FIND ME MORE MONEY!

We have only a couple days to go with the Appropriation Committees, and what are they up against? That’s right, NEVER enough money to go around. Here is what the State is saying they have:

- Education Fund: $641Million - $251M “one time” and $390M “ongoing” Current Stats: Legislative Staff have 207 requests for $570M of NEW SPENDING

- $343M of these would need to be funded by General Fund.

o New Revenue may add $30-100M more (they release #’s on 2.22.20)

So, the proposal is for ½ the money to go towards a pay increase for many of the State employees ($15 starting pay for CPS, going up to $20), and the other half going to Medicaid. Trouble is that legislators are throwing out these HUGE funding requests for $16-$20Million dollars, but when asked in the committee they state, “Yes, we could be OK with less”…

And then the big elephant in the room… Education. The proposal is to give a 4-4.5% increase which would be $132-148 Million more going to the WPU (weighted pupil unit, where currently Utah is the LOWEST in the nation).

Then, where this is a Presidential Election year, no better way to ensure your election (many show up for the President and end up voting for the State/County positions) than to give a tax break! So, that could come in some cut to income tax.

** We have 14 such bills already numbered: https://le.utah.gov/asp/billsintro/SubResults.asp?Listbox4=02624u

Senator Filmore’s Bill is currently getting the most “air time” with his proposed revenue triggers; meaning if the growth rate of the income taxes exceeds the growth of the GDP, then the tax rate would/could be adjusted. https://le.utah.gov/~2020/bills/static/SB0107.html

We heard 18 Bills in the House today

- 15 NEW numbered bills

- 8 NEW requested bills

Total Bill Count

- House 322

- Senate 129

- House Concurrent Resolutions (HCR) 12

- House Joint Resolution (HJR) 16

- House Resolutions (HR) 1

- Senate Concurrent Resolutions (SCR) 6

- Senate Joint Resolutions (SJR) 9

- Senate Resolutions (SR) 0