Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Tax Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Utah Senate votes 27-0 to pass repeal of recent tax restructuring (House Bill 185)
Summary
After extended floor debate and procedural suspensions, the Utah Senate passed House Bill 185, a repeal of the earlier tax-restructuring package, by a roll-call vote of 27-0 with two senators absent. Sponsor Sen. Hilliard framed the move as pausing complex tax changes for broader public review.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Senate on the second day of the 2020 session voted to repeal the recent tax-restructuring package by passing House Bill 185, moving the measure back to a status in which its provisions would not take effect as written. The final roll call under suspension produced 27 yeas, 0 nays, and 2 absent.
Senator Hilliard, the bill sponsor, told colleagues the repeal is intended to pause a complex set of tax changes so voters and future gubernatorial leadership can weigh in. "Basically, what this bill does is repeal the action," Hilliard said during an extended floor presentation, summarizing the decision to stop further implementation and hold the work for public consideration.
Why it matters: Senators said the earlier tax package included interlocking changes — including income-rate adjustments and child tax-credit provisions — that were difficult to carry out piecemeal. Hilliard said the package had included roughly $160 million in tax cuts in the original proposal and that prior estimates of revenue swings made it hard to finalize a 45-day budget without clarity. "We have a number of people who are just so close to qualifying for a home mortgage that $500 more a year take-home would qualify them for a home mortgage," Hilliard said, citing testimony the committee heard about household impacts.
What happened on the floor: Senators debated whether repealing the package also removed the related question from the November ballot; Hilliard said his understanding is that a full repeal would remove the reason for a ballot placement, but members asked that a legal opinion be obtained to confirm the mechanics. Several members noted that the package was constructed so parts could not easily be severed: as Hilliard put it, "if part of it doesn't succeed, the whole thing kind of collapsed."
Procedural steps: Before final passage, the Senate granted the sponsor two procedural suspensions — first to suspend chamber rules and then to suspend the Utah Constitution's three-reading requirement for the bill. Both motions passed by voice vote; Hilliard emphasized the need for a two-thirds majority to proceed. The subsequent roll-call vote confirmed the bill's passage and the president directed the bill be signed in open session and returned to the House for the Speaker's signature.
Next steps: The clerk recorded the vote as 27 yeas and 0 nays with two senators absent; the bill will be returned to the House. Senators asked for clarification from legal counsel about whether a repeal would remove a related ballot question; the record indicates members expect to follow up on that legal question.
The vote closed the business for the morning session and the Senate proceeded to guest recognitions and additional committee matters before adjourning until 11 a.m. the following day.
