BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - House Speaker Jim Tucker said Tuesday that last-minute haggling over a bill to let the attorney general use contingency fee contracts for oil spill litigation wasn't designed to kill the bill, as Senate President Joel Chaisson contends.

The issue sharply divided the two chambers, with no resolution as the legislative session ended a day earlier. As the clock wound down and the bill's fate became clear, Chaisson embarked on a fiery speech lambasting the House and business lobbyists for jettisoning the measure.

"The fact that the president would say we delayed this deal ... is nothing short of balderdash. It's just rubbish," said Tucker,