2006 Legislature: Finished — for now

Veto threats, huge tax surpluses, angry intra-party tussles between the House and Senate, a governor growing into his office, record tax cuts — all these issues and more played out in the 2006 Legislature, which ended at midnight.

As in every 45-day general session, not all questions were answered.

And there remains the possibility of a special legislative session later this year to take up some unresolved issues like a 4.975 percent "income tax reform bill" that the House refused to vote on with just a half hour to go in the session.

"This was a very stressful session," said House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, late Wednesday. "But in the end, we did a lot for public education, made real strides in transportation funding.

"There was a convergence — a lot of new money, new legislative leadership and a new governor" feeling their oats after getting their feet wet last year, now pushing "a number of important policy initiatives, like tax reform. It all came together this year," Curtis said.

Legislators reduced the state sales tax on unprepared food by 2 percentage points, which will save food-buyers $70 million. The reduction at the cash register starts next Jan. 1.

Businesses got around $20 million in tax cuts via half-a-dozen bills.

The House, in an emotional debate late Wednesday, refused to go along with senators to cut $70 million from state personal income taxes via the much-discussed "flatter, fairer" tax reform pushed by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.

Huntsman will almost assuredly call a special session to deal with income tax reform and other issues left hanging.

Even if some of the biggest decisions waited until late Wednesday — fraying more than a few nerves — overall the 75 House and 29 Senate members did the peoples' work in responsible ways, leaders said.

Still, by not passing an income tax cut bill, $70 million was left on the table.

Most legislators will take a few weeks off, catch their collective breath and then file for re-election, where campaigns no doubt will replay some of the more emotional decisions of this 45-day Legislature.

If their voters send them back in November, they'll gather on Capitol Hill a year from now, where many of the same debates will start anew.

One freshman legislator assessed the 2006 session this way:

"Let's get as many people as possible with special interests, put them in a small room and let them hash it out. That's what it is up here. I suppose we hope that there are so many (special interests) off-setting that it all works out OK."