Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper, head of the House's GOP Conservative Caucus, said $90 million in tax cuts "is not enough" considering all of the new money flowing into state coffers next year. "We would like more," he said, speaking for the 25 or so members of his group. "But it will be a tough fight" to get more tax relief considering that Huntsman didn't put any tax cuts in his budget.

Clark said that while Utah's economy is still strong, the economies of surrounding Western states are weakening, giving state budgeters pause.

By taking so much of the estimated $578 million in new tax revenue growth for next year "off the table, either through tax cuts or by just not spending it off the top, we are taking our foot off of the gas pedal" of state government spending. "We haven't started to break yet" — but coasting is a smart move as the state enters the 2008-2009 budget, which takes effect July 1.

Clark said over the past three years lawmakers have given tax cuts nearing $400 million.

Huntsman, all 75 House members and half of the 29-member Senate are up for re-election next year. But Clark said House Republicans weren't looking at voters in suggesting a $90 million tax cut now when Huntsman doesn't want any general tax reductions and GOP senators hadn't set a tax-cutting number (although they did say they wanted some kind of property tax cuts this year).

"It doesn't take an election year to remind us whose money we are spending up here — ant it isn't ours," said Clark, clearly tired after more than eight hours of conducting the House GOP caucus, which also discussed health-care reform, road building, education spending and a dozen other monied topics.

Huntsman and GOP lawmakers who pushed through a controversial private school voucher program in the 2007 Legislature said after voters soundly defeated the tax-sharing plan last month that they "got the message" and wouldn't be pushing vouchers in the 2008 session nor punishing public education teachers, who united with PTA rank-and-file and Democrats to oppose the new voucher system.

And giving teachers another $2,500 guaranteed raise (individual school districts could pump up teacher pay even more) is certainly one way for the majority Republicans to keep their post-voucher promises.

"The governor wants a 7 percent increase" in the weighted pupil unit — the state's basic school funding formula, said Roskelley. She said House Republicans' $2,500 raise for each teacher is one way to do part of that hike.

"We put higher teacher pay as our top (budget) priority. We're grateful" House and Senate Republicans feel likewise, she said.

While saying Senate Republicans may well go along with some of their House colleagues' spending and tax-cutting ideas, Valentine said his caucus members want to do more for homeowners, many of whom were hit with large property tax hikes in 2007.

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E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com