From Deseret News archives:

Huntsman approval rating goes still higher

Published: Wednesday, July 26, 2006 10:56 p.m. MDT
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A dual tax system means no one would see a tax increase. Just how much taxes would be cut overall has yet to be determined, Huntsman said, although the current proposals would slice between $72 million and $113 million from revenue collections.

Last session, legislative leaders and the governor had agreed on a plan to cut individual income taxes by $70 million. But that failed to pass, and Huntsman was forced to cancel a planned special session earlier this year after errors were discovered that increased the price tag the plan.

Lawmakers don't share Huntsman's high approval numbers. The new poll found that 58 percent of Utahns surveyed like job the Legislature is doing — 30 percentage points lower than the governor's rating.

However, a 58 percent approval rating is not bad for an anonymous group like the Legislature. Huntsman said that he wouldn't have fared so well had Utahns been asked about the executive branch as a whole.

Still, Utahns didn't agree with GOP legislators' inaction last month on a $2 million Huntsman request to fund emergency dental care for disabled and poor Utahns.

Jones found that 61 percent of registered voters think the Legislature should have funded the dental care during a July special session. Only 31 percent said the poor, disabled people shouldn't have gotten the extra $2 million.

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As it turned out, after GOP legislators refused to even debate the $2 million request, a local hospital chain and philanthropist/businessman stepped forward to each provide $1 million in aid.

Huntsman said that Medicaid dental aid should not be considered optional by the federal government. But he recognizes that come the 2007 Legislature Utah may, again, have to make a decision on whether to pick up the dental funding if the federal government won't.


E-mail: lisa@desnews.com; bbjr@desnews.com

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The job being done by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., seen in his Capitol office, has the approval of 88 percent of Utahns in the latest poll.

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