b"2025 State ReportPost WPMAEXPOUTAH Petroleum Marketers & Retailers Association ReportUPMRA UPDATEThe 2025 Utah General LegislativeSession saw 962 billsand resolutions num-bered and introduced, with 582 of them passing. But Governor Cox vetoed six bills, including Senate Bills 37 and 296. Senate Bill 37 would John Hillhave re-routed a portion of the locally assessed UPMRA property tax imposed for school districts to the Executive Director General Fundto be used by the Legislature for whatever purpose it determined.Representative Eliason discusses PST AmendmentsSB 37 is a third attempt at creating more General Fund revenues. The first was the failed attempt in2019 to impose sales tax on services. The second was the failed Amendment A that was stricken fromU the 2024 ballot by the Utah Supreme Court that would have un-earmarked the income tax for education. P The legislatures desire to generate more General Fund revenue remains, and likely means there will be M future legislative attempts to deal with Utahs complex funding issues.R Senate Bill 296 dealt with separation of powers issues and would have A granted the Legislature more power and control over the Judiciary. There were other more draconian bills that would have furthered this tension, but SB 296 was the bill that passed. Governor Cox would have been granted the power to appoint the Chief Justice of the Utah Supreme Court and the Chief Judge of the Utah Court of Appealsboth appointments being subject to the Legislatures advise and consent power vested in the Utah Senate. Governor Cox indicated that he doesnt want that power and that granting that power could be dangerous to the Judiciarys independence.With respect to the two bills with which some UPMRA members were con-cerned, SB 328, the 2025 alcohol bill, passed. In its original form, it inadver-tently repealed the allowance to deliver beer through drive-up windows. This was done in order to authorize the use of parking lot delivery of beer. Your UPMRA Senator Ipson lobbyists met with Sen. Stevenson who agreed that the repeal was an inadvertent at UPMRA Day on the Hill omission and worked with UPMRA through 6 substitute bills to ensure that drive-up window delivery would still be allowed.The other bill concerning to some UPMRA members was 2nd Sub. SB 91 dealing with the imposition of a 1% restaurant tax on made-to-order or customized prepared food items such as what may be ordered at convenience store grills. UPMRA teamed up with the Utah Food Industry Association and Retail Merchants Association to oppose the bill. We both testified before the House Rev & TaxCommittee, but the bill passed on a 10-1 vote. Additionally, UPMRA joined with UFA and UFMA on a floor handout in the House. But the additional 1% of tax revenue goes directly to the counties,which helped thebill pass, and the Governor signedSB 37 into law.UPMRA's Legislative Day on the Hill58 www.wpma.com / Spring 2025"