HELENA -- The partisan slugfest over state spending intensified Thursday as House Republicans rolled out six budget bills to cut Democrat Gov. Brian Schweitzer's proposed budget hikes by $241 million over two years.

With the legislative session approaching the halfway point, House Republicans released details of the six spending bills to replace the single budget bill they jettisoned last week. The Montana Legislature had used a single budget bill to cover all agencies for the past 30 years.

At a press conference in the Capitol rotunda, House Speaker Scott Sales, R-Bozeman, hailed the change as "a day of historic significance'' that would bring back "a level of accountability in the budget process we haven't seen in 30 years.''

Lawmakers now will be able to vote yes or no on each budget bill, Republicans said, instead of feeling the pressure to vote for the single budget bill, even if they found parts of it hard to stomach.

House Appropriations Chairman John Sinrud, R-Bozeman, likened the GOP approach to a family breaking its home budget into various expenditure categories such as housing, health care, vehicles, utilities and entertainment.

"We're taking this right down to a household budget,'' he said. "Why shouldn't government do that?''

Sinrud emphasized that the new Republican budget proposals are not budget cuts at all, but represent reductions in the budget increases sought by Schweitzer. Republicans estimated their budget would boost the state's general fund spending by 13.3 percent for a total of $2.95 billion over the next years. Schweitzer sought to increase spending by 22.6 percent for a total of $3.19 billion over the same period.

Republicans want to trim the levels of state spending increases advocated by Schweitzer and use the savings to help fund permanent property-tax cuts that are greater than the governor's proposed tax reductions.

Schweitzer criticized the GOP plan to break up the budget and said in a telephone interview he won't sign any of the single budget bills until he sees the entire package.

"(Republicans) say that this is a more transparent system,'' Schweitzer said. "I don't know that it's a better system. It's not transparent.''

He also questioned the Sinrud's home budgeting analogy, saying: "I wonder how many families have six checking accounts. They have one checkbook.''

House Democrats denounced the GOP budget bills as the product of partisan game-playing and closed-door secrecy. They accused Republicans of tossing aside the comments of Montanans who traveled to Helena earlier this session to testify on the former budget bill and forcing them to travel here again.

"If this was such a great idea, why didn't they work on it from Day One?'' asked House Minority Leader John Parker, D-Great Falls.

Parker called on Republicans "to end the secrecy and open the door for the public to participate.''

Added Rep. Eve Franklin, D-Great Falls: "I would characterize this for the public as a bait-and-switch budget.''

While Democrats have questioned whether the new budgeting method will pass legal muster, Republicans scoffed at the claim.

"That's a lot of hooey,'' said House Majority Leader Michael Lange, R-Billings. "We're taking back a process that belongs to the people of Montana, and we're giving it back to the people of Montana.''

However, Parker questioned whether the new budgets provided adequate money to jail violent criminals, to treat mentally ill people and to fight drugs.

"If they don't attend to the people of Montana, we won't support it,'' the House Democratic leader said.

Republicans have a narrow 50-49 majority over Democrats in the House, with Constitution Party member Rep. Rick Jore usually joining Republicans to oppose spending increases.

Over in the Senate, however, Democrats have a only slightly larger 26-24 margin and will get the budget bills after the House. It is expected that Senate Democrats are likely to pump back in much of the money cut by the House.

A joint conference committee would negotiate any differences, but Senate conferees would have to agree to remove any spending hikes added by the Senate. The Democratic governor in the end decides whether to sign or veto the spending bills or issue line-item or amendatory vetoes.

House Republicans intend to bring the six bills before the House Appropriations Committee on March 5, when lawmakers return from their mid-session break.

Crunching the numbers

HELENA -- Here are totals released by House Republicans that compare their recommended spending levels in five general fund spending areas versus those proposed by Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer:

- General government and transportation. Schweitzer has proposed spending $270.5 million in general fund money over the next two years for a 37.7 percent biennial increase over the current adjusted base. Republicans favor spending $219.8 million for a 11.9 percent biennial increase.

- Health and human services. Schweitzer: $766.8 million for a 24.1 percent biennial increase over the base. Republicans: $746.4 million for a 20.8 percent biennial increase over the base.

- Natural resources and commerce. Schweitzer: $98.2 million for a 72 percent biennial increase over the base. Republicans: $85.3 million for a 49.3 percent biennial increase over the base.

- Corrections and public safety. Schweitzer: $415.3 million for a 39 percent biennial increase over the base. Republicans: $366.5 million for a 22.6 percent biennial increase over the base.

- K-12 and higher education. Schweitzer: $1.64 billion for a 14.6 percent biennial increase. Republicans: $1.53 billion for a 7 percent biennial increase over the base.

- Grand total: Schweitzer: $3.19 billion for a 22.6 percent biennial increase. Republicans: $2.95 billion for a 13.4 biennial increase.

Republicans have divided up the five budget areas and put them in six bills instead of the traditional single state spending bill.