Jason O'Brien-KTVB

House Democrats walked off the floor today in protest of Republican leadership's refusal to give them another seat on the budget committee.

BOISE -- Democratic state representatives stalked out of the House today to protest Republican leadership's refusal to give them another seat on the 2007 Legislature's budget committee.

The committee holds the purse strings on what's expected to be a roughly $2.7 billion state budget.

House Democrats emboldened by their November 7th gain of an additional six seats wanted to boost their membership of the Joint Finance-Appropriations to three members from just two.

Minority Leader Wendy Jaquet says the GOP's refusal could be a harbinger of conflict to come with new House Speaker Lawerence Denney.

She says, "That to me is just a total abuse of power."

Denney, a Republican from Midvale, has final say on committee assignments.

He says it was fair and believes ruffled feathers in the minority party will be smoothed over by the January 8th start to the session.