The $25 billion budget that state lawmakers passed this year is reportedly the largest in Utah’s history. It was buoyed by one-time funds related to federal COVID-19 recovery efforts and strong tax revenues.
Some of the additional expenditures include $1 million for the St. George Musical Theater and another $1 million for the Heber Valley Historic Railroad. What the budget doesn’t include is funding for the High Valley Transit District’s new headquarters. Summit County requested $10 million to help fund that project.
Lawmakers also passed a modest income tax cut. It shaves 0.1% from what was a 4.95% tax. According to the bill's fiscal note, individual income tax filers could see an average savings of about $130. There’s also an earned income tax credit and a social security tax credit.
Democrats and some Republicans pushed to eliminate the tax on groceries, but that didn’t pass this session. Legislative leaders suggested there could be movement on that issue in the future.
As for schools, legislators increased education spending by about 9%, according to the state’s largest teachers union. That includes a $125 million jump in the weighted pupil unit, which is the way the state calculates how much money school districts get per student. The increase equals about 6%.
Overall, education spending increases about $440 million, with about 60% of that coming from one-time funds, according to the union.
The Legislature said no, however, to another education-related measure: a school voucher bill. The same day Gov. Spencer Cox said he’d veto it, the bill was paused. But it was picked up later in the session before the House ultimately voted it down.
A few, including Cox and local Rep. Mike Kohler, said they support school vouchers but didn’t think this was the right year.
The Legislature also passed a so-called “sensitive materials in schools” bill that bans the use of pornographic or indecent material in schools. It requires school districts to consult with parents when determining if instructional material is sensitive.
The bill was one of several that addressed parents’ rights over their children’s education.
Two hours before the general session was set to end Friday night, lawmakers introduced what some called a surprise substitute for a long-debated bill about transgender school athletes. Just before 10 p.m., the Senate narrowly approved a bill that would bar transgender girls from competing in female school sports. The House passed it an hour later.
Cox said he plans to veto the bill. It did not pass either legislative body with enough votes to defeat a veto.
