As the state legislature ramps up work on the 2026 fiscal year budget, State Representative Ryan Williams will be front and center.
Williams appointed chairman of the House Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee. Williams said the subcommittee works with the governor’s office by making budget recommendations.
“It’s an honor to do it, to be quite frank with you,” Williams said. “But it’s also a huge responsibility since you know, through that subcommittee comes every ounce of spending, a dollar spent in the state and so it’s a huge responsibility but one I don’t take lightly, but it’s an honor to do it.”
Williams said being the chair gives him the opportunity to sometimes change the priority of the spending along with the remaining 13 colleagues on the committee. Williams said he believes he was selected to be the chairman because of his finance experience in the House of Representatives.
“I might be crazy enough to be the only one that would agree to do it,” Williams said. “But I think a lot of it has to do with my tenure here, the speaker and I came in together and I’ve served on finance for many years and so I have an interesting view of the budget and the process by which it happens and an overall understanding of how the money has been spent over the years. So I do have more than some not all, but I have the ability to understand what we have done in the past and how that spending affects what we are going to do in out years. “
Williams started his new role in January. Williams said being chair is something he needs to get used to.
“We had our first subcommittee hearing today with 18 bills,” Williams said. “Most of them didn’t find favor for one reason or the other, but we were able to move those through that didn’t have a fiscal impact and those that do we wait and take care of all those at the same time. It’s going really well. It’s not a process I’m unfamiliar with, but sitting in a seat with a gavel is definitely unfamiliar to me.”
Williams said his new role requires him to work long hours. Williams said he will continue to work to make sure that the house is being good stewards of spending the taxpayer’s dollar.
