Overview
- Utah’s governor released a $30.7 billion proposal he calls flat relative to the current $30.8 billion budget, citing tighter finances.
- He projects a $300 million revenue drop in 2026 and another $200 million in 2027, and he declines to propose an income tax cut.
- The plan steers roughly $25 million in one-time money and $20 million ongoing to homelessness services, including the Northpointe campus in Salt Lake City.
- Education requests include $654 million for public schools, $53 million for safety upgrades, an estimated 4.2% WPU increase, and $80 million to expand para-educators for literacy.
- Other items include a 2.6% cost-of-living raise for state employees, $1.9 million for state AI tools, $5 million for the Great Salt Lake, $5 million to pay farmers to fallow fields for the Colorado River, $7.6 million for reduced-price school lunch, a child tax credit expansion for ages 0–3, and $3 million for victim services, with no new bonding or permanent hires as lawmakers take up the plan next session.