Leg should work on economy, education and growth

I
 have spent several of my recent articles raising the alarm on the state budget. For those who have missed those articles, they can be summarized as: our budget situation is dire, the legislature must act now to address the issue, and this is not the time for those who refuse to face the facts or cling to platitudes rather than offer solutions.  The budget should be priority number one for our
legislature until we have a viable path forward where our state revenues and expenditures are in line with one another.
However, rather than continue to beat that drum, it is also is worthwhile to consider some of the other issues that our legislature should consider.  The budget, while a vastly important issue, is not the only issue facing our state. Our state also has important decisions to make on other issues, including economic diversification, education, and how to handle a growing population, especially in areas likely to see high levels of growth in the coming years.
Other than the budget, I believe the next most pressing issue facing Wyoming is economic diversification.  As times change, economic systems change as well. Wyoming’s economy today is far different than the economy 100 years ago, and today’s economy will likely be unrecognizable compared to the economy 100 years in the future. Wyoming has successfully relied upon its cornerstone industries of mineral extraction, agriculture, and tourism for years, but the markets for those products are evolving. I expect those industries will likely remain our cornerstone industries for the foreseeable future, but we should also look to additional industries and opportunities to grow our economy. This is important for two main reasons: first, a diverse economy protects against disruptions and downturns that may impact certain sectors. Even if the mineral industry is doing poorly, having a wide variety of other
industries keeps options open for Wyoming workers and Wyoming’s economy as we weather external market forces. Second, economic diversification is key to keeping Wyoming’s home-grown population around. We lose a high percentage of our young people to out-of-state opportunities. As the parent of school-age children, my hope is that Wyoming will provide them the opportunity to stay in Wyoming if they wish to. Providing varied
economic opportunities to Wyoming’s population is key to accomplishing that goal and the legislature should look to ways to expand Wyoming’s economic options.
Education is another looming issue that the legislature should pay attention to. We as a state need to consider how we provide education and how we can do so efficiently. Our current system has many layers of oversight and responsibility, but this divided system has so many different layers and areas of responsibility that it can be difficult to have meaningful reform. For example, the legislature, the state Department of Education, the state Board of Education (which is different from and has no control over the Department of Education), the local school board, and individual school principals all have responsibilities in determining how an individual teacher provides education.  While it is probably not feasible or advisable to get rid of any of these different institutions, it is worthwhile to consider how to streamline our education system. The legislature should begin a top to bottom look at how our education system is
organized and how we can most efficiently provide educational services.
Lastly, southeast Wyoming
especially looks poised for growth in the coming years, between construction and development projects, general growth in the Front Range of Colorado extending up into Wyoming, and increasing numbers lifestyle refugees from Colorado and similar states who want to live in the Rocky Mountain west but cannot abide the social changes happening elsewhere. Other areas of the state may be similarly situated. This
anticipated growth puts additional strain on our government services, but also provides us with opportunities. New people mean new capital and investment in both our economies and our societies, and the legislature needs to be prepared to act nimbly to allow for the infrastructure that growth and development growth may require.  The legislature should also find a way to integrate people into our state without increased population causing increased problems with our state budget.
In considering these issues, our legislature should be forward looking.  We have significant challenges, but they can be addressed. It is important to remember that what the legislature does now sets our course for the future of our state. We should take advantage of our opportunities and address our problems so that Wyoming remains the great place we all know and love.