Sen. Kinskey Details Legislative Session

State Senator for District 22 Dave Kinskey detailed issues facing lawmakers in the upcoming legislative session in discussions with the Buffalo City Council.

Kinskey, who is on the Joint Appropriations Committee, said local government direct distribution is so far still intact at $105 million, and that with increased revenues, he believes it should remain at that level in the session.

Kinskey said he will be watching how the legislature will distribute those funds through the Madden Formula.

Changing the base amount keeps the formula more or less intact, according to Kinskey.

But more funds to smaller communities means taking some away from larger communities such as Casper, Cheyenne, Sheridan and Gillette.

He said the way that the districts are currently drawn, senators and representatives have rural constituents as well as urban, which makes them consider those smaller communities when funding is discussed.

Kinskey then discussed the $1.5 billion in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding the state will receive through the federal government and how that will be spent.

We will have that in an upcoming story.