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Senate approves supplemental and amended budget measures, sends main appropriations bill back to House
Summary
The Utah Senate advanced supplemental appropriations and amended the state budget on March 3, 2003, passing Senate Bill 1 and voting to send an amended House Bill 1 back to the House; senators restored several line items and debated investments ranging from Meals on Wheels to runway improvements tied to Hill Air Force Base.
The Utah State Senate on March 3 approved a package of appropriations measures including a supplemental appropriations bill and a set of floor restorations to the main state budget, then returned the amended budget to the House for further consideration.
Senate Bill 1, the Supplemental Appropriations Act, was taken up under suspension of the rules. Sponsor Senator Blackcomb said the floor amendment corrected intent language and adjusted an appropriation line to match prior House funding. After brief floor debate the Senate approved SB 1 (23 ayes, 3 no, 3 absent). Senator Blackcomb said staff would correct any remaining technical errors in the bill-of-bills process.
The chamber also considered House Bill 1, the state Appropriations Act. Senators offered a series of line-item reversions and restorations on the floor: restoring funding amounts for winter and cultural events and reversing several House reallocations that the Senate determined would undermine planned tourism and festival investments. Senators discussed specific lines including an add-back for aging services and a $2 million seed for an extension at Dugway (a runway upgrade tied to preserving an emergency landing capability for F‑16 aircraft at Hill Air Force Base). Senator Blackcomb described the Dugway allocation as a targeted investment to preserve base operations and said federal and local partners also had roles in the project.
Senators also debated an amendment concerning Meals on Wheels and aging services; Senator Valentine identified an add-back in the supplemental for aging programs totaling several hundred thousand dollars. After adopting the floor amendments, the Senate approved House Bill 1 under suspension of the rules (25 ayes, 4 no) and returned the amended bill to the House because the Senate had changed appropriations.
Why it matters: The supplemental and budget actions set near‑term spending priorities and restored or redirected funding that the Senate considered critical to local services, aging programs and economic development tied to upcoming events and base infrastructure. The amendments will now go back to the House for concurrence or further negotiation.
What’s next: The House will receive the Senate’s amended House Bill 1 and the supplemental measure for further action; staff will reconcile technical edits in the bill‑of‑bills process.
Quotes: "What they did is they reduced in community and economic development the decision to apply $25,000 to Winterfest ... we think it's inappropriate to take the money from WinterFest," Senator Blackcomb said on the floor, explaining several restorations. Senator Valentine noted an add-back of roughly $384,000 to aging services, including Meals on Wheels and transportation.
