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House amends Centennial Trust bill to allow capital improvements and maintenance, then passes it
Summary
House Bill 18, aimed at directing remaining Centennial royalties and legacy funds to This Is The Place State Park, was amended to allow funds to be used for capital improvements and maintenance and to require repayment of any state appropriations before final disposition; the amended bill passed the House 64–3.
Representative Jordan Tanner introduced House Bill 18 as a vehicle to direct proceeds generated by Centennial products into a legacy account for This Is The Place State Park and to preserve Centennial projects as a lasting legacy.
Representative Nielsen proposed an amendment to ensure any state appropriations previously made to the Centennial Trust would be repaid to the general fund before leftover Centennial monies were deposited; he later offered a substitute amendment to explicitly permit funds to be used for capital improvements and maintenance of the Centennial Legacy Project. Sponsor Tanner and other members debated whether the Centennial activities had been entirely self-funded and whether requiring repayment was necessary; supporters of the amendment said it protected taxpayers should an appropriation be forthcoming, while opponents said the Centennial had so far relied on private contributions and license‑plate revenues.
After clarifying language to specify “capital improvements and maintenance” rather than operating capital, the House adopted the substitute amendment. Representative Tanner urged support, calling the park “the centerpiece of our program this year.” The House then voted to pass HB18; the clerk recorded 64 yes votes and 3 no votes and the bill will be forwarded to the Senate.
