In the 2005-06 school year, 182 students took advantage of Utah's tuition waiver for a total savings of $887,790 over what they would have paid in out-of-state tuition.

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. was pleased with the vote, though he'd continue to watch the issue, said spokeswoman Lisa Roskelley.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has not taken a position on HB224, church spokesman Scott Trotter said. His comment came in response to a statement issued Monday by the Alliance for Unity opposing the bill. The statement was signed by alliance member Elder M. Russell Ballard of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

The alliance is a group of high-profile civic, religious and education leaders who occasionally weigh in on divisive and controversial issues.

The day after the alliance issued the statement, the House took up the bill, with an hourlong debate largely pitting those calling for compassion for the undocumented students against those who said the tuition law is unfair to those who navigate the legal immigration process. Others said the students would have to commit identity theft to get a job after graduating.

On Wednesday, Barrus and three other lawmakers who had initially voted against the bill supported a second debate on the amended HB224. However, five lawmakers who had initially supported the bill voted against the move to bring it back, including both Democrats who had initally supported it: Morgan and Rep. Carl Duckworth, D-Magna.

Morgan cited a lack of time in her opposition to bringing the bill back, adding that the amendment "diluted" the measure. However, Morgan said she would have voted for it again in a second vote.

"We have so many bills up here," she said. "When a bill fails we don't have time to bring every bill back."

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E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com