HB85 would provide $15,000 in home loans for educators who earned their teaching licenses within the past five years. If a teacher taught in Utah's public schools for five consecutive years following receipt of the loan, $5,000 would be forgiven. If they taught for 10 years, the entire $15,000 would be forgiven.

The bill, intended to help ease the teacher shortage, passed the House last week, but the Senate Education Committee decided to hold on to it after Sens. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem; Howard Stephenson, R-Draper; and Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan, said they would vote against it for various reasons.

Stephenson said he would rather see pay increases for all teachers. "I just don't think a $15,000 loan is a significant thing and I don't know that the state school board should be in the banking business," he said.

The bill's sponsor Rep. Lynn Hemingway, D-Millcreek, said he's "concerned" about the committee's reaction to his bill and hopes he can get it back on the agenda.

- Lisa Schencker

HB85

Would provide $15,000 in home loans for educators who earned their teaching licenses within the past five years.