Overall, a good Utah Legislature session

The 2010 Utah Legislature was bookended by shocking reminders that state lawmakers are not above scandal. It started just after Senate Majority Leader Sheldon Killpack was arrested in a DUI case, which forced him to resign his seat. It ended Thursday night with House Majority Leader Kevin Garn making a dramatic announcement of an indiscretion 25 years ago with a then-15-year-old girl and of a $150,000 payment to her in 2002 when Garn was running for Congress.

It was perhaps ironic, then, that so much of what happened between those bookends revolved around efforts to pass new ethics rules that, among other things, will provide a way to report unacceptable behavior to a commission.

Also ironic was that, despite these two stories, and despite some of the most difficult financial times in recent history, the 2010 session was, on balance, a success. Even much of the political disharmony of recent years was gone as lawmakers worked out a reasonable solution to budget shortfalls without harming the economy. That doesn't mean they avoided cuts that will hurt. Higher education will have to absorb a 13 percent cut. State road projects also took a hit. Even public education, as close to a sacred cow as exists in Utah, took a slight cut.

But compared to so many other states where budget woes are leading to massive school closures and the shutting of state parks, among other things, the Legislature has put Utah in a position to rebound strongly once the economy begins to improve. In the long run, that will pay huge dividends for all Utahns, including education and other state agencies.

We also applaud Gov. Gary Herbert who, in the end, compromised on his opposition to an increase in the cigarette tax, approving one that amounts to $1 more per pack. That will raise a nominal amount of money. More importantly, it will keep some of the state's young people from ever smoking, and it will bring the state more in line with tobacco taxes elsewhere in the country.

The session wasn't all to our liking. The funding shortfall in the Jordan District led to a decision to allow districts to divert some building funds for classroom needs. This only postpones dealing with Jordan's financial problems in a significant way, perhaps making the choices even harder later on. We wish lawmakers had passed a bill outlawing the use of cell phones in cars by teen drivers. Objections to this bill were ridiculous, especially when weighed against the enormous tragedies that can occur when inexperienced drivers are distracted.