TRENTON -- A half-day into a state government shutdown Saturday, state Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto said for the first time he was willing to reconsider his staunch opposition to the piece of legislation at the center of the drama: a bill demanded by Gov. Chris Christie that would impose more state control over Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey's finances.

The comments represented at least a glimmer of hope of ending a battle that caused the state Legislature to miss Friday's deadline to pass a state budget and caused Christie to shut down non-essential parts of the state government. Christie's shutdown order bars New Jersey residents from state parks and beaches at the start of the July 4 holiday week.

Christie, a Republican, has tied the Horizon bill to the passage of the Democrats' $34.7 billion budget containing some $350 million funding lawmakers desperately want to protect.

The governor has vowed to reject through a line-item veto the spending on school funding, college tuition grants and other key programs if he doesn't get legislation that he said is needed to make the $2 billion not-for-profit more publicly accountable.

So far, Prieto has repeatedly said he wouldn't consider any deal related to the Horizon legislation.

That has prompted a war of words between the two leaders, with Christie calling this the "speaker's shutdown." Prieto fired back, saying it was the governor who was holding New Jersey "hostage."

But Prieto on Saturday appeared more open than ever to negotiating a solution -- with conditions.

During a Statehouse news conference, Prieto (D-Hudson) said any compromise on the bill would have to contain a "reasonable cap" on the reserve fund of the state's largest insurance company, and anything deemed in excess by the state Department of Banking and Insurance would have to go back to Horizon's ratepayers.

A measure passed by the Senate on Thursday and supported by Christie would place reserves excess into a public health fund benefitting underinsured and uninsured New Jerseyans.

Prieto also said any compromise would have to take place after both houses of the Legislature pass the budget and end the shutdown.

"I am open to looking at a cap that is sensible, but anything would have to go back to the ratepayers," Prieto said. "Outside of that, we would have to vet the bill, talk about it and really digest it. To ram this through is unacceptable."

Still, state Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester), who has pleaded with Prieto to support the Horizon bill, assailed the speaker for not wanting to compromise until after the budget.

"If that's the case, that's complete B.S.," Sweeney said during a separate Statehouse news conference Saturday. "He could settle it today. He's putting his own personal feelings ahead of people."

Sweeney said he and state Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex), sponsor of the Horizon legislation, tried to compromise with Prieto on Friday night.

"You know what he said? No," Sweeney said.

Earlier Saturday, Christie held a news conference in which he berated Prieto for forcing the shutdown. Less than an hour later at his own news conference, Prieto took great pains to point the finger at Christie.

Declaring that Saturday was "day 1 of Chris Christie's hostage crisis," Prieto waved a copy of the Christie's order shutting down "non-essential" government functions and furloughing state workers.

"Only the governor has the authority to issue an executive order," he said.

Prieto said Christie was holding Democrats votes for the budget hostage because they want to preserve the $350 million in funding Christie has said he would protect. But he told his colleagues who have twice failed to pass the budget bill to not believe the governor.

"He has constitutional authority to line item (veto) anything," Prieto said. "And that is something he will have to own."

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.