What Utah voters should know about Constitutional Amendment A

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah voters will determine if they’re for or in opposition to a constitutional modification that impacts how a lot spending cash lawmakers can deal with throughout an emergency this election.

Constitutional Modification A will elevate the cap on spending throughout particular classes and emergencies if handed.

Lawmakers mentioned the proposal comes after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Throughout COVID, we needed to have a number of particular classes, we had a number of adjustments we needed to make to our price range, a number of federal cash was coming at us,” Rep. Jeff Stenquist, R-Draper mentioned.

He mentioned if Constitutional Modification A is handed, it can give lawmakers extra flexibility when responding to an emergency scenario.

“There’s at all times a little bit of a component of the unknown, you don’t know what’s going to come back up,” Stenquist mentioned.

That flexibility considerations opponents like Chase Thomas, government director of Alliance for a Higher Utah.

“We imagine that these constitutional checks and balances, it’s not at all times meant for comfort or flexibility, it’s meant to have the ability to work in a system the place completely different events should conform to get issues performed,” Thomas mentioned.

Presently, the state legislature can use 1percentof the state price range for emergencies. This modification would bump that as much as 5%.

“We simply need to have the ability to make it possible for we are able to react shortly when wanted in terms of funding,” Stenquist defined.

Opponents mentioned the modification provides lawmakers extra management.

“We imagine it’s an pointless energy seize by the legislature on the expense of our constitutional checks and balances,” Thomas mentioned.

The modification solely applies to emergencies when particular classes are known as.

“If we had an earthquake or one thing like that, we would should do some emergency measures,” Stenquist mentioned.

Supporters of the modification identified particular classes don’t usually occur, whereas opponents mentioned the legislative physique ought to proceed to function as is.