EDlection 2018: Utah Voters Reject Gasoline Tax Intended To Increase Ed Spending
EDlection 2018: Utah Voters Reject Gasoline Tax Intended to Increase Ed Spending
EDlection2018: This is among numerous races we have examined for the 2018 midterm elections that have the potential to impact education policies at the state and federal levels. Stay informed with the most up-to-date news by signing up for Newsletter.
According to the results of the state election, Utah voters rejected a proposal to increase the gasoline tax by 10 cents per gallon in order to support funding for education. A majority of 66 percent of voters voted against the measure, which was known as Question 1.
Although the vote on Question 1 was nonbinding, lawmakers had previously stated that they would implement the tax if it were approved. The purpose of this tax increase was to finance transportation projects while redirecting an equivalent amount from the general fund towards education. As it stands, Utah’s gasoline tax is just over 20 cents per gallon, ranking it 25th among all states. However, had the increase been approved, Utah’s gasoline tax would have placed it among the top 10 states in terms of taxes on gasoline, as reported by The Park Record. It was estimated that the average driver would have incurred an additional cost of $4 per month due to this tax increase.
The inclusion of Question 1 on the ballot was a result of a compromise between the state legislature and an organization called Our Schools Now, whose primary objective is to generate an extra $700 million for Utah’s schools. Some voters may have been perplexed by the fact that education typically does not receive funding from fuel taxes, as pointed out by Austin Cox, the campaign manager for Question 1, in an interview with KSL.com.
Based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics, Utah currently allocates the least amount of funding for education out of all 50 states. You can view estimates of the additional funding that each school would have received if Question 1 had passed.
For further information, you can watch the video linked below:
[Link to video]
EDlection2018: This is among numerous races we have examined for the 2018 midterm elections that have the potential to impact education policies at the state and federal levels. Stay informed with the most up-to-date news by signing up for Newsletter.
Related: A Comparison of Education Spending and Student Performance among Different States. Sign up for Newsletter to receive stories like these directly in your inbox.
