Wyoming legislature begins budget work

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State lawmakers have started reviewing the proposed supplemental state budget.  The budget features an average of six and a half percent cuts and limits new spending.

House Appropriations Chairman Steve Harshman says the legislature will have some money that can be added to the budget if needed.             

“So after accounting for other bills with appropriations in them, today there is 13 million dollars on the table for saving or spending.  And the smallest supplemental budget in a decade…in ten years…in terms of expenditures.”

Harshman says the appropriations committee is recommending $71 million be spent on University of Wyoming building projects, $31 million dollars on fire suppression, cities and towns would get $20 million dollars with $15 million additional dollars specifically to address landfills. 

Harshman says the mandatory portion of Medicaid expansion will cost the state $14 million dollars.