Mead Comfortable With Legislative Push-back

Concerns voiced by Wyoming lawmakers in opposition to the Governor's spending proposals are valid; that from Governor Matt Mead, who met with the Joint Appropriations Committee on Thursday.

Mead says there's rightful concern for fluctuating commodities prices and what that means for the future and the states reserves.

The concerns come in response to Mead's proposal to send more severance tax revenue to cities, towns and counties and to highway infrastructure.  He says he thinks Legislators understand why.

"I think that there is a general recognition that our towns and counties have suffered more than the state in the last couple of years. I also think there's recognition that we have to find means to fund the roads."  He says it all comes down to predictable funding.  "The importance of a predictable funding stream is it allows towns and counties,  allows the Department of Transportation to have adequate planning so they don't approach these infrastructure projects in a piece meal fashion causing excessive cost and excessive disruption of services."

He thinks the push back from the Legislators is appropriate and that law making and government operations should work that way.

" I don't anticipate that just because I'm Governor that I throw out an idea and everybody agrees with it.  So I'm gonna speak my piece and we're gonna have serious debate and at the end of the day we hope we find something that's most useful to Wyoming."