Budget, water and marijuana were on the list of topics as Tooele County leaders met with local legislators Monday morning at the state Capitol.
Going into the third week of the 2016 legislative session, the Legislature is working on passing the initial base budget for the 2017 fiscal year, according to Sen. Pete Knudson, R-Brigham City.
“The base budget essentially allows for every agency to be funded at the same level as they were in the previous year,” he said. “This way, if we have a disagreement later that prevents us from passing a final budget, the state government doesn’t have to shut down.”
Passing the final budget may be harder then initially expected, according to Knudson.
Pre-session projections of state revenue showed a $180 million increase in one-time revenue and a $380 million increase in ongoing revenue.
However, new projections are expected to show a significant decrease in additional revenue. Those new projections may be available next week, Knudson said.
Rep. Merrill Nelson, R-Grantsville, also is anticipating lower than originally predicted revenue.
“It looks like the budget will be tighter than we thought,” he said. “Revenue is slowing down. It means we will not be able to cover as many needs as hoped.”
Rep. Doug Sagers, R-Tooele, said he is following Senate Bill 80 that will divert some funds from transportation to water development.
“It doesn’t make sense,” he said. “Last year, we passed a tax increase for transportation infrastructure, and now there is a move to take a portion of transportation funds and shift them to water development.”
The two major water projects that have been mentioned, the Lake Powell pipeline and a reservoir on the Bear River, have some merit, but diverting funds from transportation may not be the best way to go, according to Sagers.
SB 80 would initially appropriate $25 million of the state transportation trust fund to a new fund for water projects and then add another one sixteenth of every cent in tax to the fund, or about $1.8 million per year, according to the fiscal note attached to the bill.
Nelson said he is concerned about the effects diverting and damming the Bear River may have on industries that rely on the Great Salt Lake.
A proposal to legalize medical marijuana surfaced late in the 2015 legislative session but did not pass. The topic is back this session with two bills on the subject.
Senate Bill 89, sponsored by Sen. Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City, would legalize the use of cannabidiol oil for medical uses.
Cannabidiol is an extractive of the cannabis or marijuana plant. The oil is one of many substances found in cannabis. Cannabidiol does not contain THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis.
Senate Bill 73, sponsored by Sen. Mark Madsen, R-Saratoga Springs, would allow for medical use of the marijuana plant by authorized individuals with approval of a medical doctor for specified medical conditions.
The bill also provides for the regulation of the production of medical marijuana.
“The principal of this bill is liberty and compassion,” Madsen said.
Among the allowed uses of marijuana in SB 73 are chronic pain, certain forms of seizures, nausea, and relief from cancer treatments.
Legalized medical marijuana could be used for chronic pain, reducing opioid abuse and opioid overdose deaths, according to Michael Holmstrom, president of the Utah Orthopedic Association.
Holmstrom testified in support of SB 73 at the Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee meeting on Feb.4.
Daniel Cottam, a Salt Lake City bariatric surgeon, testified that marijuana could be used to treat chronic nausea. However, Cottam said he believes the whole plant would provide better relief than just cannabidiol.
Knudson said the cannabidiol bill has the most likely chance of passing.
“There are a lot of questions with no substantial research,” he said. “Vickers’ bill provides a more conservative approach, allowing time to find out if it is safe.”
Nelson reminded the group that both laws are contrary to federal laws.
“I’m not inclined to support medical marijuana,” he said. “I’m a law-and-order type of person. It you don’t like the law, then change the law.”
Both bills have been approved by Senate committees and are waiting for a third and final reading and vote in the Senate.
The 2016 legislative session ends March 10.