UCC has been studying Utah public education financing and concludes that legislative removal of the income tax earmark would be a serious mistake. The income tax was earmarked exclusively for public education in 1946, protecting public education as the long-term, prime responsibility of state government.
The earmark is under legislative reconsideration at a time when investment in a quality education for Utah’s children has never been more important to meet national and international challenges. Moreover, financial analyses by the Utah Foundation and the former chief economist for the State Tax Commission, Doug MacDonald, reveal that tax revenue for public education has steadily eroded over the past 20 to 25 years. The revenue loss has reached an average of well over $1 billion annually. What is primarily responsible for this dramatic drop?
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