But lawmakers cast final votes on major legislation on Tuesday — including bills that address traffic gridlock and affordable housing — and left their internal struggles for yesterday. The House adjourned quickly yesterday morning after a prayer, and the suspense turned to the Senate.

After failing behind the scenes to get enough votes to oust Bunda, a faction led by Vice President Donna Mercado Kim, Majority Leader Colleen Hanabusa and Majority Floor Leader Clayton Hee proposed a resolution that would allow a majority to call a Senate meeting at any time during the year to choose leaders.

The resolution passed on a 13-12 vote, but only after two Republicans were persuaded to join the 11 Democrats in the faction.

Questions were raised immediately about whether the Senate could change leadership at a meeting without formally being in session. A two-thirds vote is required to call a special session, although lawmakers also can return for a day to override a governor's vetoes or if a governor calls a special session.

The power play puts the Senate leadership into disarray just as Democrats were trying to define the session and transition politically toward the 2006 elections, when they must defend their majority at the Legislature and find a candidate to challenge Gov. Linda Lingle.

Bunda, if he survives as president, could move to dump Kim and others involved from their leadership roles, while the faction that went after Bunda could use the fallout from yesterday to convince other Democrats that a leadership change is critical.

Hanabusa, D-21st (Nanakuli, Makaha), said the rift was due to a lack of confidence in Bunda's leadership and his ability to develop a clear direction and strategy to counter Lingle and the Republicans. Communication between the Senate leaders had disintegrated.

"We don't seem to have any kind of formed response," said Hanabusa, mentioned most often as a potential Senate president.

Bunda, D-22nd (North Shore, Wahiawa), said it was a stretch to describe the move as a vote of no confidence. "It was a close vote," he said.

Before the session, some Democrats were more concerned about maintaining party discipline in the House, where Democrats had increased their majority after the November elections and some younger lawmakers were pressing for a more aggressive message. But House Speaker Calvin Say survived a leadership challenge and the House kept its focus on issues such as affordable housing and giving counties the option of raising taxes for transportation projects.

Say, D-20th (St. Louis Heights, Palolo, Wilhelmina Rise), said lawmakers tackled some of the major objectives they had identified at the beginning of the session.

"We passed an omnibus housing bill that begins to address our housing dilemma — to provide affordable housing for the average family while not forgetting about the needs of the homeless and the hidden homeless," Say said.

The speaker also applauded lawmakers for taking "a huge, bold step" by passing the county tax option for transit.

House Minority Leader Galen Fox, R-23rd (Waikiki, Ala Moana, Kaka'ako), said he did not think enough was done to help provide affordable housing. By Republican calculations, he said, the housing bill would only provide about 300 more units for low-income families each year.

Lawmakers also failed to deliver on a promise made by the governor and some lawmakers to provide tax relief for the needy, Fox said. "The way I look at it, if you put that kind of spending power in the hands of people who are going to spend money, you're helping the whole economy," he said.

In the Senate, instead of a traditional closing-day speech, Bunda congratulated his colleagues for their work and inserted written comments into the Senate's journal. "To be sure, we did not accomplish all that we hoped to in this session such as tax relief for the middle class, the people whose tax dollars pay for most of the decisions we make here at the Legislature," Bunda wrote. "But we have made inroads, and let me tell you, they all seem to point in the right direction."

The leadership fight had consequences for both parties. Republicans immediately stripped Sen. Gordon Trimble, R-12th (Waikiki, Ala Moana, Downtown), of his position as minority policy leader for helping the faction against Bunda without consulting other Republicans. Sen. Paul Whalen, R-3rd (Kohala, Kona, Ka'u), also voted with the insurgent Democrats.

Sen. Sam Slom, R-8th (Kahala, Hawai'i Kai), said he was approached by Democrats but would not agree to help if Hee would benefit substantially from a leadership change. Hee, D-23rd (Kane'ohe, Kahuku), has been a target for Republicans for his critical treatment of some of Lingle's nominees. Hee blocked the confirmations of Big Island businessman John Kai and University of Hawai'iiHilo student Dylan Nonaka to the UH Board of Regents.

Senate Minority Leader Fred Hemmings, R-25th (Kailua, Waimanalo, Hawai'i Kai), suggested that the Democrats were bringing "old-guard politics" back to the Senate and referred obliquely to Hee's controversial tenure as trustee for the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Hee took offense at the OHA remark and referred to Hemmings' ties to Punahou and the Outrigger Canoe Club. "Let us be clear," Hee said, "that the last thing the kanaka need is an outsider telling the insider what's wrong with it. We do the best we can."

Afterward, Hemmings said Hee's comments were racist. "Clayton Hee is an ugly face for them to have in leadership," he said.

Hee said that nothing he said was racist and asked why Hemmings brought up OHA. "Why is it that Native Hawaiians and Native Hawaiian institutions are always being told what is wrong with them by non-Native Hawaiians?"