The Legislature begins next week and the feints and skirmishes have begun.

Gov. Jon Huntsman issued a warning to conservative lawmakers who believe any extra dough laying around government ought to go back where it came from. A tax overhaul goes into effect this year that will cut income taxes by $110 million -- much less than many House members wanted.

But the Guv is making it clear at the get-go that he is not partial to more tax slashing this year. The state is running another huge surplus, but Huntsman has a weather eye to the economic horizon. The signs have been boding that Utah is due for a downturn.

"I'm not going to look seriously at anything beyond a property tax relief package," Huntsman told the Tribune. "The other areas I'm just not interested in."

And don't expect much on healthcare:

An innovative plan to mandate that all Utahns get health insurance and force insurance companies to cover them has been ratcheted down. Killed might be a better term.

Instead, a limp substitute bill would offer tax credits and subsidies to help Utahns buy private insurance.

To allay any doubt it's the Utah Legislature we are talking about -- this switcheroo went down behind closed doors.