- A $10 million dollar proposal for a Pioneer Trail in Salt Lake City caused some drama on the House floor.
- Some Republicans tried to hold up a large spending bill over the trail proposal.
- The bill passed 68-6, moving to the Senate, where leaders support the trail funding.
SALT LAKE CITY — Some drama ensued in the Utah House of Representatives on Tuesday as some lawmakers tried to hold up a large spending bill over a proposal to fund a new trail system in Salt Lake City.
HB2, sponsored by Rep. Val Peterson, R-Orem, is one of several budget bills. It spends nearly $375 million in additional funding for various programs and agencies for the upcoming fiscal year.
But before it passed out of the House in a 68-6 vote, one lawmaker zeroed in on one provision he said was not a prudent use of taxpayer money — a proposed $10 million expense for the Pioneer Trail.
The Pioneer Trail is a proposed one-mile walking loop that would connect historic sites in Utah's capital city, along with public art, monuments and trail markers.
Rep. Nelson Abbott, R-Orem, asked his colleagues to pause discussion on the budget bill to give him time to introduce an amendment addressing the expense.
"When I was elected, my constituents told me they wanted to really keep government small and for me to be really careful in how we spend our money," Abbott said. "The Pioneer Trail would be a great thing. I think it would be fantastic. But does it deserve $10 million in state money? I don't think so."
Abbott wasn't the only lawmaker with some hang-ups about the bill. Rep. Kristen Chevrier, R-Highland, supported pausing debate, citing "several recommendations that our committee made that are not reflected in the budget."
Peterson pushed back, pointing out that the budget has been "carefully negotiated between the House and Senate" and was already presented to lawmakers last week. Each member of the Legislature serves on a spending committee, which has met regularly since the session began in January.
"There's things in here that people love; there's other things that people don't like," he said. "And as we start to try to mess with our budget bill, that unravels all the work that we've done over the last six weeks."
Ultimately, the effort to postpone debate was unsuccessful, and the measure passed, heading to the Senate for a vote. Leaders there signaled strong support for funding the Pioneer Trail.
"I think it's a great idea. I think it's a landmark," said Sen. Jerry Stevenson, R-Layton, who oversees the budget in the Senate. "We will put together a landmark that will be recognized for centuries for the city."
Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, said the trail will become a tourist attraction.
"I think it's a great opportunity to really enhance not only the beauty of our buildings but also the entire surrounding and landscape," she said.
Gov. Spencer Cox previously requested $5 million for the creation of the trail system.
The Pioneer Trail is inspired by the Freedom Trail in Boston, members of the Pioneer Trail Foundation told the Capitol Preservation Board in May. The walking loop would link Temple Square, City Creek Park, Council Hall, the Utah State Capitol and Memory Grove, along with a few other historic sites.
Lawmakers are still hashing out the details of the rest of the $31 billion state budget and will vote on it before the legislative session ends Friday at midnight.
Contributing: Carter Williams
