The Utah Taxpayers Association could find no fault with Walker's budget. The pro-business association's vice president, Mike Jerman, called it "the most optimistic budget that's been presented in several years."

Jerman said that while the association is always in favor of tax cuts, it might be better for lawmakers to wait a year and see if revenues continue to come in at such a robust rate.

With the growth of the prison population its biggest concern, the Department of Corrections was pleased with the budget proposed for it by the governor, DOC spokesman Jack Ford said.

The budget recommends an 11 percent increase in Corrections' overall budget, including $10.2 million for inmate growth — meaning housing, county jail contracts and corrections staff — and a 3 percent overall cost of living increase for staff. Over the past several years, Corrections has suffered through more than $20 million in budget cuts.

The department is also pleased to see a recommendation for $6.3 million to fund the Drug Offenders Reform Act, a legislative proposal that would reform the way the state deals with drug offenders. DORA would fund assessment and treatment slots for drug offenders and use incarceration a last-resort instead.

"In fact (DORA) is really crucial because we are keeping people on the street rather than returning them to prison, so that's much needed," said Ford.

There was even something in the budget for proponents of the defeated $150 million open space initiative on the November ballot that Walker opposed because of policy and legal concerns with the sales tax revenue bond.

Her budget sets aside $4 million for the LeRay McAllister Critical Land Conservation fund controlled by the Quality Growth Commission, "a very good step in the right direction," according to Dave Livermore, state director for the Utah Nature Conservancy.

Although Livermore added that he would like to see the McAllister fund reach $7 million, any additional funding is welcome after Initiative 1's defeat. The LeRay McAllister fund was started in 1999 with $3 million but has dipped to about $500,000.

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Contributing: Jennifer Toomer-Cook, Erin Stewart, Jennifer Dobner; E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com; lisa@desnews.com