Tacoma’s Rep. Jinkins reelected state House Speaker, caucuses start to choose leaders
With less than two months to go before the 2021 legislative session begins, Washington state legislators are choosing the core leaders who will guide them through law-making and budget-writing while in the throes of a pandemic.
Democrats and Republicans in the House of Representatives have elected peers to serve in many key leadership positions, and Senate Democrats chose who will fill two big roles.
Democrats have maintained majorities in both chambers going into 2021, when a long session is scheduled to start Jan. 11 and last 105 days.
Leaders in the House
Representatives from districts that serve Pierce County will be at the helms of their respective parties in the state House.
Rep. Laurie Jinkins from Tacoma was reelected Speaker by her Democratic peers, according to a press release. It’s not yet official — she was technically elected Speaker-designate until the full chamber votes when session starts in January.
Jinkins broke new ground when she was first elected Speaker in 2019, as the first woman to serve in the position, as well as the first lesbian.
This will be her first full term in the role. She took over for Frank Chopp, a Seattle Democrat who was the longest-serving Speaker in Washington history. He was reelected this year to his House seat.
The Speaker of the House holds broad power, appointing the chairs of committees and heading up the rules committee, which decides which bills from policy and fiscal committees get considered on the House floor, and in what order.
“To have the continued trust and confidence of my colleagues in these challenging times for our state is the highest honor,” Jinkins said in a prepared statement. “Our caucus is ready to do the people’s work safely. We will lead by example, following state and local health guidance while preserving transparency and access for the public.”
On the other side of the aisle, Rep. J.T. Wilcox of Yelm was reelected leader of the Washington state House Republicans on Monday during the caucus’s virtual reorganizational meeting, according to a press release.
“It is an honor to serve with these great lawmakers,” Wilcox said in a prepared statement. “What I have learned about our members is that we run toward challenges during difficult times, not away from them.”
Wilcox also seized the chance to push for a special session, saying in the statement, “And that is what you are seeing right now as we call for a special session to address our state’s health and economic crisis. We look forward to the work ahead and being a part of solutions, when possible. And we will continue to speak up for the people who feel like they are being ignored in Olympia.”
Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self from Mukilteo, who is serving as Majority Caucus Vice Chair, was elected Majority Caucus Chair by House Democrats in their Saturday reorganization assembly. Rep. Eric Pettigrew had been serving in the role and didn’t seek reelection to his House seat this year.
Ortiz-Self wrote that she is the first Latina to hold the position in Washington in a tweet Saturday.
She likely is the first, according to a caucus spokesperson, but the Chief Clerk couldn’t confirm that because the House doesn’t ask members their race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. He was only able to find a few women in the role in records reaching back to 1965, Spokesperson Jen Waldref wrote in a text message to McClatchy.
“I know my mother is looking down and smiling,” Ortiz-Self wrote on Twitter.
As caucus chair, Ortiz-Self will preside over caucus meetings and serve on the caucus leadership team to set its agenda for next session.
Rep. Pat Sullivan from Covington was reelected House Majority Leader, Rep. Monica Stonier from Vancouver was reelected Majority Floor Leader and Rep. Marcus Riccelli from Spokane was elected Majority Whip for the third time, according to a press release. The Majority Whip is responsible for vote counts on bills and member logistics, such as who will be absent and office and parking assignments, according to Waldref.
Rep. Tina Orwall from Des Moines was reelected to the position of Speaker pro tempore-designate for 2021, and Rep. John Lovick from Mill Creek was reelected Deputy Speaker pro tempore-designate. The two will swap roles in 2022, according to the caucus press release.
House Republicans also reelected Rep. Joel Kretz from Wauconda as Deputy Minority Leader, Rep. Paul Harris from Vancouver as Minority Caucus Chair, Rep. Jacquelin Maycumber from Republic as Minority Floor Leader, Rep. Drew MacEwen of Union as Assistant Minority Floor Leader, and Rep. Dan Griffey of Allyn as Minority Whip.
Rep. Chris Corry from Yakima will be the second Assistant Minority Floor Leader, a spot previously held by Rep. Morgan Irwin, who did not seek reelection in 2020.
And in the Senate, so far
Senate Republicans are scheduled to elect leadership during their reorganization in early December, according to caucus spokesperson Kimberly Wirtz, while Senate Democrats chose two key leaders last week.
Sen. Andy Billig of Spokane will continue to serve as Senate Majority Leader, while Sen. Bob Hasegawa from Beacon Hill was elected Caucus Chair for the first time.
Hasegawa will step into the role left vacant by former Sen. John McCoy, who retired.
“I am so honored to be chosen by my colleagues as the newest Majority Caucus Chair in the Washington state Senate,” Hasegawa said in a prepared statement. “We may be facing a year full of challenges, but our goal of putting the people of Washington first will remain the top priority.
“From providing families with the resources necessary to recover from the pandemic, to increasing access to high-speed broadband for all Washingtonians, to addressing the budget shortfall we face through an equity lens, bold intentions from state lawmakers will pave the way towards a better Washington that we can all thrive in. I’m eager to get to work and build that future.”
Senate Democrats will decide who will fill the remaining leadership positions in the coming weeks, according to spokesperson Aaron Wasser.
This story was originally published November 17, 2020 at 5:45 AM with the headline "Tacoma’s Rep. Jinkins reelected state House Speaker, caucuses start to choose leaders."
.jpg)