In budget talks, Governor highlights cuts to programs for vulnerable

Programs to help Wyoming’s elderly, poor, incarcerated, addicted and mentally ill will all see budget reductions, Gov. Mark Gordon told lawmakers on Monday morning as he prepared the state for 10% cuts to most government agencies.

Gordon outlined deep reductions that will reach into every aspect of government at the state, county and municipal level.

“What’s that going to mean for our hospitals, for our communities, for our town’s abilities to see the needs they have going forward?” he asked during his presentation to the Legislature’s Joint Appropriations Committee. “We are going to have to abandon some of our towns because we will not be able to afford upkeep on our roads and sewers.”

Most state agencies are taking 10% cuts, according to a press release from the governor’s office. The wholesale trimming is in response to a massive decline in projected revenues. Gordon named the Department of Health, the Department of Corrections and the Wyoming Attorney General’s office as slight exceptions. They will see 9% cuts. The cut to the health department, however, is still $90 million. Public education, which has separate revenue streams, has also been left out for now.

Read more: https://www.wyofile.com/in-budget-talks-gov-highlights-cuts-to-programs-for-vulnerable/