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The bonding bill debate flared in the House again today during a procedural action to start a conference committee with the Senate.

Some Republicans were still rankled from last night when House DFL leadership used a procedural motion to end debate on the bill.

Rep. Marty Seifert, R-Marshall, explained he calculated that the length of debate, which he found insufficient, came out to $4.5 million of bonding bill per minute of debate.

House Minority Leader Kurt Zellers, R-Maple Grove, said the DFL tactic was like a bully in the school yard punching another kid in the nose, just because he can.

But Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia, criticized Republicans for unwise stinginess.

Rukavina, pointing to the beautiful State Capitol building, said in today’s dollars the Capitol would have cost about $860 million for a single building.

Still, Gov. Tim Pawlenty, in his bonding bill, only bonded $685 million for the entire state, said Rukavina.

“That’s where your buddy Tim has taken us,” said Rukavina to Seifert with disgust.

House Majority Leader Tony Sertich, DFL-Chisholm, told Republicans that if they felt the bonding bill was too big, they should step forward and have projectsfor their districts taken out.

Sertich pointed to Rep. Mark Buesgens, R-Jordan, as one lawmaker who not only talks the talk, but walks the walk politically.

“You’re a very rare creature here — and I leave it at that,” Sertich said.

Sertich argued that the length of debate, about four hours, fell within historic lengths.

“We’ve got to get our work done,” said Sertich. “We have a finite amount of time to get our work done. And we’re going to get our work done,” he said.