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Senate backs rule change to centralize budgeting policy, sets limits for rainy‑day use
Summary
The Utah Senate advanced SJR 4 to give the Executive Appropriations Committee broad authority to set budget policy and revenue assumptions, add a subcommittee process for detailed allocations, and adopt a mechanism to cover small shortfalls from the budget reserve within an established percentage. Lawmakers debated membership balance, whether excess revenues should reduce bonded indebtedness, and what percentage of the rainy‑day fund may be used without a special session.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Senate voted to advance a joint rules resolution, SJR 4, that reshapes how the Legislature sets overall budget policy and gives the Executive Appropriations Committee a central role in the interim and session revenue estimates.
Senator George Manti, sponsor of SJR 4, told colleagues the resolution is intended to strike a balance between a strong centralized ways‑and‑means approach and broad legislative involvement. “What this rule says is that the Executive Appropriations Committee would make the broad policy decisions about the appropriations process that need to be made,” he said, while appropriations subcommittees would handle detailed allocations.
Supporters said the process aims to reduce end‑of‑session volatility by adopting revenue estimates before the session and setting base figures for subcommittees to follow. Opponents…
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