Maybe it's the tough budget woes that have drawn Utah legislators together.
Maybe it's a change in personalities at the top.
Most likely it's both, as state legislators say the 2009 general session has been "kinder and gentler" than expected.
That was the consensus on Capitol Hill, reflected in more than a dozen interviews taken over the last several weeks. And fears about a divided 2009 Legislature, expressed last fall, have fallen away.
"Let's put it this way," one House GOP leader put it. "So far, we haven't had anyone jump up and stalk out of a meeting."
He was referring to a confrontation in 2007 when then-Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem, and then-House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, each walked out of a leadership meeting.
And personalities certainly appear to be a part of tone this year. There are three new GOP leaders in the Senate and two in the House, including new Senate President Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, and new House Speaker David Clark, R-Santa Clara.
"My light has never been refused," said Rep. Chris Johnson, D-Salt Lake — meaning Clark has always allowed her to talk from the floor on a bill. Refusal to be recognized "was a regular occurrence with Curtis," she added.
"In the past, we've seen (GOP House leaders) try to herd their freshmen (Republicans), sometimes spank them over their votes or debates. And we haven't seen that, either," she added.
"Speaker Clark has set the tone," said House Minority Leader David Litvack, D-Salt Lake. "It has been a fair process."
Clark himself says he has had to sit a few House members down in his office and tell them frankly to calm down, watch what they say, "trying to take care of some things" before they exploded in public.
Senate Minority Whip Ross Romero, D-Salt Lake, said he has been pleased with "the opportunity to be included" in not only Republican budget discussions but even invited in at times to talk to reporters during GOP leaders' media briefing.
The great exception in cordiality, of course, were comments made against gays and lesbians by Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan. But even then, Senate Minority Leader Pat Jones, D-Holladay, praised Waddoups "for always having his door open to me" as she expressed her concerns about Buttars' actions.
Senate Democrats wanted Buttars punished more harshly than Waddoups decided. Still, when Waddoups attended a packed Democratic press conference on the issue, Waddoups was invited up to the podium to talk about it.
"This has been a kinder, gentler session," said Johnson, an assessment confirmed by both Republicans and Democrats alike.
In House GOP caucuses, leaders have complimented their Senate Republican counterparts and GOP Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. for working well together, especially over tough budget decisions.
Utah is down $1.5 billion over two years. And state programs will be cut back next fiscal year, some employees likely laid off.
"In our concerns about laying off people and cutting programs, (Republicans) have been very willing to listen to us," said Romero. "We will still have disagreements over bills and budgets, but we're welcomed to the table."
Members of the so-called Reagan Caucus in the House, the moderates, also are pleased by reception they've received.
Recently they were invited into Clark's office to talk about re-imposing the state sales tax on food — and they are still demanding a full debate on that topic before the House GOP caucus.
After last summer's emotional and controversial House ethics hearings, some moderates and Democrats wondered how they would be received this session.
Would their bills be killed by the majority conservatives? Their voices unwelcomed?
No, says Rep. Sheryl Allen, R-Bountiful. As the nominal head of the Reagan Caucus — and a leader in developing ethics complaints against two fellow Republicans — Allen says her concerns have been listened to.
"I have no complaints, no problem" with his own GOP leaders, said Rep. Kory Holdaway, R-Taylorsville, also a moderate caucus leader. The stark divisions between House moderates and conservatives are not as great as before, he adds.
Rep. Phil Riesen, D-Millcreek, was roundly criticized by Republicans last summer for giving the media an ethics complaint filed against Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper.
But even Riesen has no real complaints today. "I was told one of my bills (Republicans didn't like) wouldn't even get a hearing. Now it looks like it may. There are still some hard feelings (over the Hughes ethics hearing). But I knew there would be. We're all moving on."
Some of the more bitter conversations can take place in the House and Senate Rules committees, where bills are sifted for hearings and floor debates.
Rep. Jackie Biskupski, D-Salt Lake, has been on the House Rules Committee for six years. In the past she has often objected to the committee's actions, as not enough Democratic bills were being let out for debate.
She's still not overly pleased. "Too many 'D' bills have been held (this session). But then a lot of Republican bills have been held, too."
She said new Rules Chairman Ben Ferry, R-Corinne, has closely controlled what bills are considered, by deciding which bills he places on an internal Internet site for selection by committee members. "But Ben has been fair" in that pre-sifting process, she said.
There has also not been any personal grudges carried out in political debates, something not uncommon in previous years.
"The tone has been very good up here," said Romero. "In part that's because we all realize the tough shape we're in on the budget — it has drawn us together."
E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com