State lawmakers returned to the Capitol on Monday, beginning what Democratic Rep. Jeff Morris of Anacortes called a “daunting, 105-day journey” through tough budget times.

Lawmakers of both parties said they were willing to step up to the challenge of a $5.7 billion budget shortfall – although majority Democrats and anti-tax Republicans clearly have different approaches to closing the gap.

But by the end of the day, Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, reported slight progress toward a bipartisan dialogue after face-to-face talks between Republican and Democratic leaders on the budget.

“I believe we laid the groundwork for an early belt-tightening bill. Although there were no firm agreements, there were some indications that we would be able to reach agreement on some of the measures in the governor’s proposed supplemental budget,” Brown said.

The cuts under consideration in an early supplemental budget, which could be approved late this month, include such things as limits on state worker travel, contracts and hiring, according to Brown.

Republicans called it a good first talk but want to see a commitment to making a few tough budget decisions early – such as freezing or reducing enrollments in the Basic Health Plan, which provides subsidized health insurance to low-income families.

Sen. Joseph Zarelli, R-Ridgefield, the top Republican voice in the Senate on budget matters, called it a positive conversation, and said, “the discussion needs to go a lot further on making some policy decisions.”

“I think we’re off to a slow start, not a bad start,” added House Republican Leader Richard DeBolt of Chehalis.

Democrats control the House by 62-36 and the Senate by 31-18, and Democrats in both chambers could be on a collision course with Gov. Chris Gregoire. She has proposed cuts to K-12 schools and higher education, health care and human services programs.

House Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle, issued a call Monday to defend the state safety net against some cuts Gregoire wants to make.

“We have to be very careful this year not to let a budget problem rob us of our vision and values,” Chopp said in his speech to the House. “Thoreau said: ‘In the long run, men hit only what they aim at.’ We can choose to react to this economic downturn by shrinking our hopes for our state, or we can keep our eyes on the horizon and direct our attention and resources to what is truly important.”

DeBolt said in a floor speech that Republicans are willing to help find solutions, but he did not mention his caucus’ strong opposition to any new taxes.

“We need to solve the big problems together,” DeBolt said, noting that he did not put his name into nomination for speaker, which is a custom, out of a wish to act cooperatively. “We can’t afford the games and partisanship. We have problems to solve and we have to get them done.”

The session’s first day had a sad air at times.

In their opening ceremonies, 96 newly sworn-in House members took a moment of silence to remember two lawmakers who were not present: Republican Rep. Steve Hailey of Mesa and Democratic Rep. Bill Grant of Walla Walla.

Both men died of cancer in the past two weeks.

The first day’s sense of shared problems could give way to disagreements as soon as today.

Gregoire and King County leaders are scheduled to announce their plans for replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct with a deep-bore tunnel.

Chopp has strongly opposed a tunnel, fearing costs could balloon, and has championed an elevated highway approach as an alternative to simply removing the quake-damaged structure.

Lawmakers also learned that state tax collections were already down by $135 million since the mid-November tax forecast, almost ensuring a lower forecast when the next estimate comes in March.