Well, so much for the bipartisanship. Just minutes after pledging a more productive, cooperative session members of the Minnesota House Tuesday got into a nasty partisan scrap.

MPR's Laura McCallum has the story:

Republican Steve Sviggum got just the votes he needed to be reelected Speaker over DFL leader Matt Entenza. The vote was 67-64, with one Republican and two Democrats abstaining from voting. Following the vote, Sviggum promised to involve DFLers in legislation.

"Understand that that outreach, understand that that ownership also brings a responsibility from your standpoint. It's no longer just throwing bombs. You're part of the process, you're part of the ownership," Sviggum said.

Minority Leader Entenza also pledged to compromise with Republicans. He then asked the Republican majority to give House Democrats more committee assignments and more staff to reflect their near-majority status. Both proposals failed. Entenza said the largely party-line votes signaled old-school politics.

"It's unfortunate that the tone the first day is that Republicans said we're going to create supermajorities for ourselves on committees, we're going to hog the staff," said Entenza.

In the Pioneer Press Pat Sweeney had some more quotes:

"The Republican majority is using its winner-take-all power to rule the House with an iron fist," charged Rep. Alice Hausman of St. Paul, a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor minority.

Steve Sviggum, a Republican from Kenyon, who was narrowly re-elected to his fourth two-year term as speaker of the House on Tuesday, angrily accused the Democrats of playing politics.

"I was really disappointed in the Democrats, extremely disappointed. … They turned it into a partisan, political show," Sviggum said.

Partisanship and politics at the Capitol? Egad! What did they expect with a 68-66 split?

Despite the theatrics in the House, there are some signs of progress. In the Senate, committees were already working to confirm some of Gov. Pawlenty's agency heads, as noted by MPR's Michael Khoo:

Senate Democrats say the quick committee action is an indication that they want to move beyond the partisan gridlock that blocked most initiatives last year.

The Senate Crime Prevention and Public Safety Committee moved swiftly to recommend Michael Campion be confirmed as public safety commissioner. DFL Committee chair Leo Foley of Coon Rapids said he's known Campion for years.

"This gentleman has been a leader in providing the kind of service that the state of Minnesota needs. And I'm pleased to support his candidacy."

A separate Senate committee gave its approval to Dana Badgerow to lead the Administration Department and to Mary Krinkie to serve on the Metropolitan Council. The full Senate could give final approval early next week.

The problems at the Capitol last year inspired the Legislature's only Independence Party member, Sen. Sheila Kiscaden of Rochester to sponsor a workshop at the U of M's Humphrey Institute later this week. Called "Beyond Bickering and Gridlock" it's designed to teach lawmakers how to negotiate and how to disagree without being disagreeable. Kiscaden said on MPR's Midday program Tuesday that after the "do-nothing" 2004 session she realized the Legislature needed outside help. So far 70 legislators have signed up for the two-day event.