Distressing state budget numbers and economic indicators have legislative leaders considering whether to ask Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. to call the Legislature into special session again before the state's budget shortfall gets worse.

"Based on what I'm seeing now, I think a special session is warranted. I don't want to do it. I don't want to be there during the holidays," said Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem. "But on the same token, I recognize that we really do try to be prudent with the way we operate in this state and if the numbers are going down … we need to do it now rather than later."

The Legislature is scheduled to convene its normal session on Jan. 26, where it will begin work on the 2010 budget. But that timeframe may not capture the urgency of the situation.

"The revenue numbers have me deeply concerned," said incoming House Speaker David Clark, R-Santa Clara. "I would support having a special session (to deal with) the budgetary challenges that we have, rather than waiting until the end of January or first of February and we'd have less than half a year to correct the legislative challenges. … The sooner we address those challenges, the better off we are."

It is ultimately up to Huntsman whether to convene a special session.

Valentine said there have been internal discussions among legislative leaders about whether a special session is warranted, but they have not had any talks with the governor because there are no precise estimates on how big the budget shortfall might be.

"We're just looking at the collections that come in monthly, recognizing they are significantly below the projections we had, even in the last special session," Valentine said. "It seems prudent to get on it early."

Huntsman's spokeswoman, Lisa Roskelley, said that right now the governor is focused on the release of his proposed 2010 budget, due out Dec. 4, earlier than in years past. At that point, the executive and legislative branch economists will have a consensus figure on the size of Utah's budget, as well as any shortfalls in the current-year budget that would need to be filled.

The most recent tax figures showed that the state is collecting about $120 million less in taxes than it did last year.

In building his budget, Huntsman asked state agencies to submit potential cuts of 2 percent, 4 percent and 5 percent. Roskelley said the governor didn't aim for one target, and the amount that budgets are reduced will vary from department to department. Valentine said earlier this month that he anticipates legislators may have to cut as much as 7 percent from the state budget.

Those reductions would be on top of $354 million that lawmakers made up through cuts and shifting funds in a special session in September. That cost-cutting resulted in reduced benefits for about 19,000 residents covered by Medicaid, rolling back $750,000 for programs for special needs children, elimination of more than 30 vacant positions in the state prison system and 21 highway patrol positions, and wiping out about $2 million for substance abuse treatment programs

One bright spot for legislators is that they have about $514 million in reserve -- $414 million in the state's Rainy Day Fund and $100 million in money set aside for education -- that they can use as a short-term fix to soften the blow to state agencies. Legislative leaders have said that reserve leaves Utah in a much better situation than other states facing budget crises.