As legislators face the spending problem in Wyoming, talk of Wyoming's first breed of an income tax still hovers in the air. A bill that failed in last year's session is back with a new name and projected to produce even less than originally estimated. Philip Baron lays it all out for listeners on the Chuck Gray show. 

by Wyoming Liberty Group Staff A month from now the Bureau of Economic Analysis releases 2018 consumer-spending data for the states. In two parts, this Report will give an update on the recent history of consumer spending and personal income in Wyoming, compared to other states. This the first part examines personal income. Main finding: Persistent...

Philip Baron, MBA At the Joint Revenue Committee meeting in July 2019, Wyoming lawmakers were presented draft legislation to increase the state fuel tax by 3 cents per gallon. According to the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WyDot), this tax would bring in $20 million a year. WyDot would receive 67% of this revenue, about $13.4 million, and t...

"Premature protectionism of agencies and bodies will hinder progress." This was the key message delivered by the Wyoming Liberty Group to the Judiciary Committee when they convened for their second meeting on August 15thand 16th. The Committee agreed, and in a sweeping vote, killed Senator Tara Nethercott's motion to move forward on drafting a bill...

by Wyoming Liberty Group Staff If a business is not taxed or regulated, does it exist? This is not just a question for practitioners of empirical ontology, but one that has real-world meaning in Wyoming today. Explains the Casper Star Tribune: Since the idea first appeared in the Legislature last year, regulated gambling was recognized by many to b...

by Wyoming Liberty Group Staff We have repeatedly warned against raising taxes in Wyoming. I have also warned that any attempt to "reform" our tax system without prior structural reforms to spending will result in tax hikes. Since the political conversation still trends in the direction of such reforms, it is time to revisit the last of these two w...

Don't miss the first episode of our brand new podcast "Liberty Talk." In this first episode staff members Evan Blauser and Philip Baron take a hard look at Wyoming Medicaid funding in special education. 

by Wyoming Liberty Group Staff As Wyoming Liberty Group policy analyst Austin Hein recently explained in an excellent white paper, corporate welfare – also known as economic development – distorts investments and other use of economic resources. One of Hein's most important contributions is to explain, using Austrian economic theory, how programs s...

By Sven R Larson, Ph.D. The issue of tolling I-80 is once again at the top of the news cycle, courtesy of Senator von Flatern, who wants to add a third lane on each side that would be used by cars and passenger vehicles only. He proposes that tolls charged to Wyoming drivers would be paid through the state's federal mineral royalties. Senator von F...

by Charles Katebi In civics 101, we learn how government works. Voters elect legislators, legislators pass bills, and bills become law. This side of government is transparent and accountable. But there is another side of government that is far less accountable. Once a bill becomes law, it's up to an agency to enforce it. Sometimes they effectively ...