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The Living Planet Aquarium would receive 28.25 percent of state funding allocated to zoological organizations under a bill that looks like it has smooth sailing ahead in the Legislature.
Sen. Brian Shiozawa, R-Cottonwood Heights, is sponsoring SB137, which won unanimous approval Friday in committee and is headed to the full Senate, where it is expected to receive an up or down vote with little debate.
The bill amends the ZAP tax statute, basically moving aquariums into a new category, along with adjusting the share of money allocated to the category.
Shiozawa said arts organizations — "for example, the symphony, the ballet and others that we treasure, won't be harmed by this and their funding is preserved."
In earlier discussions before the Salt Lake County Council, the change was described as likely trimming by 3 percent the allocation to the category for major arts organizations, but reduced the number of groups divvying up that share of the pot.
opt trim begins
Erin Litvack, the director for the county's Community Services Department, said the county supports the legislation after a task force that helped "build consensus around some changes to the statute that we felt would move us forward."
Representatives of the Utah Symphony Opera, Hogle Zoo and Tracy Aviary all expressed support for the bill.
"We are interested in seeing this pass because we believe it will contribute to the continued value that this tax brings to our community and that it will better align the distributions in an equitable and fair manner for all the groups," said Leslie Peterson, task force member and vice president of development for Utah Symphony Opera. "We've reached this consensus together after much discussion and deliberation."
Sen. Diedre Henderson, R-Spanish Fork, was impressed with the consensus around the bill.
"I imagine it could have devolved into a turf war, and I'm really impressed that it didn't," she said.