Lawmakers face huge legislative logjam today

With one day remaining, the state's record $9 billion budget for next fiscal year is nearly set. But getting to that point has caused a backlog of legislation for lawmakers to plow through before they adjourn by midnight.

The Executive Appropriations Committee approved an additional $100 million in spending Tuesday. But negotiations continue between Senate and House majority Republicans over some $250 million that is expected to go toward tax cuts ($160 million) and roads ($90 million.)

Legislative leaders and Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. still need to resolve exactly how to manage the proposed tax cut, including the $70 million for an income tax reduction, $70 million for a reduction of the sales tax on food, and $20 million for business tax cuts. Most likely, the final package will include a "flatter" income tax, which has few deductions or exemptions, and a 2 percent reduction in the sales tax on food.

The ongoing negotiations, however, have significantly reduced floor time in both the House and Senate, resulting in a backlog of bills that legislators will be racing to finish.

Among the issues on the board in the House are bills dealing with student clubs, toll roads and redevelopment agency regulations. In the Senate, bills dealing with the reduction in the sales tax on food, hate-crime laws and funding for the Real Salt Lake soccer stadium remain.

What did become clearer on Tuesday was what will probably not be funded: dental and vision benefits for Medicaid recipients, reducing the state's disability waiting list, and targeted education programs, especially all-day kindergar- ten.

The lack of dental and vision funding continued to rile disabled activists, who suggested that anyone not receiving the funds call legislative leaders at home to ask for help. Later in the day, those activists — who were escorted by Utah Highway Patrol troopers from the Executive Appropriations Committee Monday after chanting for the benefits — were not initially permitted to enter the committee room prior to a Tuesday hearing and were only allowed in under the threat of arrest if they misbehaved.

Rep. Kory Holdaway, R-Taylorsville, the sponsor of the optional full-day kindergarten proposal designed to help lower-performing and economically disadvantaged children, said he is now faced with an uphill battle to find different resources for the program.

The proposed cost would be $7 million, and one of the problems could be that public education received a record 6 percent increase in its basic funding, which may have convinced many legislators that education received a fair boost this session.