Special districts were willing to foot the bill – more than $20,000 a day – for the special session going on at the Colorado Capitol. They, after all, stand to benefit if legislators fix an error that cut pot buyers a tax break while taking millions away from services such as transit, cultural districts and rural healthcare services.

Lawmakers aren’t willing to pay or let someone else pay, even though it’s their own mistake they’re in session to fix.

Gov. John Hickenlooper brokered the possibility of special districts covering the cost last week, which Colorado Politics was first to report. The law allows the state to recoup an administrative cost, he told reporters Monday afternoon.

“This is something, if the generally assembly chooses to do it, they can do it,” he said. “If they choose not to do it they don’t have to do it.”

Republicans in the statehouse said that since Hickenlooper called the session without consulting with them on a willingness to pass legislation, he should pay the cost.

Hickenlooper joked about that. “Who in here thinks I should pay for the session?” he asked a room full of reporters.

Legislative leaders from both parties weren’t willing to surrender the per diem lawmakers paid to attend the session each day.

“It’s up to individual members to make the decision whether or not they’re going to ask for a per diem,” House Speaker Crisanta Duran, a Denver Democrat, said. “A lot of our legislators have to take time out of their busy schedules to come back for three days. From a financial perspective, some may be relying on that. Colorado is not like many states and we have pretty minimal salaries , so there are some legislators who quite frankly need it for financial purposes.”

It would take at least three days to pass a bill, but Senate Republicans are expected to kill a House bill that fixes the problem Tuesday, ending the session in two days – “two days of taxpayer dollars down the drain,” said Senate President Grantham, a Republican from Canon City.

Grantham said he didn’t expect Republicans to surrender their special session pay, either.

Colorado lawmakers earn $30,000 a year for a 120-day legislative session.

(Editor’s note: This story was updated.)