Oregon Public Broadcasting

Social service advocates are outraged. But minority Republicans in the Washington legislature are praising Governor Chris Gregoire’s no-new-taxes budget proposal.

Gregoire, a Democrat, Thursday unveiled a slash-and-burn spending plan she admits she hates. It aims to close a nearly $6 billion shortfall in the coming two-year budget cycle by cuts alone – not new taxes.

State Representative Gary Alexander is the ranking Republican on the House budget committee. He says if majority Democrats in the legislature try to raise taxes, he’ll cry foul – even if it goes to a vote of the people.

Gary Alexander: “I hope we’ll make it very difficult for any tax packages to come out of this session. I’m going to work very diligently to talk about all the negative impacts a tax package would bring forward. But if the Democrats bring one forward I think voters will vote it down.”

Gregoire says she agrees that a down economy is not the time to raise taxes. She also says even a billion dollar tax hike would do little to solve the budget crisis.

Instead she proposes to balance the budget by slashing higher education and healthcare for the poor. She’s also proposing to not give pay raises to teachers and state workers – among other cuts.