A state House member wants to raise Utah driver’s license fees.
Rep. Eric Hutchings, R-Kearns, who is leading the fight to reform the criminal justice and corrections systems in the state, has introduced HB388.
The Justice Reinvestment Initiative, JRI, over the long haul should save the state and taxpayers money, as fewer non-violent offenders, many with drug and alcohol addictions, will be locked up and the criminal recidivism rate drop.
But there are costs in the near term.
The bill would raise the basic Class D license – which most Utahns carry – from $25 to $35 for both getting a new license and to renew a current license.
If you lose your license, a replacement license will go from $18 to $25.
For the Class D licenses, it would be a 40 percent increase.
Hutchings was out of the Legislature Friday, attending a family funeral. So he could not be reached for comment.
