Cutting any other state taxes "just doesn't make much sense," considering that new personal income and sales tax rates take effect Jan. 1, reflecting the $220 million tax cut given by the 2007 Legislature, said Curtis.

Other budget issues discussed by the Senate GOP included earmarking money specifically for boosting teacher salaries rather than just increasing the amount allocated to school districts as Huntsman has proposed, Valentine said, similar to what lawmakers did last session.

Republican senators also want to pay down more of the state's bonding debt than does the governor, the Senate president said. Like Huntsman, the GOP senators do not want the state to issue any new bonds in the budget year that begins July 1, 2008.

As for the governor's plan to set aside $30 million as a "down payment" on a yet-to-be released health-care reform initiative, Valentine said there were "a lot of questions raised on it and a lot of concerns about some of the elements that are in the proposal."

Although the governor set a 2010 deadline for implementing the reforms, which would likely include some type of mandated health insurance, Valentine said senators have "a lot of work to do on health care before we get close to any kind of agreement."

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