State Budget Concerns For Community Colleges

SHERIDAN, Wyo. (AP) — One of the leaders of the Legislature’s Joint Appropriations Committee says funding for community colleges could be a tough issue for lawmakers during the upcoming budget session.

Rep. Rosie Berger spoke to the Sheridan County Republican Women on Tuesday about the session, which starts Monday.

Berger said that the committee didn’t cut the standard budgets for community colleges but it denied other requests that totaled $900 million.

She said funding for highways, Medicaid and health care for the disabled could also be hot topics.

Declining natural gas prices has complicated planning for the two-year funding cycle that starts in July. The appropriations committee has backed setting aside $150 million of state reserves in case lower natural gas revenues lead to a funding shortfall.