Governor Matt Mead gave a speech discussing his goals and visions for the upcoming year at his final session at the Wyoming Press Association in Casper on Jan. 19.
Mead discussed the current economic situation of the state, the importance of modern technologies and funding for start-ups and education. Also, he shared with the press his plans after his retirement.
“I had a greatest privilege ever of being the governor of the state of Wyoming, a state I love,” Mead said. “I think about the people that I’ve got to meet along the way and not just in politics. And you know these people in Wyoming are doing amazing things.”
Mead dedicated a big part of his speech to giving an overview of the economy of the state and its improvements and weaknesses.
“We had a bunch of sessions on how the state of Wyoming is doing, how the economy is doing,” Mead said. “We hear anecdotally that things across the state are going up. Our unemployment rate is 4.6 percent, which is good. It is low, but we have to recognize that, because we lost workers out of the state of Wyoming.”
Mead said that the state needs to be more careful in making any additional cuts to the budget.
“I don’t think the cuts for cuts sake are useful,” Mead said. “I point out again, as we look at the budget, where we are right now in the state of Wyoming, go back a decade. My standing budget that asked the legislature to support in the session is smaller than it was a decade ago. Our rainy-day fund has nearly doubled in my time in office.”
According to Mead, there are two reasons for diversifying the economy. The first reason is that revenues are going up and down and another reason is that 60 percent of the young people are leaving the state, so the diversification will make them stay and give them options.
Mead noted that Internet access in the state is poor, especially, in the private sector and needs to be improved.
“Our schools have one of the best access to the Internet in the country, however private sector is ranked 46 out of 50 states,” Mead said.
Also, he explained the importance of the computer science program for the state of Wyoming. Computer science should be taught more in schools and be a subject that is widely available in the state.
“In the modern age it is as important as Math and English,” Mead said.
He said that the state needs to provide access to capital for start-up businesses because Wyoming is one of four other states which don’t do it.
Mead plans to retire after his term in office.
“You know, I am jokingly saying, but not joking, when I say, there is going to be a long nap,” Mead said. “And now I am breaking a rule with this, but I am done with politics. When I am done… My wife and I have a ranch in south Albany county and I’m looking forward to that.”
