"The premium increases we're seeing are just not sustainable," said Lane Beattie, president and CEO of the state's most prominent business membership organization, which on Thursday set its annual legislative priorities.

On the issue of health care, the chamber has aligned with Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., who is considering a plan that would require all Utahns to be insured.

Huntsman's plan centers on, among other things, promoting healthy lifestyles, increasing enrollment in existing plans for low- to moderate-income income residents and creating new, more affordable alternatives.

The chamber also would like to see more funding funneled to transportation projects, such as expansion of light and commuter rail, construction of Mountain View Corridor, a freeway planned for the west side of the Salt Lake Valley, and work on Interstate 15 in Utah County.

To that end, the chamber would like to see additional state budget surpluses dedicated to highway funding. In addition, it wants 100 percent of the sales tax on automobile and related sales to go to highway funding and would like to see the motor fuel tax increased by 2 cents a gallon every other year over a 15-year period.

Royce Van Tassell, vice president of the Utah Taxpayers Association, said he hasn't yet had a chance to review the chamber's tax proposals, but agrees that transportation - and how to fund numerous projects - is one of Utah's most pressing concerns.

"Everyone knows transportation is one of the biggest hurdles the state faces to grow the economy in the coming years," Van Tassell said.

In the education arena, the chamber supports a measure that would increase the number of guidance counselors in Utah schools and raise salaries for teachers. In addition, the chamber would support higher salaries for teachers, such as those in math and science, where shortages exist. The chamber also would support a plan to offer scholarships for students who take rigorous courses and maintain high grade-point averages.

Lisa Vehrenkamp, vice president of American Express in Salt Lake City, said such initiatives are good ways the state can help ease the shortage of skilled workers.

Beattie said the chamber's priorities are designed to keep Utah on a path of prosperity for years to come.

"We finished 2007 with arguably the strongest economy in the United States," said Beattie. But, he said, there are some trouble areas, such as residential construction. The state's home building had one of its worse years in recent history due in part to tighter lending restrictions put in place after the subprime lending debacle.

The Economic Report to the Governor, released Thursday, predicted Utah's "remarkable" growth will moderate in 2008.

Employment growth likely will average 3.2 percent, down from the 4 percent job growth for the year that ended in December. Utah's job-creation rate has been on a downward trend for much of the year. Job growth, which peaked in June 2006 at 5.4 percent, has fallen from 4.5 percent since August.

But population and wage growth both should remain high, according to the report.