Surplus-Rich State Goes on Spending Spree
At a time when other states are pinching every penny they can find, Wyoming lawmakers boosted state spending by 5% a year. And they did it with no program cuts and only one tax hike, a 48-cent boost on a pack of cigarettes.
Wyoming is enjoying the effects of recent high prices for the resources that provide the bulk of its revenue -- mainly coal, oil and natural gas.
“Are we lucky? Sure we’ve been lucky,” state Sen. Rich Cathcart said.
Lawmakers opened their just-completed session with a $169-million surplus and went on a spending binge, creating programs for senior citizens, insect management, animal euthanasia and public television.
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