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Utah House passes budget bill after debate over higher education and one-time funding
Summary
The Utah House approved House Bill 400, a budget package that drew objections over higher-education funding and the use of one-time money for ongoing programs; the bill passed 51–19 and will be sent to the Senate.
The Utah House voted to pass House Bill 400, the chamber—s budget package, after members debated funding levels for higher education and the use of one-time revenue for ongoing programs. The bill passed the House 51—619 and will be forwarded to the Senate for consideration.
Opponents on the House floor said the package failed to meet higher-education needs. "Like most of you, I can't possibly read all of this and don't know what's in it," Representative Carlson said, adding, "I cannot support this budget because I don't believe we have truly met the needs for the citizens of this state." Carlson—s remarks emphasized frustration from members of the Higher Education Appropriations Committee who argued the final plan leaned heavily on short-term funding for recurring expenses.
Supporters, including bill sponsor Representative Stevens, defended the package as responsible and pointed to net increases for higher education and capital spending. "We paid cash $35,000,000 for our buildings this year," Stevens said, and later noted, "we put $37,000,000 more in higher education this year." Stevens acknowledged there is "somewhere between $35,000,000 and $40,000,000 of one-time money in ongoing programs" but said capital cash payments offset part of that total and argued the budget was balanced.
Members also raised a clerical discrepancy in circulated handouts about building funding: the floor explanation clarified the detailed line items show cash of $34,000,000 for buildings, $31,000,000 in general obligation bonds and $56,000,000 in revenue bonds, and that the top-line figure should be corrected to match the detailed totals.
On a separate amendment, the House amended page 162, line 17 to replace the word "center" with "college," effectively changing the referenced wording to read Salt Lake Community College; the motion to amend carried on the floor. Voting concluded on House Bill 400 after summation by the sponsor; the presiding officer announced the bill had received 51 yes votes and 19 no votes.
The House recessed after the vote and will send HB 400 to the Senate as the next step in the appropriation process.
