Teachers, others raise concern about new tax reform proposal

SALT LAKE CITY — Dozens of teachers in bright red T-shirts came to the Capitol Thursday for a meeting on a tax reform bill drafted for a possible special session of the Utah Legislature that calls for dropping the state income tax rate to 4.58% while raising sales taxes on food, gas and some services.

But the bill does not deal with what may be the most controversial piece of the plan being put together by GOP legislative leaders — amending the Utah Constitution to remove the earmark on income tax revenues for education while coming up with an alternative source of funding.

“From our expert vantage point, the tax bill language is not fair, is not just and is not good for kids,” Utah Education Association President Heidi Matthews told members of the Legislature’s Tax Restructuring and Equalization Task Force, citing “massive” cuts that would be made in income taxes without a new plan for paying for schools.

“How can we begin to make decisions about this proposal in the absence of a new funding plan for education? We are asked to trust and we ask you to give us something to trust,” she said, suggesting to cheers that lawmakers should do what would be expected of a math student, “to show your work.”

Read more: https://www.deseret.com/utah/2019/11/7/20952678/2020-utah-tax-reform-plan-details