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Utah Thrives – Tax Modernization

Written by: Dan Bammes

What did Utah’s governor mean when he told the Legislature that tax modernization is his top priority for this session? What’s not modern about our tax system — specifically, sales taxes? In this edition of Utah Thrives, we’ll hear what the governor had to say on the subject as well as from Research Analyst Christopher Collard, the author of Utah Foundation’s award-winning studies on sales, property and income taxes in Utah. And we’ll hear from … Continued

Keeping a clear head on sales tax reform in 2019

Written by: Dan Bammes

When Utah Foundation released a comprehensive study on Utah’s sales tax base last June, we had only a vague sense that expanding the base would become the biggest item on the agenda for the 2019 legislative session. But, depending on the scope of the change our Legislature is contemplating, sales tax modernization could be the most momentous tax reform Utah has seen in years. As reform efforts churn in the coming days and weeks, the … Continued

Utah Thrives: Drug Rehab — In Jail and Out

Written by: Dan Bammes

Going to jail for a drug-related crime might not seem like an opportunity for the person who’s incarcerated. But while they’re locked up in Utah’s prisons and jails, inmates addicted to drugs might find treatment programs that could help them escape the addiction. A research report from Utah Foundation shows those programs vary widely from state prisons to county jails, but for those who get help, the likelihood of going back to jail is reduced … Continued

Utah Foundation’s Top Research Findings of 2018

Written by: Dan Bammes

  Utah Foundation published research reports on a broad range of public policy issues in 2018, each with significant findings that will influence political discussion and decisions for years to come. At the end of the year, we asked our Board of Trustees, a diverse group representing a broad range of business and community leaders, to rank the findings they felt were most important. Here’s what they determined, along with links to each of the … Continued

Helping criminal offenders find freedom

Written by: Peter Reichard

Somewhere in our state right now, an inmate is struggling with the slavery of substance abuse. He has fallen into a downward spiral of addiction and criminality, and has landed behind bars. Drug use and crime are often entangled. Some offenders with substance use disorders are arrested on drug possession charges; others may be arrested for crimes committed to fund an addiction. In short, many criminal offenders are people caught in the downward spiral of … Continued

Utah Thrives: Utah’s State Budget and Board Chair Elizabeth Hitch

Written by: Dan Bammes

The most important job for Utah’s state legislature as it prepares to go into its general session is to pass a balanced state budget. The governor provides legislators with a budget outline in December, and the day it was released, Utah Foundation hosted a breakfast with special guests Kristen Cox, the Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget, along with Phil Dean, the office’s Budget Director and Chief Economist. We’ll hear some … Continued

Utah Foundation names new board leadership

Written by: Dan Bammes

At its Board of Trustees meeting December 6, Utah Foundation announced the following new officers: Elizabeth Hitch, Associate Commissioner for Academic Affairs in the Utah System of Higher Education, is the new chair. Dr. Hitch previously served as vice chair and replaces outgoing chair Brent Jensen, vice president of HDR Engineering. Chad Westover, CEO of University of Utah Health Plans, is the new vice chair. Dan Eldredge, General Manager of Intermountain Power Agency, is the … Continued

Utah Thrives: 2018 Election and Utah Politics

Written by: Dan Bammes

Utah has just completed a remarkable midterm election, with high levels of voter participation. Some hotly contested candidate races and strong interest in several ballot initiatives helped to drive that high turnout. We’ll hear from Justin Lee, the elections chief in the office of Utah’s lieutenant governor. Brigham Young University’s Adam Brown, Associate Professor of Political Science, was the featured speaker at Utah Foundation’s annual luncheon in October. We’ll hear his thoughts on what makes … Continued

Building quality of life into our future

Written by: Peter Reichard

When considering Utah’s assets, it’s easy to rattle off a series of indicators that play directly into economic performance: a favorable tax environment, a strong workforce, a diversified economy, a fleet of strong higher ed institutions and one of the most well-educated populations in the nation. But one of Utah’s most important assets is less tangible. It comes up in conversation perhaps more than any other asset, but you can’t find it in federal statistics. … Continued

Utah Foundation’s Health Cost Series examines cost drivers

Written by: Sam Brucker

Note: This post was originally published on the website of the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. In 2016, Utah Foundation’s Priorities Project found that the cost of health care was Utahns’ biggest concern. In response, Utah Foundation produced a three-part Utah Health Cost Series from December 2017 to June 2018. The series provides an analysis of the overall cost of health care spending in Utah, the cost of health insurance for Utahns, … Continued