Utah lawmakers’ bill would void education initiative

A Utah lawmaker is sponsoring a bill that would void an education initiative if it passes because he says the initiative’s goals could be reached without sales and income tax hikes.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported Friday that Republican state Rep. Mike Schultz of Hooper is sponsoring the bill that would cancel out the Our Schools Now initiative’s effort to boost annual education funding by $715 million through a combination of tax increases.

Shultz says he’s working with the organizers of Our Schools Now and hopes to reach a compromise that would allow them to abandon their initiative.

He says the initiative’s goals could become reality without tax hikes if lawmakers are able to prioritize funding for schools through existing revenue.