I'm still hopeful the Legislature will take action so mass transit can move ahead along with highway construction. Lawmakers don't need to appropriate any money or raise anyone's taxes. Just provide the tools so that citizens can vote and decide if they want light-rail spurs in their communities, bus rapid transit and commuter rail up and down the Wasatch Front. That's not too much to ask.

• The whole IHC issue needs careful study and time to consider all the ramifications. That seems to be where it's headed.

I certainly don't like everything the Legislature has done (or not done) so far this session. And most businesses, lobbyists, associations and other interest groups aren't getting everything they want, either.

In fact, I don't know anyone who is getting every last thing they want out of the Legislature, including the governor and even including legislators themselves. Pretty much every major decision and budget item has been a compromise of some sort.

That's the way our system works, and it's a good system. When the final gavel sounds Wednesday night, it will have been a very good session.

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Republican LaVarr Webb was policy deputy to Gov. Mike Leavitt and Deseret News managing editor. He now is a political consultant and lobbyist. E-mail: lwebb@exoro.com. Democrat Frank Pignanelli is Salt Lake attorney, lobbyist and political adviser. A former candidate for Salt Lake mayor (He ran against Rocky Anderson), Pignanelli served 10 years in the Utah House of Representatives, six years as House minority leader. Pignanelli's spouse, D'Arcy Dixon Pignanelli, is executive director of the state Department of Administrative Services in Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s administration. E-mail: frankp@xmission.com.