The Conservative Caucus established itself as a force to be reckoned with this year.

Members of the loosely organized group arrived at the 2007 Legislature armed with two-fisted clout. In one hand, powerful committee positions. In the other, a fistful of money.

Rep. Greg Hughes, a Draper Republican, Conservative Caucus leader and ex-amateur boxer, looks over the House floor. "They call this the arena," he says.

It's a forum that's been dominated through much of the session's first 42 days by the Conservative Caucus, whose ultimate success won't be known until the final gavel falls Wednesday night.

Caucus members wrestled a controversial school voucher program into the nation's most expansive example. They put persuasive, upward pressure on the $220 million tax cut Utahns can expect this year, making sure a chunk of it goes to business.

Members including Republican Reps. Aaron Tilton of Springville, Mike Noel of Kanab, John Dougall of Highland and Craig Frank of Pleasant Grove drove tough-on-crime, anti-gay, pro-family measures and other caucus priorities through the committees off the House floor and into the Senate.

"I think our voices are being heard fairly well," said Frank, known as smart, pragmatic and passionate about his agenda.

They meet weekly during the session. During last year's legislative races, they raised more than $65,000 and spent $63,000 through a political action committee that made it possible for them to contribute to 15 candidate campaigns, including some of their own.

Much of its authority comes from key assignments, facilitated by House Speaker Greg Curtis.

Hughes is chairman of the Education Committee and co-chairman of the powerful Rules Committee. Noel leads the public utilities panel. Majority Leader Dave Clark of Santa Clara is a member, as is Assistant Majority Whip Brad Dee of Ogden.

Dougall leads three committees: revenue and taxation, as well as the retirement policy and spending panels, and Tilton is co-chairman of both policy committees.

Moderate West Jordan Republican Rep. Steven Mascaro notes the committee positions can be "an intimidating factor." Fellow legislators realize the success or failure of their bills depends on getting on the agendas and through the committees of Conservative Caucus members.

"That may have an impact on your ability to get your legislation through, and that may impact your votes," he said. "That's a reality."

More than a half-dozen lawmakers declined to speak publicly about the Conservative Caucus but spoke bitterly off-the-record about strong-arm tactics and their chilling effect on robust debate.

An equal number of lobbyists, many of them former legislators, declined to comment for the story for similar reasons.

Audry Wood, executive director of the Utah Public Employees Association, said the differences between her group and the Conservative Caucus are obvious and unavoidable. The caucus wants smaller government that runs more like private enterprise. And for the past three years it has been able to chip into health care and retirement benefits her group considers sacred.

"Even some [lawmakers] who used to be our friends are being influenced by the Conservative Caucus," she said. "If they want to get anything done, they have to have the support of those legislators."

Former Rep. Dave Ure, a Kamas Republican and one-time Cowboy Caucus member, voiced the frustrations many uttered privately. The conservatives of today's Legislature are vastly different than those of years past, with core conservative ideals and free-wheeling debate, he said.

"I don't think they can define what conservative means," he said. "If it pertains to them personally, then all their principles go out the door and they do whatever they want."

fahys@sltrib.com