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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spin Control

Spec Sess Day 5: No budget by end of session?

OLYMPIA -- A Republican member of the House Ways and Means Committee expressed serious doubts Friday the Legislature would pass a new budget before time ran out on the special session. And the chairman of the committee did nothing to contradict him.

At the start of a hearing on various programs that would be eliminated under Gov. Chris Gregoire's proposed cuts of some $2 billion, Rep. Bill Hinkle, R-Cle Elum, wondered if anyone in the room thought the Legislature "would vote the governor's budget out by the end of special session."

"I don't think it's going to happen," Hinkle said. "Are we really going to do that?"

Committee Chairman Ross Hunter, D-Medina, replied that was a question "the chair is unable to answer."

Hinkle asked for a show of hands for those who thought it would happen, but Hunter didn't allow that vote to proceed, and began taking testimony on a bill to reduce the state's payments to rural hospitals.



The Spokesman-Review's political team keeps a critical eye on local, state and national politics.