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SALT LAKE CITY — On their second day of the 2020 session, Utah lawmakers are expected to push through HB185 — legislation to repeal the tax reform package they approved in December.
Rep. Francis Gibson, R-Mapleton, sponsored the repeal legislation In the wake of a voter referendum drive to undo the tax changes because of anger that they included a rise in the sales tax on food.
Last week, Gov. Gary Herbert and legislative leaders announced the plan to repeal the bill. As of Tuesday afternoon, the Elections Office verified 111,188 signatures on the referendum petition. To get on the ballot, the referendum needs nearly 116,000 voter signatures, and organizers reported turning in for verification about 152,000.
If HB185 is approved by two-thirds of the lawmakers, the bill would take effect upon Gov. Gary Herbert’s signature and taxes would remain at last year’s rates.
Lawmakers gather for floor time to debate the bills at 11 a.m.
In other business at the Capitol, the co-chairwomen of the Martha Hughes Cannon Statue Oversight Committee, Sen. Deidre Henderson, R-Spanish Fork, and Rep. Karen Kwan, D-Murray, will give legislators and citizens the first glimpse of a bronze statue depicting former state Sen. Martha Hughes Cannon at 11:15 a.m. The bronze statue is a 25-inch replica of a 7-foot-6-inch statue of Cannon.
The larger statue will be one of two representing the state of Utah in National Statuary Hall in Washington during a celebration commemorating the 19th Amendment’s 100th anniversary this summer.
