Day for vets: Utah budget nears completion

In both the House and Senate, some regional cultural attractions fared well. The Freedom Festival in Provo will receive $107,000, thanks to a request from Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem; the Antelope Island Balloon Festival will get $25,000, thanks to Rep. Roger Barrus, R-Centerville; $50,000 will go to the Heber Valley Railroad, as requested by Rep. Gordon Snow, R-Roosevelt; and the Utah Cowboy Hall of Fame in Ogden will receive $50,000 thanks to Rep. Lou Shurtliff, D-Odgen.

As for the $25 million for teachers, it is still being discussed between the governor and House and Senate leadership. The money would be one-time, and would amount to a 1 percent increase in the weighted pupil unit, or WPU.

Rep. Ron Bigelow, R-West Valley, said in an interview earlier this week that the public should see a lot of activity this next week to pass any lingering bills or funding issues.

"The process is almost complete," he said. "You will see a real flurry of activity surrounding really small bills."

For a complete list of the funding prioritized Friday, visit deseretnews.com.

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E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com

House Fiscal Note Bills

One-time:

• Antelope Island Balloon Festival: $25,000 (Barrus)

• Cedar City Veterans Park: $50,000 (Bowman)

• Utah Summer Games: $50,000 (Bowman)

• Counseling for Families of Veterans: $50,000 (Cosgrove)

• Eye Care for Kids: $150,000 (Fisher)

• Higher Education Concurrent Enrollment: $150,000 (Hunsaker)

• Utah Cowboy Hall of Fame: $50,000 (Shurtliff)

• Heber Valley Railroad: $50,000 (Snow)

• Appropriation for Utah Lake Transportation Study: $150,000 (Sumsion)

Ongoing:

• Counseling for Families of Veterans: $50,000 (Cosgrove)

• Funding of Inmate Post-Secondary Education: $150,000 (Draxler)

• Head Start Funding: $100,000 (Shurtliff)

• Campaign Finance Posted on Web: $57,000 (Daw)

• Autism Registry: $75,000 (Hutchings)

Senate Fiscal Note Bills

One-time:

• Meth Decontamination: $178,500 (Buttars)

• Freedom Festival: $107,000 (Valentine)

• Ballet West n Capitol: $178,500 (Knudson)

• Veterans Outreach: $30,000 (Fife)

Ongoing:

• Safety Net Initiative: $306,900 (Bramble)

• Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission: $349,000 (Buttars)

• Mortgage Fraud: $150,000 (Killpack)

• Child and Family Protection/Legal Aid: $100,000 (McCoy)