It may be the short session, but partisanship in the State House is making it feel long.

When Gov. John Baldacci urged both sides to work together at a Tuesday luncheon, the looks on some Republicans’ faces could be interpreted as: “Yeah, right.”

On Wednesday, a House vote on whether Democrat superstar George Mitchell’s portrait should be painted and hung in the State House, the vote went along party lines, Republicans voting against.

They’re ticked.

Much of the animosity stems from Jan. 30, the day Republicans tried in vain to stop the Democratic majority budget from being passed.

The split was over what each side calls a crisis. Republicans say Maine has a spending crisis and that Gov. John Baldacci’s Dirigo health will make it worse. Democrats say Maine has a health-care crisis and Dirigo is the answer.

When both sides did not agree, Democrats – in the majority – passed the budget without Republicans.

There was also tension in the Senate, where Democrats hold a tiny 18-17 majority.

Days before the budget vote, Democrats were down two members: Pam Hatch, D-Skowhegan, was out because of a car crash; Chris Hall, D-Bristol, was in England because his father died. Democrats needed both votes or Republicans would win.

Suffering from sprains, a broken bone, an infection and a bad knee, Hatch was forbidden from going by her doctor. When she told him it was to protect Dirigo, he relented. She was wheel-chaired in.

Meanwhile, Hall’s family postponed the funeral, allowing him to fly home and vote. Democrats won 18-17.

Almost $100 more a day

Did you know that because both parties could not agree on the budget, it almost cost taxpayers $500,000?

Here’s how:

The governor was under the gun. He needed to have his budget take effect before the end of the fiscal year, June 30. Because laws don’t take effect until 90 days after the Legislature adjourns, if the Legislature adjourned at its legal adjournment date of April 21, Baldacci’s budget wouldn’t have taken effect until well into July.

Because Republicans opposed his budget, getting the two-thirds vote necessary to pass the legislation as an “emergency” and have it take effect quickly was out of the question. So, against the objections of Republicans, Democratic leadership “adjourned” the Legislature on Jan. 30, then resumed work in a “special session” beginning Feb. 2. The budget will take effect at the end of April, and lawmakers will continue their work in “special session” mode.

However, special sessions are normally only called after regular adjournment, when lawmakers are no longer getting paid. For that reason, each of Maine’s 186 lawmakers are given $100 a day during special sessions.

Since under the current situation lawmakers are still getting their weekly pay checks, also collecting $100 a day “would have been double-dipping,” said Senate Majority Leader Sharon Treat, who proposed the $100-a-day pay be waived. Lawmakers agreed.

Treat estimated that cost would have been an extra half-million dollars or more to taxpayers.

Didn’t see Janet

Just before Catholic Bishop Joseph Gerry spoke to legislators Tuesday, Baldacci welcomed him. Baldacci first joked that he and a friend watched the Super Bowl, but that as former alter boys they somehow had the good sense to be doing something else during the half-time Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction.

“We didn’t see a thing,” Baldacci said.

Bonnie Washuk is the Sun Journal State House reporter.