Governor Gordon Signs Property Tax Relief, School Choice Bills

Governor Mark Gordon signed school choice and property tax relief bills into law this week. Senate File 69, the Homeowners Property Tax Exemption provides a 25 percent property tax exemption on the first $1 million of a single-family home’s fair market value and does not have a sunset date. The exemption takes effect immediately, with an owner-occupied requirement beginning in the second year. Gordon said that this act, coupled with the bills he signed last year, responds to the call for property tax relief and now the practical impacts of this legislation will need to be navigated by our cities, counties, special districts and citizens.

Gordon also signed House Bill 199, The Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Act, which expands educational opportunities for Wyoming Pre-K-12 students. The bill expands education savings accounts for K-12 students and makes Wyoming the first state in the nation to implement a need-based Pre-K voucher program. The Governor said the bill gives families greater flexibility to choose the best educational path for their children.

Governor Gordon exercised his veto authority on three bills, including Senate File 103 – Terminating and Defunding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. In his veto letter, the Governor said the bill “introduces ill-defined and overly broad restrictions, creates significant legal ambiguities, and risks unintended consequences that could negatively impact Wyoming’s higher education institutions and workforce development.” Governor Gordon instead signed House Bill 147 – Prohibition of institutional discrimination, noting that HB 147 “offers a more effective and legally sound approach to achieving the same policy objectives.”