A year ago, Utah, along with the rest of the world, shut down due to COVID-19. Economic leaders thought we were headed into a great depression. However, Utah was well-positioned to manage the economic and social insecurity, and the state’s blended approach of protecting lives and livelihoods placed Utah on the path to recovery. As a result, during the 2021 General Session, the Utah Legislature was able to cut taxes, fund education at a historic level and provide relief to Utah businesses and families in the midst of a pandemic. 

During the 2021 session, the Utah Legislature balanced a $23.5 billion budget for fiscal year 2022. The budget includes $10 billion in spending from the general and education funds and nearly $7 billion from federal funds.

Budget highlights include: 

• Funding nearly $500 million for education

• Providing $121 million for teacher and staff COVID-19 bonuses

• Cutting almost $100 million in taxes

• Allocating $50 million for affordable housing

• Fully funding growth and inflation in Medicaid

• Providing $110 million for parks, trails, recreation and quality of life

• Investing $1.1 billion into infrastructure for roads and transit with only $230 million in bonds

Utah was the only state in the country able to fund education while implementing a tax cut in the middle of the pandemic. Without a strong economy, none of this would be possible.

Read the full list of session highlights here.