Rep. Norm Johnson asks lawmakers to live within their means

February 27, 2016

The House supplemental operating budget, which passed on party lines this week (Thurs), is getting less than rave reviews.  Most disappointed are House lawmakers themselves.  Ruth Johnson reports from Olympia.

Anncr:  Of greatest concern for many legislators:  120 million dollars in tax increases.

Rep. Johnson: “Just one of these days while I’m here, I’d sure like to see the majority party in the House learn to live within their means instead of the knee jerk reaction that we get, ‘well, the answer is raise taxes.'”

Anncr:  Representative Norm Johnson of Yakima.

Rep. Johnson: “It’s not the answer.  The answer is, we’ve got a good healthy income.  Let’s live within it.”

Anncr:  He says he’s not sure he’d call what passed in the House a budget.  It’s more like a bargaining tool, he says, devised by a majority party that knows the Senate will never approve.

Ruth Johnson, Olympia.