Consultant Judy Weeks Rohner, R-West Valley Metropolis, believes that saving even just a few {dollars} on the grocery retailer checkout line could make an enormous distinction within the lives of all Utahns. Particularly the working center class and people who find themselves on a set revenue. That is why Rohner is supporting a invoice to do away with the state’s 1.75% gross sales tax on meals as an alternative of slicing private and company revenue tax.
Consultant Rohner proposed a invoice to the state legislature earlier this 12 months, sadly the invoice didn’t cross or obtain a listening to. However that does not imply the struggle is over. The truth is, Rohner believes that passing this laws is extra essential than ever, because of the ongoing results of inflation.
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Though the Republican supermajority presently favors the revenue tax lower over repealing the meals tax, Rohner hopes she — and the voters — can change some minds. Listed below are just a few of her causes for supporting the invoice.
Working households profit extra
Between slicing revenue tax and the gross sales tax on meals, Rohner argues that the latter is extra useful to working households. That is as a result of they spend a better portion of their revenue on groceries in comparison with the rich.
Photograph: Leszek Glasner/Shutterstock.com
In response to a survey launched by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, she’s proper. The Bureau reported that working households spend virtually twice their share of annual revenue on meals than these within the highest-income bracket. After housing prices and transportation, meals at house is the best spending class for many households. For the highest-income households, it is fifth.
Folks ought to be capable to afford the requirements
Rohner believes repealing the gross sales tax on meals is the compassionate factor to do as a result of nobody ought to have to fret about placing meals on the desk. A current examine from Cornell College helps her views.
Harry Kaiser, the Gellert Household Professor on the Charles H. Dyson College of Utilized Economics and Administration at Cornell, co-authored the examine, which discovered that even a slight grocery tax hike may harm households.
“A rise of 1% to 4% might sound small, however after a number of journeys to the grocery retailer, the additional prices can create severe burdens for the lowest-income households,” Kaiser mentioned. “We discovered that even the slightest improve in tax price correlated to an elevated probability of meals insecurity. Grocery taxes that rose by only one share level led to a better threat of starvation in households.”
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Backside line: Eliminating the gross sales tax on meals would lower meals insecurity.
Utah is one in every of solely 13 states with a grocery tax
With regards to states that tax on groceries, Utah is within the minority. Solely 12 different states impose a grocery tax. Rohner additionally factors out that the state advantages from rising inflation because it collects extra tax income as costs go up. It is a observe she calls “despicable.”
Curiously, a Dan Jones and Associates ballot discovered {that a} majority of Utahns favor slicing the gross sales tax on meals over different tax cuts. KSLTV.com reported in February of this 12 months that of the 814 Utahns polled, 33% most popular that the legislature cut back the gross sales tax price on meals. 32% favored a diminished revenue tax price for all Utahns, 17% needed to scale back gross sales tax on all items and 15% most popular an revenue tax credit score for meals based mostly on revenue degree. Three p.c mentioned they did not know.
Photograph: LightField Studios/Shutterstock.com
Will the gross sales tax on meals be repealed?
It is a lengthy street for Rohner and her supporters to get their invoice handed — however it’s additionally not her first expertise combating for tax reform.
Rohner led a referendum effort to cease the 2019 Utah Legislature tax reform package deal, which might have created a 3.1% improve on the state gross sales tax on groceries, a 4.85% tax on gasoline and a 7% gross sales tax on companies. After gathering sufficient signatures — in document time — lawmakers finally repealed it.
In a Deseret Information article from earlier this 12 months, Rohner mentioned that this present effort reminds her of that previous struggle.
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“I stored telling individuals,” she mentioned. “It is like that little practice … ‘I believe I can, I believe I can, I believe I can.’ And we did it. And that is what I am telling individuals now. … I do know we are able to.”
In the event that they help repealing Utah’s gross sales tax on meals, Rohner urges individuals to contact their legislators in order that the invoice can achieve traction.
“I do know they hear,” she mentioned. “They did in 2020, and they’re going to in 2022.”
Utah Jazz (1-7, 15th in the Western Conference) vs. San Antonio Spurs (4-5, 12th in the Western Conference)
San Antonio; Saturday, 5 p.m. EST
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BOTTOM LINE: Western Conference foes San Antonio and Utah will play on Saturday.
San Antonio finished 22-60 overall, 14-37 in Western Conference play and 12-29 at home during the 2023-24 season. The Spurs averaged 112.1 points per game last season, 51.4 in the paint, 15.4 off of turnovers and 15.6 on fast breaks.
Utah went 31-51 overall and 16-36 in Western Conference play during the 2023-24 season. The Jazz averaged 115.7 points per game last season, 18.8 from the free-throw line and 38.7 from deep.
INJURIES: Spurs: Devin Vassell: out (foot), Tre Jones: out (ankle), Jeremy Sochan: out (thumb).
Jazz: Taylor Hendricks: out for season (fibula).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis Blues forward Dylan Holloway returned to the lineup Thursday night against Utah in the team’s first game since he was taken to the hospital after getting hit in the neck with a puck.
Holloway participated in the Blues’ morning skate at Enterprise Center and declared he felt good to return, and coach Drew Bannister put him in the starting lineup.
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“Talking to the doctor at the hospital, he said just no activity for 24 hours. But other than that, I’m fine,” Holloway said at morning skate. “All my tests came back good. There’s no further damage — nothing. It was kind of the best news I could get, and I feel like I’m ready to go.
Holloway was hurt late in the first period of St. Louis’ 3-2 victory on Tuesday night when he was struck by a puck off the stick of Tampa Bay’s Nicholas Paul. Play was stopped with 1:11 left in the period, and referees sent the teams to the locker rooms early after Holloway was taken from the bench area on a stretcher.
“It was definitely kind of crazy. I felt pretty fortunate. I had a Iot of people reach out to see if I was OK,” said Holloway, who signed with the Blues after appearing in the Stanley Cup final last season with Edmonton.
“I appreciate all the love and the support that I was getting. The team has been great, all the boys have been great, the coach has been great. I’m just thankful to have such a supportive group around me.”
Holloway said he felt dizzy and nauseous at the hospital but has had no other ill effects other than a bruise at the base of his neck.
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“I just want to go out there and kind of forget about it, put it in the past,” Holloway said. “I feel good and I’m just excited to get out there.”
Bannister said Holloway rode an exercise bike Wednesday and then “pushed himself hard” during the morning skate.
“He’s a worker. He has a high motor. The way we want to play, he dictates a lot of the play,” Bannister said. “He dictates a lot of the energy that happens on the bench and on the ice. He just works to get pucks back and he uses his speed. He does a lot of things really well and he’s fit in nicely.”
“Whether we’ve put him at center or put him at wing, he’s found a way to contribute to the team game and contribute on the scoreboard but also defensively.”
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — More than mere bragging rights are on the line when BYU and Utah renew their rivalry for the first time in three years on Saturday.
No. 9 BYU (8-0, 5-0 Big 12 ) debuted at No. 9 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday with a projected first-round bye as conference champion. It is the highest ever CFB ranking for the Cougars, surpassing the previous high of No. 12 in 2021. Many fans and pundits on social media criticized the CFP selection committee for ranking BYU too low since the Cougars have beaten two Top 25 opponents and boast a better strength of schedule than multiple teams ranked ahead of them.
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If BYU is truly feeling disrespected, the Cougars are content to simply build their case by quietly continuing their unbeaten run.
“That’s the one thing that makes this team so different is that we’re not focused on what we’ve already done. We’re looking forward to the new week,” BYU running back Hinckley Ropati said. “Every week is a Super Bowl. Every week for us is a new statement.”
The Cougars hold a one-game lead atop the Big 12 standings over Colorado and Iowa State. A victory over Utah would move BYU one step closer to clinching a spot in the Big 12 championship game in the team’s second year in the league.
Utah aims to be a spoiler, dealing a blow to BYU’s unexpected title chase while ending a frustrating four-game slide and drawing one game closer to bowl eligibility.
The Utes lost to the Cougars 26-17 when the teams last met in 2021 — snapping Utah’s nine-game winning streak in the series.
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“The season we’re having is not the one we expected,” Utah running back Micah Bernard said. “But we don’t waver. We still have belief, and our belief is we’re going to win the next game, the next game, and the next game.”
BYU and Utah enter this latest edition of the Holy War on opposite ends of the spectrum on offense.
The Cougars are churning out a league-best 37.6 points per game against Big 12 opponents even while averaging just 391.8 total yards in those contests. They have scored fewer than 34 points just once this season. Meanwhile, the Utes have scored 15.8 points per contest in Big 12 play and have failed to reach 20 points in four straight games for the first time since 1997.
Splitting time
Kyle Whittingham re-opened the quarterback competition at Utah during the bye week. Isaac Wilson and Brandon Rose split first team reps. The move came after Utah’s offense averaged just 10.3 points per game in Wilson’s last three starts. Rose finished out the Utes’ 17-14 loss to Houston after Wilson got benched early in the second half. He threw for 45 yards and had an interception while completing only 47% of his passes.
Wilson has thrown for 1,200 yards and eight touchdowns this season. He’s also tossed eight interceptions and is completing 55% of his passes.
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Whittingham declined to reveal which quarterback will start on Saturday.
“We’ve got a good plan right now,” Whittingham said. “We’ll keep it to ourselves, obviously, but we have a plan going forward and nothing is ever set in stone, but we feel like we have a situation that’s best for us and gives us the best chance to win.”
The beleaguered offense will be without Money Parks, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury against Houston. Parks had 294 yards and three touchdowns on 21 catches this season.
Opportunistic defense
Creating turnovers has been BYU’s defensive trademark this season. The Cougars lead the Big 12 in takeaways (18) and interceptions (14). Eleven different players have made at least one interception. Four different players have recovered a fumble.
This knack for making disruptive plays has led to BYU ranking fourth nationally in pass efficiency defense (96.31).
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BYU coach Kalani Sitake credits the team’s success in all three phases to his players focusing on filling a specific niche rather than playing hero ball.
“You have to buy into your 1/11th,” Sitake said. “I think our guys are doing a great job at it. Have we played perfect? No. Can we play better? Yes. And I’d like to see that happen this weekend.”
Fighting words
Utah running back Jaylon Glover sparked controversy on Monday when he used an expletive directed at BYU while speaking with reporters following practice. Glover later apologized for what he said on a post to his X account.
“It doesn’t represent who I am or our program and was a lapse in my judgment,” Glover wrote. “As a program, we respect every opponent we face, and we have respect for BYU and are excited to play them Saturday.”
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