All Posts
TIF Talk: Understanding the Lingo of Transportation Funding
The Transportation Investment Fund of 2005 (or TIF for short) is one of the largest accounts in the state budget, with revenues of over $3.2...
November 1, 2024
Trust the Process: Prepping Budgets for the General Session
During the Legislative "off season," appropriations subcommittees are hard at work diving into the nitty-gritty, budgetary details that no General Session allows enough time to...
October 18, 2024
The Story on Scholarships: Utah’s Tuition Assistance for Higher Education
Within the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE), the Legislature actively funds 13 scholarship programs centrally located and overseen by the Utah Board of Higher...
October 11, 2024
Q&A with LFA: the Top 5 Questions Answered by the Fiscal Health Dashboard
The Fiscal Health Dashboard is a one-stop shop for legislators and constituents to answer questions about Utah’s current and long-term financial position. The Legislative Fiscal...
October 4, 2024
Au Courant on Appropriations: Changes to Subcommittees and State Grant Processes
This fall, the leaves won’t be the only thing changing around the Capitol. During the 2024 General Session, the Legislature passed both a resolution and...
September 27, 2024
A Higher Standard: How the 2024 New Funding Follow-Up Report Helps Improve Outcomes
When the Legislature appropriates new funding for a project, it’s kind of like your family setting out on a road trip to your favorite theme...
September 20, 2024
Budgeting for the Backcountry: Utah’s Trailblazing Investments in Outdoor Recreation
In the 2021 General Session, the Legislature separated the Divisions of State Parks and Outdoor Recreation which were previously a single line item housed in...
September 13, 2024
Refined Revenues: How Economists are Improving Collections Tracking
When conjuring a picture of the state’s budget, appropriations (authorized spending) and expenditures (actual spending) jump to the front of mind. However, both appropriations and...
August 30, 2024
Belt-Tightening in Comfort: How the 2024 General Session Prepared Utah for a Deficit
In July we covered the Statewide Master Plan, a guide for state office space planning and investments. In that post, it was discussed how both...
August 16, 2024
From Tariffs to Taps: Recent Updates from the Dept. of Alcoholic Beverage Services
In June, the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services (DABS) opened the doors on its latest store, an upgrade for the Salt Lake City Downtown location...
August 9, 2024
The Reality of Realty: How the State is Investing in Affordable Housing
According to the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, average rental prices along the Wasatch Front climbed more than 20% from 2020 to 2021. While the...
August 2, 2024
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...
July 26, 2024