"I can't tell you the details because they are still in negotiation," Senate President John Valentine told reporters Thursday evening. "We have a framework that we can work with."

When asked if the agreement would eliminate the need for a special session, Valentine shot his fist in the air and cheered, "Yes!"

"We need to get the governor fully on board," Valentine cautioned.

Huntsman spokesman Mike Mower said Huntsman was optimistic agreement would be reached.

"The governor is pleased with the framework," Mower said. "In some ways, it mirrors his proposal."

Huntsman allied himself with the House earlier this week, hoping to break the deadlock over the House Republicans' proposal to eliminate the sales tax on groceries.

The Senate favored a tax cut through a "flatter" individual income tax that had been crafted cooperatively with the governor.

But Huntsman offered to postpone the tax reform proposal until next year, if the Senate would approve a three- to five-year phase-out of the grocery tax. The phase out would mean $138 million loss in state revenue.

The governor offered $20 million in tax exemptions for businesses, but asked the Legislature to add another 1 percent to their raise to bring it up to 6 percent and to fund his all-day voluntary kindergarten program. The proposal left nearly $100 million for highways.

But the Senate Wednesday spurned the offer. In Valentine's words, "Bad tax policy phased in is still bad tax policy."

Huntsman warned he would allow the session to end and run the government on previously approved base budgets. And he threatened to drag the Legislature into a special session to divy up $300 million set aside for highways, water projects and tax cuts.

It comes down to a two-year-old campaign promise to remove the sales tax on groceries, Huntsman said. "I expect that when you get elected, you do what you promised the people you would do."

The negotiators provided few details on how agreement had been reached, but said both sides had given ground. And, perhaps, bad tax policy phased in can become palatable.

"Generally, we believe removing the sales tax on food is bad policy," said Valentine. "But sometimes in the art of compromise you need to make concessions to agree on things."