Wyoming Lawmakers Push To Dismantle Key Economic Agency

State lawmakers are moving forward with a plan to dismantle the Wyoming Business Council, arguing that government should step back from economic development. Critics say the effort is rushed and raises serious questions about jobs, funding, and what happens next.

Wyoming lawmakers took a fast and controversial step this week toward dismantling the Wyoming Business Council, the state’s main economic development agency.

The Legislature’s Joint Appropriations Committee passed a 58-page draft bill that would eliminate the agency and redistribute its programs across state government. The vote was 9–3, with opposition coming from two Democrats and one Republican. The bill was shared with lawmakers and the public for the first time the night before the vote, drawing criticism for how quickly the committee moved.

Supporters of the effort say the Business Council represents exactly the kind of government involvement conservatives have long opposed. The agency provides loans, grants, tax credits, and other incentives aimed at steering economic growth. Lawmakers backing the repeal argue the state should stop trying to manage economic outcomes and let businesses succeed—or fail—on their own.

From that perspective, shutting down the Business Council is about shrinking government, reducing bureaucracy, and getting taxpayers out of the business of picking winners and losers.

But even lawmakers who support smaller government expressed unease with how fast the plan is moving and how many questions remain unanswered.

The bill spells out how the Business Council would be dismantled, which programs would be eliminated, and where others would land. Some programs would disappear entirely, including the Main Street and Small Business Investment Credit programs. Others would be shifted to agencies like Wyoming Workforce Services, the Office of Tourism, and the Wyoming Energy Authority.

One of the biggest issues is the Wyoming Broadband Office, which currently sits under the Business Council and is overseeing about $400 million in federal funds. Under the bill, that responsibility would move to the governor’s office.

According to legislative staff, none of the agencies expected to take on these new duties were consulted ahead of time. That has raised concerns about whether they have the staff, expertise, or capacity to handle the additional workload.

There are also questions about employees. The Business Council has about 40 workers who would effectively be asked to wind down their own agency while knowing their jobs are being eliminated. Some lawmakers questioned what happens if staff leave before the transition is complete.

The governor’s office has pushed back hard on the proposal, arguing that dismantling a 20-year-old agency should not be done in a matter of days. Administration officials say there are legitimate conversations to be had about reforming or restructuring the Business Council, but that process should be deliberate and transparent, with input from the public and affected agencies.

The bill still has a long road ahead. While it cleared the committee, it must be debated by the full Legislature when lawmakers return to Cheyenne for the budget session in February.

The fight ahead highlights a familiar tension in Wyoming politics: the desire to limit government and spending versus the practical challenges of unwinding programs, managing federal funds, and keeping the state’s economic infrastructure intact.