That is in keeping with a bill sponsored by Sen. Lincoln Fillmore, R-South Jordan. But a similar proposal, sponsored by Last, would pay for equalization by freezing a statewide property tax for five years.
Beyond the as-yet-unassigned $124 million, lawmakers are also looking at maintaining a surplus in the state’s Education Fund by not spending all available funds in. Because that money is unspent state revenue, it does not appear in budget documents, making it difficult to identify the exact dollar figure that is being withheld from education spending.
Sen. Jerry Stevenson, R-Layton, said the idea to hold back some education funding was proposed by Senate President Wayne Niederhauser, R-Sandy, to cushion against a potential downturn in the economy.