When other dignitaries address the Legislature they speak to representatives in the House, then walk over and address the senators in their own chambers.

"We wanted to accommodate (Huntsman); help the governor any way we can in addressing" the Legislature, said Hart. The governor or his designee officially chairs the Capital Preservation Board, and, therefore, is Hart's boss.

The new House chambers are basically a large room. State offices will be moved into the Legislature's temporary housing after the Capitol reopens in 2008, so the new House and Senate chambers are not two-story affairs with a gallery above the chamber floors, as is the case in the 90-year-old Capitol. Public galleries in the temporary chambers are glass-enclosed small rooms to the side of the chambers.

Accordingly, there is no way a large audience, stacked with gubernatorial supporters, can view the governor's State of the State address, applauding at the appropriate points, officials note.

"The only applause, really, would come from the legislators and a few guests that we can sit on the sides and rear of the (House) chambers," said Hart.

That may not play too well on TV. (One former governor actually passed out a written copy of his State of the State address to legislators, with the word "applause" where his aides wanted the lawmakers to clap — and a few did.)

Perhaps worse for Huntsman, standing in the new raised "Circle" area and facing the legislators and TV cameras to give his first State of the State, he may look a bit small — the 12-foot ceiling just a few feet from his head. "It's not a high space; visually not the best," said Hart of the new chambers. "Still, it can work. It's really up to him where he does it. But we did move so quickly" to remodel the new House Chambers so legislators can move easily in the chambers and senators and other guests can be accommodated for the State of the State.

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