House Speaker Greg Curtis has become the captain of contrition, telling lobbyists and interested citizens that he shoulders some of the blame.

"The last session was a rather contentious session and I accept some of - most of - the responsibility for that," Curtis told a gathering sponsored by the Utah Taxpayers Association, saying he should have listened more and demanded less.

Along with new House Majority Leader David Clark, Curtis has extended a hand to Senate Republicans and promised a newfound partnership that he hopes will make it easier to decide how to spend the projected $1.6 billion surplus.

Many, including Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and Democratic Salt Lake City Rep. Jackie Biskupski, anticipate a much friendlier session.

But that's before lawmakers embark on emotional debates about gay high school clubs, abortion or guns. That's before special interest groups start scrapping for their share of the surplus. That's before legislators' personalities and pride become invested in public policy decisions.

When asked what happens when legislators go against the will of the public, Senate President John Valentine jokingly said: ''You only win by 20 votes.''

This not-so-veiled jab at Curtis' extremely close re-election victory indicates the early good will may not survive in the pressure-filled Capitol.

And in fact, the two-year relationship between Curtis and Valentine, between House and Senate leaders, has been filled with contention. Highway funding dominated the debate in 2005, and House leaders drove the issue.

Jim Ferrin was a representative at the time and he said members of the House gloated that they ran the Legislature.

Senate leaders didn't want a repeat when the 45-day session began last year.

"Neither the House nor the Senate wanted to be perceived as weak," Ferrin said.

Curtis and the House Republicans requested a hefty tax cut that would rid the state of the hated sales tax on food. Senate Republicans then took up an income tax reform plan.

Neither budged. And as the session wound to a close, many lawmakers who didn't participate in the staring contest became annoyed.

The Legislature removed nearly half of the sales tax on food, but failed to come up with a tax reform package until months later.

Draper Republican Rep. Greg Hughes said: "That frustrated a lot of people."

And they let their feelings be known during the leadership elections in November.

Curtis and Valentine kept their spots. But they have new lieutenants.

House Republicans replaced retiring Rep. Jeff Alexander with Clark, who is known for being cordial, while Alexander was known for being confrontational.

West Jordan Republican Rep. Steve Mascaro describes the switch as a move for ''a softer, a more compassionate kind of leadership.''

Senate Republicans went the other way, replacing soft-spoken Majority Leader Peter Knudson with the more aggressive Provo Sen. Curt Bramble. Legislators are split on Bramble's likely impact on negotiations between the chambers.

Former Rep. David Ure, who unsuccessfully ran for a Senate seat, said he expects Bramble to bring the same cutting tone to negotiations that Alexander did in the House.

Ferrin says Bramble ''likes for people to think of him as a bulldog, but I know him to have a lot of puppy dog in him.''

Bramble dismisses the role personalities play in legislation, calling it ''overrated.'' But he has engaged Clark in weekly talks to foster a better relationship.

Clark said he hopes these conversations will continue as lawmakers start tackling some of the most heated topics, such as how to spend the surplus and an ongoing push to use tax dollars to help pay for a private education.

Mascaro, the representative from West Jordan, only uses the word ''surplus'' when referring to pressing demands for social services and educational programs, but not the budget. His mantra is that Utah has ''surplus needs and additional money.'' Mascaro wants to spend any additional money on programs instead of tax cuts.

If he is at one end of the Republican spectrum, Hughes is at the other. Hughes is demanding a $400 million tax cut and limits on new spending.

He believes a rapid rise in state spending creates unstable budgets that will crash in an economic downturn.

Valentine and Clark say this debate over tax cuts versus spending on programs will dominate the early days of the session and impact everything from spending in the classroom to the pay of prison guards.

They also anticipate a resurgent push for a tuition tax credit or private school vouchers. Public education groups generally oppose voucher legislation because they worry the program will suck funding from state-run schools.

Proponents of vouchers, led by the lobbyist group Parents for Choice in Education, say vouchers will give parents more options and will force the public school system to become more innovative.

Voucher bills have continuously failed in the House, but Hughes said a new strategy has given him hope. Hughes is the chairman of the education committee and a prominent voucher supporter.

He said House Republicans plan to combine a voucher bill with legislation favored by public schools, making it more difficult for voucher opponents to vote against the plan.

Legislative attorneys are still drafting the plan.

Vouchers have the support of most legislative leaders, but Republican moderates have banded with Democrats to kill the bill in the past. Salt Lake City Democratic Rep. Jackie Biskupski expects the same outcome as in years past.

"The public doesn't want it," she said.

mcanham@sltrib.com

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* Tribune reporters REBECCA WALSH and GLEN WARCHOL contributed to this report.