Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon lawmakers Thursday made the first of a series of cuts to the current fiscal year’s budget.    They figure the best way to start what could be a painful process is by looking in the mirror.  Salem correspondent Chris Lehman reports.

House members voted unanimously to take away $4.3 million from the Legislature’s own operating budget.  It’s money that’s used to staff their offices and generally carry out the business of being lawmakers.

Democratic Representative Nancy Nathanson of Eugene told her colleagues this first cut sets an example for what’s to come.

Rep. Nancy Nathanson: “I ask for your vote, but I won’t put a happy face on it.  This is just merely the first in some of the hardest and most important work we’ll do while we’re here for this session.”

$4.3 million sounds like a lot, but it’s a small fraction of the $800 million in cuts lawmakers will have to make between now and the end of June.

Those could result in layoffs of state workers and reduced services to the poor and disabled.

The vote comes as lawmakers are sifting through the federal stimulus package moving quickly through Congress.

Online:

Oregon House Bill 5015