Rep. Paul Harris, R-Vancouver, issued the following statement on today’s budget action in the Legislature:

“I cannot support a budget that goes against my principles or those of my caucus. I know there was a concerted bipartisan effort to craft the operating budget. However, the final product is harmful to education, lacks real reform, doesn’t establish priorities and is missing long-term solutions. We are still funding partial programs and not streamlining services where we can.

“I am also very concerned with two areas which should be top priorities – education and public safety. The deep cuts to education and pushing the apportionment monies into the next biennium are disingenuous to teachers, school districts and taxpayers. We are also cutting 86 community corrections workers in addition to 385 community corrections employees cut over the past two years.

“This budget misses an opportunity to set Washington onto a path of long-term fiscal stability.”

House Bill 1087 passed the House by a vote 54-42. It now heads to the Senate for further consideration.

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Kurt Hammond, Public Information Officer, (360) 786-7794