From trying to ban most abortions to pushing gay-student support groups out of public schools, Utah lawmakers appear to be embarked on a morals crusade - and it's not even an election year. In addition, in trying to make Utah the leader in attempting to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Republican-dominated Legislature is debating bills aimed at halting perceived government hostility to religion, banning violent video games from youngsters and encouraging retail stores to cover up magazines featuring scantily clad cover models.

Vouchers/education

After the House passed this year's school voucher bill, the "year of the voucher" designation appears to be sticking. The Senate is widely believed to be a slam-dunk for the public subsidies for new private school students. But vouchers aren't the only action in the education arena. The Senate is expected soon to debate a plan to select state and local school board members through partisan elections. Senators also are slated to take up the so-called Ritalin bill, prohibiting teachers from recommending psychiatric medication. Arguments also loom over the size of increases for teacher salaries, all-day kindergarten, spending on computers and whether to make it easier to break big school districts into smaller ones.

Traffic safety

House members appeared geared for another rejection of a primary seat-belt law after a revised measure passed the Senate. Earlier, the House made a child-booster-seat requirement for older kids the first bill on its hit list. Senators surprised some by passing a proposal to make it an infraction to smoke while young children are in a vehicle. They also sent to the House for debate a plan to outlaw driving and talking on cell phones - but only by teens. Meanwhile, one House member was thwarted early on in his attempt to lower the legal operating age of off-road vehicles from 8 to 6.

Health & environment

A plan to amend the state Constitution to establish affordable health care as a basic right got a quick start out of the gate but would have to muster daunting super-majorities to find its way to Utah voters. There has been no action yet on a proposal to open the state's employee health plan to private small businesses. Lawmakers are considering the governor's requests for expanding the CHIP insurance program for youngsters and a bit more for air-monitoring and mercury testing. Also on the environmental front, senators may soon debate a proposal to make it easier for EnergySolutions' low-level radioactive waste dump to expand within existing borders. Key House members, meanwhile, back a new statewide fund to preserve open space. Then there's the House-passed goal to create a fund fueled by a check-off on vehicle registrations to pay for legal battles to open up off-road vehicle trails on federal lands.

Tax cuts and budgets

A tax cut of $100 million or more seems a given in a year with a projected surplus of $1.6 billion. Talks between the governor and Republican leaders of the House and Senate continue behind closed doors, with most of the negotiation reportedly focusing on expanding the flat-rate income tax. Still, there appears to be life in proposals to trim the tax on food, although outright elimination seems a long shot. Most programs and agencies are expecting to get increases if there is anything left over after taking care of education and massive highway projects. But in the early going, lawmakers asked the Department of Environmental Quality to calculate what their agency would look like with a 5 percent reduction. Lawmakers backed away from those cuts in the face of public outcry.

Family

Lawmakers appear about to crack down on deadbeat dads - before and after a child is born. A bill to adjust and increase the state's child-support payment scale is awaiting a final vote on the House floor. Senators have yet to act on legislation that would take away a parent's driver license if they miss two months of child-support payments. And legislation to require unmarried, nonresident biological fathers to file a claim in a Utah court before an adoption is awaiting a final vote in the Senate. And Utah legislators want to ease placement of foster children with family members and allow adoption of adults.

Immigration

The premier immigration-related legislation of the session - a proposed repeal of resident tuition for eligible undocumented college students - went down by a narrow vote on the House floor. While supporters vow to try to resurrect it, that appears unlikely this year. But lawmakers gave strong initial support to a plan to allow state and local law officers to take on federal immigration-enforcement duties in a bill now headed for full House debate. And they propose levying big fines against those convicted of making forged documents aimed at falsely proving legal residence. A plan to repeal driver cards for about 30,000 undocumented drivers is awaiting its first public hearing in the House.

Crime

This may become the "law and order" session, with lawmakers trying to enhance penalties for crimes such as mortgage fraud and killing a child. Senators still must approve legislation requiring registered sex offenders to get state ID cards every year, making organized shoplifting a felony and increasing jail time for those who solicit children online for sex. Legislation to allow teens to seek protective orders has stalled. But a bill to include pets in protective orders is moving through the House.