Utah House passes SB 2,001 to rebalance current fiscal-year budget; amendment wins and a Litvak proposal fails

The Utah House of Representatives on Sept. 26 passed Senate Bill 2,001, a set of current fiscal-year budget adjustments intended to bring the state budget back into balance, voting 56–15 after adopting an amendment to change specific line items.

Representative Ron Bigelow, the bill’s House sponsor, told members the measure was designed “to meet the new funding amounts, the $272,400,000 ongoing that we no longer have and the $83,000,000 that we no longer have 1 time.” He said the adjustments rely on agency reductions, one-time funds, non-lapsing balances and reduced projects to close the gaps and urged support.

The House first approved a floor amendment offered by the sponsor that reinserted the phrase “from General Fund 1 time” with $30,000 on one line, reduced a $127,500 line to $97,500, changed a rate from 3.70 to 3.40 on another line and replaced a line item with a $18,000 positive insertion. The chamber passed that amendment by voice vote and proceeded to debate the bill as amended.