July 2024 Archive
Getting Your Money’s Worth: Exploring the Latest Taxpayer Receipt
During the 2013 General Session, the Legislature passed H.B. 129, “Amendments to Powers, Functions, and Duties of Office of Legislative Fiscal Analyst,” which required the Office to develop and publish a taxpayer receipt. The receipt is intended to answer the question of how an individual’s tax dollars are expended for government purposes. The receipt does […]
Optimized Occupancy: Highlighting the Master Plan for State Facilities
The Statewide Master Plan guides investments in existing state office space and supports the new construction of carefully planned rural centers. The first master plan for state buildings was completed in January 2021 by the Division of Facilities Construction and Management (DFCM). The plan evaluated 215 state-owned and state-leased office spaces and laid out multiple […]
The Scoop on Salaries: Recent Legislative Investments in Teacher Pay
Salaries have long been a focal point in discussions about education funding. Teachers are fundamental to our educational system, and debates about their compensation have focused on adequacy, fairness, and impact on recruitment and retention. In Utah, salaries for public educators are comprised of state, local, and federal funds. Ultimately, the total amount a teacher […]
Settlement Savvy: How Utah is Using Opioid Settlement Funds
In February 2022, the first of several large settlements was finalized in the nationwide, multi-district litigation against opioid manufacturers and distributors. These settlements, worth an estimated $26 billion, were with Janssen (J&J) and the “Big 3 Distributors” (Cardinal, McKesson, and Amerisource Bergen). Additional settlement agreements have been reached with McKinsey and Company (a consulting firm […]