As for the immigration issue, which has dominated debate on both the House and Senate floors, major proposals are still undecided.

A sweeping immigration bill that would create barriers against undocumented immigrants getting jobs or public benefits could be heard on Monday. SB81 was amended in the Senate to make it effective in July 2009, rather than this July. The change was made to allow time for a proposed immigration task force to do its job.

However, Sen. Bill Hickman, R-St. George, the bill's sponsor, said during Senate debate he was worried the bill could be gutted before it has a chance to work. The House could still try to amend it to make the bill effective this year.

Meanwhile, a slate of House immigration issues are still undecided. So far, only one has been sent to the governor. It requires the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel to study potential federal reimbursement for costs associated with illegal immigration.

Another hot topic is transportation, which has yet to receive substantial new monies this session. Lawmakers are debating a .05 percent sales tax hike to fund "choke point" road projects, but some have expressed concern with the deal given the state's record surplus.

Senate budget chairman Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan, said transportation is the one hole in the budget lawmakers are still debating. But for the most part, work is wrapping up, he said.

"I feel personally that we're ahead of schedule," he said, adding that the biggest challenge this year has been "high expectations," especially when the session started.

"Any group would have liked to have gotten more," Hillyard said.

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Contributing: Lisa Riley Roche, Jennifer Toomer-Cook and Deborah Bulkeley
E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com