"We all came out pulling together" in the 2008 session, Huntsman added. "We really did do the work of the people."

House Minority Leader Brad King, D-Price, said that until Wednesday he felt "very good" about the session — with Democrats getting a number of last-minute funding measures they wanted.

But the final day, Republicans ran two omnibus bills on taxes and public education. And House members couldn't even amend the big tax bill because, through parliamentary procedure, they could only vote the bill up or down. The bill passed, but only after a number of House Democrats and Republicans complained about the unprecedented bundling of critical issues in two large bills.

Curtis said he is most proud personally that money was found for the Mountain View Corridor super highway on Salt Lake Valley's west side, as well as full funding for CHIP, the Children's Health Insurance Program.

Said Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem: "This was a session that saw a lot of plodding when it came to the issues, like a horse plodding along. I saw that early on and I thought it was something that was unique for that particular week, but it just continued through the entire session. We had a (high) number of bills and just kept moving through them without any real big highs or lows. That was an interesting dynamic this particular session."

While it appeared at times over the past 45 days that conservative legislators would take broad actions in a number of areas, it seemed that Buttars' problems and the accompanying public outcry and statements by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that lawmakers move slowly on immigration issues seemed to soften rhetoric and stands on some controversial measures.

Huntsman also sent down messages that lawmakers may be moving too quickly in areas like immigration, and a few such bills that had heated House debate quietly died in the Senate.

When lawmakers convened Jan. 21, Republicans hoped to give a $100 million tax cut, record increases for public education and an overall ripe year for state spending. But even though they ended up with $775 million in one-time and ongoing new monies — the third largest surplus in state history — they still adopted a small statewide sales tax hike, which disappointed a number of conservatives.

Finally, legislators, citizens and lobbyists alike were glad to be back in the restored Capitol after three sessions in cramped, temporary quarters, which likely contributed to the session's collegial nature.

"This was my first (legislature) in the Capitol," Huntsman said. "And these hallowed halls led to decorum all around."

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Contributing: Lisa Riley Roche
E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com