WyLiberty’s 10 Interim Topics to Watch

The Legislature has selected and rank-ordered dozens of topics to study during the interim break between legislative sessions. We chose 10 that we believe will play a pivotal role in committee and floor discussions during the 2027 Wyoming General Session. 

1. Energy Dominance Fund & Possible Expansion. (Joint Minerals' Priority #2, budgeted 27-54 hours of study). The Legislature created the Wyoming Energy Dominance Fund during the last legislative session, with up to $105 million in initial funding. The Committee is looking to "expand Wyoming's role and dominance in the energy industry" and "study regulatory and financial barriers to energy expansion and new projects."
2. Economic Development & Wyoming Business Council (Joint Minerals' Priority #1, budgeted 15-21 hours of study & Joint Appropriations' Priority #1, budgeted 20-30 hours of study). The two committees will review the Wyoming Business Council's "structure, operations, and programs," reviewing the history of the Council, prior Council reports and alternative economic development methods used in other states. They anticipate developing a "new strategic direction" for the Council, to determine what parts of the Council will be "retained, modified, or eliminated."
3. Property Tax Reform (Joint Revenue's Priority #1, budgeted 6 hours of study). The Committee plans to discuss options to replace residential property tax with another source of revenue, changes to the base year assessments for property tax, how fair market value for property is determined, and a review of recently passed property tax legislation.
4. Government Spending Transparency (Joint Corporations Priority #5, hours unmentioned). The Committee hopes to strengthen oversight of taxpayer dollars distributed to agencies, nonprofits, and associations, and will track the impact of these dollars after the initial allocation. They have a goal of "promoting accountability, preventing waste, and ensuring public dollars align with legislative intent and public trust."
5. Electricity Reliability & Taxation (Joint Revenue's Priority #2, budgeted 6 hours of study. Joint Corporations' Priority #6, hours of study). The Revenue Committee will consider the various taxes on the production of electricity, like the severance tax on wind energy facilities, the sales tax on electricity and ways to give consumers more choices when selecting an electricity provider. The Corporations Committee will focus on policy proposals the Wyoming Public Service Commission can implement to make electricity more reliable.
6. Quality & Testing of K-12 Public Education (Joint Education's Priority #1, budgeted 10 hours of study). The Committee will study the educational basket of goods and how it relates to the uniform student content and performance standards established by the State Board of Education. The Committee will study if the statewide student assessment accurately measures what students are being taught (with a focus on why students NAEP scores decline from 4th to 8th grade, as well as ensuring students are ready for post-high school pathways).
7. Colorado River Compact (Select Water's Priority #3, budgeted 3 hours of study). The Committee will study the impacts of the expiration of the Colorado River Compact, such as the possible effects on agriculture and water needs in the State of Wyoming.
8. Department of Transportation Funding (Joint Transportation's Priority #1, 12-18 hours of study) The Committee will study how the Wyoming Department of Transportation is currently funded and explore solutions to reduce the department's current budget shortfall.
9. Public Records & Open Meetings Law (Joint Corporations' Priority #2, hours of study). The Committee will consider complaints regarding the high cost of records requests, and how the "ignorance and disregard of public records/meetings statutes by public officials" can be countered.
10. Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (Joint Judiciary's Priority #2, budgeted 6 hours of study). The Committee will study laws "concerning strategic lawsuits against public participation," including 2025 House Bill 223 and 2026 House Bill 103. Wyoming is only one of a handful of states that still allow such lawsuits, potentially stifling free speech in the public arena.