Also this from Brown: In the wake of lawmakers' vows to take a hard look at further property tax reforms last fall when they held a special one-day session to reinstate a tax cap, she said to expect a Senate work session soon on property tax.

(Update: This will be Thursday, in the Senate Ways and Means Committee . To call up the agenda, click on 02/07/2008.)

But she warned that substantial property tax cuts would hurt the state budget, and that trying to shift the tax burden to more well-heeled property owners would mean amending the state constitution.

"You're kind of negotiating between a couple of big boulders there," she said. "It's not going to be easy."

Revenue forecast: Brown said lawmakers are braced for some bad news in two weeks when the state's economic weather forecaster predicts how much government will have to spend.

"I wouldn't be surprised if we lose revenue in the forecast," she said. "I wouldn't be surprised if it's $100 or $200 million."

And in the face of a steady parade of people coming in with little $2 million or $3 million good ideas, she said, lawmakers are going to have to keep saying no.

"We're just sending the message out there that this is not the year" to add to spending, she said. Still, she said, "There are a lot of legislators that have just one or two things they think are really important. And some of that's going to work its way into the budget."

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