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Senate moves to read education bill again amid concerns about charter expansion and fiscal note
Summary
The Utah Senate advanced First Substitute Senate Bill 80, a standalone measure separating kindergarten funding from the main education appropriations act, voting to read it for a third time after senators expressed concern about a potential $362,000,000 fiscal exposure and the prospect of expanding charter schools without oversight.
The Utah Senate on the floor advanced First Substitute Senate Bill 80 — a measure that separates kindergarten programming from the main education appropriations act — voting to have the bill read for a third time as the chamber prepared to exchange appropriation figures with the House.
An unidentified senator explaining the bill said Senator Hilliard had run the kindergarten program as a separate bill because of the one-subject rule and that all funding included here would ultimately also be included in the Appropriations Act. The senator said the bills must be exchanged between chambers so the Legislature will "know what the figures are, what the appropriations are" before final decisions.
The debate included concerns about the scope and fiscal size of the measure. An unidentified senator warned the bill "is really heavy" and said it reads like a school-finance bill; that senator added, "I think we are opening up a full fledged charter school system in the state of Utah without oversight," and pointed to a fiscal figure of about $362,000,000 mentioned in the bill text. The Senate president responded that "we will not let it leave the senate without a fiscal note," saying a fiscal note must be attached before a bill can leave the Senate.
After debate, the chamber called the question on whether the bill should be read for a third time. A roll-call tally announced on the floor recorded 18 yes votes, 8 nay votes and 3 absences; the Senate stated the bill "will be read for the third time." The speaker on the floor said the intention is to move the companion bill between chambers so that by the weekend appropriations language and dollar figures will be clarified.
Next steps: the measure was advanced to be read for the third time and is expected to be reconciled with the Appropriations Act during the interchamber exchange; a fiscal note was required to accompany the bill before it leaves the Senate.
