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Utah Senate passes resolution backing President Bush's tax relief; floor debate raises deficit and equity concerns
Summary
The Utah Senate moved HJR18 onto the third-reading calendar and passed a resolution expressing support for President Bush's proposed tax relief plan after floor debate. Senators who supported the measure said it would stimulate spending; opponents warned of deficit risks and questioned how benefits would be distributed.
The Utah Senate on Feb. 27 adopted HJR18, a House resolution expressing the Legislature's support for President George W. Bush's tax relief proposal.
Senator Mark Hickman, the resolution's floor sponsor, said the measure was intended to signal the state's backing for a tax-cut approach to stimulate a slowing economy. "HJR18 is a resolution ... that in essence, suggests that the legislature go on record in supporting the Bush tax cut approach to stimulating our economy," Hickman said, listing recent economic indicators such as falling consumer confidence and contracting manufacturing.
Opponents urged caution. Senator Suazo said a commonly cited distribution figure concerned him: "One of the criticisms of President Bush's tax cut is that 43% of the tax cut go to 1% of the wealthiest Americans," he said, and urged a discussion of equity. Senator Maine argued that a more moderate approach and paying down national debt could also lower interest rates and spur growth. "What better tax cut ... then to pay down on our national debt and allow for interest rates to go down," Maine said, urging consideration of alternatives before endorsing a final federal package.
Supporters replied that targeted tax relief could boost consumer spending and charitable giving. Hickman said the state's action was not a final policy prescription but a statement of support to Congress. The Senate moved HJR18 to the top of the third-reading calendar so it could be acted on in time to coincide with the president's State of the Union address and subsequently called the question.
The resolution passed on the floor and was processed for signature and return to the House. The transcript records robust debate that emphasized both short-term economic stimulus and longer-term fiscal risks; the record does not set a single substantive fiscal amendment to the state's budgeting authority.
What happens next: The resolution is a formal expression of the Senate's position to Congress rather than a state tax change. Any Legislative or executive follow-up would depend on separate statutory proposals and appropriations.
