Wash. lawmaker has heart attack at capitol

Rep. Mike Armstrong, R-Wenatchee, suffered what’s being described as a “mild heart attack” last night at the state capitol. He’s been hospitalized, and doctors have scheduled an angioplasty this afternoon to clear a blockage in some of his heart blood vessels. Armstrong, on his way to get an award involving state parks last night at the governor’s mansion, was walking up the steps near a gate when he suddenly stopped and felt weak. A state trooper in a nearby guardhouse came out, sat Armstrong down, and ended up calling for an ambulance. Armstrong “just wanted to keep going,” said a spokesman, John Sattgast. Doctors at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia found that he’d suffered a mild heart attack, Sattgast said. “He’s been alert and he’s been talking” to his legislative aide, he said. House Minority Leader Richard DeBolt issued a short statement: “Mike had been working extremely hard these past several weeks of the legislative session. The long hours and stress can be difficult in the best of circumstances. “We were relieved that he sought help and received immediate care from the State Patrol and emergency medical staff. I spoke with Mike yesterday evening and he was doing really well. He actually wanted to be back at work last night, but he agreed to wait for test results which showed he needs additional care…Knowing Mike he will be back on the job as soon as his doctors give him the green light.” For more on this developing story, please see our state political blog: www.eyeonolympia.com.