The Utah Legislature says a structural tax imbalance exists between sales and income taxes. This is pure nonsense. The only reason Utah has “excess” income tax funds is because earmarked funds for public education were not spent on public education. Failure to spend earmarked education funds does not create a tax imbalance.
Utah ranks only ahead of Idaho in national weighted pupil unit spending. The NEA’s report is clear: chronic underfunding of public schools is unsustainable. In Utah, the privatization agenda, disguised as educational opportunities, is attacking our public education system. Vouchers (HB215), the removal of basic educational requirements for teachers (HB219), income tax credits for private scholarship donations (HB77), and further enabling home and micro schools (SB166) reveal the Republican Party’s true goal. As expressed by lobbyist Allison Sorensen, it is to “destroy public education.”
The estimated $3.3 billion surplus in tax revenues includes excess income taxes and legislators declared 2023 will be the year of the tax cut. Initiatives by both Rep. Judy Weeks-Rhoner (HB101) and Rep. Rosemary Lesser (HB172) to remove the Utah state grocery sales tax (which is not local municipal tax), have put the phantom structural tax imbalance in the news once again.
Retaining the regressive grocery tax unfairly punishes lower income Utahns and seniors on fixed incomes. And, attempts to remove the education earmark are another direct attack on public education.
Forward thinking tax policies would set the income tax thresholds and rates to meet public school funding needs and would shift sales tax burden to other currently taxed goods and services.
It is time to prioritize vulnerable populations and public education with our tax dollars!
Catherine Voutaz, Herriman
