The brouhaha over the funding bill came to the House floor for a second straight day on Wednesday, with minority Democrats prodding GOP leaders over rumors that the bill would be divided up.
House Minority Whip Art Noonan, D-Butte, quizzed Majority Leader Michael Lange about GOP plans for what is known as House Bill 2. It usually begins life as the governor's budget and works its way first through the House before going to the Senate.
"What I hear you saying, is really an unwillingness to answer this direct question," Noonan told Lange during an exchange on the House floor on Wednesday.
"What you are trying to get me to do is tell you what my plans are for managing the House," Lange responded. "But as the old saying goes: 'We are managing the House on this side of the aisle.'
"If you think I am going to come to you and ask your advice on managing the House - nice try. Not going to happen."
The GOP in the House holds a slim lead, with 49 Democrats to the 50 Republicans who will often be aided by the vote of Constitutional Party Rep. Rick Jore. But Jore has already shown an unwillingness to vote on anything that spends more money, which could cause problems for a Republican House Bill 2.
Lange has said that in the end he believes the budget to come out of the House will have to have some Democratic support.
In the meantime, the GOP is fending off criticism from minority House Democrats, Democrats who run the Senate and the influential Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer. They have said House Republicans are dragging their feet on key legislation.
During a caucus meeting with House Republicans on Wednesday, Lange took some shots back at the Democrats. He said the "second floor," a common reference to the governor's office, is wrongly belittling the Legislature.
"Don't pay attention to that drivel," he told fellow Republicans. "It's a sign of weak character."
House Speaker Scott Sales, R-Bozeman, added, "We have better ideas, and we are sticking to our principles. That's the reason for the noise from down there."
Lange earlier told The Associated Press that he wants to make sure the House gets its say in the budget process, and so he has left the door open for a number of separate budget bills. Legislative staffers have said that funding measures used to be separate decades ago.
Noonan said he is not trying to pry into the GOP strategy with his questions.
"We really are just trying to understand how we can cooperate and work within the system," he said.
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