Wyoming House Rejects $40M UW Budget Restoration, Restores $6M for Athletics

The Wyoming House in Cheyenne rejected an amendment to restore $40 million to the University of Wyoming block grant, voting 34-26 against Rep. Ken Chestek’s proposal, and later approved a separate $6 million restoration for UW athletics. Chestek, a Laramie Democrat who opened floor debate by saying, “This is the big one,” pressed the chamber during a nearly two-hour debate that stretched into an overnight session.

Chestek’s amendment was taken up as part of the House’s second reading of the budget, when members were slated to consider roughly 120 amendments; another accounting from the House’s first pass put the total amendments considered at 122, with lawmakers adopting 10 changes in that round. Debate on the $40 million item carried into the night as members worked until about 1:30 a.m. and returned hours later to continue the budget process.

Arguments on the floor highlighted sharply different views of UW’s fiscal picture. Rep. Trey Sherwood, a Laramie Democrat and member of the House Appropriations Committee, warned that carveouts the budget planners inserted - exemptions for some schools, programs and a research facility - “might not always insulate the areas of study that lawmakers are attempting to prioritize, given that coursework is often spread between different schools.” Speaker of the House Chip Neiman questioned whether increasing university funding was the right move, saying, “The truth is, we’re top heavy. I don't think throwing more money at this is a good idea.” Neiman additionally pushed for a review of enrollment trends, noting the university had moved from roughly 13,000-14,000 students to a little over 10,000. He also rejected claims the cuts were punitive: “As far as the idea that we’re trying to harm education and harm students, that’s not true. It’s not true at all.”

The $40 million cut originated in the Joint Appropriations Committee’s trimming of Governor Mark Gordon’s proposed biennial budget. The JAC reduced the governor’s recommendations by more than $300 million in total, and the $40 million reduction equaled nearly 11% of the governor’s recommended UW block grant. The committee’s wider package also moved to defund or reduce funding for other programs, a point of contention as lawmakers debated restorations and carveouts.

While members declined to reverse the $40 million reduction, the House did restore $6 million earmarked for University of Wyoming athletics - the largest single change approved during the second reading. Lawmakers also rejected amendments seeking to restore funding for the Wyoming Business Council and Wyoming Public Media matching funds, and turned down proposed increases for the Department of Health, Department of Family Services and Department of Corrections.

The Senate had moved earlier in the week to restore the governor’s proposed budget, including the $40 million for UW, and had completed two readings of its version. If the House and Senate remain at odds over the UW reduction as both chambers finish three readings and finalize their budgets, a 10-person committee - five House representatives and five senators - will be appointed by the House speaker and the Senate president to negotiate a final compromise. With major differences on the table and leaders warning of more late-night sessions, Cheyenne’s budget work appears set to continue into the final reconciliation phase.