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House approves SB3 budget adjustments after rejecting health‑insurance amendment
Summary
The Utah House passed Senate Bill 3, a broad package of appropriations adjustments, after defeating an amendment to use restricted tobacco settlement funds and federal matching money to expand health coverage to certain immigrant children. The bill passed 65–10.
The Utah House of Representatives on March 12 approved Senate Bill 3, an appropriations adjustments package that restores funding to several programs and makes technical budget changes, after lawmakers rejected a late amendment to expand children’s health coverage.
Representative Bigelow, the House sponsor, described SB3 as the “Bill of Bills,” saying it restores jail‑reimbursement money, reallocates funds between severance, disaster and water accounts, and includes targeted additions such as $100,000 for a detoxification program for police officers and adjustments to Medicaid prescription capitation (Representative Bigelow, SEG 632–711). Bigelow urged members to approve the measure as a reasonable response to difficult fiscal conditions.
During floor debate, Representative Holdaway moved Amendment No. 4 to SB3 to allocate $390,000 from a restricted tobacco settlement account for a children’s health insurance expansion tied to federal changes that remove a five‑year waiting period for some immigrant children. Holdaway said the state would receive an estimated $1,388,000 in federal matching funds if the amendment were adopted and framed the change as a cost‑saving measure that would reduce emergency‑room spending (Representative Holdaway, SEG 792–896).
Opponents, including Representative Bigelow and Representative Dougal, argued the tobacco settlement fund is restricted and that the proposed transfer would overdraft the account or disrupt priorities already set through the appropriations process. Members noted the amendment had not been considered by the relevant subcommittee (Representative Bigelow, Representative Dougal, SEG 824–846, 864–877). After a division, the amendment failed 33–42 (division called at SEG 962–970).
Representative Bigelow provided a summation urging support for SB3 as a balanced package given the economic circumstances. The House then approved SB3 on final passage, 65–10. The bill will be signed by the Speaker and returned to the Senate for the President’s signature (final vote recorded at SEG 1000–1003).
The House debate highlighted tradeoffs in the constrained 2009 budget: members who supported the amendment emphasized leveraging federal matching funds to expand coverage, while opponents emphasized preserving restricted accounts and established appropriations priorities. No additional direction to staff or further amendments to SB3 were recorded on the floor after the final vote; the bill now returns to the Senate for enrollment and signature.
