Republicans opposing a supplemental operating budget that passed Saturday from the state House of Representatives say it boosts uncontrolled spending without tax relief.
House Republican Budget Leader Chris Corry of Yakima says the Democratic plan spends substantially more than making mid-course adjustments to the $70 billion operating budget passed last year.
“We’re told this is a true supplemental budget. There is a variety of new policy programming and spending in here, out of two-point-two billion dollars. That’s a thousand percent increase over 10 years.”
With state revenues up, Kennewick Representative April Connors says some of that money should have been returned to struggling Washington taxpayers for food, groceries, and housing.
“The state collected an extra three-point-three billion dollars over this four-year outlook. This is the people’s money we have collected. We owe the people to give some of their money back to them.”
The bill passed 58 to 37 with Republicans voting no. It now goes to a House/Senate conference committee to work out details of a final plan that must be approved by both chambers before the Legislature adjourns March 7th.
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