Gov. Gordon has good perspective on most important issues
Regardless of whether you agree with his decisions during and after this year’s legislative session, it’s always reassuring to know Gov. Mark Gordon has a firm grasp on the reins of Wyoming’s executive branch.
That fact was reaffirmed for us during an hour-long conversation Monday afternoon here at the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, which also was recorded for this week’s episode of our weekly podcast, The Perch. (To listen, go to wyomingnews.com/the_perch/, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.)
During his visit, we discussed a variety of issues, from property tax cuts to universal school vouchers to funding for K-12 education. We got his opinions on the suggestion by some lawmakers that the state should take over federal lands, the DOGE approach to federal spending cuts, whether Congress is fulfilling its constitutional role and if he has any regrets five years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
And even though he didn’t seem to relish answering the question, we asked him about his own political future as he enters the second half of his second four-year term.
Here are some of our key takeaways from that conversation:
Top 3 successes, disappointments
Rather than ask for his overall take on the 68th Wyoming Legislature’s general session, we asked Gov. Gordon for his top three successes and top three disappointments. As we said in this space last week, most of us were disappointed in the overall outcome of this new Legislature’s first session, and the governor seemed to agree, naming just two successes and five disappointments without additional prompting.
On the positive side, he pointed to the inclusion of pre-kindergarten in the universal school voucher bill and modernizing management of some of the state’s investment portfolio. From the disappointment standpoint, the biggest one — not surprisingly — was the Legislature’s failure to pass a supplemental budget for the first time in recent memory.
Included in Gov. Gordon’s original $692 million supplemental budget proposal was money for wildfire recovery, which included restoration of public lands and work to prevent future record-breaking fire seasons like the one Wyoming experienced last year. The fact that less than half of the amount he sought was provided — and some of it in the form of low-interest loans, rather than grants to property owners — was the second disappointment he highlighted. He also noted the Legislature’s failure to contend with insufficient OB-GYN care in large parts of the state, failure to address the ongoing need for mental health services and an overall “inability for the Legislature to work together for the common good.”
“It was very much our side versus their side, or this issue over that issue, instead of focusing on the things that were important for Wyoming,” the governor said before noting the lack of action on affordable housing and gaming legislation.
We also liked his answer to a related question about the Wyoming Freedom Caucus calling itself the “conscience” of the Republican Party. Gov. Gordon said he didn’t think anyone in the party should make such a statement, including himself.
“I’ve never been so arrogant to think that I know what every Republican in Wyoming thinks. I believe that Wyoming people are independent. We have a libertarian streak to us that I think is very pronounced,” he said. “The fact that we went through a legislative session spending an inordinate amount of time talking about issues that were in the national scope of things I think marks a bit of a departure from the Republican sort of upbringing I had. ... It’s unclear to me how well the Freedom Caucus (members) distinguished themselves this session. I think time will tell if people think that was a good idea or not.”
Property tax cuts
Gov. Gordon said he agreed with our pre-session statement that lawmakers should allow property tax relief passed in 2024 to go into effect and measure its impact before passing more cuts. That didn’t stop him from signing Senate File 69, though, which gives every Wyoming homeowner with a primary residence valued at up to $1 million a 25% property tax break, regardless of their income.
He said he vetoed a similar cut last year because it included a backfill from state coffers to local governments. He opposes such payments because it penalizes the mineral industry and makes local entities dependent on the state.
SF 69 didn’t include any backfill, which the governor admitted will have a negative impact on local fire districts and other small local entities that lack enough other revenue sources to make up for the loss.
The bottom line, he said, is that both freshman lawmakers — of which there were many this year — and many residents failed to realize that property tax revenue funds local government, not the state, until it was too late. And without a sunset date on the bill, it remains to be seen what lawmakers will do in future years, but the governor said he thinks it will be difficult for lawmakers to undo such a significant tax cut.
Education funding
Lawmakers passed House Bill 199, “Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Act,” which expands the Education Savings Account (ESA) program created last year. The change means any Wyoming parent, regardless of income, can qualify for up to $7,000 to send their child to a K-12 school of their choice, with money from the state’s general fund. Those families at or below 250% of the federal poverty level qualify for reimbursement for up to $7,000 of pre-kindergarten costs.
In addition, after the Senate opted not to pass a supplemental budget and a Laramie County District Court judge ruled the state has been unconstitutionally underfunding its K-12 public schools, lawmakers passed the full $66.3 million external cost adjustment.
Both of these efforts had Gov. Gordon’s support, even though he had line-item vetoed the ESA bill last year to limit it to low-income families because the money was coming from the School Foundation Account at that time.
The reassuring part of the school choice legislation is that it isn’t a blank check; parents will have to pay for private education upfront, then seek reimbursement from the state. Depending on what guardrails the state puts on this program, it may withstand a constitutional challenge.
As for public school funding and Judge Peter Froelicher’s decision, the governor said lawmakers will have to address funding levels for both operational costs and capital construction. It’s unlikely they will do so in a special session later this year, however, Gov. Gordon said.
He also said he doesn’t know what impact the Trump administration’s attempted closure of the U.S. Department of Education will have on Wyoming. He said he agrees that cuts are needed in federal spending, but he’s not sure about the DOGE process, noting, “I’m not sure anybody would ever say Elon Musk is an artist, and it perhaps could have been done more artfully, but I think it’s still valuable.”
Overall assessment
As we said at the beginning, although we may not all agree with everything he said, we’re pleased to be reminded that Gov. Gordon has a firm grasp on the state’s current situation and a solid view of its potential future.
We agree with his observation that this year’s legislative session was one marked by freshman lawmakers who needed to be better informed, and who should have had greater respect for local officials. We hope both issues are corrected during the upcoming interim, or legislative off-season, and headed into next year’s budget session.
We also understand his reluctance to want to become a federal-level politician at this point — at least in the House — and his unwillingness to challenge either of our sitting senators. It remains unclear whether he will challenge term limits that prevent him from seeking a third consecutive term as governor.
Our main takeaway this week is that Wyoming residents should be pleased with the knowledge, dedication and work ethic of Gov. Mark Gordon. We appreciate his service to our state, as well as his openness and willingness to share his thought process with those he serves.