Thread by @IAmNickReynolds

Sen. Dan Dockstader, just now:

"We have touched the point to where we're reaching into those we care most about but we don't have the answer because we are simply out of money," he said. "It's our problem, it's our responsibility, but everyone now realizes the problem we're in."

This is an informational meeting, but a lot of longer-term Senators are preaching about the deep impacts of the cuts they are considering on seniors, especially.



They know the problem but, as we were told last week, they'll cut til they find the floor.

Baldwin said we seem to be dropping further off, rather than replacing what we took away. And getting worse.

"What will we do if we cut too far this time?" asked Baldwin. "We can't fix those lives, so I guess... what will we do? That's the question."

Hicks: "How do we solve this problem?

"This is just round one folks. This is the start of the tough discussions. Some of us will be here two years, some of you will be four. But until you're willing to go out and substantially raise taxes, I mean..."

Said we have a tax capacity study that shows we have room to tax. But they can't even raise a penny right now.

"We're second guessing everything, but the governor is doing all the work," he said. "Wanna know who the fiscal conservative is in Wyoming? He's downstairs folks."

"What about our small towns? Are you gonna step up to do a little more in your community?" Hicks asked.

What's the responsibility of your family? Your church?

People are gonna have to start asking what their communities can take.

"Unless some grandiose things happen, like minerals flowing out of this state again -- which is unlikely -- you're faced not only with reducing services, but increase taxes," said Hicks.

If you've lived in Wyoming for a while, a lot of this isn't new. But we have quite a few new lawmakers this year who ran on anti-tax platforms they might need votes from...

Rothfuss notes that we already have the lowest taxes in the country but nobody wants to come here.

When "austerity is the approach, you don't see positive outcomes."

Said that as they watch the pain the cuts inflict, they need to remember they're doing them because they didn't generate revenue when they had the chance.

"But it's not too late."

"It's a little disingenuous to say we can't do anything about it," he concludes. "We're literally the only people in the state who can."

Rep. @lbrownhd9 with some trivia on his FB on this subject:

2016 - avg family paid $3,600 in taxes and received $36,000 in government services
2021 - avg family pays $3,600 in taxes and receives $27,000 in government services.

"We're cutting and it's hurting OUR State," he wrote. "We're hurting those that are already hurting. Should we keep cutting? Should we live more within our means? Should we raise revenue to keep programs and services afloat?" facebook.com/lbrownHD09/pos…

We have now just concluded the "blaming the state's education funding model for the problem" portion of the hearing.

Both House and Senate agree that the annual increases in K-12 are unsustainable but in the Senate, barely hear mention of declining services or revenues first.

These meetings are rough. In the House, Rep. Andy Schwartz says the Wildlife and Natural Resources Trust Fund cut $1.6 million from their grants program, which are typically matched 5:1.

"We basically just lost $8 million in matching money, but that was the governor's request."