A fight over how to spend the estimated $63 million state surplus this year started Tuesday in the House Republican caucus with a new - but short-lived - suggestion. Give the money back to taxpayers.
About halfway through the debate over where to spend the money, Rep. Mike Waddoups, R-Salt Lake, said: "There's another point of view to spending it. Tax reduction. Give it back. Don't spend it at all."A short silence followed.
Then the debate continued on how to spend the money - with Rep. Phil Uipi, R-Salt Lake, interrupting later to say it was foolish to spend the money now, especially considering the state is facing a $240 million liability in a lawsuit filed by federal retirees living in Utah who think they shouldn't have paid state income tax for years.
After Uipi's comments the debate continued over how to spend the money.
At one point, after a number of legislators rose to say their budget committees needed more than the $63 million, one GOP lawmaker asked if leaders had discussed tapping into the rainy-day fund, now about $56 million. At least leaders opposed that, saying the fund was to make up shortfalls in lean years, not spend when there is a multimillion surplus.
No real decisions were made. How to spend the $63 million will wait for another day.