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About a dozen of the thorniest issues remain as lawmakers try to wrap up the state's $13 billion budget heading into the final week of the 2012 legislative session.

One of the items still on the negotiating table is a program to provide health care coverage for several hundred children with autism. It has strong support among House leaders, but gets a cool reception in the Senate.

A push initially for a mandate to cover children with autism met stiff opposition from insurance companies. Instead, Rep. Rhonda Menlove, R-Garland, and others negotiated a pilot program to cover about 700 children through the public employees insurance program, Medicaid, and voluntary contributions from insurance companies.

Legislative leaders are also trying to sort out how much money to put toward social service programs, such as easing a waiting list of disabled Utahns needing assistance and providing home meal service for the elderly.

"This gets to be a little bit tough right now, because every program out there is a good program," said Senate Majority Leader Scott Jenkins, R-Plain City. "You wonder how government grows? This is how government grows, because these are good programs.

"So far we've done a pretty good job of tempering our appetites," Jenkins said.

Legislators have built into the budget framework the $23 million anticipated from a nationwide mortgage fraud settlement. A resource center for homeless youth, St. Anne's Lantern House, the Wendell Apartments and an emergency winter shelter would each get $500,000 of that. Another $2 million would go to mortgage fraud prevention.

Asked if he thought enough was being spent on housing, House budget chairman Mel Brown, R-Coalville, said, "It doesn't all have to go to mortgages."

Legislators have budgeted $129 million in new money for public and higher education, shy of the $134 million the governor recommended in his budget, although that amount is expected to grow.

Legislators are recommending covering costs of the 12,500 new students expected to enter Utah schools, plus a 1.16 percent increase in per-pupil spending, slightly more than the governor suggested.

However, that would not be enough to give teachers a pay raise once the added money is consumed by pension payments. And teachers could see their take-home pay dip if health premiums rise again.

"There's potential for that," said Kory Holdaway, government relations director for the Utah Education Association, although it would vary from district to district.

Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, said the budget process isn't done yet and he would like to see more going to students and teachers.

"We all would like to see more," said Stephenson, Senate chairman of the education budget committee. "I think everyone would. It's just a balancing act."

He said he would especially like to see more money put into software and technology to help teachers be more effective.

Senate Minority Leader Ross Romero, D-Salt Lake City, said that so far Democrats are happy with the budget.

"Actually, we're quite pleased by what we've seen so far," he said. "This budget does go a long way toward meeting many of the primary needs we saw on our committees."

Republican leaders met early Thursday and again in the evening to try to resolve lingering differences.

How much to pay county jails to lease beds for state inmates is perennially a contentious issue and is a sticking point now, as is how much to spend on construction of college and university structures and catching up on building maintenance.

Senate leaders are pushing to sock away more money in the Rainy Day Fund, which has been cut from about $420 million to $230 million in recent years, Waddoups said, but House Republican leaders want to spend more.

"I would absolutely disagree with that," said House Speaker Becky Lockhart, R-Provo. "We have different priorities in some cases. Our overspending is their underspending and vice versa."

So far, leaders have agreed to give higher education staff and faculty and state employees a pay raise; hire at least six new highway patrol troopers; fund a parole violator center so parolees who violate terms of their release wouldn't have to return to prison; and allocate $47 million to cover additional Medicaid needs.

The list prepared by legislators includes an array of funds going to museums and cultural festivals.

The Shakespearean Festival would receive $500,000; the Taylorsville Dayzz symphony concert would get $15,000; the Hill Air Force Base Air Show would get $100,000; This Is the Place Heritage Park would get $50,000; the Hole In The Rock museum would get $50,000, and the Moab Music Festival would receive $25,000.

The House and Senate each get a $5 million allowance to spend on their priorities.

Next week, legislative leaders will meet with the governor to discuss his budget concerns, as well. At this point, Jenkins said, lawmakers aren't paying much attention to the budget the governor proposed.

"We're kind of past that," Jenkins said. "We're not too worried what he did." —

Legislature's deadline

Utah lawmakers are entering the final stretch of the 45-day annual legislative session — facing a March 8 midnight deadline to adjourn. The main task ahead is finalizing a 2012-13 budget that is expected to weigh in at about $13 billion. Additionally, there are hundreds of bills awaiting final action as the debate moves from committees, which have come to an end, to the floors of the House and Senate.