Supplemental Budget Bill Faces Final Amendments

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming's supplemental budget bill faces final amendments in both Houses.

The Wyoming House and Senate both have scheduled final reading of the supplemental budget Friday. Differences between their final versions of the bill will be resolved in conference committee later.

The Legislature's Joint Appropriations Committee in its budget proposal has disregarded Gov. Matt Mead's suggestion to divert hundreds of millions of dollars away from the state's permanent savings in order to beef up the rainy day account. He says the state may need the money in coming years to fund government operations in the face of projected flat revenues.

Sen. Eli Bebout, a Riverton Republican, and Rep. Steve Harshman, a Republican from Casper, are co-chairman of the appropriations committee. They want more cash in permanent savings to generate interest income.