Lawmakers debate statewide expenditure limits for local governments as hospital, school and county leaders warn of harms

Two companion proposals to limit how much cities, counties and other political subdivisions can spend drew some of the longest testimony of the hearing day, as health systems, school boards, cities and county officials urged lawmakers to reconsider or refine the proposals.

House Bill 46 (Rep. Tepper) and House Bill 73 (Chair Bell) would each restrict expenditure growth, generally tying allowable increases to population growth and inflation. Bills would allow voters to approve excess spending and would provide limited disaster exceptions; HB46 as filed would also empower the attorney general to enforce compliance.

Hospital leaders testified that health care costs and utilization rise faster than CPI and that the bills, if enacted as written, would constrain hospitals that provide emergency, trauma, behavioral health and indigent care. Fred Cerise, CEO of Parkland Health, said health‑care spending commonly grows 6–8% a year—driven by drug prices, workforce and utilization—and noted that local transfers (intergovernmental transfers, IGTs) help draw…