Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Coal Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Utah Senate backs resolution urging federal action to shore up coal miners’ health fund
Summary
The Utah Senate adopted SJR 13 urging Congress to impose a 75¢ per-unit levy to support retired coal miners’ health benefits, after debate over fairness and economic impact; sponsors said the fund could run out in April and 2,600 Utah retirees could be affected.
Senator Mike Dimitrich urged the Utah Senate to adopt SJR 13 on Feb. 17, asking Congress to consider a uniform levy to preserve health benefits for retired coal miners.
"The fund is supposedly gonna be out of money in April," Dimitrich said, and he told senators Utah had about 2,600 retired coal miners who could face sharp reductions in benefits. He urged passage of the resolution to press Congress for action, saying the measure would ask for an across-the-board 75¢ per-unit levy on coal.
Supporters framed the resolution as a narrowly targeted appeal for federal relief for retirees. Opponents on the floor raised concerns about the impact on the coal industry and competitiveness: Senator Lyle W. Hilliard questioned whether a severance-style surcharge would harm Utah operators and make Utah coal less competitive with foreign producers.
Dimitrich acknowledged the burden but said the proposal’s fairness lay in taxing all domestic coal producers equally; he also disclosed a potential conflict of interest (he works for a company with union and nonunion operations and has family receiving mine-worker benefits).
After floor discussion, the chamber recorded 24 ayes, no nays and five absences; the resolution was placed on the third-reading calendar and will be transmitted to the House for further action.
Why it matters: Sponsors said the federal fund that backs miners’ health coverage faced imminent shortfalls, which could leave retired miners without needed care. The resolution does not create state law but asks Utah’s congressional delegation and the U.S. Congress to act.
The Senate’s next procedural step is transmittal to the House; there was no formal state-level appropriation tied to the resolution.
