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Senate passes supplemental appropriations after heated amendments over rainy‑day, education and transportation funding
Summary
After lengthy floor debate and multiple amendments, the Senate passed House Bill 301 (supplemental appropriations), adopting some amendments to shift one‑time and ongoing funds between rainy‑day, JobsNow, education (WPU) and transportation accounts and asking the House to recede on some changes.
The Utah Senate on Feb. 28 completed consideration of House Bill 301, a supplemental appropriations act that drew extended debate over priorities for one‑time and ongoing funding.
Sponsor Senator Hilliard described a package of amendments (buff‑sheet amendment 12, with item 10 removed) that reallocates several items, including $85,000 to the auditor’s fiscal office, increases in AR&I, and adjustments to the rainy‑day fund and JobsNow program. He emphasized attempts to protect the rainy‑day balance while responding to priority funding needs.
Senator Bell proposed a substitute to alter several items in amendment 12 (striking lines 5, 6, 11 and 12), arguing for prioritizing JobsNow and a different rainy‑day allocation. That substitute failed on division. Senator Hale later offered amendment 11 proposing $6,000,000 for remediation tied to the YouBiscuit (basic skills) competency test; the education appropriations subcommittee had not approved that earmark and several senators opposed mandating that allocation rather than returning funds to the WPU (weighted pupil unit) where districts would have discretion.
Senator Aaron moved a later amendment (amendment 10) to shift $31,219,243 from transportation into the Weighted Pupil Unit (an effective 1% increase), prompting a second round of intense debate about infrastructure needs, bond rating implications, and the state's funding priorities. Proponents said the public wants more education funding; opponents warned about undermining transportation and bond rating recovery. Ultimately the Senate approved the bill as amended and passed HB 301 on final passage by a roll call of 23 yeas, 4 nays and 2 absent; the body then asked the House to recede from some of its changes and negotiated a conference path on outstanding items.
Votes and next steps: The Senate recorded adoption of selected amendments and moved HB 301 back to the House for further action or conference as appropriate. The Senate also signaled it would pursue conference committee steps to reconcile house amendments concerning withdrawals from the rainy‑day fund and other line items.
Sources: Floor debate, amendment descriptions and roll calls recorded Feb. 28, 2005.
