Governor Gary Herbert says he was blind sided by orders from the Utah and Salt Lake County Health Departments that would make public gatherings in excess of ten people punishable as a Class B Misdemeanor. (Rick Egan)
Voters could soon be asked to change the Utah Constitution to allow a major shift in education funding after a deal announced Wednesday with the state’s largest teacher’s union. The compromise would include increasing the amount of money schools get per student and the creation of a $75 million rainy-day fund. In exchange, the state could dip into income taxes to pay for children’s health care and the needs of the disabled. Republicans like Gov. Gary Herbert hailed the deal as “the proverbial win-win-win.” Some Democrats remained concerned about whether changing the constitution could ultimately undermine education funding.