News Articles

Value-Based Contracts Slowly Gaining Ground

February 21, 2020 (Specialty Pharmacy Continuum) - Employer-sponsored plans have seen an average premium increase of 34% from 2006 to 2016, whereas 62% of the Silver plans of the Affordable Care Act increased in price from 2017 to 2018, she said, citing a Utah Foundation report. “The bottom line is we need to come up with a better way of managing our costs than looking at these high-deductible plans,” Dr. Brixner said.

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In the wake of jettisoned tax reform, key issues remain

February 18, 2020 (UtahPolicy.com) - The monumental tax overhaul of 2019 saw a swift demise at the start of the 2020 legislative session, but the issues that motivated reform are left unresolved. The report addresses three basic issues at the center of reform efforts: the adequacy of general fund revenue; the competitiveness of income tax rates; and a large constitutional earmark.

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Utah Legislature votes, governor signs repeal of controversial tax reform bill

January 29, 2020 (KSL.com) - The bill would have also increased sales tax on a variety of goods, including groceries — which would have seen a sales tax increase from 1.75% to 4.85%. Other services, like Uber and Lyft, would have also been included in sales taxation. KSL Investigates asked Christopher Collard, research analyst with the Utah Foundation, to break down the savings for low-, middle- and high-income families. After announcing the bill’s repeal, Herbert said lawmakers didn’t communicate well … Continued

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Tax reform repeal: The sheeple speak

January 28, 2020 (The Independent) - The legislation promised cuts in the income tax and additions to per-child dependent exemptions. Still, economic analysts said the bill would have a negative impact on residents and small businesses. Even though personal income has gone up, it hasn’t kept pace with housing costs. That’s why the Utah Foundation’s Community Quality of Life Index has experienced a significant drop.

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From fiscal crisis to funding surplus: Herbert prepares for his final legislative session

January 25, 2020 (Deseret News) - Utah now has the No. 1 economy in the nation and a job growth rate of 33.5% since the Great Recession, a percentage that leads the nation. The state’s unemployment rate went from 8% 10 years ago to 2.3% — a new record Herbert said could drop even more. “I think the economy is going to get even better,” he said. He also pointed to a Utah Foundation assessment that put the percentage of income … Continued

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Air Quality Should Be Important To Your Business (Here’s Why)

January 23, 2020 (Utah Business) - Paramount to any business is the physical and mental health of its employees, and long periods of inversion can affect an employee’s wellbeing. In the 2016 Utah Foundation Utah Priorities Project, the report showed that nine out of 10 Utah voters surveyed deemed “health” as their top concern regarding air quality. Poor air is harmful to everyone’s health but especially for children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems such as asthma, cardiovascular diseases, or … Continued

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Utah Thrives podcast: Alternative fuel vehicles

January 08, 2020 (UtahPolicy.com) - The number of vehicles powered by electricity has been growing steadily in Utah, but they’re still only 1.6% of new vehicles sold in the state. Eventually, they’ll have an impact on air quality, but that’s years away. A new research report from Utah Foundation shows there may be opportunities to have a bigger impact sooner by focusing on trucks and buses powered by electricity or other alternative fuels such as natural gas.

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Guest opinion: When it comes to tax reform, time may be the best teacher

December 22, 2019 (Deseret News) - So it goes with tax reform. The reforms made now end up being part of a longer process. And significant reform isn’t easy, nor it doesn’t always win friends. As Thomas Jefferson once put it, “Politics … holds up the torches of martyrdom to the reformers of error.” The particulars of the current tax reform were wide open for debate, with the necessity of a tax cut, the sales tax on food and education funding … Continued

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Herald editorial: Rent control is not the solution to increasing housing costs

December 22, 2019 (Daily Herald) - Rent control, an idea long discouraged by the overwhelming majority of economists, found popularity once again after the states of Oregon, New York and California recently implemented their own version of the concept. Illinois is also considering rent control measures. This well-intended policy proposal is seductive. Rent control typically proposes a cap on the annual increase in rents to prevent price gouging in high-demand markets and requires stronger regulations on landlord-tenant relations. It also typically … Continued

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Gov. Gary Herbert: Why Utah needed tax reform

December 15, 2019 (Deseret News) - And it bears repeating that we’re not increasing tax revenues; we’re reducing them by $160 million by changing the way they’re collected. For example, those who will pay a sales tax on a rideshare will still be better off because their income taxes are now lower. And, in fact, according to the Utah Foundation, Utahns today enjoy the lowest overall tax burden they have seen in the past 25 years. Additionally, Utahns as a whole … Continued

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Special session to address tax reform underway on Utah’s Capitol Hill

December 12, 2019 (KTVX) - “The bill proposed by the Tax Restructuring and Equalization Task Force changes how and where Utahns will pay taxes, but it does not increase their burden. In fact, 86 percent of Utahns will pay less taxes annually under the proposed bill than they do under the tax policies we have today. “According to the Utah Foundation, the tax burden for individuals and families is the lowest it has been in 25 years, thanks to healthy … Continued

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KSL Investigates: How much will Utahns save in tax reform proposal?

December 12, 2019 (KSL-TV) - The Tax Restructuring and Equalization Task Force was created by the Utah Legislature earlier this year to research and recommend tax changes. The resulting proposal, SB2001, is at the center of Thursday’s Special Session of the Utah Legislature. The bill will be debated and possibly receive a vote. The task force was created to address declining tax revenue. According to an October 2019 report from Utah Foundation, Utahns’ sales tax burden decreased 27% from 2007 … Continued

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Gov. Herbert calls special session of the Utah State Legislature

December 11, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) - The bill proposed by the Tax Restructuring and Equalization Task Force changes how and where Utahns will pay taxes, but it does not increase their burden. In fact, 86 percent of Utahns will pay less taxes annually under the proposed bill than they do under the tax policies we have today. According to the Utah Foundation, the tax burden for individuals and families is the lowest it has been in 25 years, thanks to healthy … Continued

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Peter Reichard: Air quality is a leading issue in Utah, but can the state lead on clean vehicles?

November 30, 2019 (Salt Lake Tribune) - Along the Wasatch Front, there may be no quality of life concern more urgent than clean air. Utah Foundation’s own survey work finds again and again that air quality is a top concern of citizens. The single biggest culprit in our air quality woes is us — driving around in cars, trucks and heavy-duty vehicles that convert gasoline and diesel fuel into unhealthy ozone and particulate matter in our air. It follows that promoting alternative … Continued

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In our opinion: Utah should drive down air pollution by driving cleaner

November 25, 2019 (Deseret News) - Northern Utah’s unique geography exacerbates the problem as high pressure weather systems trap cold, stagnant air in valleys. Little can be done to keep these inversions from forming, but much can be done to minimize the way the people trapped inside them contribute to pollution. Natural market forces aren’t likely to solve this problem any time soon, particularly as traditional gas remains inexpensive. The Utah Foundation’s suggestion of a mix of incentives and mandates for … Continued

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What would it take to get you to buy an electric car?

November 20, 2019 (Deseret News) - The Utah Foundation just published a report titled, “Driving toward a cleaner future.” Among its findings were that electric vehicles have a market share in Utah of only 1.6%. That’s still higher than the median for all states, but the market share is creeping upward at an agonizingly slow pace. The normal response to this would be a shrug. The marketplace should decide whether to shift to alternative fuels, right? With the United States now … Continued

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Robert Gehrke: Here’s how we can clean up the air in the Salt Lake Valley

November 20, 2019 (Salt Lake Tribune) - This week, the Utah Foundation issued a report about steps the state could take to accelerate alternative fuel vehicles and, consequently, improve air quality. For example, it noted that Utah lawmakers recently let a $1,000 incentive for electric car purchases expire. These incentives work, and could have an even larger impact if the amounts were larger and could be applied at the time of sale. Perhaps the most important thing the state can do to … Continued

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Auto emissions rising in US; Utah a major offender, report says

November 19, 2019 (KSL Newsradio) - Auto emissions per person are on the rise, and Utah is a major offender. Those findings come from a New York Times report released last month that indicate auto emissions in both Ogden and Salt Lake City are up at least 80% since 1990. Many experts say the implementation of alternative-fuel vehicles is key to fighting the air quality problem, but it appears that Utahns are hesitant to take that step. In an analysis released … Continued

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Study examines how Utah can encourage alternative fuel vehicles

November 18, 2019 (UtahPolicy.com) - Utah Foundation releases Driving Toward a Cleaner Future: Alternative Fuel Vehicles in Utah. The report examines the incentives and disincentives around electric cars, as well as the policy decisions around preparation for a wide proliferation of electric vehicles in the future. It also examines the incentives and requirements around public and private heavy-duty fleet vehicles. Key findings of the study include: Electric vehicles – or battery electric cars and plug-in hybrids – accounted for less than 2% … Continued

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2019 Marvin Hall of Fame: Bryson Garbett

October 31, 2019 (BuilderOnline.com) - For Garbett, building sustainable homes is about a lot more than solar panels, tankless water heaters, and HERS scores. “It’s about livability, about health,” he says. “All our homes have fresh-air systems because they’re so tight. We’ve had reports from buyers that they’ve been able to get rid of their inhalers when they’re in our homes.” Green building and healthy homes are slowly catching on in Utah, Garbett says, but his firm is still the … Continued

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