It looks like tax cuts are back on the menu!

Utah's income tax collections rebounded dramatically in December after lagging behind projections for the first five months of the fiscal year.

In December, individual income tax collections were down 3.3% from the previous year, which was more than 6% behind projections.

New numbers show that individual income tax collections are now 5.1% higher than last year over the first six months of the current fiscal year.

Corporate taxes are still more than 13% behind where lawmakers thought they would be.

Combined income and corporate tax collections are on track to meet the expected year-over-year growth rate of 3%.

That's good news for lawmakers who are targeting another income tax cut this year. In November, they set aside $165 million to pay for yet another round of tax reductions.

Under Utah's Constitution, income and corporate taxes can only fund public and higher education and certain social services. Any reduction in the tax rate is paid for out of future revenues that could go toward those parts of the budget.

Legislative leaders will discuss the new revenue numbers during the Executive Appropriations Committee meeting on Tuesday afternoon.

What happened today?

The Utah House passed HB267, the union busting bill that takes away the collective bargaining rights of public employees.

  • Read: Bill on public labor unions passes Utah House. [Deseret News]

The Senate unanimously passed SB62, which creates a commission for studying the feasability of building a spaceport in Utah.

The House Public Utilities and Energy Committee passed HB249, which creates several nuclear energy related programs.

The House Political Subdivisions Committee held HB118, which proposed changes to how much local governments contribute to some services for the homeless.

What's on Tuesday's agenda?

The Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy and Technology Committee takes up SB142. Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, wants to require parental consent before minors can download apps from an app store.

SB138 is on the Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee agenda. The bill allows law enforcement to use certain information obtained from a license plate reader.

New bills that caught my attention

  • SB178 aims to ban cell phones in public schools.
  • SB173 provides free meals to Utah public school students.
  • HB335 expands the definition of political advertisements to include social media and requires more disclosure about who is paying for them.
  • HB336 creates a pilot program for renting mobility scooters in at least two state parks.
  • HB339 exempts police officers involved in narcotics investigations from some body camera requirements.