We’ve made it to our final week of the General Session. I will continue to work hard for each of you throughout this last week. You can follow along at le.utah.gov.
My Bills
This week HB166S04 Mental Health Processional Licensing Amendments passed through the Senate unanimously and has been sent for enrolling.
HB375 Traffic Violation Exemptions unanimously passed through the Senate Transportation Committee and was placed on the Senate consent calendar to be heard Monday.
HB350S01 Adoption Modifications unanimously passed the House Judiciary committee and was placed on the House consent calendar to be heard Monday.
Lastly, HB461S02 Airport Firearm Possession Amendments passed through committee, the House floor, and has been assigned a Senate committee hearing for Tuesday. Assuming committee passage, this bill will be heard on the Senate floor on Friday.
HB180S02 and HB256 likely won’t make it through this session while HB200 previously passed both houses.
Updated Budget Estimates
This week, the Governor’s Office and Legislature released updated revenue numbers for the state fiscal year 2023-24. The new revenue growth reflects the ongoing momentum of the state’s economy, yet as we historically do, we are committed to prudent and smart planning for future downturns.
During the 2023 General Session, we are tasked with deliberating on the estimated $817 million in one-time and $410 million in ongoing money combined in the General and Income Tax Funds, after accounting for base budget adjustments and set-asides. Read more about the budget estimates here.
Sales Tax on Food
Utahns have made it clear that removing the sales tax on food is a top priority. This week, the House passed H.B. 101 Food Sales Tax Amendments, which Removes the state portion of sales tax on food contingent on removing the constitutional earmark for income tax revenue, as laid out in S.J.R. 10
Currently, the Utah Constitution mandates that all revenue from income tax be used only for certain items. While Utah’s economy is robust, eliminating the sales tax on food would not be possible without first addressing these budget constraints. If passed by the full Legislature, voters will have the opportunity to approve these changes on the 2024 ballot. Read more here.
School Visit
One of my favorite things is having the local schools come for a visit. This week I had the opportunity to chat with students from Hidden Hollow Elementary about the legislative process and proper roll of government. They had some great questions!