Chamber lists '07 priorities

The Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce wants a gas-tax hike, more funding for education and health-care reform.

The business group said Wednesday that transportation, education and health care are its lobbying priorities for the upcoming legislative session. The chamber also supports improved border security and continuing the practice of allowing students who are the children of undocumented parents to have in-state college tuition.

"It's a great opportunity for us this year to put in place the things that will help us sustain economic 'good times' in the future," Keith Rattie, chairman of the chamber's board and chief executive of Questar Corp., said Wednesday.

No specific funding recommendations were given for education. The chamber said it supports the governor's budget proposal for education, which includes a 7 percent increase in per-pupil funding in public schools.

Regarding transportation, the chamber called on state lawmakers to review a series of possible gas-tax hikes to help fund new roads. The group also wants as much surplus revenue as possible to be given to roads, and for 100 percent of the sales tax from automobile-related purchases to be earmarked for transportation funding.

Other than the gas tax, transportation does not have a dedicated state funding stream.

Salt Lake Chamber President Lane Beattie said that despite record budget surpluses this year, about $5.8 billion is needed to fund new roads in the state to help with congestion. A gas tax is one way of meeting that billion-dollar need, he said, adding that a recently approved sales-tax hike in Salt Lake County only addresses transit, not roads.

"The greatest concern we have is that people somehow think that (sales-tax hike) addressed the transportation needs," Beattie said.

As for health care, the chamber said it would support bills that address issues such as tort reform and health-insurance tax credits.

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