December 10, 2024 |
Photo – Bigfoot file photo
In Cheyenne Monday, Governor Mark Gordon appeared before the Join Appropriations Committee to announce his supplemental budget requests to be considered by the Legislature in the upcoming session.
At the top of the governor’s wish list is $50 million dollar for fire suppression efforts and $130 million for restoration efforts. With Joe Biden leaving office in January, the federal spigot of Covid-related money is no longer turned on at full blast, the governor said.
At the top of the governor’s wish lists was legislative dollars to deal with the outbreak of fires this past year in northern Wyoming. The Governor pointed to the than 2,000 wildfires that burned more than 850,000 acres in 2024.
In his supplemental budget Governor Gordon is requesting $50 million dollars for firefighting and $130 million dollar for restoration efforts.
The Governor also recommended an additional $10.5 million be allocated to the Department of Revenue, noting that the program is currency underfunded.
The Governor’s supplemental budget also included an increase of $20.1 million to the Mineral Royalty Grant Program (MRG) to help the State Loan and Investment Board address emergency situations that pose a direct threat to health, safety, or welfare, as well as support essential public services.
