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House approves bill letting voters petition narrow school-board levies, 42–28
Summary
HB 173 creates a narrowly tailored referendum tool allowing local voters to challenge certain discretionary school district levies (10% petition threshold in many districts). Supporters described it as a citizen check; opponents warned it could hamper districts' budgeting and risk bond-rating impacts.
The Utah House adopted House Bill 173 on Feb. 14, 2024, a measure that would allow voters to file petitions to refer certain discretionary local school district levies to a ballot. Representative Perucci, sponsor of the bill, said the measure responds to a legal gap identified in a Utah Supreme Court decision and is narrowly tailored to discretionary levies, excluding debt, basic levies and other statutorily-mandated charges.
Representative Cobb, a…
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