• Redevelopment Agencies ("RDA's") were an issue when I served in the Legislature and still vex lawmakers. A variety of individuals and organizations are pushing to curtail RDA authority and most likely to pass is a prohibition, sponsored by Sen. Curtis Bramble, to prevent their use with sports stadiums (i.e. soccer). The bigger question is whether a ban on RDA retail development, also included in this legislation, will remain. Insiders involved in this matter claim that such a measure could interfere with Zions Securities' (the property holding company for the LDS Church) plans for Crossroads Plaza and the ZCMI Center. This drive to reform RDAs has established "strange bedfellows" political partnerships, including an alliance between normal antagonists the Utah Taxpayers Association and the Utah Education Association.

Webb: I've always argued that the best thing about the Legislature is that when it's over, spring is here.

That was particularly true back in the olden days of 60-day biennial sessions when I was a young reporter. Covering the

Legislature would seem like walking into a dark tunnel amid the cold and snow of winter, and when we emerged 60 days later the sky would be blue, children would be playing and birds would be singing.

This legislature will be remembered as the year new legislative leaders and the new governor, thrown together in intense and high-stakes circumstances, became very well acquainted; the year of abundant money (with highways the big winner); and the year Intermountain Health Care got broadsided by pent-up frustration that no one saw coming, and found itself in the legislative emergency room.

• For a bunch of rookies, the folks in the governor's office actually have done pretty well this session. It is an incredibly steep learning curve for a brand new governor, and staff, to be suddenly tossed into the rowdiness of a legislative session with so many agendas and egos.

Two things have made things go relatively smoothly between the two branches of government. First, Gov. Huntsman himself has been deeply involved in the negotiations, and his personality and sincerity have helped a lot. He connects well on a personal level. Second, lots of extra money has smoothed the way to compromise and agreement. Without the extra money, it would have been

brutal. The governor's staff has made a few mistakes but nothing fatal. Senate President John Valentine and House Speaker Greg Curtis have been accommodating.

• I'm a big supporter of better mobility and preventing highway congestion as Utah grows rapidly. Highways are the big winner not just because legislators love highways. Highways are a convenient place to spend money so that it doesn't get built into agency operational budgets. After several years of tough budgets, lawmakers are understandably leery of spending every dime of new money on ongoing programs. That's smart budgeting, although where to draw the line is always the big question.