State House Speaker Frank McNulty is a gaveler. He repeatedly hammered the Dems Tuesday and even turned the microphone off as one lawmaker attempted to debate revenue projections, writes the Denver Post. All the bickering is over a state revenue target, which, if lowered by 2.75 percent as Republicans have recommended, will force lawmakers to slash an additional $195 million from the budget—increasing the $1 billion or so already on the block.

Democrats, now a slim minority in the House after six years in the majority, compare the Republican resolution to a "letter to Santa Claus." McNulty has called out minority leader Sal Pace and his fellow Democrats, saying they "will use any excuse to divert attention from the fact that they simply cannot get away from their need to spend money we don't have." But Dems say just because they oppose the GOP plan doesn't mean they don't care about budget deficits, notes the Associated Press.