More bill vetoes are possible ahead of looming deadline
There are still 70 bills from the 2025 legislative session awaiting Gov. Spencer Cox’s signature or veto by Thursday.
Of the about 375 bills Cox has already reviewed, he has vetoed only two — one that would change how property taxes go to education, and one that would give him power to name the chief justice of the Utah Supreme Court.
Among the bills awaiting a decision are one that would bar pride flags from being flown in government buildings and another that would prohibit cities from adding fluoride to the water supply.
During a press conference on Monday, Cox hinted that there would be a few more vetoes, but didn’t offer specifics about which bills he was considering.
How possible Medicaid and SNAP cuts could affect Utah
Potential Medicaid and food aid cuts could cost Utah thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in economic output, according to a new analysis.
The U.S. House’s latest budget resolution includes more than $1 trillion combined in cuts to programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Using current estimates, an analysis from the Commonwealth Fund and the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health looked at how cuts might affect states.
It found that, in 2026 alone, Medicaid and SNAP cuts could cost Utah 7,500 jobs, $727 million of the state’s GDP, and $51 million in state and local tax revenue.
The report noted the total hit to state GDPs would be $18 billion more than the estimated federal savings achieved through such cuts.
Details of any Medicaid or SNAP cuts would still need to be sorted out in Congress, and could be lowered or dropped entirely.
