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Q&A: Sen. John McCoy looks back on 17 years in the Legislature

After 17 years of service in the Washington State Legislature, Sen. John McCoy announced his retirement last week. Before McCoy became one of the longest serving Native American legislators in the state’s history, he had a career in military service and years as a computer technician and business leader.

McCoy is lauded by his caucus for his dogged advocacy for Native American and rural communities, notably helping to bring better telecommunication infrastructure to the Tulalip Tribe, of which he is a registered member.

I called Senator McCoy this week to hear some of his reflections from a long career in the Legislature. I wanted to know what he was most proud of, what couldn’t get done that he wished he had, and what he thinks his former colleagues must focus on going forward.

Michael Goldberg: Looking back at your time in the Senate, what legislative achievements are you most proud of?

SJM: I’m proud of all my legislative achievements. But those that come to mind are the Wage Payment Act – that was my first difficult bill. Then I’d say a dental therapist bill which took 12 years to pass. There was also farm workers legislation, the interesting thing there is – while I got a bill passed this last session – all of these activities I did before didn’t require legislation. We just used current law and I asked the question: “why isn’t this getting done?” Getting work done without legislation is always a great feeling.”

MG: Is there something you didn’t manage to get done while in office that you wish you had?

SJM: This last session there was bill SB 6262 – an Indian education bill – which got caught in the morass of time and everything else but folks in the Senate and the House understand that bill meant a lot to me so they are going to run it themselves and get it passed for me.”

MG: Can you compare the nature of the relationship between state and tribal governments in Washington today with when you first entered the Legislature?

SJM: 17 years ago there was a lot of misunderstanding about the relationship between tribes and the state government. Prior to me getting elected into the Legislature, Chairman Ron Allen of Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and I worked with the Kellogg Foundation and NCSL in doing a study on the various differences of relationships between states and tribes around the United States. There are 18 states that have a significant number of tribes in them, so we studied those and it was quite varied in how states interfaced with tribes. Our goal was to try and develop an understanding between the two groups and see how we could build better relationships. What Chairman Allen and I discovered is that Washington State has the best relationships with tribes but it also still has a long way to go. It’s a continuous work in progress. It was only supposed to be a 15 month project and we wound up working on it for three years.” 

MG: Zooming out a bit, in what ways, if any, has the political landscape in Washington changed over the past several years?

SJM: Both sides have learned more about each other and how to work with one another. Again, that is still a continuous education work in progress because the Legislature keeps turning over. I discovered that the Legislature turns over almost every year. For whatever reason, legislators keep changing. Like now in the House, there are very few people I know over there. It’s continuous relationship building on both sides.” 

MG: What issues do you think should be top of mind for the Legislature in the near future. Obviously with the pandemic ongoing, the focus will be on rebuilding the economy and fighting the spread of the virus, but what issues or set of issues deserve the attention of legislators to make life better for more Washingtonians?

SJM: Well going back to your earlier question of something I didn’t get done, something I worked on throughout my entire legislative career and before I got in the Legislature I was working to get the internet out to rural areas. That’s the big item that I wished I could have gotten done which I didn’t. If Washington is to grow, it needs to get the internet to everybody. Our rural folks need it. As you know the schools were closed and the kids were supposed to be distant learning – not all kids have access to the internet. So we’re shortchanging some kids. But there’s also the economy. The way our infrastructure is built around the internet, if we don’t have it then nothing happens. If we’re going to rely on the internet then we have to get it to everybody. Our rural folks have a lot to provide the world and if they can’t have access to the internet then they’re gonna be left behind.”

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length.


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