Latest news with #HB300
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hawaii lawmakers reach deal on nearly $20B state budget
State government funding is slated to be a little higher in the next two fiscal years compared with the current year under a budget agreement reached Monday evening by state House and Senate leaders. A compromise draft of the state's biennium budget bill authorizes $19.9 billion in spending on state government operations and capital improvement projects for the 2026 fiscal year that starts July 1, up almost 4 % from $19.2 billion in the current fiscal year. For the 2027 fiscal year, $19.8 billion in spending is proposed. Sources for budget expenditures include bond debt and federal funding. Appropriations from the state's general fund supported by state tax collections amount to about $10.6 billion in each of the next two fiscal years, up nearly 2 % from the current fiscal year. Rep. Kyle Yamashita, lead negotiator for a 15-member House team, called the conference draft of House Bill 300 'a responsible and forward-thinking budget ' that strengthens the state's safety net and core programs. 'This budget addresses the critical needs of our communities, including housing, agriculture, natural resources, transportation, public safety, and economic development, ' Yamashita (D, Pukalani-Makawao-Ulupalakua ) said in a statement. 'It sets a strong foundation as we move into the interim and continue to assess federal impacts on our state.' Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz, who led negotiations for a 13-member Senate team, said it took a lot of people to put together the conference draft, and with Yamashita thanked everyone involved, including a team from the administration of Gov. Josh Green. Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. 'From expanding core programs for vulnerable populations to supporting regional economic development that builds long-term resilience, we've worked hard to make sure our decisions today strengthen Hawaii's foundation for tomorrow, ' Dela Cruz (D, Mililani-Wahiawa-Whitmore Village ) said in a statement. 'Whether it's food security, access to healthcare, or helping small businesses grow, this budget is about making sure every part of our state has the opportunity to thrive.' After Green submitted his spending requests in HB 300, the House passed its draft March 12, and the Senate further amended the bill April 8. Since then, negotiators have met in private to hash out differences, including on Easter Sunday. There also were three public conference committee meetings to announce compromises on spending items where previous differences existed. The conference draft of HB 300 is subject to final votes by the 51-member House and 25-member Senate that have yet to be scheduled. Approval of the bill is expected. This year's legislative session is scheduled to conclude May 2. Green has the power to reject individual appropriations using line-item vetoes, and also can opt not to release budgeted funding for use. There is high uncertainty over whether there will be big cuts to federal funds for state government programs and projects in the weeks and months ahead under the administration of President Donald Trump. Some Hawaii lawmakers have contemplated the need to convene a special session to address any budgetary problems created by federal funding cuts as well as potential major negative impacts on Hawaii's economy from Trump-mandated tariffs. The bulk of the state budget is for agency and program operations, including personnel and maintenance costs. The negotiating committees released a list of almost 200 operational spending item highlights for the biennium. Some of them are :—$3.2 million for a temporary elementary school replacing one lost in the August 2023 Lahaina wildfire.—$5.2 million for fireworks law enforcement.—$10 million to improve 911 services.—$30 million for a health care education loan repayment program.—$42 million for summer programs.—$95 million for special highway maintenance.—$150 million for deferred public school maintenance.—$248 million for Hawaii Health Systems Corp.—$450 million for a hospital sustainability special fund. Separate from the state's operating budget, HB 300 includes capital improvement project funding of $3.4 billion in the 2026 fiscal year and $2.3 billion in the 2027 fiscal year. Of these sums, $1.4 billion and $423 million, respectively, is to be financed using bond debt. For the current fiscal year, the Legislature appropriated $4.5 billion for capital improvement projects. Capital improvement appropriations highlighted by the committees for the next two fiscal years include :—$1.8 billion for airport projects.—$1.5 billion for highway projects.—$380 million for affordable-housing development.—$118 million to improve University of Hawaii at Manoa student housing.—$72 million for regional public school meal kitchens.—$36 million for Hawai 'i Convention Center repairs and upgrades.—$30 million toward replacing Oahu Community Correctional Center.—$10 million for emergency siren system improvements.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Leaders reach deal on state budget
State government funding is slated to be a little higher in the next two fiscal years compared with the current year under a budget agreement reached Monday evening by state House and Senate leaders. A compromise draft of the state's biennium budget bill authorizes $19.9 billion in spending on state government operations and capital improvement projects for the 2026 fiscal year that starts July 1, up almost 4 % from $19.2 billion in the current fiscal year. For the 2027 fiscal year, $19.8 billion in spending is proposed. Sources for budget expenditures include bond debt and federal funding. Appropriations from the state's general fund supported by state tax collections amount to about $10.6 billion in each of the next two fiscal years, up nearly 2 % from the current fiscal year. Rep. Kyle Yamashita, lead negotiator for a 15-member House team, called the conference draft of House Bill 300 'a responsible and forward-thinking budget ' that strengthens the state's safety net and core programs. 'This budget addresses the critical needs of our communities, including housing, agriculture, natural resources, transportation, public safety, and economic development, ' Yamashita (D, Pukalani-Makawao-Ulupalakua ) said in a statement. 'It sets a strong foundation as we move into the interim and continue to assess federal impacts on our state.' Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz, who led negotiations for a 13-member Senate team, said it took a lot of people to put together the conference draft, and with Yamashita thanked everyone involved, including a team from the administration of Gov. Josh Green. Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. 'From expanding core programs for vulnerable populations to supporting regional economic development that builds long-term resilience, we've worked hard to make sure our decisions today strengthen Hawaii's foundation for tomorrow, ' Dela Cruz (D, Mililani-Wahiawa-Whitmore Village ) said in a statement. 'Whether it's food security, access to healthcare, or helping small businesses grow, this budget is about making sure every part of our state has the opportunity to thrive.' After Green submitted his spending requests in HB 300, the House passed its draft March 12, and the Senate further amended the bill April 8. Since then, negotiators have met in private to hash out differences, including on Easter Sunday. There also were three public conference committee meetings to announce compromises on spending items where previous differences existed. The conference draft of HB 300 is subject to final votes by the 51-member House and 25-member Senate that have yet to be scheduled. Approval of the bill is expected. This year's legislative session is scheduled to conclude May 2. Green has the power to reject individual appropriations using line-item vetoes, and also can opt not to release budgeted funding for use. There is high uncertainty over whether there will be big cuts to federal funds for state government programs and projects in the weeks and months ahead under the administration of President Donald Trump. Some Hawaii lawmakers have contemplated the need to convene a special session to address any budgetary problems created by federal funding cuts as well as potential major negative impacts on Hawaii's economy from Trump-mandated tariffs. The bulk of the state budget is for agency and program operations, including personnel and maintenance costs. The negotiating committees released a list of almost 200 operational spending item highlights for the biennium. Some of them are :—$3.2 million for a temporary elementary school replacing one lost in the August 2023 Lahaina wildfire.—$5.2 million for fireworks law enforcement.—$10 million to improve 911 services.—$30 million for a health care education loan repayment program.—$42 million for summer programs.—$95 million for special highway maintenance.—$150 million for deferred public school maintenance.—$248 million for Hawaii Health Systems Corp.—$450 million for a hospital sustainability special fund. Separate from the state's operating budget, HB 300 includes capital improvement project funding of $3.4 billion in the 2026 fiscal year and $2.3 billion in the 2027 fiscal year. Of these sums, $1.4 billion and $423 million, respectively, is to be financed using bond debt. For the current fiscal year, the Legislature appropriated $4.5 billion for capital improvement projects. Capital improvement appropriations highlighted by the committees for the next two fiscal years include :—$1.8 billion for airport projects.—$1.5 billion for highway projects.—$380 million for affordable-housing development.—$118 million to improve University of Hawaii at Manoa student housing.—$72 million for regional public school meal kitchens.—$36 million for Hawai 'i Convention Center repairs and upgrades.—$30 million toward replacing Oahu Community Correctional Center.—$10 million for emergency siren system improvements.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Governor inks $127M income tax cut, bill phasing out automatic vote-by-mail
Gov. Spencer Cox inked an additional 100 bills Wednesday, codifying $127 million in income tax cuts and reforms to the state's vote-by-mail system, and adding protections for children downloading apps. The latest tranche of bill signings brings the total to 476 of the 582 bills passed this year by lawmakers. Cox did not issue any vetoes Wednesday, after exercising the power on bills dealing with property tax collection and the selection of the state Supreme Court chief each of the prior two days. He has until Thursday to sign or veto the remaining hundred or so proposals. Not included in the bills signed were several proposals that have drawn calls for a veto, including bills banning gay pride flags and others from being flown on public buildings. Here's what the governor approved Wednesday: Lawmakers approved the fifth consecutive cut to the state's income tax rate, reducing it from 4.55% to 4.5% for individuals and businesses. That amounts to savings of about $45 per year for the typical family at a $127 million cost to the state. The Legislature also expanded the child tax credit and raised the income cap for older adults to receive tax relief on Social Security benefits. With Cox's signature, an additional 90,000 Utahns will no longer be taxed on those benefits, something he said he was "proud" to do. "As our population ages, it's critical that we do more to support older Utahns and the families who care for them," Cox stated. "This tax relief is a practical way to recognize the contributions of those who helped build the strong, prosperous state we have today." He called the income tax cuts "a step forward in delivering meaningful tax relief for Utahns." "With this bill and others passed this session, Utahns will see $148 million in new tax cuts," the governor added. "And since I've taken office, we've delivered more than $1.3 billion in historic, permanent tax relief — helping more Utah families build lasting prosperity right here in Utah." Cox also approved HB300, a big election reform bill that will effectively phase out automatic vote-by-mail over the next several years and require voters to write the final four digits of their state ID on their ballot. Voters will still be able to use mail-in voting but will need to opt-in by 2029 to continue receiving a ballot in the mail. The bill also requires mailed ballots be received by county clerks no later than 8 p.m. on election night in order to count. The bill was subject to much deliberation, and further tweaks to proposals are likely in coming legislative sessions as lawmakers iron out any wrinkles in the legislation. HB300 takes effect May 7. A bill that would require app stores to verify users' ages and prevent minors from entering into contracts without parental permission is the latest effort by Utah lawmakers to protect young Utahns online. SB142 was praised by major social media companies and parents of children who have struggled with mental health. It would require major app stores to enforce age ratings on certain apps, an approach lawmakers hope protects children from inappropriate material online. Three of the major social media platforms — Meta, X and Snap — issued a joint statement Wednesday applauding Cox "and the state of Utah for being the first in the nation to empower parents and users with greater control over teen app downloads, and (we) urge other states to consider this groundbreaking approach." HB465 was approved by Cox on Tuesday, codifying a policy to require Salt Lake City to sign a public safety and policing agreement with the state Department of Public Safety or risk losing state funds. The bill stems from years of frustration from Republican lawmakers who criticized how the state's capital city is policed, and after legislative leaders and the governor sent Mayor Erin Mendenhall a letter expressing displeasure with policing "inadequacies." Mendenhall has said she would like to partner more with the state on policing issues but called the bill "coercive," "unnecessary and damaging to the trust that should be built between our levels of government," during a House committee hearing last month. Speaking with reporters last week, the mayor expressed appreciation for the bill sponsor's willingness to negotiate "potential penalties" in the policy. 'We want to work with DPS (the Utah Department of Public Safety),' she said. 'We need to have these partnerships, and we need them to be strengthened — meaning they're going to look different than they have in the past, and we want that. So, I maintain that this bill was unnecessary to require that of us, and I think that's how we were able to get the bill sponsor to pull back on the punishment end of it.'
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump overhauls voting via executive order. Here's what the order does
President Donald Trump released an executive order on Tuesday attempting to overhaul the American voting system. His order includes requirements on voter ID and when ballots must arrive to polling stations. In the order, Trump outlined his plan to ensure that votes arrive on Election Day. 'Free, fair and honest elections unmarred by fraud, errors or suspicion are fundamental to maintaining our constitutional Republic,' reads the text of the executive order. 'The right of American citizens to have their votes properly counted and tabulated, without illegal dilution, is vital to determining the rightful winner of an election.' It is likely that the executive order will be challenged in court, as have many of Trump's other orders. Election law is typically dictated by states, even for federal offices. Trump's proposed changes, including requiring votes to be submitted by Election Day, would affect states that allow votes to arrive to polling places in the days after an election. The Utah Legislature passed a bill this year that would reform the state's vote-by-mail system, including a requirement for ballots to be returned by 8 p.m. on election night. Trump's executive order mandates sweeping change for electoral systems across the nation. It requires that: Voters present proof of citizenship when they vote, including a passport or a compliant driver's license. Voters present proof of eligibility to vote in elections in the state in which the voter is attempting to vote. States do not count absentee or mail-in ballots that arrive at their offices after Election Day. The commissioner of Social Security supply citizen information to electoral databases to ensure that votes are only cast by living, eligible citizens. The attorney general take 'appropriate action' to censure states that do not comply with election integrity laws. The order also tightens protocols around the interference of foreign nations in elections, including by preventing foreign entities from making donations to candidates. 'Many of the issues raised in the (executive order) are already addressed in Utah statute and current practice,' said Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, who oversees Utah's elections. 'Other aspects of the executive order ... are things that we have proactively asked the administration for.' The bill recently passed by the Legislature, HB300, requires that Utah voters: Opt-in to vote by mail, rather than automatically be able to do so. Verify their ballot with the last four digits of their driver's license, state ID or Social Security number, rather than their signature. Henderson also told the Deseret News that she 'is hopeful that President Trump will respect the constitutional prerogative of the states to manage our own elections, free from unnecessary federal intrusion.' 'We all desire fair and accurate elections, with only eligible citizens casting votes,' she said.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Utah 1st in the nation to pass these 5 bills: Flags, fluoride, gold and more
The Capitol in Salt Lake City is pictured on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) At least five big firsts came out of the 2025 Utah Legislature. If Gov. Spencer Cox signs this batch of bills, Utah will become the first state in the nation to enact laws of their kind. They include: HB77, which prohibits many flags — including LGBTQ+ or pride flags — from being displayed not just in school classrooms, but also all government buildings. The bill would only allow flags included in a prescriptive list, which includes the U.S. flag, the state flag, military flags, Olympic flags, college or university flags, and others. HB81, which prohibits adding fluoride to public water systems. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX HB306, which allows the state to pay vendors in gold and silver after a previous law allowed the treasurer to invest up to 10% of the state's rainy day funds in precious metals. HB300, which enacts voter ID requirements and makes Utah the first state with universal voting by mail to roll back that system, starting in 2029. SB334, which could lay the groundwork to overhaul college general education classes statewide, starting with a pilot program by establishing the Center for Civic Excellence at Utah State University to 'govern' all general education courses. Among other provisions, the bill requires humanities courses that focus on 'Western civilization,' 'American Institutions,' and 'the rise of Christianity.' The bill also requires a report to the Utah Board of Higher Education to consider 'system-wide changes to general education.' Here's more on the bills and the debate surrounding them: Among the most controversial pieces of legislation to come out of the 2025 Utah Legislature was HB77, sponsored by Rep. Trevor Lee, R-Layton, which enacts a sweeping flag ban in schools and government buildings. Lee pushed his bill as a means to promote 'political neutrality.' Throughout the session, he argued it's not aimed at any one flag, but meant to ensure classrooms and other 'taxpayer-funded entities' don't push 'political agendas' and instead foster welcoming environments for everyone. But the bill's loudest critics — including the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah and Equality Utah, the state's largest LGBTQ+ advocacy group — argued against the bill as one that's plainly an effort to clamp down on pride flags in schools. They also raised concerns that the bill goes too far by extending the ban to all government buildings, and warned that it could be an unconstitutional violation of free speech rights. Utah Legislature bans pride flags from schools, public buildings While the bill's proponents argued LGBTQ+ flags make some Utahns 'uncomfortable' because they conflict with their religious beliefs, critics argued pride flags are not political — but symbols of love and inclusion, signaling a safe space. If Cox signs HB77 or allows it to become law without his signature, Utah could be the first state to enact such sweeping bans targeting flags in government-owned buildings. The Idaho Legislature recently passed a similar bill, HB41, and it's currently awaiting consideration by Gov. Brad Little. Utah's bill won final legislative approval just days before Idaho's. Whether Utah truly becomes the first state to enact the law could depend on the timing of Cox and Little's pens. While other states also have passed or proposed 'Don't Say LGBTQ' bills and there have been other efforts to ban certain symbols in classrooms, 'we are confident that the Utah law is the first to target flags so explicitly and primarily,' the Movement Advancement Project (a group that tracks LGBTQ+ and Democracy-related legislation), told Utah News Dispatch in an email this week. 'If HB77 becomes law, Utah will earn the shameful distinction of being the first state in America to dictate which flags can fly in schools and government buildings,' Aaron Welcher, director of communications for the ACLU of Utah, said in a statement. 'Make no mistake — this isn't about flags; it's about advancing an agenda aimed at erasing LGBTQ+ Utahns from public life. Today it's Pride flags. Tomorrow, it's your freedom on the chopping block. Drama over Utah's bid to keep Sundance heats up over LGBTQ+ flag ban bill Lee and the bill's Senate sponsor, Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton, did not return requests for comment sent through House and Senate spokespeople about HB77's first-in-the-nation distinction. But on the Senate floor earlier this month, McCay argued it's not meant to take away people's 'right to express themselves.' 'I believe that all those rights of expression … are important, and they need to be respected for the individuals to express them,' McCay said. 'The government, on the other hand, is intended to do the people's business, regardless of their political perspective, political identity or ideology.' Utah is poised to become the first state in the nation to ban adding fluoride in public drinking water. Cox, in a weekend interview with ABC4 earlier this month, said he would sign the bill, which bans cities from adding the mineral, despite widespread pushback from dental health professionals. 'It's not a bill I care that much about,' Cox told ABC4, 'but it's a bill I will sign.' Utah lawmakers advance bill to ban adding fluoride to drinking water Fluoride can occur naturally in water, but for decades U.S. municipalities have added extra concentration because of its ability to fight tooth decay. But opposition to adding fluoride to public drinking water has been simmering across the country, particularly amid growing skepticism toward public health measures in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 2025 session, the bill's sponsor, Rep. Stephani Gricius, R-Eagle Mountain, argued it's meant to promote personal choice for Utahns. While some counties and cities have voted in favor of adding fluoride to their water systems, Gricius argued that there's also a medical freedom component to that discussion. 'I would just say it doesn't get more local control than my own body,' she said about potentially overriding the decisions of local governments. While the bill also allows pharmacists to prescribe fluoride, opponents argued the ban from public water systems will disproportionately impact low-income Utahns who may rely more heavily on fluoride in their drinking water for preventative dental care. Cox, however, told ABC4 that rural areas of Utah — like Fairview, where he grew up — don't add fluoride, and those Utahns seem to be doing just fine. 'You would think you would see drastically different outcomes with half the state not getting it. … We haven't seen that,' Cox told ABC4. 'So it's got to be a really high bar for me if we're going to require people to be medicated by their government.' If signed by Cox, HB306 would allow the state to pay vendors in physical gold or silver, if those vendors prefer. It would also direct the Utah treasurer to issue a competitive bid process for a company to create a payment system to facilitate payments in those precious metals. 'This landmark move positions Utah as the first state in the nation to pass a transactional gold bill,' the Utah Office of State Treasurer said in a news release issued Tuesday. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Ken Ivory, R-West Jordan, comes after a previous law, HB348, was approved last year, which authorized Utah Treasurer Marlo Oaks to invest up to 10% of Utah's rainy day funds in precious metals. It also formed the Utah Precious Metals Study Workgroup to review how precious metals can enhance Utah's economic security and prosperity. 'A key takeaway from the workgroup is citizens should have a choice in how they conduct financial transactions,' Oaks said in a prepared statement. 'HB306 gives state vendors the option to be paid in precious metals, while ensuring the physical assets backing the system are stored in Utah and subject to regular audits. This not only supports a secure and transparent system, but also takes an important step toward making transactional gold a viable option for all citizens.' On the House floor, Ivory argued in favor of his bill in order to help Utah exercise its constitutional right to recognize gold and silver as a legal tender. In 2011, Utah became the first state to pass legislation to do so. His bill, he said, will help make gold transactions more feasible by allowing fractional gold bar transactions and dollar-to-gold conversions. Gold has long been considered a safe investment when the markets hit economic turbulence. It's also considered a safeguard against inflationary pressures because its value usually increases as the purchasing power of the U.S. dollar erodes. Trade wars are a bright spot for one NV industry: Gold hit $3,000/oz. for first time last week 'In uncertain economic times, Utah is providing vendors and service providers with the option to receive payment in gold and silver,' Ivory said in a prepared statement. 'This law gives Utahns an alternative to choose how they preserve the purchasing power of their earnings and savings.' A notable proponent of Ivory's bill is Kevin Freeman, founder of the Economic War Room and author of the 2023 book 'Pirate Money: Discovering the Founders' Hidden Plan for Economic Justice and Defeating the Great Reset.' The synopsis of his book says: 'The Founders hid a clause in the Constitution that allowed states to use Pirate Money as legal tender. Adding current technology, their secret can be used to stop the threats of inflation, federal overreach, and the Great Reset while preserving personal liberty and privacy.' The 'Great Reset' is a concept that captured attention in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and was hijacked by conspiracy theorists who claim global elites are plotting to establish a totalitarian world government, the BBC reported. Freeman applauded Ivory's bill as a step toward allowing 'constitutional money.' 'HB306 marks a significant step toward reintroducing constitutional money principles rooted in the U.S. Constitution,' Freeman said. 'Utah is showing the nation what's possible. This isn't just about gold; it's about liberty, privacy, and economic justice. I'm proud to see constitutional currency come to life in this historic legislation.' The original version of HB300 would have been a more aggressive move to end Utah's current universal vote-by-mail system — which currently sends ballots to mailboxes of Utahns who are active, registered voters. What ultimately survived the 2025 Utah Legislature was a scaled back version to more slowly phase out automatic voting by mail. It still has that end effect — just not until 2029. Utah Legislature approves bill to require voter ID, phase out automatic voting by mail by 2029 Now awaiting the governor's signature, HB300 would require voters to provide the last four digits of their state identification number with their return envelope starting in 2026. It would also phase out automatic voting by mail by requiring Utahns to opt in to voting by mail by 2029. 'This legislation awaiting the governor's signature would make Utah the first in the nation to repeal their system of all-mail voting,' the Movement Advance Project told Utah News Dispatch this week of HB300. Starting in 2029, HB300 would also require Utahns to renew their opt-in status for voting by mail every eight years — but the bill also creates new ways for voters to do so, including when they renew their driver's license, vote in person, or through an online portal. Throughout the debate, Republican proponents of HB300 argued the red state of Utah wasn't in flattering company with other blue states who use automatic voting by mail — and it should do something about that. However, the GOP-controlled Utah Legislature also needed to contend with the fact that voting by mail continues to be vastly popular in the state. Yet they also sought to respond to a segment of conservative Utahns who have grown increasingly suspicious of by-mail voting after a divisive presidential and gubernatorial election last year, which brought more scrutiny to voting than ever in Utah, even though President Donald Trump won handily here. The result? The watered-down HB300. Its sponsors Rep. Jefferson Burton, R-Salem, and Sen. Mike McKell, R-Spanish Fork, argued it will preserve voting by mail while also adding additional 'security.' Democrats and other critics argued HB300 unnecessarily restricts access to the ballot and voting by mail, which has helped increase the state's voter participation rate. With SB334, Sen. John Johnson, R-North Ogden, who is also an emeritus professor at USU, wants to overhaul required general education courses for college and university students to focus on 'classically liberal education.' 'We want a general education program whose job is not to tell students what to think but to teach them how to think, but to teach them how to think,' said Harrison Kleiner, vice provost for general education and associate professor of philosophy at USU, during a recent committee hearing while speaking in favor of SB334. Kleiner worked with Johnson on the bill, saying USU's general education leadership has been discussing for several years how to address 'challenges' with general education. He said the current 'distribution model of general education, the kind of thing that produces 1,200 courses on a gen ed list (is) broken, and it's not serving our students well.' Budget bills targeting 'underperforming' university programs press forward Currently, USU's general education program 'did not have enough governance authority to do much in the way of making changes,' so he started working with Johnson to change that. Johnson's bill could lay the groundwork to overhaul college general education classes, not just at USU but statewide. It starts by establishing a pilot program, called the Center for Civic Excellence, at USU that will 'govern' all general education courses. The bill also requires the new centers' vice provost to submit an annual report to the Utah Board of Higher Education on the pilot program's impacts and directs the board to consider 'system-wide changes to general education.' It also requires the center, among other provisions, to ensure the general education program includes 'three three-credit courses in the humanities' that emphasize texts 'predominantly from Western Civilization, such as the intellectual contributions of ancient Israel, ancient Greece, and Rome; and the rise of Christianity, medieval Europe, the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, and post-Enlightenment.' The bill also requires one three-credit course in 'American institutions' that focuses on 'the founding principles of American government, economics, and history, such as natural rights, liberty, equality, constitutional self-government, and market systems.' Last month, Stanley Kurtz, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center — a right-of-center advocacy group that focuses on policy issues affecting religious freedom and traditional family values — wrote an article for the conservative magazine National Review applauding Johnson's bill as a 'higher ed breakthrough' that 'could jump-start a major reform of America's higher education system.' Study: Utah is a big U.S. innovator and its higher education system is part of that success 'The potential transformative effect of this bill on public higher education is on a par with what we've seen to date in Florida,' Kurtz wrote. 'In this case, however, the reform comes by a different route.' Kurtz said it was 'directly inspired' by the model General Education Act, which he co-authored. Critics of Johnson's bill included Democrats and other English professors at USU, who wrote an op-ed in The Salt Lake Tribune arguing not everyone in USU's humanities department supports the idea, and that it 'seems to be driven by personal beliefs and ideology.' 'This bill will radically transform general education at USU, and eventually at all Utah public colleges and universities, in ways we believe will be detrimental to our students' education,' the professors wrote. They also expressed concerns it will give the new center's director 'a great deal of power' over curriculum that USU currently reserves solely for faculty. 'Across the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the faculty we have talked to have expressed feelings of intense betrayal — not just by the Legislature, but by our own university's administration,' they wrote. 'This feels like an attack on our expertise and our academic freedom. We wish to make clear our view that this law constitutes a power grab, taking advantage of a vacuum in university leadership to impose a political agenda at the expense of taxpayers and students.' USU is currently looking to hire a new university president after President Elizabeth Cantwell announced in February she is leaving for a job at Washington State. Johnson, in a statement to Utah News Dispatch this week, said Utah is taking a 'bold approach' to fix 'fragmented and disconnected' general curricula. 'Our education system must cultivate engaged citizens — individuals who grasp the principles of democracy, liberty and human dignity,' Johnson said. 'That is exactly what SB334 is designed to do. It ensures that every graduate from Utah State University receives a structured and comprehensive education in the core ideas of Western civilization and American democracy.' Johnson added that 'a strong civic education sharpens critical thinking and fosters civil discourse, equipping them to engage respectfully with differing viewpoints.' 'This approach empowers future generations not only to understand the freedoms that have sustained our country for more than two centuries but to uphold and defend them,' he said. 'This is more than a state policy – it's a blueprint for the nation.' Alixel Cabrera contributed to this report. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
