House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, an early supporter of sending soccer to Sandy, credited Huntsman with getting the deal done. "It was dead until the governor said he was going to weigh in," Curtis said.

The speaker, who said he first heard the proposal some 21 months ago, praised lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for deciding "it was the right thing. Significant decisions like this always involve a lot of controversy."

Some lawmakers were less enthusiastic about the state getting involved in the deal. "You don't want to chase things that are on the edge," Senate Majority Whip Dan Eastman, R-Bountiful, said. "It's not something I would have gone out on a limb for."

Still, Eastman said, the state ended up with a better deal from Real. And there's little doubt there was also some dealing between the governor and lawmakers, and the House and the Senate, over support for the bill.

"There were absolutely no deals," Eastman said with a smile. "But we might have mentioned some things we'd like the House to pay a little more attention to, to study a little harder."

During the bill's debate in the House Thursday (it passed the Senate Tuesday), others voiced similar concerns.

"I've come to the conclusion myself that this is worthy of our support, but it comes with a lot of trepidation because our public has not been with us," House Minority Leader Ralph Becker, D-Salt Lake, said. He added of the e-mails he's received from constituents have been 15 to one against the funding deal.

Rep. Neil Hansen, D-Ogden, said using hotel room taxes paid by visitors sends the wrong message about the state's tourism industry.

"What are we telling those travelers? Thank you for visiting us, thank you for letting us gouge you and now we're going to build a soccer stadium with your money," he said. "If this is such a great idea, why aren't the banks involved in this? Why do they have to come to the taxpayers to help this out?"

Others still think the stadium will bring unprecedented benefits to the state — and Sandy.

"When we build a $110 million dollar stadium on that facility, the school district will receive 54 percent of the levy property tax," said Rep. Todd Kiser, R-Sandy, who said figures from Sandy City Council indicate that the stadium will garner $20 million in taxes for the local school district over the next 25 years just with the first phase of stadium construction.

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