Huntsman, in office two weeks, took a slightly different road from former Gov. Olene Walker in his recommended spending plan for fiscal year 2006, proposing $33 million for highway construction in traffic-clogged spots.

Along with restructuring some departments, Huntsman also advocates pumping $71.4 million into public education's per-pupil funding pool, setting aside $51 million for the state's savings account and spending $21.8 million million for a 2.5 percent cost of living raise for state employees.

Walker had proposed in December diverting $72 million to the Rainy Day Fund and had set aside $70 million for highways, which Huntsman matched and then raised by $33 million. Huntsman also added $10 million for tourism efforts and $6.8 million for attracting new companies to locate in Utah; $4.8 million of that will be focused on nurturing businesses near Hill Air Force Base to help persuade the federal government to keep it open.

Otherwise, Huntsman's plan is Walker's.

"You'll find they're extremely similar," Richard Ellis, the governor's budget czar, told reporters. Huntsman said his changes in Walker's spending blueprint reflect his top priorities: economic development, transportation, teacher pay and bumping up Medicaid benefits.

Huntsman wants $5 million to restore dental and vision benefits for low-income and disabled people that were essentially wiped out in recent years during budget cuts; Walker had proposed about $1.6 million for emergency dental care.

There are no tax hikes in the budget, but also no tax cuts, as some have suggested. Huntsman said now isn't the time for either.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers, who got a cursory glance at the budget proposal earlier Friday, praised Huntsman's ideas.

"It appears to have some real merit," said Sen. Ron Allen, D-Stansbury Park. "We generally agree with most of what he recommended. It's a good starting point."

House Majority Leader-elect Jeff Alexander, R-Provo, said the governor's budget follows an expected path, focusing on issues that have been Huntsman's top goals. Alexander added that he would love for the proposed $33 million in new road funding to find its way to Utah County, where roads clog at rush hours.

Ellis said it would be up to the state's Transportation Commission to divvy up the money for specific projects. Utah Department of Transportation Director John Njord said projects funded would most likely be ones already slated for construction.

"The governor recognizes the importance of solving some of the congestion problems in the state," Njord said.

Possibilities for the new funding include Interstate 15 north and south of Salt Lake County, Interstate 80 and a number of smaller state roads, according to Njord.

State school officials cheered the budget as a much-needed boost that will begin to reverse millions of dollars in cuts the past several years.

The governor's proposal to devote $15 million for beginning teacher compensation is a good start, state schools Superintendent Patti Harrington said.

"I'm highly encouraged with the governor's support and very much appreciate his insight and understanding that the most important thing we need in education are quality teachers, and that's driven in part by salaries," she said.

Although Huntsman's recommendation of a 4.5 percent increase in the weighted pupil unit falls 0.5 percent short of his predecessor's proposal, educators aren't complaining.

The boost to the state's basic school-funding formula would give teachers the first significant raise they have had in three years.

Education officials had hoped for $10 million to help struggling high schoolers pass the state's high school exit exam, but those dollars were not included in Huntsman's budget.

"We need some tutoring dollars for those kids," Harrington said.

If the lawmakers sign on, state employees will get a 2.5 percent cost of living raise and most workers also could see a market-based adjustment and 2 percent boost in benefits. Utah Highway Patrol troopers under the plan would see about a 10 percent boost and Huntsman proposed the Attorney General's Office get $1.5 million for salary adjustments.

The Utah College of Applied Technology lost out in Huntsman's budget proposal; Walker had proposed a $10.8 million building in Vernal for the college. Huntsman also reduced spending on capital expenditure from Walker's proposed $22 million to $13.3 million.

---

Tribune reporters Ronnie Lynn and Matt Canham contributed to this story.