This morning a friend asked, “Why don’t Maine legislators stop acting like kids and start working together?” I told him Republicans had been working toward a consensus budget. “Democrats,” I said, “walked away from the bargaining table, insisting on a 100 percent Democrat budget.”

“I know,” my friend answered. “I’m a registered Democrat,” and the Democrats in the Maine Legislature “are ticking me off.”

One source of frustration is the early warning set-off by Democrats over a government shutdown. Republicans have not advocated — publicly or privately — a government shutdown.

The only shutdown over the budget was in 1991. The Democrat-controlled Legislature faced a $270 million tax increae to offset a $1 billion shortfall in state revenues. The issues facing Maine were monumental and deeply divisive. Today’s budget situation in no way reflects 1991.

That was then. This is now.

In 1995 the Appopriations and Taxation committees were models of bipartisanship. Both committees were co-chaired by Republicans and Democrats. The membership was seven Democrats, six Republicans on each committee.

The Appropriations Committee (I was a member) unanimously approved a state 1996-97 spending plan including an income tax cut unaninously approved by the Taxation Committee.

Bipartisan consensus doesn’t get better than that, but Gov. King said on June 23 (Bangor Daily News) he would veto that budget. The BDN noted that without the legislative votes to override a governor’s veto, “state government would be forced to shut down (italics added) by June 30.”

Four days later the House voted 120-25 in favor of the budget, the strongest bipartisan vote for a state budget in more than 30 years.

The next day, the Kennebec Journal said Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Anne Rand, asked House Democrats to kill the budget. Reps. George Kerr told Democrats to support it. “If I thought (the tax cap) was a bad idea I wouldn’t have voted for it,” he said. Kerr credited Republicans on Appropriations for “continually work(ing) to find new compromises,” and said, “(Democrat) senators were the stumbling block to a compromise. I think they want a shutdown.”

Republicans have kept the spirit of consensus in negotiating the next state budget. Yet, since January Democrat leaders planned to pasa a Democratic state budget.

Is this best for Maine’s working families? Certainly not.

The unthinkable has become the thinkable. A one-party state budget passed before the committees can examine their portions of the budget, three months ahead of the statutory adjournment date. Also, the committee process is at “warp speed,” rapidly approaching the “critical” point. This week (March 17-21) the Taxation Committee has public hearings on 86 bills. This provides little or no time for public participation; a decidedly most undemocratic idea.

Maine’s budget should be built one block at a time. Committees have less than two weeks to look into serious ankld signficant spending items. Such as:

Why Maine, a low crime state, has the third highest corrections expenses in the nation.

Why Maine is the highest-cost state for providing services for the mentally ill, but the state court charges that we are providing inadequate services.

This partisanship is destructive at best, irresponsible at worst. Maine’s budget should be built one block at a time. Legislative committees have less than two weeks to look into some serious and significant spending items. If we don’t ask the hard questions on how your tax dollars are spent before we pass the state budget — when will we? After the state has already spent your money? Does that make sense?

If the Democrat budget passes by April 1, the Legislature will adjourn. What happens to the 1,000 or so bills not considered by committee or the full Legislature? Presumbly many would die. Democrats could “carry over” their favored bills into the next session.

When would the Legislature convene for the special session?

Probably within days of adjournment. The governor can call the special session any time. Legislators are each paid $100 a day on top of their regular pay during a special session. (The formula is: $100 X 186 legislators X 60 days.) A 60-day special session will cost taxpayers an extra $1,116,000.

I agree with a quicker legislative process. But at what point does “efficiency” kill thoughtful debate on the thousands of legislative issues impacting Maine’s working families?

There are philosophical differences separating Republicans and Democrats. Nevertheless, I have always worked to reach consensus with my Democrat colleagues, and have been successful many times. I truly believe this is what Maine people voted for last November.

James O. Donnelly is the Maine House Republican floor leader.