There were early fireworks in the Legislature's budget committee Tuesday morning when Gov. Butch Otter's budget chief accused lawmakers of sneaking in money for computers for lawmakers‚ used in the current fiscal year.

Otter used his line-item veto to kill two appropriations last year, but the Legislative Council shifted funds to purchase computers for every lawmaker. The laptops are used for House members to cast their votes on the floor and by all lawmakers to read bills, access the Internet and exchange e-mails with constituents. Otter blocked $100,000 for the new computers and $142,300 in ongoing money for computer support, maintenance and software.

But budget director Wayne Hammon said lawmakers sneaked the spending into their budget, a move Hammon described as "particularly offensive to the governor." The money was included as a base adjustment in budget documents, not a line item as is customary, Hammon said.

"No executive branch agency would be allowed to attempt such a slight of hand," Hammon chided the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee in the panel's first meeting of the session.

Hammon's remarks brought a quick retort from the committee's co-chairs, Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, and Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome.

"I want to express my disappointment with those comments," said Cameron, who said the money was redirected in a manner common in other agencies.

Cameron said Otter vetoed the computer appropriation in retaliation for the committee's refusal to fund a request from the governor. "Those comments, in my opinion, are not warranted," added Cameron.

Said Bell: "We've been called a lot of things, but we've never been called sneaks before."

The Legislature's top staffer, Jeff Youtz, said lawmakers played by the rules.

"I've been part of the budget process for over 30 years and helped write the rules for agency submissions and I can tell you that what the Legislature proposed in their budget to restore the computer money is perfectly appropriate and follows the rules that every other agency follows," said Youtz, director of the Legislative Services Office. "Mr. Hammon's comments were not only inaccurate, they were grossly unfair."

But Hammon warned the committee that a legislative request to restore the $143,200 in ongoing money for fiscal 2010 would be subject to another veto.