With a robust economy and more money to work with, advocacy group says invest in Utah’s children

utahchildren.org

SALT LAKE CITY — As their name implies, Voices for Utah Children’s mission is to be a spokesperson for public policy issues that affect children and families in Utah.

And they have been highlighting on social media and on their website (utahchildren.org) what the current needs are in Utah.

On a recent KVNU For the People program, Matthew Weinstein said it’s great that there is more money to work with in Utah with the upcoming legislative session starting next month.

“It’s a terrific situation to be in, it’s always better to have more revenues than you expected than less, right?  And certainly every state, and Utah as well, we’ve been in both situations. So it’s a good to be in the current situation. It’s a real credit to Utahns and to Utah families. We are a hard-working state, “ he said.

Weinstein serves as State Priorities Partnership director for Voices for Utah Children. He talked about what he’s hearing as he talks to lawmakers.

“I think that they’re, in a way…it’s an enviable position, where they have probably $2-$3 billion of revenue to be able to spend that they weren’t expecting. Some of it’s a surplus left over from last year, some of it the federal funds that have come in in response to the pandemic. But that also puts them in a position where, inevitably, they’re going to say yes to some things, and no to others.”

He said the point that Voices for Utah Children is trying to make is that Utah is not swimming in money so much as drowning in unmet needs, in education, homelessness, affordable housing, after school programs, health insurance for children and much more.

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