Governor Herbert backs away from $400 million promise for education boost

A day after committing to as much as $400 million in new education dollars next year, Gov. Gary Herbert's office backtracked Friday, saying that the target was for new spending over the next few years.

Herbert set the lofty goal in a meeting with The Salt Lake Tribune editorial board on Thursday, saying that he planned to include between $350 million and $400 million in new education funding in his budget proposal in December.

The figure would presumably include both K-12 education, as well as higher education. But on Friday, his deputy chief of staff, Mike Mower, clarified that it would take a few years, not just one year, for the spending to reach that level.

Under the Utah Constitution, all income tax revenue goes to fund education.

Read more: http://www.sltrib.com/news/4418433-155/herbert-backs-away-from-400-million