After two years of an online and hybrid Legislature that severely restricted legislators’ direct contact during the pandemic, the House and Senate chambers were full of people reuniting and greeting each other at the opening of the legislature Jan. 9.
A main issue was moving past COVID-19 and adopting new rules that allow for in-person and remote participation.
The president of the Senate, Lt. Gov. Denny Heck, said community members sent senators to the legislature this session to make a difference. “They have given us power to do good. And then it is a singular opportunity, an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of people,” Heck said.
In the House, 23 new and 75 re-elected members were sworn into office. Almost half are women, an increase from 2022. The state ranks fourth highest in the nation with female lawmakers.
“Washingtonians sent more women and people of color from every corner of the state to work together on solutions to our most pressing issues,” speaker of the House Rep. Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, said in her opening speech. “Their trust has again been placed in us to get the job done over the next 105 days.”
Two women continue to hold leadership positions that oversee the House. Jinkins was re-elected speaker and Rep. Tina Orwell, D-Des Moines, was reelected as speaker pro-Tempore.
Jinkins set the tone for the session by encouraging bipartisanship to solve workforce challenges. “I invite all of us to focus on our common ground. I believe the historical diversity in this chamber strengthens our ability to serve all Washingtonians.”
While white men continue to hold the majority of House seats, Washington lawmakers are moving closer to representing the demographics of their constituents.
Members of Color Caucus make up one-third of the House Democratic Caucus. The MOCC prioritizes policy proposals that aim to address systemic racial injustice inherent in state laws.
In the state, nearly 95% of legislation passed yearly is bipartisan. Members on both sides of the aisle vocalized the desire to continue bipartisanship.
Republican leader Rep. J.T Wilcox, R-Yelm, echoed Jinkins in the need to work together. “Let’s work on the things we have in common first,” Wilcox said. “We know we are going to have fights and I don’t mean to disrespect anybody’s ideology, we all have that. But let’s make as much of our effort as possible around accomplishing the best things for people and save our fights for later.”
Wilcox said both chambers of the House have many of the same issues concerning affordability, inflation and how to support the workforce.
The House aims to address a variety of concerns and provide resources for their constituents. For the rest of the first week, committees meet and tackle these issues together.
“Last biennium, more than a third of bills passed this chamber unanimously. That is a lot of common ground. And that is not easy. These bipartisan successes only happen when we are creative and listen to our constituents and each other,” Jinkins said.
