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- Gov. Spencer Cox is reviewing 70 bills before Thursday's deadline to sign, with potential vetoes still to come.
- Bills under scrutiny include bans on pride flags, fluoride and tax relief changes.
SALT LAKE CITY — A handful of closely watched bills remain under review by the governor as the Thursday deadline to sign or veto bills quickly approaches.
Gov. Spencer Cox has signed 376 of the 582 bills passed during the recent legislative session as of Wednesday morning. Among those not signed are several that different groups have asked the governor to reject, including one that would bar government buildings from flying gay pride and other flags, another that would prohibit cities from adding fluoride to the water supply, and one revamping the Circuit Breaker program providing tax relief for low-income Utahns.
The governor issued the first veto of his second term Monday to block a bill changing how property taxes for schools are collected. In his veto letter, he hinted that more vetoes could come before the Thursday deadline; he then vetoed a second bill Tuesday that would have given him power to name the chief justice of the Utah Supreme Court.
"Over the next few days I will make final decisions on potential vetoes," he wrote.
Cox was asked about which bills he was eyeing for a veto during a press conference to sign a bill sending additional funding to rural schools Monday, but he didn't offer any specifics.
"We get lots of veto requests every year. Sometimes, bills move through ... at the end of the session, where people didn't realize everything they were voting on at the time. That happens sometimes, and sometimes there are just things I disagree with and want to signal that," Cox said. "That's what you'll see again. I'm still reviewing bills. I still have about 70 bills left to go, and then we'll make final decisions over the next couple days. But, I suspect ... that you'll see a few vetoes. Nothing crazy, nothing out of line with what you've seen in the past, but maybe a little more."
Last year, the governor used his veto pen to reject seven bills — along with striking a handful of lines from two of the spending bills — which he said were either unnecessary or were substantially changed throughout the process to the point that they no longer did what was originally intended.
Lawmakers passed a record 591 bills last year, and the governor has said repeatedly that he would like to see that number fall. He mentioned that concern again in his veto letter of SB37 on Monday, promising he would have more to say later in the week.
A spokesperson for the governor confirmed that, as of Tuesday afternoon, the governor was still reviewing three of the bills groups have asked for him to veto, though he has signaled support in the past for at least two of them. Here is what those bills do:
No fluoride in water systems
One bill that has drawn calls for a veto is HB81, which would prohibit fluoride from being added to public water systems in the state. Not all cities add the mineral — which can protect from tooth decay — to public water systems, and proponents of the bill say it's meant to protect people from being forced to have fluoride added to their water.
"This bill does not prohibit anybody from taking fluoride in whatever fashion they want. It just disallows people who do not want fluoride from having to consume fluoride in their water," said Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore, R-Sandy.
But the American Dental Association and others have asked Cox to veto the bill, which it said "would adopt public policy that is in complete opposition to the mission of the ADA, which, along with many other health organizations, endeavors to promote disease prevention in the most effective, efficient and equitable ways."
Cox has previously signaled support for the bill, which also passed with veto-proof majorities.
Changes to property tax relief program
Several groups are asking Cox to reject SB197, which would change the Circuit Breaker program that provides property tax relief to older Utahns. Critics, including a former caseworker, say the bill phases out the program and could hurt Utahns who are struggling financially.
Although it was changed to grandfather in applicants who are approved for the program in 2025, former caseworker Jerry Schmidt argues in a Deseret News op-ed that the changes are "not enough to fix it."
"The sponsor stated he wanted this bill to inspire seniors to move, to downsize and open up housing stock," Schmidt wrote. "Not sure where these seniors might move to that makes financial sense for them in this market, but once they do, they're off the program, as this bill states you need to be in the same residence you were in previously to continue."
Schmidt and members of the Utah Housing Coalition, Crossroads Urban Center and Faith and Advocacy Coalition to End Hunger and Homelessness have asked Cox to veto the bill.
"In some ways, we've taken our tax policy and we've created an incentive not to turn the housing stock over and leave people in their homes potentially longer," said Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton, when presenting his bill to a Senate committee in February.
He said the bill would leave a tax deferral in place while phasing out tax forgiveness for people on the program.
SB197 passed but without the supermajority needed to overturn a gubernatorial veto.
Flag bill
HB77, one of the most-discussed bills this year, continues to live on after the session. A report from a Hollywood industry publication suggested its provisions banning gay pride flags from public buildings could endanger Salt Lake City's bid to host the Sundance Film Festival for the next decade. Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall has echoed calls to veto it, but the governor appeared unconcerned about the bill's impact on the future of the festival and has signaled he won't veto it.
The bill doesn't single out gay pride flags; it restricts the flying of all but a few sanctioned flags in public buildings and classrooms. The governor recently suggested many would feel uncomfortable with a Make America Great Again flag in their child's classroom, a flag that would also be banned under the bill.
Rep. Trevor Lee, R-Layton, who sponsored HB77, said the bill aims to keep political neutrality in classrooms and government buildings.
The bill passed with a veto-proof majority in both the House and Senate.
Contributing: Emily Ashcraft
