Governor Gordon Vetoes Bill that Could Hurt Charter Schools and Public Education System

Governor of Wyoming sent this bulletin at 03/07/2024 08:00 PM MST

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 7, 2024

CONTACT: Michael Pearlman, Communications Director

Michael.Pearlman@wyo.gov

Governor Gordon Vetoes Bill that Could Hurt Charter Schools and Public Education System

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Gordon issued his first veto of the 2024 Legislative Session today, calling a bill addressing charter schools a “bailing wire fix” that could threaten the sustainability of charter schools in the years to come. The Governor is an ardent supporter of school choice, and he points out that the legislation does not treat all charter schools equally.

Senate File 61 - Education-charter school amendments authorizes charter schools as “local education agencies” (LEAs) to apply for, receive and administer federal and state grants. However, the bill repeals the ability of the state’s Charter Authorizing Board to serve this function before that board has even had an opportunity to demonstrate its effectiveness, the Governor said. In addition, the proposed legislation could impose significant costs and administrative burdens unequally across charter schools, potentially posing constitutional issues.

“Without a thorough examination of the consequences and impacts on our state, students, parents, and taxpayers, I fear we may risk exacerbating existing impediments to charter growth and innovation while simultaneously raising the overall cost of education to unsustainable levels over the long term,” the Governor wrote in his veto letter. “Such a scenario is neither fiscally responsible nor supportive of students and parents who choose charter schools for their education.”

District-authorized charters could continue to receive LEA services from their Authorizer, but State-Authorized charter schools would be expected to provide these services without any new resources provided. The Governor concluded by urging the Legislature to undertake a comprehensive review of Wyoming’s charter school statutes as an interim topic. This would ensure that Wyoming’s education policies are fair, equitable, transparent, and accountable, he wrote.

The Governor’s veto letter is attached and may be found here.

Governor Gordon also signed the following enrolled acts into law today:

Enrolled Act #

Bill #

Bill Title

HEA0027 HB0067 Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Trust Fund Administration-2.

HEA0028 HB0086 Vehicle lien-amendments.

HEA0029 HB0070 Local government distributions.

HEA0030 HB0064 Fire prevention and electrical safety-amendments.

HEA0031 HB0031 Peace officers-records and reporting.

HEA0032 HB0009 Fuel tax-licensee information deadline.

SEA0009 SF0081 Hospital or healthcare district created entities-immunity.