State legislators showed they can lead during difficult economic times this year, putting in a productive session that was marked by sensible fiscal restraint and a focus on long-neglected housekeeping matters.

Yes, there were scandals: the resignations of Senate Majority Leader Sheldon Killpack, after he was arrested on DUI charges, and House Majority Leader Kevin Garn, after he announced to fellow lawmakers that 25 years ago he had been naked in a hot tub with a 15-year-old girl whom he had paid $150,000 to keep quiet about the episode. There was pie-in-the-sky idealism: much of the states’ rights legislation that was sent into the world with rousing speeches, such as a bill that would allow the state to exercise eminent domain on federal lands, is unlikely to come to any practicable use. And there was a some silliness: Rep. Chris Herrod, R-Provo, proposed a bill that would allow monkeys to be kept as pets, for example.

But, by and large, these were deviations from a session that stayed focused on the big picture of balancing a state budget facing a $700 million shortfall. In the end, legislators used a scalpel rather than a cleaver, slicing at almost all programs rather than singling out a few for massive cuts. They also managed only a slight reduction in funding to public schools — a roughly $10 million drop — for which they were praised by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Larry Shumway.

Lawmakers also made tough fiscal choices. Despite Gov. Gary Herbert’s initial opposition to any new taxes, legislators pushed ahead an increase in the state tobacco tax that is predicted to generate $44 million in revenue while accomplishing the socially admirable goal of reducing smoking statewide. They also reformed the state retirement system to eliminate double-dipping and reduce pension benefits for public employees — changes that were long overdue but faced stiff political opposition.

In addition, legislators used a session characterized by belt-tightening to advance some business with limited financial impacts, such as ethics reform. In recent years, as ethics violations have grown more outrageous, the public has largely felt like pleas for reform were falling on deaf ears. This year, however, with an citizens initiative movement on ethics reform gaining steam, legislators finally took action, passing bills that will create an independent ethics commission, stop lawmakers from tapping their campaign funds for personal use, and eliminate gifts of $10 or more to lawmakers. The only failure on the ethics front was continuing to allow unlimited campaign contributions — a position that puts Utah at odds with 45 other states that have already enacted such limits.

In comparison to recent years, the accomplishments of this legislative session can be seen as modest. But that’s exactly the point. Leadership in tough economic times shouldn’t involve spectacular capital projects or even politically popular initiatives such as salary increases for teachers. Instead, it should be characterized by fiscal restraint, judicious budget cuts and making sure one’s own house is in order. On those scores, the 2010 legislative session was a success.