Lawmakers bite bullet on Salt Palace funding

Curtis told his 56-member GOP House caucus that he was "well aware" that none of them represents Salt Lake City (only Democratic lawmakers hold those seats), but he said, "Many of our constituents own property in the city or do business in the city" and so want the city and county to succeed.

"I asked my caucus to take personality out of it and vote on the policy" of helping the convention center, said Curtis.

Rep. Pat Jones, D-Cottonwood Heights, said she was "offended" by the Anderson/Salt Lake City-bashing. She reminded southern Utah lawmakers that $25 million was given to Washington County local governments to help flooding just two months ago — and now another part of the state needs some help, too.

Finally, top state executives, including Huntsman, got pay raises. In the waning hours of the 2005 session, House and Senate members disagreed on the executive pay package.

Huntsman has said several times he didn't want a pay hike. His chief of staff, Jason Chaffetz, even sent a memo to legislative budgeters Wednesday morning quoting Huntsman as saying he "respectfully insists" that he get no raise.

But sponsor of the pay raise bill, House Majority Leader Jeff Alexander, R-Provo, said he never saw the memo.

Huntsman was left in the bill, which gives him and other executives a 2.5 percent cash raise with another 2 percent increase in benefits — the same as regular state workers got out of the general session.

Huntsman's pay goes from $101,600 to $104,100 a year. The governor said he'll give his raise to charity if he can't somehow keep it out of his paycheck.

To read the bills and see final action on the 15 or so items considered by the special session go to www.le.state.ut.us.

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Contributing: Josh Loftin

E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com; lisa@desnews.com