Legislative Wrap-Up: Highlights from the 2018 Session.

• Author: Francom, Sarah Ryther
• Position: SPECIAL REPORT: LEGISLATIVE WRAP-UP

Gov. Gary Herbert has called this year's legislative session one of the best he's seen in over 10 years, as big compromises and complicated solutions were made in areas like education and transportation. One such compromise was with the popular ballot initiative, Our Schools Now. Two other ballot initiatives, medical cannabis and Count My Vote, were also up for debate, but no compromises were reached. Those issues are now headed to the November ballot for voters to weigh in.

Of course the 45 days couldn't end without some controversial topics making headlines, such as legislation to abolish the death penalty, a proposal to rename a highway the Donald J. Trump Utah National Parks Highway, and a proposal that would have issued restraining orders to temporarily remove guns from people shown to be a threat. All in all, it was a busy 45-day whirlwind of an event. Here's a look at some of the major bills to come out of the 2018 Utah Legislative Session.

Education

Education is always a hot-button issue, and it's easy to see why. From having the country's lowest per-pupil funding rate to dire teacher retention stats to crowded classrooms, Utah's K-12 education system is always front and center during the Legislature. This year was particularly profound, as the Our Schools Now initiative demanded change, if not through legislation, then through the 2018 ballot. The initiative was on track to ask voters to approve a Vi of 1 percent increase to the state sales tax and personal income tax, which would boost education spending by an estimated $700 million. But legislators were eager to work with Our Schools Now to develop a compromise, which they did--albeit a complicated one--in the final hours of the session.

The compromise includes several changes to the state's tax system, which, according to Our Schools Now, were the root cause of the current education funding imbalance. HB 491 will put a new nonbinding question on the 2018 ballot, asking voters to add a dime to the state's gas tax. If approved, the 10-cent bump would add up to approximately $170 million in new revenue for the state's transportation fund. Thirty percent of those funds would be put toward local roads and the remaining 70 percent would be used to offset an equivalent cut in transportation funding, which would then go toward education. The compromise also includes HB 293, which freezes property tax rates for five years. All generated revenue will go directly to schools. The compromise...