The House and Senate GOP caucuses decided Tuesday on a base budget covering public employee pay raises, public education enrollment growth and health and rising Medicaid costs.

The Legislature's main budget committee is scheduled to meet today to approve preliminary "base" budgets, with plans to approve a bill by week's end.

Left on the table, though, is $138 million in projected additional revenues and $250 million in surplus that lawmakers still have to decide how to divvy up. Legislators appear poised to hand over a big chunk of that money to highways, but the Senate continues to struggle with how much.

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. has suggested spending $33 million in surplus on transportation and wants to make education his top priority.

House Republicans have demanded $85 million for road projects on an ongoing basis, from projected revenues.

Some Senate Republicans were pushing for even more, but a caucus vote on $95 million for transportation failed.

The caucus was also roughly split, 10-9, on whether to adopt the House's recommended $85 million or a lesser amount for highways.

Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem, said the caucus would keep talking about a number.

Republicans endorsed a 2.5 percent pay increase for state workers.

Combined with benefits, the package would cost nearly $101 million.

They also agreed on spending $28.5 million to cover enrollment growth in public schools and $8 million for growth in charter schools.

Republicans also want to spend about $6 million to add 300 beds at the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison.

Sen. Curt Bramble, a Provo Republican and vice chairman of the Executive Appropriations Committee, said "the real battles are looming on the horizon."