Education Policy, Business and Technology

Education funding tops legislators' agenda during the coming session

The Salt Lake Tribune: Utah Republican and Democratic legislative leaders often disagree. But they are unanimous about what the biggest topic facing the Legislature is as it convenes Monday: education funding.

"It's one of our greatest challenges," says House Speaker Greg Hughes, R-Draper.

House Minority Leader Brian King, D-Salt Lake City, agrees, and adds that while leaders often give lip service to education, "It's time to put our money where our mouth is."

It will have extra emphasis because the Our Schools Now initiative is waging a petition drive to put on the ballot a $750 million state income-tax increase for education, and many lawmakers would like to avoid that and push other alternatives instead.

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