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Senate floor debate exposes tensions over fiscal notes as SB 154 moves forward
Summary
A sustained floor exchange questioned whether fiscal notes should drive legislative outcomes after Senator Dimitrych moved to amend a fiscal estimate on SB 154; defenders of the fiscal-note process urged reliance on professional estimates. The Senate ultimately amended the fiscal estimate and advanced SB 154.
SALT LAKE CITY — A procedural dispute over fiscal notes dominated a long portion of the Senate floor as lawmakers debated the path for Senate Bill 154.
Senator Dimitrych (identified on the floor using that spelling) pressed a motion to reduce the fiscal note associated with SB 154 from roughly $600,000 to $50,000, calling on colleagues to reassess how fiscal estimates are used in policymaking. "I think I've been here long enough to realize fiscal notes don't work," he said on the floor during extended remarks about how fiscal notes can function as de facto policy blockers.
Several senators responded.…
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