Governor Gary R. Herbert issued the following statement regarding today’s veto override:
“Today’s biggest loser is education. I vetoed SB229 because it earmarked priority funding for transportation, potentially putting at peril funding needed for education, public safety, and other critical public needs. It’s a bad way to allocate our very limited state resources.
“I have always been and will continue to be a strong supporter of transportation funding. But earmarking revenues risks subsequent increased bonding, jeopardizes Utah’s AAA bond rating, and exacerbates a lack of budgetary flexibility.
“Economic tides can turn quickly and the State of Utah must be fiscally agile to safeguard both our priorities and our resources. The battle for education funding is not over.”