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Senate rejects constitutional amendment to loosen property-tax language
Summary
Senate defeated a substitute for SJR 1 that would have removed certain constitution-level constraints on property taxation (uniform/equal rate and fair-market-value language); opponents warned it could enable unequal tax treatment across owner classes and create unpredictability. The measure failed on a roll-call vote.
On Feb. 3 the Utah Senate rejected a substitute Senate Joint Resolution 1 that would have amended constitutional language governing property taxation, including removing references requiring uniform and equal rates and certain valuation language.
Senator Montgomery, who presented the substitute, said the change would permit the Legislature greater flexibility to administer property-tax policy and emphasized the measure would not itself change statutes or immediately alter tax policy. Opponents, including Senator Steiner, warned that removing the uniform-and-equal clause could permit differential treatment of homeowners, businesses and second-home owners and create unpredictable shifts in tax burdens.
After a call of the Senate to assemble absent members, the roll-call vote on proceeding to third reading resulted in 12 ayes, 15 nays and 2 absent, and the substitute failed to pass. The sponsor noted that passage of a constitutional change would require higher thresholds on later readings and voter approval; the immediate action on the floor ended the measure’s progress at that stage.
