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Senate passes measure to stabilize K–12 funding and advances related constitutional referral
Summary
Senators approved a second-substitute education funding bill (HB 357) that would create a constitutionally protected fund and ongoing stabilization mechanisms tied to new revenue, and will send related language to voters via SJR 9; an amendment to delay some provisions failed on the floor.
The Utah Senate on March 5 approved a second-substitute bill aimed at stabilizing public education funding and advanced related constitutional language for voter consideration.
Sponsor Senator Millner framed the package as a structure to make school funding more predictable without new taxes, saying, "There are no new taxes in this bill." He told senators the bill would move portions of the Minimum School Program into a constitutionally protected account for K–12 education, include annual base-budget funding for enrollment growth and an inflation factor, and establish an ongoing public education stabilization fund seeded by a share of new revenues (described on the floor as 15% of new revenues) to cap and buffer funding through downturns. He said the stabilization account would be limited to one-time uses for one-time needs, such as school safety improvements or professional development.
Senator Eby moved Amendment 3 to remove the coordinating clause and some effective dates, arguing the bill had "moved very quickly" and that more vetting was necessary. Senator Milner and other supporters resisted the amendment, saying key education stakeholders — local school boards, superintendents' association, state board of education, PTA and UEA — had worked on and supported the measure. Senator Eby said Democrats had not yet been fully involved in vetting and expressed concern that the constitutional referral could fail if rushed. Amendment 3 failed on a voice vote.
Following debate and handling of Amendment 2 (technical and tax-commission changes), the Senate passed the second substitute HB 357 under suspension of the rules. The roll-call recorded "27 yay votes, 1 nay vote, 1 being absent." Senators were told that SJR 9 would be placed before voters in November to allow citizens to approve the constitutional protections described on the floor.
The bill and referral aim to move recurring funding into a constitutionally protected account, require baseline funding for growth and inflation in the minimum school program, and build a stabilization reserve to smooth revenue cycles. Supporters described the change as a structural improvement to education funding; opponents on the floor urged caution about timing and voter support.
