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The Guv just called a special session, beginning Thursday morning.

Press release text (from Lisa Roskelley):

Salt Lake City - Utah Governor Jon Huntsman issued a call of the Utah State Legislature to begin a special session beginning Thursday, September 25, 2008 to address budget shortfalls from original projections.

The Revenue Estimates Committee, consisting of representatives from the Executive and Legislative branches, met today to determine revised Fiscal Year 2009 revenue projections, decreasing it by $272.4 million, leaving a remaining surplus of more than $330 million in new money for this fiscal year. The Legislature’s Executive Appropriations Committee will meet Thursday at 8 a.m. to adopt the new numbers.

“While Utah is seeing the impact of the national economy, our sound financial policies and practices have put the State in a fortunate position of being able to deal with this downturn in our revenue with a balanced approach,” Governor Huntsman said. “We continue to demonstrate why Utah is the best managed state in the nation by this proactive approach to dealing with Utah’s budget. It’s critical to realize our State is still performing.”

Governor Huntsman, House Speaker Greg Curtis and Senate President John Valentine have agreed to hold public education harmless in the budget reconsiderations during the special session.

The Special Session call is as follows:

WHEREAS, since the adjournment of the 2008 General Session of the
Fifty-Seventh Legislature of the State of Utah, matters have arisen that require immediate legislative attention; and,

WHEREAS, Article VII, Section 6 of the Constitution of the State of Utah provides that the Governor may, by proclamation, convene the Legislature into Special Session;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., Governor of the State of Utah, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the State of Utah, do by this Proclamation call the Fifty-Seventh Legislature of the State of Utah into a First Special Session at the State Capitol Complex, in Salt Lake City, Utah, on the 25th day of September 2008, at 9:00 a.m., for the following purposes:

1. To make adjustments to the FY2009 budget to conform with the most recent revenue estimates and to make amendments to statutes necessary to implement those budget adjustments.

2. To consider amending state and local sales and use tax provisions to address the transactions eligible for exemption as aircraft parts and equipment and to require the exemption to be claimed by refund under certain circumstances.

3. To consider legislation allowing the State Board of Education to exempt a school district or charter school from testing requirements under the Utah Performance Assessment System for Students (U-PASS).

4. To consider issuance of general obligation bonds for capital facilities and transportation projects.

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