1. United States
2. Utah
3. Letter

I urge you to veto SB37, which would divert local property tax revenue meant for public schools into the state's general fund. This undermines the intention of taxpayers who expect their property taxes to directly fund local schools. It could sow division between communities and school boards by removing transparency around dedicated education funding. While baseline per-student funding would still be allocated using income taxes instead of property taxes, this opens the door to reallocating local education dollars elsewhere. Centralized funding control diminishes local voices and accountability for schools. Utahns have a right to know their locally-approved property taxes sustain neighborhood schools as intended. Protecting the direct funding pathway between residents and districts upholds shared values of community self-governance and robust public education.