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Speaker touts higher-education reforms, instructs agencies to model 5% budget cuts; public education exempt
Summary
The Speaker highlighted a higher-education resolution prioritizing students and affordability, said public education will not receive a blanket 5% cut, and asked agencies to model targeted 5% reductions while prioritizing areas such as DSPD and administrative savings.
In remarks opening the press availability, the Speaker described a recent ceremony where leaders of Utah’s 16 higher-education institutions, the Board of Higher Education, the commissioner, the Speaker and the governor signed a resolution to "put kids first" and prioritize quality and affordability in higher education. He said reforms adopted in recent years are producing benefits for students and the state.
On budgeting, the Speaker announced an exercise asking every state agency to model what a 5% budget cut would look like and to identify priorities and areas for reallocation. He emphasized that public education as a whole will not receive a blanket 5% reduction: "Public education is not going to be getting a 5% reduction," he said, adding that some programs inside public education that "don't make sense" should be identified for savings and possible reallocation.
The Speaker named the Division of Services for People with Disabilities (DSPD) waiting list as a top funding priority and said the Legislature hopes savings found elsewhere could be redirected to expand DSPD services. He also urged committees and agencies to examine administrative costs in higher education, noting the review found administrative spending around 30 percent of higher-education revenue and urging scrutiny of those costs.
On local government expectations, a representative (S2) told reporters the budgeting exercise signals an expectation that local school districts and counties should also review spending and not immediately turn to tax increases. The Speaker said the exercise aims to demonstrate fiscal restraint and encourage localities to reassess budgets.
Next steps: Agencies will submit prioritized models showing the impact of a 5% reduction, and appropriations committees will consider those models as they shape budgets for the session. The transcript does not record final allocations or a completed list of program-level cuts.
