The Utah House Majority used the 2026 General Session to cut taxes for the sixth year in a row, lower the gas tax by 15%, expand the child tax credit, invest nearly $300 million in public education, and pass reforms to housing, water infrastructure, and judicial transparency.
Rep. Karen Peterson and Rep. Candice Pierucci, speaking on the House Rules podcast, described a session shaped by two questions: how do we keep Utah affordable, and how do we make sure families can thrive here for the long term?
Listen to the full episode of House Rules hosted by Rep. Candice Pierucci with guest Rep. Karen Peterson on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
How Did the 2026 Session Lower Costs for Utah Families?
Affordability was the dominant theme of the session, and it showed up across tax policy, childcare, housing, and everyday consumer costs.
Listen to the full episode of House Rules hosted by Rep. Candice Pierucci with guest Rep. Karen Peterson on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
For the sixth consecutive year, the Legislature cut the state income tax. SB 60, sponsored by Rep. Steve Eliason and Sen. Dan McCay, reduced the rate from 4.5% to 4.45% º an 11% reduction over the past six years. Combined with other tax actions, the Legislature cut taxes by more than $600 million over the last two years.
“I think this year we really did key in and focus on affordability,” said Rep. Karen Peterson. “We really did key and focus on the fact that Utah needs our families.”
Key affordability measures from the session include:
- Gas tax relief: HB 575, sponsored by Rep. Cal Roberts, reduced the state gas tax by 15% and increased fuel supply and storage to drive down prices long term.
- Child tax credit: HB 290, sponsored by Rep. Tracy Miller, raised the income threshold for the child tax credit so more Utah families qualify.
- Childcare: HB 190, sponsored by Rep. Jason Thompson, expanded the Child Care Business Tax Credit, making childcare more accessible and affordable for working families.
- Price transparency: HB 493, sponsored by Rep. Jake Sawyer, ensures that the price on the shelf is the price charged at the register.
- Property tax reform: HB 236, sponsored by Rep. Karen Peterson, strengthened transparency in the property tax process, and HB 124 – from Rep. Jill Koford – improved property tax exemptions for veterans.
- Retirement savings: HB 250, sponsored by Rep. Joe Elison, created an online retirement plan exchange to help more Utahns build savings for the future.
What Did the Legislature Do to Support Utah Families?
“Our family structure and strong family ties is our greatest resource in Utah,” said Rep. Candice Pierucci. “So as lawmakers, we’re trying really hard to help maintain that environment.”
Beyond tax relief, the session included direct investments in family stability. HB 329, carried by Rep. Ariel Defay, extended paid maternity leave for state employees from three to nine weeks and launched a pilot program for teachers. HB 259 protected parental access to children’s medical records. The Legislature also committed $4 million to youth mental health treatment, early intervention programs, research, and education.
The Legislature reined in gambling expansion through HB 243 and passed HJR 12, a joint resolution encouraging strong family units – reflecting the caucus’s view that policy choices about family structure have long-term consequences for the state’s social and economic health.
How Did the 2026 Session Address Housing Affordability?
Housing affordability remained a major concern, particularly in Utah’s fastest-growing communities. Peterson pointed to a specific obstacle many families face: lots may already be approved for development, but without the water lines, sewer systems, and storm drainage infrastructure to support new homes, construction cannot move forward.
HB 492, Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments, addressed that problem by creating an infrastructure fund in partnership with local governments – better aligning housing development with transportation and water systems to speed up construction. HB 436, Moderate Income Housing Infrastructure Amendments, focused on housing for working Utahns, and HB 68 made additional housing and community development amendments.
The emphasis on infrastructure reflected a core principle of the session: keeping Utah affordable does not only mean cutting taxes. It also means building the roads, utilities, and public systems needed to support long-term growth.
What Transparency Reforms Did the Legislature Pass?
“We want our constituents to feel like they can trust what’s happening with the processes in front of them,” Pierucci said.
Transparency was a priority across multiple policy areas this session. On property taxes, Peterson’s work centered on a straightforward principle: major decisions should not feel like a done deal before residents have a real chance to weigh in. HB 236, Truth in Taxation Amendments, strengthened that process to make sure that remains the case.
On judicial transparency, HB 540, sponsored by Rep. Logan Monson, directed the courts to create a single, free, searchable portal for all public court records and required judges to file annual financial disclosure forms for the first time. HB 392, sponsored by Rep. Matt MacPherson, ended forum shopping by requiring a randomly selected three-judge panel for constitutional challenges to state law.
In elections, HB 209 and HB 26 strengthened election security by requiring proof of citizenship to vote and improving equipment standards.
How Did House Republicans Help Utahns During the 2026 Session?
The clearest throughline of the 2026 session was not any single bill – it was a governing approach. Peterson described the day-to-day work of legislators as listening closely to their communities and responding to the problems people are actually facing.
“The majority of the work that happens is just people hearing from people in their communities,” Peterson said, “followed by legislators really buckling down and thinking about how they solve those problems.”
That produced a balanced budget while delivering $600 million in tax cuts over two years, increasing public education funding by nearly $300 million (a 5% increase over the base budget), and investing in water, housing, and infrastructure for long-term growth.
Peterson summed up the session’s purpose simply: “solving real problems for real Utahns.”