SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's 2016 legislative session kicked off this week and lawmakers are already beginning the process of approving bills.

The Senate Education Committee unanimously approved $36 million in funding for charter schools, a watchdog group is already slamming a water project bill that will be proposed Wednesday and Utah Democrats have filed a motion to intervene in the ongoing court battle between Republicans and the state.

The plan: $36 million for charter schools, among other things

State lawmakers hope to give Utah students a better chance for quality learning and academic achievement through a more equitable distribution of funding next year.

That is the goal for members of the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee, which began the process of setting the budget for Utah's public school system Tuesday.

Equity was also a focus in the Senate Education Committee, which voted unanimously to support a bill that would increase funding for charter schools by $36 million in order to more closely resemble the funding distribution model used for district schools.

Separate from the bill, Utah charter schools will be transitioning to a new model for calculating funding tied to student enrollment. Student funding for charters has historically been based on an Oct. 1 headcount, which sets funding levels for the rest of the school year. District schools, however, use an average daily membership model, allowing funding amounts to be adjusted periodically.

Charters will adopt the same model used by district schools in the coming school year.

Workforce development, education funding top business community's legislative priorities

Making sure the state has an adequately educated workforce, low taxes, effective regulation and a well-maintained infrastructure rank among the most important issues lawmakers will face in the 2016 Legislature, according to Utah business leaders.

The Salt Lake Chamber on Tuesday released its annual public policy guide to Gov. Gary Herbert, top lawmakers and civic leaders during a morning briefing at the chamber's downtown offices.

The "ingredients" for economic success also include competitive energy prices implemented through well-managed, limited government, according to the state's largest business association.

To maintain the state's robust, expanding economy, legislators must continue to govern methodically and with a vision toward strengthening Utah's long-term economic future, explained Lane Beattie, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber.

Death benefits proposed for Utah National Guard members

A Utah lawmaker is sponsoring a bill that would provide death benefits to families of National Guard members who die while on state active duty.

Under HB98, $100,000 would be paid to the family of a deceased National Guard member within 72 hours of death. The bill received a favorable recommendation from the House Government Operations Committee on Tuesday.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clearfield, also spearheaded legislation in 2015 that increased death benefits to the families of fallen law enforcement officers.

Currently, no death benefits are available for National Guard members, Ray said. Under state law, families of the fallen guardsman have to petition the Legislature to obtain financial assistance, he said.

Ray made it clear, however, that no Utah National Guard member has died while serving on state active duty — when guardsman are activated by the governor.

Group slams measure to pay for water projects

A watchdog group is slamming a Utah senator's proposal to shift sales tax revenue for transportation needs to instead finance water infrastructure projects, asserting the measure is a "Trojan horse" designed to pay for the Lake Powell pipeline.

Zach Frankel, executive director of the Utah Rivers Council, said SB80, sponsored by Senate Majority Whip Stuart Adams, R-Layton, shifts $35.8 million in sales tax revenue from the transportation fund to instead pay for projects that in some cases have already been funded, are duplicative, or can be paid for out existing funds already earmarked by water districts or cities.

The bill will be heard at 2 p.m. Wednesday by the Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee.

Frankel said the bill's permanent shift of dedicated sales tax revenue to water projects is built on a "wish list" of $35 billion in statewide water projects identified by Utah's largest water districts: Central Utah, Washington, Jordan Valley and Weber Basin.

Utah Democrats want to weigh in on court battle over state election law

Utah Democrats have stayed out of the fray between Republicans and the state over how political parties choose candidates for elected office.

But Tuesday, Utah Democratic Party Chairman Peter Corroon said "enough is enough" as his party filed a motion to intervene in the ongoing court battle.

Corroon said Democrats want to make sure the Utah Republican Party is not allowed to rewrite the state's election laws, circumventing the will of the Legislature and a recent court decision. They also want to see the law enforced fairly and properly, he said.

"The Utah Republican Party may be the state's majority party, but that doesn't mean election laws don't apply to them," Corroon said.

The Utah GOP sued the state for a second time earlier this month over SB54, the law the Republican-controlled Legislature passed to let parties keep the convention system for choosing nominees but also allow candidates to gather signatures to get on the primary ballot.

Contributing: Morgan Jacobsen, Jasen Lee, Emily Larson, Amy Joi O'Donoghue and Dennis Romboy

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