We are not convinced.
During a special session of the Utah Legislature Wednesday, the bill championed by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. was defeated without debate by Republicans in the Senate. Their primary argument was that it would be irresponsible to approve a spending request outside the process of budget analysis all legislation undergoes during a regular session.
But this is a relatively small amount of money that already exists in the budget and could treat emergency dental needs of Utah's poor. Department of Health Director David Sundwall says there are $2 million in unallocated funds that could be used to restore the benefits. All that's needed is authorization from the Legislature. If it is not earmarked for a specific purpose, it will be held, unspent, until next year's budget process and $4.8 million in matching federal funds will be lost.
Republican legislators' refusal seems a petulant reaction to the governor's determined effort to override their compassionless general-session decision to let the benefits lapse.
Even more troubling is that during the general session earlier this year, Republican legislators were hell-bent on passing cuts in the sales tax on some food items and the income taxes of the wealthy at the same time they whittled away at Medicaid benefits for the poor.
A plan to cut income tax revenue by $70 million that would mostly benefit Utah's wealthiest residents was shelved only after an error was discovered that raised the cost of the plan to more than $200 million. But the Legislature approved eliminating about 40 percent of the state's portion of the sales tax on unprepared food. It's unclear just how much this will deplete state coffers.
Doggedly cutting taxes when so many worthy programs go unfunded and others, like education, are seriously underfunded, is more irresponsible than acting in special session so the elderly poor may have their infected teeth pulled.
Legislators had a chance this week to reverse a budget mistake and show compassion for the poor. It's a shame they let it pass them by.
