SALT LAKE CITY — House Speaker Mike Schultz said Utah's higher education system needs changes, highlighting a series of measures he and other Republicans on Utah's Capitol Hill intend to pursue in the upcoming legislative session.
"We have got to find ways to be able to reduce the cost of higher ed, make them more efficient and move kids through the process faster," Speaker Schultz, R-Hooper, said in an interview with FOX 13 News.
Utah's public colleges and universities have been bracing for budget cuts anywhere from 10 to 25%.
"My hope is that we don't have any cuts," the Speaker said. "My hope is that it's a reallocation, and so if we can work together in partnership with these universities to take those areas and yeah, we're gonna have to cut some areas. There's administrative costs all throughout higher ed that is overdone."
Some complaints about the higher education system that Speaker Schultz has include large administrative budgets and multiple schools offering the same degree program that only has a small number of graduates. He wondered if they could be consolidated.
"We need liberal arts degrees," he told FOX 13 News. "I'm not saying we don't need liberal arts degrees. But do we need them at every program, at every institution all across the state, when there's only a handful of kids graduating from each one of those programs."
He said there is a demand for certain careers and expressed support for an expansion of technical education programs in the state.
"We need more nurses, we need more engineers, we need more computer science programs," Speaker Schultz said.
On Thursday, the Utah System of Higher Education met to discuss what to expect in the upcoming legislative session.
"A cut and reallocation, while still painful, I think is a better exercise than just a broad-based cut to higher education," said Commissioner Geoffrey Landward, adding that negotiations were still under way with legislative leaders.
University of Utah President Taylor Randall said that many of the administrative costs they've had involve public safety, academic counseling and job placement resources, pushing back on the notion of "administrative bloat." He also asked about what happens if some programs do get phased out from a university.
"Is it still the case that they’ll allow, if you’re closing programs, for example, a teach out period?" he asked.
"We’re really looking at a three year timeline for this process," Commissioner Landward told him. "So this isn't going to be something that is passed this session and everything is reallocated in the upcoming fiscal year."
Weber State University President Brad Mortensen said he has been involved in discussions with lawmakers about the value of many degree programs.
"I appreciate the consideration as we look at these data points and factors that aren’t just necessarily based on the easy linkages between programs and employment," he said. "Because we know the value of those liberal arts and humanities programs and the durable skills."
Speaker Schultz insisted what changes he'd like to make with higher education, "we’re taking a scalpel to this, not a machete."
The House Speaker said he also intends to ensure Utahns enjoy low energy prices, pursuing policies that match it. That includes expanding the state's energy portfolio to include nuclear power.
"We're not just stuck on coal, OK? Everybody thinks because we're trying to save coal, we're stuck on coal. No, no, no," he told FOX 13 News. "We are all the above. Check the box, D all the above. That's what we want. Nuclear is very important to that process and to that to making sure that we keep the lights on for Utah long term."
On the subject of tax cuts, Speaker Schultz said there will be one. What gets cut? Still to be determined. An income tax cut is being discussed, but the Speaker said the House Majority Caucus will not address eliminating the state portion of the sales tax on food.
"We can't, as much as I like the idea of taking sales tax off of food completely, until we have the flexibility inside the budget. That's just not a way forward," he said.
Governor Spencer Cox has proposed eliminating the Social Security tax entirely, something Speaker Schultz said should be discussed. Then he proposed his own idea.
"Wealthy Utahns, do they still pay the Social Security tax, or do they get cut as well?" he asked. "So I think there's a good argument to make those high income earners still pay the Social Security tax, and then let's take the rest of that and give it to the to the everyday Utahn."
Given that lawmakers faced some bruising rulings from the Utah Supreme Court on a pair of proposed constitutional amendments dealing with citizen ballot initiatives and removing the earmark on the income tax for public education (in exchange for eliminating the state portion of the sales tax on food). How the legislature intended to react to those rulings, the Speaker said "to be determined."
Asked about House Minority Leader Angela Romero's bill to have legislative staffers write amendment ballot language instead of the Speaker and Senate President, Speaker Schultz replied: "I think it's a good conversation to have. We're going to have that conversation. Let's see what happens."
One area the Speaker said he did not intend to pursue vigorously was water policy. Faced with the shrinking Great Salt Lake and issues with the Colorado River, lawmakers passed dozens of bills and funded over $1 billion in water conservation measures. Speaker Schultz reiterated his desire for a "pause" on major water bills to determine what's working and what isn't.
"Let's review everything that we've done. Let's make sure that it's working, that things are working the way they were intended to, and that we have the right policy on the books," he said.
