On the final day of the Utah legislative session, Governor Spencer Cox vetoed four bills. The bills included administrative issues and Cox listed concerns for raising Utah taxes.
Here’s what Gov. Cox vetoed:
S.B. 197, Property Tax Amendments
The bill proposed phasing out the Circuit Breaker program which provides tax relief for low income seniors and refunds for low income renters. The bill aimed to allow people unable to pay taxes on their property to defer payment until they sold their homes.
Cox vetoed the bill listing concerns over administrative challenges for implementing the legislation.
“While S.B. 197 contains well-intentioned goals of reforming and streamlining property tax relief programs, it risks cutting off the most vulnerable of Utah’s expanding senior population from a critical tax relief lifeline, while also adding administrative burdens on counties,” said Cox.
S.B. 106, Utah-Ireland Trade Commission
The bill appropriated $10,000 for the creation of a trade organization between Utah and Ireland. In his veto letter, Cox said Utah has trade relationships with multiple countries so a specialized bill would unnecessarily alienate other trading partners.
“We don’t need to create a new commission when I can do everything that this bill calls for without a new statute or a new trade commission,” shared Cox.
H.B. 306, Precious Metals Amendments
Under the legislation, Utah would have become the first state to allow payments in gold or silver to vendors. The bill allowed the Utah treasurer to keep up to 10% of Utah’s savings in precious metals.
Despite treasurer Marlo Oaks supporting the bill for its economic privacy, Cox vetoed the bill, calling it “operationally impracticable.”
H.B. 315, Elected Official Vacancy Modifications
The bill would have broken a tie among three or more candidates in an election through a game of chance. The game picked by the legislative body would give each candidate an equal chance of winning.
Cox cited anti-gambling legislation in Utah, and said he vetoed the bill over possible legal issues in the future.
In the 2025 legislative session, Gov. Cox vetoed a total of six bills. The other two bills would have allowed the Governor to appoint the chief justice and redirected property tax revenue.
Author: Hannah Clove
Photo courtesy of Rick Bowmer
Editor: Anna Mower
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