Wyoming Business Council Faces Possible Dismantling

Jan. 23, 2026 – Wyoming’s legislative Joint Appropriations Committee voted 9-3 to dismantle and terminate the Wyoming Business Council on Jan. 15, leaving the state’s broadband office in limbo. 

Nearly 28 years ago, the Wyoming Business Council (WBC) was established to support business growth and economic resilience in Wyoming’s communities. Since then, the council has developed and overseen several programs and committees that — if dismantled — would be eliminated or shuffled to another state department. 

This includes the Wyoming Broadband Office, which manages nearly $400 million in federal funds and would be shifted to the governor’s office for a change in oversight. 

The draft bill, “Wyoming business council-repeal,” passed and will be introduced in the Senate when the full legislature convenes for the budget session in February. 

This bill comes at a time when dissatisfaction has loomed over the the Wyoming Business Council. Wyoming Association of Municipalities Executive Director Ashley Harpstreith said the council has grown to be overly bureaucratic, making it unable to meaningfully connect with local businesses and communities. 

“Over time, emphasis has leaned toward programming and administrative approaches, while flexible, direct investment in infrastructure and community development has not kept pace,” Harpstreith told WyoFile. “What is missing is consistent, meaningful partnership around infrastructure and community-level capital. Without that foundation, even well-designed programs struggle to produce real, lasting economic outcomes.”

On Jan. 13, the Joint Appropriations Committee voted to defund the WBC just days before the vote to dismantle the organization. 

Though  Jeremy Haroldson, R-Wyo., voted for both measures, he, among others, voiced concern regarding the speed of this effort to dismantle the business council. He believes this will have to be a larger conversation during the legislative session, because navigating the logistics of handing off programs, currently under the council, to other state organizations is important and sensitive. 

“This is nuts. This is crazy,” said Randall Luthi, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon’s policy director, to the committee. “You’re attempting to [eliminate] an agency that has been around for over 20 years and what appears to be a rushed bill. It appears to have a lot of questions. There is a way to go through each and every question that you have and be able to find a home for where things might go or where we no longer need them.” 

According to the agency, the council currently employs 38 full-time workers and two part-time workers, totaling the annual benefit and pay at $5,894,845. 

Trey Sherwood, R-Wyo., who voted against the bill, said that passing the bill would eliminate these jobs and make the process of transitioning the WBC’s programs to other state agencies difficult. 

“Have we contemplated what happens if they all walk on day one — that this bill is signed and then, who is left to do this work?” Sherwood said.

On Feb. 9, the legislature will meet to convene on the future of the WBC.