House concurs with Senate on capital facilities bond after debate over prison purchase

The Utah House voted to concur with the Senate amendments to the capital facilities bond package (Second Substitute House Bill 2) after a floor debate that centered on added projects and a proposed purchase of the Oxbow prison.

Representative Pace, the motion’s sponsor, listed Senate restorations to the bill, saying the Senate had “added back in the Weber State University Swenson remodel at 5,569,000,” and restored “the Salt Lake Community College Health Science building at 21,000,000” and the CEU San Juan Library at “2,400,000,” yielding an $86,488,000 total for the bond package as amended. Pace urged concurrence to keep projects on schedule.

Opponents warned the additions expanded borrowing. Representative Bennion told the House he rose “to speak in opposition,” saying the change would “expand over 20,000,000 more than what we retired this year” and questioned taking on further debt. Representative Snow pressed the sponsor about the Oxbow prison, asking whether an existing facility, Lone Peak, was already available and warning that buying Oxbow could leave the state with “2 white elephants” of unused capacity.

Supporters argued the state must maintain and update facilities. Representative Shermuth said leaders must decide “whether we’re going to bite by bit try to keep it up while the funds are low or … just don’t do it and then we pay the price later.” Representative Steve Clark called the $86 million package “a good compromise” and said bond-rating advice indicated it would not harm the state’s rating.

The clerk announced the final vote: Second Substitute HB2, as amended by the Senate, passed the House with 46 yes votes and 27 no votes. The bill will be returned to the Senate for the president’s signature.

What happens next: the bill proceeds back to the Senate for signature. Any further changes would require conference committee action between the chambers.