Limit on tax revenues for colleges clears hurdle

A bill that would cap colleges' and universities' access to income tax revenue, once designated only for public schools, passed the House Education Standing Committee on Wednesday.

HB84, sponsored by Rep. Lou Shurtliff, D-Ogden, would require at least 90 percent of education dollars go to public schools.

Shurtliff noted public schools' share of the revenues is waning. Last year, they got 86 percent of the funds. Colleges got 9 percent; buildings, 3 percent; and the rest went to "other."

"My point is that . . . I don't want to starve public education, and I think we've tended to do that in our state," she said.

But budget co-chairman Rep. Ron Bigelow, R-West Valley, and House Majority Whip Steve Urquhart, R-St. George, noted colleges are entitled to education funds under a 1996 constitutional amendment.

"Every penny of the income tax is going to education. Currently, we're having a problem with this earmarking," Urquhart said. "It's unhealthy that one leg of the three-legged tax stool is untouchable and to further lock it . . . does not make sense to me."