Utah House and Senate leadership announced Tuesday that they’ve struck an agreement to fully fund the state budget, ending a stalemate triggered by the implosion of their previous plan to address the state’s looming revenue dilemma.
But there’s a catch: About $330 million of the spending will be designated as one-time, meaning there’s no guarantee it will be renewed yearly.
That trigger mechanism will create pressure for lawmakers to return without delay and deal with a revenue imbalance that is getting worse by the year, legislative leaders said.
“If we don’t fix this problem by next year, that [one-time] money might not be there,” Senate President Stuart Adams told reporters during a joint press conference with House Speaker Brad Wilson.