The state Legislature reconvened in session Tuesday, acting on a number of bills but ignoring the governor's call for consideration of emergency home heating assistance.

While Republican leaders maintained the heating assistance bill is simply not ready for full legislative action, Gov. Jim Doyle charged the party is shamelessly stalling.

"It's been five weeks since the governor asked the Legislature to take emergency action to provide heating assistance," Doyle spokesperson Dan Leistikow said, adding a lack of proper leadership by the Republican-controlled Legislature is impeding the necessary action.

Tuesday's legislative inaction came despite a letter sent by the governor Monday urging Republican leaders to take immediate action on the measure.

But according to John Murray, spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center, the bill is awaiting action by the Joint Finance Committee, and is not being stalled by Republican leaders, as some say.

Murray said the bill must first be approved by the JFC before it can be considered by the full Legislature — an executive action that is not likely to take place until next week.

"The governor knows the process better than anybody," he said, adding the letter was more of a rhetorical publicity stunt than a valid call for action.

Republican disregard for Doyle's letter marked the governor's second failed push for legislative action this month.

Earlier this month, Doyle called for a special session on home heating costs — an order that was largely ignored by Republican lawmakers, as they convened in only a skeletal session and adjourned without taking action.

But according to Leistikow, Republican inaction is an inexcusable disservice to working Wisconsin families who are struggling to pay their home heating bills.

"The Legislature shouldn't be hiding behind process and committee schedules," Leistikow said. "The Legislature is more than capable of acting quickly when it's a priority. The governor continues to think this is a priority, and he's not going to stop fighting to get assistance to working families that need it."

While the governor and many Democrats continue to stress the importance of home heating assistance, many Republican leaders are debating whether the bill is as necessary as the governor claims.

According to Mike Prentiss, spokesperson for JFC Co-Chair and Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, the bill may be neither affordable nor especially popular.

"It's not something that we've really heard from our constituents is on their radar screen," he said, adding many citizens are more concerned with issues like restoring medical malpractice caps and limiting government spending.

Prentiss said the measure — also called Senate Bill 598 — could be in JFC as early as Monday, but added the committee is currently awaiting discussions between Doyle and Republican leaders to come to an end.