SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Legislators in Utah have voted to repeal the recently passed tax reform package amid widespread criticism.
The state Legislature’s Tuesday vote comes after a report from state elections officials that enough voter signatures were verified to put the citizens referendum seeking to repeal the tax reform on the November ballot, Deseret News reports.
The House voted 70-1 and the Senate voted 27-0 on the repeal bill sponsored by Republican House Majority Leader Francis Gibson.
The tax reform package included reducing income taxes while raising sales taxes on food, gas and some services, but Gibson acknowledged that many residents don’t agree.
More than 117,000 verified referendum signatures were published Tuesday, surpassing the required amount by about 1,000, officials said.
More than 152,000 signatures were turned in statewide by the Jan. 21 deadline, said former Republican lawmaker Fred Cox, who organized the referendum.
The law is not clear about what happens when a law is repealed at this point in the referendum process, State Elections Director Justin Lee said. The lieutenant governor’s office, which oversees elections, is asking lawmakers for guidance on the next step, he said.
The tax reform was subject to a referendum because it failed to receive a two-thirds majority in the House and Senate, officials said.
