Latest news with #IncomeTaxRevisions
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cox signs 100 bills into Utah law ahead of looming deadline
SALT LAKE CITY () — Gov. Spencer Cox signed 100 bills in the latest legislative review session Wednesday, bringing the total to 476 bills signed with just over 100 left to act on before the upcoming deadline. Cox has until tomorrow, March 27, to sign the remaining bills. According to Utah law, any bills that are not signed or vetoed by the deadline will still become law without the governor's review. PREVIOUSLY — 'I must respectfully decline': Gov. Cox vetoes judicial reform bill, signs 200 other bills The governor signed several notable bills into law this round, including ' which is a controversial bill changing Utah's mail-in voting system. This bill requires voters to opt in to the mail-in ballot system and changes the postmark deadline so only ballots that arrive by election day can be counted. Cox also signed multiple tax bills, including H.B. 106, 'Income Tax Revisions,' which will reduce the income tax rate from 4.55% to 4.5%, and ' which makes it so seniors making $90,000 a year or less won't have to pay income tax on their social security. Another notable bill signed in the latest review is S.B. 203, 'Judicial Standing Amendments,' which is a bill that limits who can have third-party standing in court and adds requirements for associations bringing a case on behalf of its members. Critics of the bill previously argued that this would make it harder for 'everyday Utahns' to challenge laws. Here's what the Utah legislature did with tax cuts in 2025 While the majority of the bills passed during the 2025 Utah Legislative Session have been reviewed by the governor, there are still a few controversial bills that have yet to be signed or vetoed. — a bill that would ban flags representing the LGBTQ+ community in schools and other government buildings — has yet to be addressed by Cox. A bill that would make Utah the first state to remove fluoride from its water — ' — is also awaiting the governor's review. H.B. 265, 'Higher Education Strategic Reinvestment,' has also yet to be reviewed. The bill could lead to greater budget cuts for universities, specifically for programs that do not align with the Utah State Board of Education's vision and requirements. Cox has one day left to review the remaining 105 bills before they become law — with or without his approval. Read the full list of newly signed bills below: H.B. 26 Road Jurisdiction Amendments Utah Housing Amendments School Safety Amendments English Learner Amendments H.B. 51 Higher Education Reporting Amendments H.B. 53 Litter Cleanup Amendments H.B. 76 Public Education Revisions Vaccine Amendments H.B. 91 Technical College Amendments H.B. 106 Income Tax Revisions H.B. 124 Education Industry Employee Privacy H.B. 127 Sexual Crime Amendments H.B. 131 Talent Ready Utah Program Amendments H.B. 142 Service Member and Veteran Amendments School District Contracting Amendments H.B. 184 School Trust Land Amendments H.B. 191 High School Credit Amendments H.B. 195 Firearm Retention Amendments Vehicle Traction Amendments Highway Expansion Impacts on Signage Amendments Stipends for Future Educators Grant Program Amendments H.B. 209 Homeschool Amendments H.B. 219 Charter School Funding Revisions H.B. 222 Access to Traffic Accident Evidence H.B. 228 Public Education Immunization Amendments Transportation Funds Amendments H.B. 233 School Curriculum Amendments Nuclear Power Amendments Medicare Supplement Insurance Amendments First Credential Program H.B. 261 Towing Modifications H.B. 265 Higher Education Strategic Reinvestment H.B. 281 Health Curriculum and Procedures Amendments H.B. 300 Amendments to Election Law Disability Coverage Amendments Higher Education Revisions H.B. 344 School Fees Amendments H.B. 345 State Park Road Amendments H.B. 355 Mining and Critical Infrastructure Materials Amendments H.B. 357 Medical Cannabis Modifications H.B. 360 Housing Attainability Amendments Drug Overdose Training Amendments Maternal and Infant Amendments H.B. 365 Mental Health Care Study Amendments H.B. 368 Local Land Use Amendments H.B. 379 Population Data Amendments H.B. 380 Presumption of State Jurisdiction Amendments H.B. 390 Religious Expression in Higher Education H.B. 404 Government Employment Amendments H.B. 410 Child Care Amendments Municipality Regulation of Open House Amendments H.B. 424 School Activity Eligibility Commission Amendments H.B. 428 Property Tax Changes Rural School Funding Amendments S.B. 9 Revenue Bond and Capital Facilities Amendments S.B. 13 Property Tax Reimbursement Amendments Property Tax Notice Amendments Services for Department of Defense Civilian Employees S.B. 23 First Home Investment Zone Amendments Refugee Services Amendments S.B. 42 Consumer Protection Amendments S.B. 44 Professional Licensure Amendments S.B. 45 Juvenile Court Procedures Amendments Youth Electronic Cigarette, Marijuana, and Other Drug Prevention Program Sunset Extension Behavioral Health Amendments S.B. 49 Insurance Investment Amendments Newborn Relinquishment Amendments S.B. 64 Medical Cannabis Amendments S.B. 65 Medication Assisted Treatment Amendments S.B. 70 Consumer Reporting Amendments S.B. 71 Social Security Tax Revisions S.B. 78 Homeless Individuals Protection Amendments Autopsy Photo Amendments S.B. 86 Workplace Protection Amendments S.B. 96 Advanced Air Mobility Amendments S.B. 115 Substance Use Disorder Revisions Domestic Relations Recodification S.B. 120 Controlled Substances Modifications Metal Purchase and Theft Amendments Health Care Decisions Act Amendments S.B. 139 Mineral Rights Amendments S.B. 142 App Store Accountability Act S.B. 146 Glucagon Amendments S.B. 164 Modifications to Election Law Child Welfare Amendments Housing Affordability Amendments Throughput Infrastructure Funding Amendments S.B. 190 Workers' Compensation Modifications S.B. 195 Transportation Amendments S.B. 201 Real Estate Amendments Judicial Standing Amendments S.B. 204 Right to Appeal Amendments S.B. 213 Sales and Use Tax Modifications S.B. 217 Recycling Waste Amendments Health Care Services Platforms Abandoned Aircraft Amendments S.B. 250 Community Development Modifications Railroad and Transportation Amendments S.B. 268 Rules Review and General Oversight Committee Amendments S.B. 272 Micro-education Entity Amendments Matthew Drachman contributed to this reporting. 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Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New poll: How do Utahns feel about the Legislature's tax cuts this year?
The Utah Legislature passed its tax cut package on Wednesday with a focus on young families and senior citizens. Legislative leadership prioritized keeping their four-year streak of reducing income taxes while making room for Utah Gov. Spencer Cox's requests to expand tax credits for children and Social Security beneficiaries. The House concurred with Senate changes to HB106, Income Tax Revisions, on Wednesday, giving final approval to the bill which would: Decrease the corporate and income tax rates for all Utahns from 4.55% to 4.5%. Give businesses a 20% tax credit for creating new child care options for employees. Expand the child tax credit to include children who are 5 years old and under the age of 1. The House also voted on Wednesday in favor of SB71, Social Security Tax Revisions, to expand the exemption for state income taxes on Social Security benefits for the fourth time since 2021, raising the income caps from $75,000 to $90,000 for a couple, and from $45,000 to $54,000 for individuals. This change fell well short of Cox's budget priority to completely eliminate Utah's tax on Social Security income. But it is the most legislative leadership said they could give in a tight budget year, where $230 million set aside for tax cuts had to be tapped to fund other new spending. 'Thanks to Utah's robust economy and our steadfast conservative policies, we're putting money back where it belongs — with the people who earned it,' Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, said. A new Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll conducted in late February by HarrisX among 805 registered Utah voters found that the most popular tax cut was to the state's flat income tax rate. When asked their opinion about four different potential tax cuts, 87% of Utah voters said they support reducing the income tax, 86% said they support reducing the sales tax on groceries, 81% said they support removing all taxes on Social Security and 75% said they support removing the income tax on Social Security benefits for recipients earning under $100,000 per year. Over the last five years, the Legislature has approved roughly $1.4 billion in tax relief for Utahns. Cox and lawmakers have referred to this as the largest collective tax cut in Utah history. 'The cost of living continues to rise; by continuing to reduce the tax burden, we're ensuring that Utah remains a place of opportunity and prosperity for generations to come,' House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, said. HB106, sponsored by Rep. Kay Christofferson, R-Lehi, will cost the state more than $103 million in annual tax revenue. SB71, sponsored by Sen. Wayne Harper, R-Taylorsville, will cost the state over $24 million in ongoing tax revenue. Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, supported expanding child tax credits but felt that inserting them in the income tax bill was unfair and put big business over budget needs. 'Combining them with an income tax cut is a coercive and unfair move that mirrors a Washington, D.C., style of political tactics,' Escamilla said. 'This is a disservice to Utah's working families.' Escamilla and her caucus maintained throughout the session they would have preferred Cox's proposal to join the 42 other states who do not tax Social Security, giving an average of $950 in tax relief to over 150,000 Utahns. The Social Security tax credit expansion will impact roughly 90,000 Utahns, Harper said. The .05% reduction to the income tax rate will save a typical Utah family around $45 a year, according to the Utah Taxpayers Association.
