell and lawmakers cleared out their desks to head home.  While the dust settles from the 36 day sojourn by legislators in the capitol city, … Continue reading

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Five Ideas for a Better Wyoming Economy

Earlier this week I reported that Wyoming is experiencing major economic growth problems.  In the bad recession years 2009-11 we were the only state that saw our state GDP fall two years in a row. I also reported that our … Continue reading

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Wyoming: America’s Big-Government State

On Monday (February 25) I reported that during the depth of the recession, Wyoming suffered from the weakest economic growth in the country. We are the only state that had two years back-to-back of shrinking state GDP during the 2009-11 … Continue reading

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2013 General Session Nears End

The 2013 General Session of the Wyoming Legislature winds down this week.   Today is the final day for third reading of bills, marking the end of floor work and the beginning of a long and boring wait for lawmakers.  The … Continue reading

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Senate Pushback Against the Fuel Tax Hike

HB 69, Wyoming’s fuel tax hike bill, was passed in the senate as expected — but not without pushback from some concerned senators. Many expected the bill to blow through the senate on first reading, but Senator Charles Scott (R-Natrona), … Continue reading

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The Supplemental Budget: Mirror Amendments

This week began a new phase for the Supplemental budget process as the two final versions of the budget, passed in each chamber on Friday, must now be reconciled through a joint conference committee.  (see the Senate or the House … Continue reading

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Wyoming Should Cut, Reprioritize Spending to Avoid Fuel Tax Hike

Fuel tax hike proponents in Wyoming have not-so-cleverly disguised a tax hike bill as a highway funding bill. While a number of Wyoming’s roads may need repair, will the proposed 71 percent spike in the state gas tax rate patch … Continue reading

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More Evidence It’s Time for Structural Spending Reform

Last week the International Monetary Fund admitted that it had made some very serious forecasting errors on the effects of austerity polcies in Europe. This admission is in itself intellectually honest – see their excellent paper on the issue – … Continue reading

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