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Richard Piatt Reporting A lot of people are wondering how Utah's booming economy will affect them.
They should know more of the big picture today. That's when the governor will lay out his budget proposal for the state.
If the news is good, what does that mean for education? Education funding has been a touchy subject for years on Capitol Hill. Now, with Utah's economy doing so well, teachers are hoping to get a bigger piece of the pie.
Only key legislators, a select few, are getting a preview of the Governor's budget proposal. None will comment in advance of the Tuesday morning release, except to say that "things look good."
Miles away, at Utah Education Association headquarters, President Kim Campbell is hoping "good news" translates into big bucks for public education.
Kim Campbell/ Utah Education Association "If that's true, we have an opportunity that we haven't had in a decade to make an investment, to get ahead, to really deal with some of the issues."
For years, there has been a money battle between the UEA and legislators. In spite of last year's record 269-million dollar overall increase for public ed, Utah teachers say class sizes are too big; equipment and books are out of date; salaries aren't competitive.
In spite of the UEA's claims that the state budget is full of excuses, Legislators insist they're committed to education.
Sen. Curtis Bramble/ (R) Orem: "A year ago we increased education funding by record amounts, almost 12 percent total. And this year looks optimistic."
The Governor's staff won't comment on the specifics of the upcoming budget. But when it comes to education, Governor Huntsman's spokesman seems optimistic.
Mike Mower/ Governor Huntsman Spokesman: "It will be very clear when the governor releases his budget proposal tomorrow that education is the heart and soul of this budget proposal."
Even amid the optimism from state officials, the UEA is preparing for a battle during the next legislative session. That includes plenty of signs, and television commercials they filmed today.
