Senate advances Public Education base budget after debate over cuts and reclassification

The Utah Senate passed First Substitute Senate Bill 1, the Public Education base budget, on Feb. 1, 2011, sending the measure to the Utah House for further action. The Senate voted to consider and pass the substitute under suspension of the rules; the clerk recorded the roll as 19 yeas, 7 nays and 3 absent on the principal roll call for the motion to consider and advance the bill.

Senators debated whether the substitute represented a restoration of growth funding or a reclassification that amounted to larger cuts. Senator Lyle Hilliard, presenting the substitute for Senator Butters, said the committee kept the Weighted Pupil Unit (WPU) level and “funded the growth” by moving certain previously below-the-line allocations above the line; he noted the committee reserved $91,000,000 that was not allocated so the committee could later decide where to place those funds. “They reserved $91,000,000 that was not allocated,” Hilliard said in explanation of the committee’s approach.

Senator Morgan, a member of the Public Education committee, challenged that characterization and said the substitute imposed a deeper reduction than the stated 7 percent target. “This is an 11.2% cut to our public education system,” Morgan said, pointing to line-item changes she said removed $141,000,000 from programs that have historically been distributed to districts. Morgan identified specific priorities she said were entirely defunded in the substitute: adult education, transportation funding, the K–3 reading program, school nurse funding, USTAR centers and regional service centers across the state.

Senator Jerry Stevenson urged caution about immediate floor passage and asked sponsors to delay consideration for public engagement; he requested that the bills be considered later that morning so members of the public would have the opportunity to weigh in. Hilliard responded that because this is a base budget and the committee has the retained $91,000,000 plus any new revenue forecasts, the committee planned to prioritize restorations during subsequent appropriations work.

The debate focused on technical budget mechanics: Hilliard described moving money "above the line" to reflect WPU-related funding and thereby provide for student growth, while Morgan argued the move simply reclassified a line item called “flexible allocation” and effectively eliminated funding for several programs. Sponsors and committee members said the reserved funds and incoming revenue estimates could allow restoration of some items during the appropriations process.

The Senate’s procedural steps included suspending rules to take the substitute up immediately and a roll-call vote recorded by the clerk. With passage on the Senate floor, First Substitute SB 1 was forwarded to the House of Representatives for its consideration.

Next steps: the House will receive the bill for its action; the Senate’s appropriations and education committees indicated they will continue prioritization and restoration discussions as revenue estimates are updated.