Project-funding lists approved

Lawmakers on Thursday reached a milestone in the state's budgetary sifting process as they approved lists of projects and programs they'd like to see funded.

Included on the lists were salary increases for corrections' officers, bond and lease payoffs for educational buildings, money for airport radar in Provo, funding for a veteran's nursing home, additional student financial aid and scholarships, and educational initiatives to push more students into Utah's hottest jobs.

There is also a proposal, released late Wednesday and prioritized by the public education subcommittee, to provide $9.6 million to give computer software to preschoolers — plus home computers and internet connections for low-income kids — to better prepare them for school.

The money is attached to HB200, sponsored by Rep. Brad Last, R-St. George. The pilot program would monitor kids learning through third grade. If test scores rise, all preschoolers could end up with the virtual teacher of sorts.

"It's an awful lot cheaper than preschool," Last said.

For the remaining three weeks of the session, legislative leaders, acting as the Executive Appropriations Committee, will decide who gets money, who doesn't and where possible budget cuts or additions should be. Currently, the state is estimating it will have about $838 million in new money to spend, although new revenue estimates may slightly decrease that amount, said Rep. Ron Bigelow, R-West Valley, the House budget chairman.

"Everyone is fairly convinced the numbers will be slightly lower," Bigelow said. "The question is how much lower."

Either way, more requests have been made than money is available, and some pet programs will lose out, according to legislative leaders. But major movement on spending won't happen until after the revenue estimates are available, likely around Feb. 18.

Thursday, legislators decided in their appropriations subcommittees what spending priorities to recommend to their leaders. Those priority lists will, ideally, play an integral role in the decisions made by Executive Appropriations.

• Health and Human Services: Committee members recommended $1.1 million and $1 million more, if fellow lawmakers agree, to shorten the disabled waiting list of about 1,800 disabled Utahns who are eligible for but haven't received state-assisted home and community services. The committee also recommended $1 million be spent on the state's drug court program and $1 million to boost pay and make program improvements at the long-neglected local health departments.

The list became a federal case in 2002, but was dismissed when the judge determined the Legislature was making reasonable progress in reducing the list.