After two years of an online and hybrid Washington State 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 January 9.
A main issue at the start of the session was moving past the COVID-19 pandemic and adopting new rules and procedures that allows for both in-person and remote participation.
Lieutenant-Governor and Senate President Denny Heck saidthe electorate sent the senators to the legislature this session tomake a difference.
“They have given us power to do good. And then it is a singularopportunity, an opportunity to make a difference in the lives ofpeople,” Heck said.
In the House, 23 new and 75 re-elected House members were sworn into office.
Almost half of the House lawmakers in this session are women, an increase from 2022. Washington state currently ranks fourth highest in the representation by 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,” House speaker Laurie Jinkins, Rep. D-Tacoma, said in her opening day speech. “Their trust has again been placed in us to get the job done over the next 105 days.”
Members of the Squaxin Island tribe and Nisqually tribe opened the session with a song as well as a prayer led by Antonette Squally, vice chairwoman of the Nisqually tribal council.
Two women continue to hold leadership positions that oversee the House. Having already served two remote legislative sessions, Jinkins was re-elected house Speaker. Tina Orwell, D-Des Moines, was also re-elected as speaker pro tempore.
The House also elected Dan Bronoske, D-Lakewood, for deputy speaker pro tempore, and Bernard Dean for chief clerk.
Senator Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines, was elected president pro tempore of the Senate. John Lovick, D-Mill Creek, was nominated and elected as the vice president pro tempore.
Jinkins set the tone for the coming legislative session by encouraging bipartisanship to solve workforce challenges that best serve the interests of working Washingtonians.
“As we kick off the 2023 legislative session, 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,“ Jinkins said.
While white males continue to hold most legislative seats, year by year, Washington lawmakers are moving closer to representing the demographics of Washingtonian constituents.
The Members of Color Caucus currently make up one-third of the House Democratic caucus. The MOCC prioritizes policy proposals that aim to address systemic racial injustice inherent in Washington state laws.
In the state, nearly 95 percent of legislation passed yearly is bipartisan. Members on both sides of the aisle vocalized the desire to continue bipartisan support for the rights of working families across Washington.
Republican leader J.T Wilcox, Rep. R-Yelm, echoed Jinkins in the need to work together in bipartisanship.
“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.”
In a sign of what's to come, Wilcox recognizes on behalf of his party that both chambers of the legislature have many of the same issues concerning affordability, inflation, and how to support the workforce.
“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.
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