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Utah Senate approves supplemental appropriations bill, adopts intent language and rejects late charter-school funding amendment
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Summary
The Utah Senate passed Senate Bill 3, a supplemental appropriations package, approving budget increases for K–12 and higher education and adopting legislative intent language; an amendment to shift $900,000 from the education rainy day account to charter school administrative costs failed on a roll-call vote.
The Utah Senate on March 2 passed Senate Bill 3, the supplemental appropriations act, after debate over education funding, transfers and legislative intent language. The measure passed by voice and roll-call vote and was referred to the House for its further action.
Sen. Hilliard, the bill sponsor, summarized the package and distributed informational sheets describing the numbers behind the proposal. "I'm proud to say that I feel very, very good about this particular budget," Hilliard told colleagues as he walked through the major items. He said total funding for public education increased by about $143.2 million (5.6% above the 02/2005 base) and funding for higher education rose by roughly $53.9 million (5.5%). Hilliard also noted an increase in transportation sales-tax appropriations and estimated rainy-day balances of about $109 million for both the education and general-fund rainy-day accounts when the budget is complete.
During floor consideration, the Senate adopted Amendment 6, a technical transfer that moves restricted monies in a clean-air fuels fund into the newly reorganized energy department so that funding "follows the bill that we passed," Hilliard said. The sponsor and other senators emphasized that Amendment 6 made no net increase in spending; it simply aligned fund authority with the statutory reorganization.
Sen. Stevenson offered Amendment 7 to withdraw $900,000 from the education budget reserve (the education rainy-day fund) to fully fund charter school administrative-cost allocation. Stevenson argued charters have been "shortchanged" on parity funding and said the Senate should correct the oversight. Supporters said charter schools bear administrative burdens similar to district schools and deserve comparable funding; opponents raised timing and conferral concerns with the House. The amendment failed after division and roll-call procedures (tally recorded later in the proceedings as 10 yes, 17 no, 2 absent).
After debating additional technical changes and reading legislative intent into the journal — including provisions addressing unused sick-leave benefits and how they relate to sections 67-19-14 through 67-19-14.3 — the Senate voted to read SB3 for second and third readings and gave final passage. The Senate recorded 27 yes votes, 0 nays, with 2 absent.
The bill and the adopted intent language now move to the House for its consideration. Sponsors said the goal of the package was to preserve core education funding while addressing program transfers and to maintain transparent documentation of legislative intent as the measures proceed through the other chamber.
