Dear friends and neighbors,
As my time in the Legislature winds down, let’s look back on what shaped my early life and career before I ran for the state House and some of the biggest accomplishments during my 24 years as a legislator.
My candidate statement in the Tri-City Herald, 1969.
Growing up in Yakima, I became interested in politics at a young age. My father — a federal employee bound by the Hatch Act, restricting federal employees from engaging in political activity — would drop me off at Yakima’s Democratic headquarters to grab brochures I’d take home to read and discuss with my family. One day when I stopped by to do this, a volunteer asked if I wanted to put up signs for Gov. Albert Rosellini. I said yes; it was the first of many campaigns I volunteered for.
After studying English and education at Washington State University (Go Cougs!), I taught high school U.S. history and English in Pasco and spent three years working at the state’s first high school program for potential dropouts. Seeing my students succeed was the best part of the job.
While living in Pasco, I was encouraged to run for city council. At age 26, I ran and won, serving for six years before moving to Olympia for a job at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The superintendent of public instruction arranged for me to work for him for about a year before moving to Washington D.C. to work on the education budget for Sen. Warren G. Magnuson as an Appropriations Committee staffer. I worked on the bill to create the U.S. Department of Education and was the lead staff person developing the department’s budget. One of the many projects involved included providing funds to implement desegregation of Seattle Public Schools. After five years in D.C., I moved back to Olympia with my family.
In 1980, I began working in the state Legislature as Ways & Means staff director. That lasted only six weeks before a senator switched parties and the Democrats lost the majority; with Republicans in charge, many of us were fired. We took the issue to court and wound up saving our jobs through the session — working for the Democratic Caucus. Because there was no office space for the large number of displaced staff, many took over tables in the Legislative Building cafeteria. The experience was an “interesting” introduction to the Legislature!
State government and the Legislature were much different in those days — it was a paper-based world. There was only one portable computer, which was about the size of a portable sewing machine. We had secretarial assistants in the caucus. When a bill or amendment had to go to the code reviser, they would type it up and send it over. We went through with a red pen, edited and sent it back. Every legislator and key staff had his or her copy of bills in large three-ring binders. We had a large bill room crew during session. Every night they updated the bill books, either putting in new bills, substituting bills or gluing on amendments. This was a tedious late-night practice.
The bill room was located on the first floor of the Legislative Building, across the hall from what is now the Legislative Gift Center. The public, agency and legislative staff, and lobbyists went to the bill room to get numerous paper documents, bills, amendments, weekly and daily committee and floor agendas, etc.
Senate Democratic Caucus staff, circa 1982.
After my time as a legislative staffer, I served as Gov. Booth Gardner’s education adviser for a couple of years before taking a break from state government and teaching elementary school in Montesano.
In 1992, Gov. Gardner encouraged me to become the legislative liaison for the newly created state Department of Information Services. DIS was created to provide centralized and coordinated technology services to state and local governments. My job was to work with the Legislature in support of legislation related to the agency and keep legislators appraised of what the department was doing.
Finally, in 2000, I decided to run for a seat in the House of Representatives. I had continued my involvement in party politics and served as Thurston County Democrats chair. I was also chair of Rep. Cathy Wolfe’s successful House campaigns. When she decided to leave the Legislature and run for county commissioner, she and others encouraged me to run for the seat she was vacating. My family and friends were very supportive of the idea, so I became a candidate and was elected as a new 22nd district state representative and sworn into office in 2001.
During my time in both the House and Senate, I prioritized legislation to invest in our teachers and schools. I am particularly proud that under my guidance, we have the country’s most secure, accurate, and accessible election system. Myemail newsletter will look closer at those accomplishments. It’s been an honor to serve you in the Legislature for all of these years. I hope you enjoy these brief reflections.
Sincerely,
