Legislative Wrap Up
The following is a list of groups represented at the 2001 legislative session and a brief capsule of what each group received during the session.
TAXPAYERS: With $28 million in tax relief, Republican legislative leaders were proclaiming their tax-cut package a success, while Democrats said they would have preferred meeting other state needs. The largest part was in the $18 million across-the-board income-tax cut, which the Utah Tax Commission has said will mean about $32 for the average married couple in the top tax bracket. The Legislature also passed eight smaller tax cuts, the largest being the elimination of a bed tax for nursing homes ($4.4 million), a break on air carriers for the tax on jet fuel ($3 million) and moving Utah's poorest taxpayers off the tax rolls ($800,000).
HIGHER EDUCATION: With $155 million in new buildings, higher education was relatively pleased with its budget, said Cecelia Foxley, commissioner of higher education. "It really addresses many of the capital projects that have been there in our bottleneck for a number of years," she said. However, the nine state colleges and universities were given funding for just 78 percent of the students now enrolled. That means tuition hikes will likely be needed to cover the difference.
PUBLIC EDUCATION: Utah schools received more than $200 million in new funding, an unprecedented infusion in the public education system. The figure equates to about a 5.5 percent increase in the state's per-pupil education spending. The figure also includes $23.8 million allocated to make up textbook deficiencies found in a legislative audit late last year, $10 million for new school building and $5 million for teacher supplies.
TEACHERS: Despite a banner year for education, legislative leaders found a way to send a clear message to teachers that they weren't pleased with their decision to stage a one-day walkout late last year. First, legislators stripped the teachers' union's ability to have political contributions automatically deducted from their checks. Enthusiasm over a 5.5 percent per-pupil spending increase, which is loosely tied to teachers' salaries, was muted by lawmakers requiring them to work two additional days each year. "They really want to put teachers in what they see as their place and do what they're told," said UEA President Phyllis Sorensen. "I think they'll find out that teachers will not be silenced."
PUBLIC EMPLOYEES: Caught in the cross fire between legislators and the Utah Education Association, public employees also lost their ability to have political contributions automatically deducted from their paychecks. And, while lawmakers allocated enough money to give employees a 6 percent pay raise, Fred Van Der Veur of the Utah Public Employees Association said so much money was given as "discretionary funds" for the Division of Human Resource Management, that some may get no more than 2.75 percent pay raise.
POOR RESIDENTS: Legislators found considerable funding for human services programs in the last days of the session, meeting many of the advocates' concerns. "I'd say we fared OK," said Bill Crim, director of Utah Issues, a low-income advocacy group. If there was one disappointment, Crim said, it was a smaller increase than last year in the Olene Walker Housing Trust Fund, created to help provide low-income housing. With the Olympics coming, housing prices will be increasing and the money will be even more needed.
MINORITIES: A pair of bills that had broad backing from law enforcement and were created to help Utah's minorities both failed _ a bill to track statistics of traffic stops to determine if racial profiling exists in Utah, and another to impose penalty enhancements for crimes motivated by bias or prejudice. "If it was their children, they would deal with it. But because it deals with people of color, they want to look the other way," said Robert Gallegos, chairman of the education committee of the Coalition of La Raza.
OLYMPICS BACKERS: State Olympic programs brought home the gold, said Lane Beattie, the state Olympic officer. All told, the Legislature appropriated roughly $7.5 million, including about $2 million for tourism promotion during the Olympics. "We're going to take all of the economic development money and right now _ that's how we enhance the value of the Olympics," said Beattie.
DISABLED RESIDENTS: With just minor exceptions, it was a very good year for funding programs for Utah's disabled, said Corey Rowley, an advocate with the Legislative Coalition for People With Disabilities. The Legislature spent $500,000 to help disabled people keep their health-care benefits when they go to work and $550,000 to help the disabled learn job skills and find jobs. While the $2 million spent to reduce the list of those on a waiting list to receive assistance programs was less than hoped for, coupled with federal money, it will make a difference, Rowley said. Money also was given for independent living centers in Ogden and Orem, education for the deaf and blind and special education programs.
ETHICS REFORMERS: A number of ethics and gift bills were filed in the House and one actually made it to the Senate, where it was never seen again. That bill, sponsored by Rep. Ron Bigelow, R-West Valley City, would have stopped lobbyists from splitting the costs of gifts to legislators to skirt a $50 reporting threshold. Senate President Al Mansell, R-Sandy, said Republican senators didn't see gift-giving as a problem. The Senate has killed ethics reform in the last several sessions. "It would have been my preference that the bills ... would have had a hearing and would have passed," said House Speaker Marty Stephens, R-Farr West.
MORAL CRUSADERS: With a group of new conservatives, a good number of pro-family and moral bills passed the Legislature. "It went very, very well," said Gayle Ruzicka, president of the Utah Eagle Forum. "I think (lawmakers) finally got the picture." Several bills to reform the Division of Child and Family Services passed, as did bills to crack down on Internet and child pornography and online solicitation of a child. The Legislature also reaffirmed the state's commitment to abstinence-based sex education.
(Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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