Overview
- The $30.7 billion proposal is essentially flat versus this year’s $30.8 billion as Utah projects a $300 million revenue hit in 2026 and $200 million in 2027 from President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill.
- Cox forgoes an income tax cut, recommends no new bonding due to interest rates, and requests no additional full-time executive branch positions.
- Homelessness is the top priority, with about $25 million one-time and $20 million ongoing for a 1,300-bed “central campus” near the Salt Lake City airport.
- K-12 funding features a $654 million package with a 4.2% increase in the weighted pupil unit, $53 million for school safety, an $80 million para-educator expansion, $7.6 million for reduced-price lunches, and a child tax credit boost for families with children ages 0–3.
- Other items include $5 million for the Great Salt Lake, $5 million to compensate farmers to send water to the Colorado River, $6.2 million for dam repairs, $1.9 million for a “pro-human” AI initiative, and a 2.6% cost-of-living increase for state employees.