Even as Utah's federal senators begged off the immigration issue Tuesday, state leaders are busy tweaking their own reform efforts to correspond with the wishes of religious and business leaders.

Senate Bill 81 is an omnibus effort to encapsulate immigration reform including identification, enforcement and even alcohol sales. But recent statements by multiple religions, including one by an authority of the LDS Church, about compassion for immigrants has softened the stances of many Republicans.

Bill sponsor Sen. Bill Hickman, R-St. George, said he's working on amendments that will allow churches to provide charitable services such as food, clothing and temporary shelter for illegal immigrants. He said he hopes it will address religious leaders' concerns. Last week, Marlin Jensen, a member of the LDS Church's Quorum of the Seventy, said during a speech that lawmakers should consider the human costs of their actions. A spokesman repeated on Tuesday that the church takes a neutral stance on the immigration issue.

Hickman's bill will also include "modest" changes to make it more palatable for businesses.

"He has taken some of the harshness that has been in the other states and has softened the harshness," said Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem, who added that many faiths have asked for compassion in legislation.

States such as Oklahoma and Arizona are being criticized for passing laws that crack down so hard on immigration that those states' economies are suffering because businesses can't find labor and residents are leaving.

Instead, the bill will "stem the tide of the impact undocumented folks are having in the areas of health care, criminal justice and so on," Hickman said.

The Senate gallery was filled Tuesday in anticipation that Hickman's bill would be debated, but it was circled at the last moment so he could make the amendments. It is expected to surface again on Thursday.

The state's head-on approach to immigration is in stark contrast to the efforts of the federal government, which has so a failed to make any major reforms. On Tuesday, U.S. Sens. Bob Bennett and Orrin Hatch said not to expect anything for up to five years.

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. has "serious reservations" about the aspects of many of the immigration bills coming through the Legislature.

Spokeswoman Lisa Roskelley declined to say whether he would veto any such bills until he had seen them.

"He's hopeful that there will be a useful piece of legislation that comes across," she said.