Teacher mortgage incentive bill dies

It is better to put money and energy toward boosting teacher salaries, said people who spoke out against a bill that would have implemented an educator mortgage incentive program.

HB82, sponsored by Rep. Lynn Hemingway, D-Salt Lake City, died with a 9-4 vote in the House Education Committee on Tuesday.

The bill, with a $1.5 million price tag, would have given $15,000 to teachers for a down payment on a home as an incentive and retention tool, Hemingway said.

Rep. Kory Holdaway, R-Taylorsville, said the bill was "sniping around the edges" of the real problem: low teacher salaries.

The Utah School Boards Association opposed the bill, saying there is already such a program in some districts, and money should be spent on educational opportunities.

The Utah Education Association agreed teacher salaries need attention, but supported the bill for its potential teacher retention value. It also liked the bill's incentive to draw educators to areas such as Washington School District where homes are expensive.

— Amy K. Stewart