School Building Equalization

Sometimes in the heat of legislative battle, especially during an election year, lawmakers have a tendency to get in over their heads on vital issues. Such is the case this year with efforts to equalize the way school buildings across the state are paid for.

Equalizing school capital became an issue, of course, with last year's decision to split the Jordan School District. After making the split possible, lawmakers promised to find a way to ease the burden of building new schools in the southwest portion of Salt Lake County.

During the interim, a legislative task force came up with a proposal to spread the cost around statewide. It surfaced in the legislature as Senate Bill 48. As the session has progressed, what was a relatively straightforward four-page measure has morphed into a massive 40 page bill that seems totally out of whack.

Now it is crunch time on Capitol Hill - just a few days left.

KSL wonders how many lawmakers have actually waded through the verbiage of Fourth Substitute Senate Bill 48. Does anyone truly understand all of its ramifications? In our view, there's no need to summarily ram this piece of legislation through. We say, slow down and wait until next year.