Utah's top law enforcement official said Saturday that the governor is mistaken about the constitutionality of same-sex civil unions.

Attorney General Mark Shurtleff told a vocal group of Utah County Republicans that the state Constitution absolutely prohibits such unions.

"That is not a question for the courts to decide," he said at the county GOP convention. "There is no further question on that."

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. said Thursday that the legality of such unions remain unclear.

"I think that ultimately could be a court case and that might be adjudicated in court over time if it ever gets to that level. But that wasn't clear," Huntsman told the Associated Press.

Though he hasn't announced whether he will run, Shurtleff is considered a legitimate challenger to U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett in 2010.

The attorney general wasn't the first to jab Huntsman, also a Republican. Earlier, Sen. Curt Bramble and a room full of a delegates talked about Huntsman's stance on civil unions and his criticism of the national Republican party.

"How verbal do we need to get to the governor?" asked delegate Emily Clark of Provo, who said later the party core is worried about the direction Huntsman is taking.

"In talking with other delegates, we feel we need to play a better role," Clark said. "I don't know that they know how to be loud."

It's not just Huntsman, but what they view as intrusion of government in their lives that have them riled, she said.

"We're all kind of bubbling, I guess. I don't know if it's boiling, but the water is getting hotter."