By Jerry Burris
Advertiser Editorial Editor

Even in ordinary years, the speeches delivered when the Legislature opens are important.

This annual exercise is more than an opportunity for people to blow off political steam.

Rather, the opening-day speeches by the leaders of the majority and minority parties, and the State of the State address by the governor, set the tone for the session.

One can go back at the end of a session and reread the opening speeches, and almost always you'll discover that the bones of what was to come are in there.

True, every session offers up surprises. But the big issues usually are identified fairly well in those early addresses.

So what are the bones evident in the speeches delivered on opening day by the House speaker, the Senate president and the leaders of both houses' Republican minorities?

On specific issues, the game plan is clear: Find ways to stimulate the economy and shuffle things around to make the public-school system work better, or at least make it appear so.

Almost everyone agreed that writing a budget that balances without raising taxes will be the toughest task. In fact, if you just listen to what was said on opening day, the job is more than difficult; it's almost impossible.

But beyond issues, there were political themes in those talks that will become clearer as the session wears on. Here's one:

Republicans were in a jubilant mood. A Republican governor has been elected, and they take that as a mandate from the public that their ideas, their program, will have to be treated seriously.

Traditionally, Republicans have been left with little to do but snipe from the sidelines as the Democratic majority and the Democratic governor upstairs go about their merry way.

That picture has changed.

What the minority lawmakers will have to realize, however, is that now they have to come up with ideas and bills that the majority can swallow. It won't do any good to propose ideas simply to demonstrate that the Democrats won't accept them. By the same token, Democrats will hurt no one but themselves if they treat the Republicans as a minority not worth heeding.

After all, there's history to suggest the Republicans will come to the table ready to deal. For instance, there was a period in the Senate in which the Republicans got into a power-sharing deal with one faction of Democrats. They were rewarded with committee chairmanships and a real voice in leadership. The sniping stopped, and the GOP contributions to the overall legislative product were considerable. This could — should — happen again this year.

Of course, the legislative speeches on opening day were only part of the overall picture. The remaining gaps will be filled Tuesday, when Gov. Linda Lingle delivers her first State of the State address.

If the "bones" buried beneath the words of Lingle's address suggest we have entered into an era of cooperative, bipartisan policy-making, the 2003 session will be remembered for a long time to come.

Reach Jerry Burris through letters@honoluluadvertiser.com.