Legislature has nearly $600 million to spend — on what?

But there will be no talk of tax cuts this year, both Huntsman and GOP legislative leaders say. No talk, that is, of a general tax cut — no reduction in the tax rates for property, personal income or sales taxes.

Apparently, there will be plenty of talk about cutting taxes for businesses or making other "tax reforms" that will help grow the economy. While such tax cuts may help all Utahns in the long run, most of you won't be seeing any of it in your paychecks any time soon.

Huntsman, who ran on a campaign promise to take the sales tax off unprepared food, says a food tax reduction is still on the table. But legislators didn't see fit to even phase in a food tax reduction program in the 1990s, when an exploding state economy was showing huge tax surpluses year after year. So I don't see it happening now, when there are so many needs in state government.

I'm not complaining about spending more money on state programs. Public education in Utah clearly needs more cash. Most likely, so do Human Services programs.

While we may not like it, state Corrections needs more cash, too, or the alternative may be to release some dangerous and perhaps less-than-rehabilitated criminals back on the streets early.

And if you've watched the cost of college tuition the past several years, you know that financial college plans that looked adequate in 1995 are falling short in 2005.

Budget numbers can be boring. And legislative headlines may be grabbed by tuition tax credits, hate crime debates or domestic partnership law.

One legislator wants to do away with no-fault divorce in Utah — an idea that has a lot of people upset. While interesting, such issues can generate more heat than light. The nuts and bolts of state government is tax money. Without it, you can't start new programs or make the current programs run as well as you'd like.

Akin to tax revenue is tax fairness.

And any time you seriously talk about changing the tax code, the lobbyists come out of the woodwork — you can't find a better lobbyist full-employment act than the tax code.

While watching to see if the Utah Jazz win any more games this year, or worrying about spring flooding, you may want to give a little attention to the Legislature over the next 45 days.

Take a look at how your "new" Utah state government is working.

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Deseret Morning News political editor Bob Bernick Jr. may be reached by e-mail at bbjr@desnews.com