Budget panel restores $15 million to schools

Without debate Friday, members of the Legislature's powerful Executive Appropriations Committee unanimously approved $350 million cuts to the current-year budget — and added back $15 million to public education.

Democrats, who are in the minority in both the House and the Senate, were ready to push the same plan before the committee met on Thursday, but that meeting was abruptly canceled so Republicans could take another look at how much was being cut.

After hours of meetings behind closed doors Thursday and Friday, the majority GOP decided to drop the previously agreed-upon total amount of cuts in the budget year that ends June 30 from $365 million and put the $15 million difference into schools.

The budget proposal calls for $175 million of the cuts to be restored, meaning most state programs will be reduced by about 4 percent. Public and higher education will be cut by slightly less.

"The comment is made that because there's a dominant party here, the minority party has no influence," House Budget Chairman Ron Bigelow, R-West Valley, said before the committee vote. "I wouldn't say we're looking over our shoulder, but we are looking across the aisle."

House Minority Leader David Litvack, D-Salt Lake, said he and his fellow Democrats were appreciative. "We think it's was a smart thing to do, not to leave $15 million on the table."

Republicans had argued that even though the budget shortfall is now estimated at $350 million, revenues are likely to continue to decline. But Democrats said the GOP leadership was going too far, and apparently some moderate Republicans agreed.

One House GOP moderate told the Deseret News just before a Friday caucus that he and other moderates were working with Democratic House leaders to line up enough votes to amend the proposed budget.

During the House Republican caucus, leaders said a "mistake" was found in the public education cuts that would allow $15 million to be put back into the budget. Senate Republicans, who close their caucuses, were reluctant to talk about their discussion.

Senate President Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, said the extra money for education was viewed as "a lot of hard work that was readily accepted and adopted" by the caucus. Some in the caucus, though, including Senate Budget Chairman Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan, complained about re-opening what was supposed to have been a done deal.