Meier Pursues Generational Fund to Protect Wyoming From Future Tax Increases

State Treasurer says long-term investment strategy would create lasting revenue stream for future generations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cheyenne, Wyo. — Wyoming State Treasurer Curt Meier announced this week that he will again seek legislative sponsors for a proposal creating a Wyoming Generational Investment Account, saying the long-term investment strategy is critical to protecting Wyoming residents from future tax increases and securing the state’s financial future for generations to come.

The proposal, which originally passed the Wyoming Senate on a bipartisan 29-1 vote in 2025 before stalling in the House, would redirect a portion of the Legislature’s reserve account into a permanent generational investment fund designed to produce stable long-term revenue for the state.

The 2025 version of the legislation, Senate File 197, established a framework for transferring reserve funds into a permanent investment account designed to generate long-term earnings for Wyoming citizens. An updated 2026 proposal, House Bill 164, continued that effort with refinements intended to strengthen the long-term structure of the account and preserve stable reserve balances, but it failed to gain introduction under the rules that govern the legislature’s budget session.

Meier said he is championing the effort for a third time because the measure reflects the same disciplined investment philosophy that has already transformed Wyoming’s finances during his tenure as state treasurer.

“This is about making Wyoming’s money work for Wyoming people,” Meier said. “Our commitment is to finding ways to pay the state’s bills without going back to ask the taxpayers for the money to do it.”

Under Meier’s leadership, Wyoming’s investment earnings became the state’s number one revenue source for the first time in history last year, according to the Consensus Revenue Estimating Group, which reported that Wyoming generated a record-breaking $1.857 billion in investment earnings across state funds — surpassing mineral revenues and even sales and use taxes.

At the same time, Meier’s office has continued setting records through the Unclaimed Property Division, which returned a historic $41.3 million to nearly 6,000 rightful owners in fiscal year 2025 alone.

Meier said those results demonstrate what experienced financial management and long-term investment discipline can accomplish, and the generational fund will allow his office to have an even greater impact on the future finances of the State of Wyoming.

“You get the highest returns with the least amount of money in a generational fund,” Meier said. “That fund will continue to provide adequate and stable funding long into the future, and that means less pressure to raise taxes on Wyoming families.”

The proposal would establish a dedicated investment account designed specifically for long-term growth, allowing the state to strategically invest reserve dollars rather than allowing them to sit idle.

Meier said one of the biggest obstacles facing the proposal has been a lack of understanding about large-scale investment strategy and the long-term value of generational funds.

“Investing at this level is difficult for people to understand, and we will make a concerted effort to make sure legislators understand the impact of it,” Meier said. “Especially the members of the House Appropriations Committee who prevented the people of Wyoming from enjoying the benefit of a generational fund — namely less taxes that need to be collected from the people of Wyoming.”

Meier said he plans to spend the coming months meeting directly with legislators to explain how the fund would work and why it represents one of the most important financial opportunities in Wyoming history.

“Providing revenue from anything besides taxes is a clear benefit to the people of Wyoming,” Meier said.

The Treasurer said the proposal is not simply about current budgets, but about building a permanent financial foundation capable of supporting future generations even as traditional mineral revenues decline.

“This is exactly what successful sovereign wealth funds and permanent funds across the world are designed to do,” Meier said. “You invest strategically today so your children and grandchildren have stability tomorrow.”

Meier also noted that a long-term generational account would provide the ideal structure for strategic investments in assets such as gold, which require patience and long-term positioning because of market volatility.

“The Generational Investment Fund is exactly where investments like gold belong,” Meier said. “Those are long-term assets that reward patience and disciplined management.”

Meier said Wyoming now has a proven investment team capable of responsibly managing such a fund and replicating the success already achieved with existing state investments.

“We have demonstrated that Wyoming can compete at the highest levels when it comes to investment management,” Meier said. “The question now is whether we have the vision and courage to continue building a future where Wyoming families are protected from unnecessary taxation and financial instability.”

Meier said he is optimistic lawmakers will give the proposal serious consideration during the upcoming legislative session.

“This is about creating freedom and opportunity for future generations of Wyoming people,” Meier said. “We have an opportunity to build something transformational if we are willing to think long term.”