by Wyoming Liberty Group Staff On May 1 the Bureau of Economic Analysis released the final GDP numbers for the states for 2018. It is not a very pleasant read for us here in the Cowboy State. Year to year, our economy ended up in 49th place among the states; we only beat Alaska. All other states did better than us.* Utah and Idaho are running away ...

by Wyoming Liberty Group Staff My previous work looked at state and local government wages in the state of Wyoming. On average, in the state of Wyoming, there is a wage premium of 23% in state government. This analysis uses wages data from the Bureau of Labor and Statics, that does not include benefits. Local government employees' wages are similar...

by Wyoming Liberty Group Staff This blog is the first of two on the future of highway funding, here in Wyoming as well as nationally. As we have previously shown here at Wyoming Liberty Group, there are different views on how to fund our state's highway system, especially the interstates. We have presented arguments both for tolling the I-80, and a...

by Wyoming Liberty Group Staff The 2009 recession had a widespread negative impact on every state in the country. Much of the United States is still suffering from the recession now ten years removed, but there is increasing optimism around the country that recovery is occurring. President Trump boasted a 2.6% GDP growth rate for 2018, but not ever...

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 Sven R Larson, Ph.D. How would you feel about a new kind of tax to fund our highways, one that was based on the miles you drive? Would you like to see it added to the taxes we already pay? In anticipation of topics that will be discussed in the interim committee season, please take a moment and consider the following idea. Suppose the legislatur...

by Wyoming Liberty Group Staff The persistent deficits in the federal budget, as well as in the Wyoming state finances, are painful reminders of government overspending. Understandably, we often hear calls for drastic spending reductions, and they will become necessary soon enough, unless we begin reforming our state and local governments in the di...

by Wyoming Liberty Group Staff In response to questions from a couple of blog readers, here is a short review of the industrial structure of the Wyoming economy. One reader wanted to know how much each industry contributes to our state's economy; the other asked what industries provide the biggest tax base. These two questions are about the same to...

by Wyoming Liberty Group Staff >>Due to travel, the second part of the report on government revenue has been postpone one week.<< Private-sector employment in Wyoming is up by 5,000 in January 2019 over the same month a year earlier. This 2.4-percent increase is the largest since 2015. The construction industry led the state in jobs cre...

by Wyoming Liberty Group Staff As I have noted on a couple of occasions now, 2019 is shaping up to be a great year to start reforming government spending here in Wyoming. Two sessions in a row, the legislature has rejected massive tax hikes and even refused to appoint a commission to overhaul our tax system. Time is ripe to talk about spending refo...