SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Taxpayer’s Association (UTA) has released its annual report card on the recently-concluded 2023 general session of the Legislature.
“Each year, the Utah Taxpayers Association produces the Legislative scorecard,” says Rusty Cannon, president of the UTA. “That scorecard ranks legislators on how they voted on important tax bills.
“Those who meet our criteria are awarded the ‘Friends of the Taxpayer’ Award.”
None of our Cache Valley lawmakers made the cut, according to UTA’s admittedly subjective guidelines.
Cannon explains that the association ranked Utah’s 104 legislators on their support of 12 crucial taxpayers related bills from the 2023 general session. Those measures involved issues like cutting taxes, preventing tax increases, strengthening Utah’s tax codes and ensuring economic success for the state in years to come.
Those proposals included House Bill 54 (Tax Revisions), House Bill 215 (Funding for Teacher Salaries and Optional Education Opportunities), House Bill 422 (Initiative Amendments), Senate Bill 260 (Transportation Funding Requirements), Senate Bill 279 (Sales Tax Modifications) and Senate Joint Resolution 10 (Proposal to Amend Utah Constitution – Income Tax).
Of those, H.B. 54 was the biggie, according to Sen. Chris Wilson (R-Logan).
That new law alone provided more than $850 million in tax relief by reducing the all Utahns’ income tax rate from 4.85 percent to 4.65 percent; expanding the social security tax eligibility to individuals earning up to $75,000; providing a tax exemption benefit for pregnant women; increasing the earned income credit from 15 percent to 20 percent; and proposing to remove the state sale tax on food contingent on voters’ approval of removing a constitutional earmark in the 2024 election.
After being raked according the number of points scored by their voting record against their potential maximum, Cannon said two senators and 10 house members earned the UTA’s stamp of approval as “Friends of the Taxpayer.”
They were Senators Lincoln Fillmore (R-South Jordan) and Dan McCay (R-Salt Lake).
In the House, the representatives earning UTA praised were Norman Thurston (R-Provo); Walt Brooks (R-St. George); Joseph Elison (R-Salt Lake); Trevor Lee (R-Salt Lake); Tyler Clancy (R-Salt Lake); Nelson Abbott (R-Orem); Cheryl Acton (R-Salt Lake); Phil Lyman (R-Blanding); Mark Strong (R-Bluffdale) and Colin Jack (R-St. George).
“The 2023 general session was a significant one for tax policy in Utah,” Cannon observes. “We appreciate the Legislature’s consideration of Utah taxpayers while also overseeing record revenues.”
Founded in the 1920s, the Utah Taxpayers Association seeks to represent taxpayers and to promote efficient, economical government as well as fair and equitable taxation.