Wyoming Business Council Review Scheduled for June 22

chamber204
17 hours ago
4 min read

A debate over whether taxpayer dollars should fund state economic development left Wyoming's primary economic development agency operating on reduced funding and under formal legislative review. The next public step in that process is a committee meeting on June 22 in Lander — and the agenda includes proposed legislation.

What Is the Wyoming Business Council?

The Wyoming Business Council (WBC) is a state agency created by the Wyoming Legislature in 1998. It was established during a period of sluggish economic growth and declining population, when lawmakers sought a more coordinated approach to building a stronger, more diversified state economy.

The agency operates with a CEO and a 13-member board of directors made up of business leaders from across Wyoming, with regional staff in 10 communities statewide. Its stated mission is to support business growth, help communities build the infrastructure needed to attract and retain employers, and work toward reducing Wyoming's historical dependence on energy revenue cycles.

Its programs include financing for publicly owned community infrastructure, business expansion loans, startup grants, export assistance, broadband investment, and administration of federal Community Development Block Grant funding that flows to Wyoming communities.

What Led to the Legislative Review

At the center of the 2026 budget session debate was a direct question: should state government spend taxpayer money to direct economic development, or should the free market determine economic outcomes on its own?

The Wyoming Freedom Caucus, which held a House majority for the first full budget cycle following the 2024 elections, came into the session with a stated position that government-directed economic development conflicts with free market principles and represents an inappropriate use of taxpayer dollars.

The WBC had submitted a budget request of $112 million for the next two-year cycle. The governor had already reduced that recommendation to $55 million. The Joint Appropriations Committee went further, voting 9-3 to zero out the agency's budget entirely and advance a draft bill to dissolve it before July 1, 2026.

The dissolution bill specified what would happen to WBC programs if the agency were eliminated. Some programs — including the Main Street program and the Small Business Investment Credit program — would have been eliminated entirely. Others would have been redistributed to existing agencies: workforce programs to Wyoming Workforce Services, tourism programs to the Office of Tourism, and energy programs to the Wyoming Energy Authority. The Wyoming Broadband Office, which manages approximately $400 million in federal funds, would have moved to the governor's office. Legislative Service Office staff noted at the time that none of those receiving agencies had been consulted about whether they could absorb the additional responsibilities.

Supporters of the agency — including mayors from communities across Wyoming — testified about the WBC's role in local infrastructure investment and business development. The bill to dissolve the agency was introduced to the full legislature but failed to clear the two-thirds introductory vote required for non-budget legislation in budget years.

The review also surfaced governance questions that crossed party lines. Over nearly 30 years, the Wyoming Legislature accumulated approximately 93 pages of statutes governing the WBC under Title 9, Chapter 12 of Wyoming law — a volume lawmakers cited as evidence the agency's mandate had become difficult to define and evaluate.

Where Things Stand

The legislature reduced the WBC's budget to approximately $14 million for the current one-year period — enough to keep basic operations running. The Business Ready Community grant program, which funds publicly owned infrastructure in Wyoming communities, was paused under the budget agreement and is not currently active.

The governor used his line-item veto authority to remove a June 30, 2026 dissolution deadline the legislature had included, keeping the agency's future open while the review proceeds.

Two committees are now conducting that review on parallel tracks. The Joint Appropriations Committee is focused on the agency's financial structure and what a sustainable funding model for community infrastructure could look like. The Joint Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee is focused on how the agency is governed and structured.

What Happens June 22

The Joint Appropriations Committee meets June 22-23 in Lander at Fremont County School District #1 Board Room, beginning at 8:30 a.m.

The WBC review occupies the full morning of June 22. The agenda includes a budget and fiscal review by Legislative Service Office staff, an update from the WBC CEO, a working group update, and proposed legislation. That afternoon, the committee shifts to testimony on a County Consensus Funding model — a proposed alternative approach to community infrastructure funding — with testimony from the Wyoming County Commissioners Association and the Wyoming Association of Municipalities.

Public comment is open on both topics.

A bill that failed one legislative session can be reintroduced in the next. What the committees recommend this interim will shape what legislation looks like in the 2027 general session — including whether another attempt at restructuring or eliminating the agency moves forward.

The next joint committee meeting following June 22 is scheduled for August 27-28 in Cheyenne, held jointly with the Joint Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee.

WY It Matters

The review of the Wyoming Business Council is a direct conversation about how Wyoming positions itself for long-term economic growth — who drives that effort, what tools are used, and how public dollars are spent in the process.

The programs under review touch businesses and communities across all 23 Wyoming counties. Business owners and community leaders who have used WBC programs, or who have opinions about whether that role belongs to state government, are part of the conversation the legislature is working through.

The June 22 meeting is open to the public, with virtual public comment available for those who register in advance. Full agenda, registration information, and future meeting dates are available at wyoleg.gov.