[media-credit name=’BRYAN FAUST/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]Gov. Jim Doyle called on the Wisconsin Legislature Tuesday to ask lawmakers to convene in a special session next week and consider a package providing $6 million of energy assistance to low-income families.

Legislators, however, offered mixed reactions to the governor's request, with most Republicans expressing disapproval of the special session, scheduled for Feb. 14.

"The fact is that the Legislature was scheduled to come in just seven days after the governor called a special session anyway," said Assembly Majority Leader Rep. Mike Huebsch, R-West Salem, referring to the previously scheduled Feb. 21 session date.

According to Huebsch, the necessity of a special session is questionable, especially when $80 million is already available to low-income families and an additional $10 million is currently in the legislative process.

But Doyle and Democratic backers counter the current level of available funding as not enough, charging Republicans are out of touch with the needs of Wisconsin's citizens.

"There's a lot of families that are struggling to afford their heating bills," Doyle spokesperson Dan Leistikow said. "The governor has simply asked that after weeks of delaying the legislators will come and do their jobs."

Legislators, contrary to the governor's request, will not convene in a full special session but in one of skeletal proportions.

Both Huebsch and Senate Majority Leader Sen. Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center, issued e-mails to their legislative colleagues maintaining the Assembly and Senate will only hold skeleton special sessions, which only each body's leaders are required to attend.

As Democrats charge Republicans are putting partisan politics before struggling families, Republicans maintain they are complying with the governor's order while addressing procedural limitations.

"We feel we are addressing the governor's concern and … we are moving [the emergency heating assistance package] forward at a much faster pace than a normal bill would receive," Schultz spokesperson Todd Allbaugh said, adding the passage of bills is restrained by certain rules.

According to Allbaugh, the package may not even be ready for legislative debate by next week, as the Senate is not allowed to consider bills not approved by a committee.

Leistikow, however, expressed skepticism.

"With a special session, [a bill] can go immediately to the floor and be voted on. It can happen in a day," he said. "When they say skeletal session, what they really mean is that they don't want to do their jobs … that's clearly not acceptable to the governor."

And Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, communicated similar concerns in a press release, backing the governor and questioning Republican priorities.

"The difference in priorities between our parties couldn't be any more clear … I can't think of anything that is more important on Feb. 14 than providing real relief to our working families," Pocan said.

Republicans counter Democratic priorities are also in doubt and question the party's motives.

"I think [Democratic] charges are a little too loud and a little too hollow right now," Huebsch said, adding the party's actions "look more politically-driven than actually policy."

Furthermore, some Republicans are speculating such politically-driven motives could include Democratic efforts to divert attention away from the alleged recent scandal within the governor's administration.

"I think that [they are] playing politics and are put[ting] a bright shiny object out there for people to take their focus away from some of the administration's current problems as far as ethics and contracting concerns," Allbaugh said.

Despite Republican charges, Doyle expects the legislators to convene as ordered, according to Leistikow.

"[The governor] is going to continue to make his case to the Legislature and to the people of Wisconsin that the Legislature can't ignore this call," Leistikow said. "They've got to come in on the 14th and do their jobs."

But Huebsch maintained the Legislature will only convene in a skeleton special session.