Over the past three weeks, Huntsman and his staff have sifted through 395 pieces of legislation, considering whether to sign them, veto them or let the bills go into law without his signature.

And the governor has dispensed with some of the most prominent bills, signing legislation to enhance the punishment for crimes motivated by hate, to require parental consent before a teen's abortion, to limit access to addresses and phone numbers on government records, and to eliminate smoking in private clubs and taverns.

But Huntsman and his advisers have put off action on HB100, legislation that would require Utahns to post a bond if they file an environmental lawsuit that could stop a project. And the governor apparently still is considering HB148, a so-called "parental rights" bill that blocks same-sex couples' ability to legally define their families but also could limit stepparents' and grandparents' access to children they have raised.

Deputy Chief of Staff Mike Mower said the governor had meetings with sponsors of some of the pending laws as late as Monday morning. Meanwhile, staff are fielding e-mails and phone calls for and against the still-pending legislation. "We promised people that we would allow for input," said Mower.

A steady stream of legislators and their supporters filtered in and out of the governor's office all day Monday as Huntsman signed 16 bills in special ceremonies, including legislation tightening the state's drunken-driving laws, allowing Utahns to freeze and unfreeze their credit reports and expanding a low-income homeowners' property tax credit to include more seniors.

So far, Huntsman has signed 358 bills and vetoed one. And just 17 bills await the governor's decision. Some of the bills do not require the governor's signature to become law.

With less than 24 hours before the governor's deadline, last-minute lobbying is going on behind the scenes - on the litigation bond bill, changes to eminent domain law, legislation that would allow colleges to charge partial tuition for concurrent-enrollment courses offered in high schools, and even Draper Republican Rep. LaVar Christensen's "in loco parentis" bill.

Equality Utah Director Mike Thompson says that legislation would not allow judges to consider the "best interests" of a child when determining custody or visitation. Instead, a biological parent would decide who could have access to their child.

"The supporters of the bill are really making it a one-sided argument," Thompson said. "Something as sensitive as parenting and who should stand in the place of a parent should be done on a case-by-case basis. I'm grateful the governor is giving this a good, strong look, considering the diversity of families that this is going to hurt."

Mower said the phone log on that bill is split evenly between supporters and opponents. "We're hearing from a lot of stepparents," he said.

Sarah Alley, from Friends of Emigration Canyon Trails & Open Space, also hopes the governor rejects SB117, a bill limiting the use of eminent domain. The House amended the bill to include a prohibition on using government condemnation powers to create trails.

"It is not likely that eminent domain would often be used for trails, but this bill drastically alters any future negotiation for obtaining lands or easements for trails," Alley wrote in an e-mail urging trails supporters to write the governor.

And despite stating reservations about HB100 throughout the session, the governor has postponed action until his final day to consider bills.

The legislation would require nonprofits, including green groups, to post a bond before trying to stop new developments or roads under state or federal environmental rules and laws. Such a bond would reflect any costs that developers might accrue because of delays, including lost profits, wages, construction costs and taxes.

Sponsoring Rep. Aaron Tilton, a Springville Republican, insists the bill would rein in green-leaning courts and frivolous lawsuits. Critics say the bill would practically bar the doors of justice to ordinary Utahns with concerns about roads, bridges and other new projects. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency raised similar concerns about the bill earlier this month.

"We hope that [Huntsman] listens to the . . . citizens groups who have spoken out against this bill to ensure that all Utahns have access to justice, not just those with deep pockets," said Vanessa Pierce, program director for the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah.

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Reporter Judy Fahys contributed to this story.

Pending legislation

* HB100 - Requires nonprofit organizations to post a bond if they sue under state or federal environmental rules or laws to block development.

* HB148 - Blocks custody agreements between same-sex couples, allowing only the biological parent to determine who will visit or have custody of their child.

* HB151 - Allows colleges to charge high school students partial tuition for concurrent-enrollment classes taught in public schools.

* SB117 - Blocks government use of eminent domain to create trails.