Sen. Betsy Johnson recently questioned whether the governor or legislative leaders might curtail lawmakers on the House and Senate revenue committees from fully vetting potential revenue packages.

Speaking on her weekly rado show, the Scappoose Democrat recounted how she recently asked Sen. Mark Hass, D-Beaverton, the chairman of Senate Revenue, whether he would have “sufficient running room to do the kind of convocation and thoughtful discussion that needs to happen.”

Or will “somebody higher up to the political food chain…dictate that to him what the outcome ought to be?” she asked.

Johnson didn’t specify which official she was referring to.

“What I’m hearing from the big CEO job creators in the tri-county area in Portland is it’s got to be a comprehensive conversation about additional revenue and the expense side of the ledger,” she said. “It’s got to touch on PERS and that people are really yearning for that kind of compehensive package.”

During her campaign for election, Gov. Kate Brown said that she has seen no acceptabled proposals to address the $21.8 billion unfunded liability in the Public Employees Retirement System.

The Legislature needs “stop putting Band-Aid s on individual slit throats in trying to get our fiscal house back in order,” Johnson said.