Deal between Our Schools Now, Utah lawmakers moves forward
Mar 8, 2018, 7:56 AM
SALT LAKE CITY — A proposed deal between lawmakers and backers of the Our Schools Now initiative to raise income and sales taxes to bring in $700 million for education moved forward Wednesday with the passage of last-minute legislation.
The legislation approved by the House Political Subdivisions Committee allows voters to tell lawmakers in November whether they want the state’s gas tax increased by 10 cents a gallon, a major part of the deal that would halt the initiative.
Lawmakers have until midnight Thursday to pass HB491, which sets up a one-time process to go to voters with a ballot question, and HJR20, the actual question that would be asked in November.
That question about raising the gas tax from 29.4 cents would be nonbinding and it would be up to the 2019 Legislature to approve the increase. Three years ago, lawmakers raised the tax for the first time since 1997.
Read more in the Deseret News here
