Gov. Jay Inslee’s ham-fisted approach March 10 in urging state lawmakers to pass a supplemental state budget sent reverberations throughout the halls of the Capitol in Olympia.

His veto of 27 mostly uncontroversial bills amplified his frustration with state legislators over what he sees as their unproductive, recalcitrant behavior in not resolving pressing budget issues.

The governor’s action was somewhat of a nuclear explosion to the legislative process. According to Brenda Erickson, a senior research analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures, enlisting a blanket veto to force a legislature to act is an uncommon tactic. But Erickson, who spoke with the regional news website Crosscut, said while it isn’t unprecedented, she knew of only two recent instances when a governor has used the tactic. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger threatened to veto hundreds of bills passed by the California legislature in 2009, but he relented before pushing his veto option after receiving concessions from lawmakers.

Here in Washington, Inslee’s vetoes had nothing to do with the bills’ worthiness. He said they’d most likely receive his signature if they were reissued to him. But while Inslee’s point was well-taken in principle, it nonetheless erased the hard work of many state legislators who, working in bipartisan fashion, saw their bills enmeshed in political gamesmanship.

The governor’s action to punish legislators hit close to home. A bill by Sen. Jan Angel, R-26th District, SB 5458, proposed streamlining management of local health-district finances; it was one of the vetoed casualties. Angel worked on a bipartisan basis with other legislators to implement the cost- and time-saving proposal by Kitsap Public Health District.

While this worthy bill — and many of the 26 others that were vetoed by Inslee — ultimately are expected to be signed by the governor at a later date, the mass veto action has only managed to create more work for legislators. It’s also muddied the already murky waters in Olympia.

Gov. Inslee, there was a better way to prove your point. Vetoing worthy legislation certainly wasn’t the responsible way.