HELENA — It started with an emotional speech by Republican Rep. Penny Morgan, as she pleaded Wednesday with Democrats to support her attempt to increase spending for Montana’s most vulnerable citizens.

“I ask you from the bottom of my heart … not to make this bill a political football, on the backs of the people in this state that need (our help) the most,’’ she said.

But as Democratic Rep. Dan Villa of Anaconda rose moments later to reply, any hope of bipartisan conciliation vanished — and the battle was on.

In a session that has seen weekly or even daily bouts of heated, verbal jousting on the House floor, Wednesday seemed to hit a new high — or low, depending on your perspective — of bitter contention.

The subject was House Bill 808, the $3 billion human-service budget bill that Republicans have been trying fruitlessly to move to the Senate. They’ve been unable to do so because all 49 House Democrats have been voting against it, and Republicans cannot muster 50 votes of their own and the vote of Constitution Party Rep. Rick Jore of Ronan.

HB808 is one of eight separate spending bills that constitute the state budget for 2008-09. Democrats have been saying for weeks that the bills are a fraud, because Republicans created them by illegally breaking up a comprehensive budget bill.

Villa launched into a critique of the split, calling it unconstitutional — and that prompted Republican House Majority Leader Michael Lange to demand Villa be gaveled down for misstating the facts.

“They are not (unconstitutional),’’ Lange said. “You are out of order.’’

Rep. Tom McGillvray, R-Billings, who chaired the debate Wednesday, told Villa to stick to the bill. It wouldn’t be the last time McGillvray called for order, as he warned members of both parties to remain on the subject at hand, rather than level unilateral criticisms.

It didn’t take long for the members to stray.

As Democratic Floor Leader Art Noonan of Butte blasted the bill and the Republicans’ decision to break up the bills, he singled out Morgan and seemed to suggest that her pleas for human-service funds were insincere.

“Mr. Chairman, I object!’’ she interjected. “I don’t believe he needs to personally attack me.’’

That prompted House Speaker Scott Sales, R-Bozeman, to rise and remind Noonan of the House rules, which forbid members from singling out other members for personal criticism.

Noonan relented, but within minutes, he and Rep. John Sinrud, R-Bozeman, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, were mixing it up.

Sinrud asked Noonan to show him a document that proves that the multiple spending bills are unconstitutional.

“Is this another case of you badgering someone into an answer that you want to get?’’ Noonan replied.

The two sparred back and forth for several minutes over the constitutional requirements of formulating a budget, before Sinrud finally said: “Let’s get down to brass tacks here.’’

“We can sit here and complain about the process all we want … we can have our little cat fights on the floor,’’ he said. “But, what is our final obligation? When we leave this chamber tonight and we say we did not fund health and human services, that’s on your conscience, not mine. Because this bill and the funds for health and human services will get done with or without you.

“If people want to participate in the process to amend the bill or not amend a bill, that is their responsibility, their choice.’’

The bill failed, of course, on a 44-56 vote, with all 49 Democrats, six Republicans and Jore voting against it.

Moments before the vote, Rep. Ken Peterson, R-Billings, got in a parting shot at Democrats, chastising them for making a hollow “political protest.’’

“No one has addressed the substance of this bill for the people who need it out there,’’ he said. “We’re not just supposed to act in a political manner, we’re supposed to do the people’s work.’’