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House approves sales-tax measure to fund water, transportation and corridor preservation after heated debate
Summary
After extended floor debate and multiple amendment battles, the House approved House Bill 393, a sales-tax-derived funding package for water and transportation that shifts allocations between state highway funds and local road/corridor preservation accounts.
The Utah House passed House Bill 393 after a protracted floor session marked by competing amendments over how the new sales-tax revenue would be distributed between state-level highway funding and local road preservation (B & C roads) and transportation-corridor preservation.
Sponsor Representative James R. Gowan said the bill targets both statewide and local transportation and water infrastructure needs and reflected prior work (including a follow-up to a related Senate measure). Multiple legislators proposed substitute amendments to change the split of funds — some seeking to move more transfers into a Centennial Highway Fund, others prioritizing local B & C roads or transportation-corridor projects. Representative Dillard and Representative Stevens were among floor speakers arguing differing allocations and voicing concerns about circumventing the prioritization process.
Representative Stevens defended one floor amendment that would allocate funds specifically to the Centennial Highway Fund and redirect certain B & C-account transfers, arguing centralization would create a larger statewide pool for urgent highway projects. Opponents said local needs would be undercut. The House voted on competing amendments and ultimately passed HB393 with the record indicating substantial support for its final form (vote tally recorded in transcript).
The final bill includes line-item language directing a portion of the new revenue to corridor preservation and sets aside amounts for local applications; sponsors said the structure balances statewide corridor planning and local road-need funding.
Next steps: the measure will be forwarded to the Senate; because S.B. 49 (a related sales-tax measure referenced during debate) phases in certain revenue, some appropriations depend on future-year revenue flows and the bill's effective schedule.
