SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A budget plan from Gov. Gary Herbert released Wednesday calls for lawmakers to pay for ballooning enrollment in Utah's public schools, collecting better data on water use and a new refugee program.
Legislators will have $180 million to spend on one-time projects such as new equipment or building construction and repairs and $380 million to spend on ongoing expenses such as paying salaries for government workers.
The plan calls for Utah Department of Public Safety agents to serve as police liaisons for refugees who help with U.S. legal processes as well as monitor for signs of trouble or possible radicalization.
For higher education, Herbert proposed spending $32 million to give higher education workers at 2.75 percent pay raise and pay for increased health insurance costs.
The governor proposed spending $1.5 million to increase pay for state troopers and $250,000 for storing digital files of police body camera videos.
The governor's office has not released specifics about the security plan but said it won't involve metal detectors or any visible changes to the relatively open Capitol building in Salt Lake City.
