Wyoming Business Council says appropriations committee vote would cut funding and strip statutory authority on July 1, 2026

The Wyoming Business Council told participants at a public online session that the Joint Appropriations Committee voted to put a zero dollar amount in the Council’s budget and that a committee bill under consideration would strip the Council’s statutory authority, both measures that the Council’s host said could take effect on July 1, 2026 if enacted.

“The joint appropriations committee voted to put a zero in our budget for the business council, which effectively means that on July 1st, 2026 … we would have zero dollars to operate,” said Josh, the Council representative leading the session. He added that the committee also “put forth a committee bill that will essentially strip all of our legislative authority.”

Josh explained how the two tracks would progress: the zero in the committee budget will be considered as the budget bill moves through House and Senate amendment windows and, if altered, could end up in a conference committee determining the final budget. The committee bill would follow the normal legislative path and—if introduced—would also need floor consideration.

The Council emphasized that the committee actions are not the final legislative outcome. “There is the possibility that a budget amendment will come forth to put money back into the Business Council’s budget,” Josh said, describing the standard amendment and conference committee steps that could restore funding.

For now, the Council said it is continuing regular work. Josh told participants the agency will hold a board meeting in the coming weeks and will “perform our business” while preparing contingencies to keep agreements and projects in place should funding or statutory authority lapse on the July 1 date.

The Council also said it is proactively briefing legislators about likely impacts and possible alternative structures. Josh encouraged residents to share local success stories and data with legislators, saying the Legislature receives a high volume of information and that local evidence of economic impact can be useful.

What happens next: the actions described are at the committee stage. Any budget restorations would occur through amendment processes in each chamber and, if necessary, a conference committee; any change to statutory authority would require passage of a bill in the full legislature and (if enacted) would take effect per the bill’s terms. The Council’s representative said the organization will continue to operate and advocate while the legislative process plays out.