After several minutes of voting, the tally stalled at 37-37 until Rep. Duane Bordeaux, D-Salt Lake City, returned to the chamber to cast the deciding vote.

House Bill 188 would earmark about $18.3 million to increase salaries for novice teachers - defined as those in their first five years - and $2.9 million to strengthen mentoring programs to help those teachers survive what are often tumultuous years.

"This will improve the quality of teaching," said Rep. Bradley Johnson, R-Aurora. "We're not competitive when a student graduates from college and makes a decision on whether to go into education."

Johnson is sponsoring the measure to help the state cope with a staffing shortage that will require more than 1,175 additional teachers every year for the next 20 years.

There were plenty of detractors.

Rep. Ron Bigelow said the bill essentially usurps local school boards' bargaining authority when the market should determine teacher salaries.

"When teachers can't be hired to be in the classroom, [school boards] will increase pay," the West Valley City Republican said. "If unqualified teachers are in the classroom, parents will demand a change."

He said he preferred to provide incentives for veteran teachers to stay in the classroom instead of retiring.

Rep. Steve Mascaro, R-West Jordan, questioned whether it was fair to boost pay for some teachers and not others.

Most districts' pay scales max out between 14 and 25 years, which leaves longtime veterans without opportunities to increase their pay, he said.

"You're going to see some dissatisfied teachers, and the exodus might be even [worse]," he said.

His wife is a veteran teacher who reached the top of her district's pay scale after 17 years on the job, he said.

HB188 aims to bring Utah's starting salaries closer to $30,000 so they are more competitive with surrounding states, but districts and charter schools would have discretion as to how they spend their share. The bill requires only that the money be spent on beginning teachers.

Beginning teacher pay varies by district, but most start in the mid- to upper $20,000's.

The measure creates a weighted formula that gives districts and charters funding based on the number of teachers in their first five years on the job. Teachers with less experience would generate more dollars.

The pending teacher shortage stems largely from high attrition rates. A 2001 study found 40 percent of new teachers in Utah quit within five years.