State Sen. Mike Carrell, R-Lakewood.

OLYMPIA, May 29.–State Sen. Mike Carrell, R-Lakewood, longtime member of the Washington Legislature who was stricken with a pre-leukemic condition during this year’s legislative session, has died at age 69, the Senate Majority Coalition Caucus announced Wednesday.

Carrell, who was undergoing stem-cell treatment, took a turn for the worse in recent days and died Wednesday morning at 10:35 a.m. the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. The retired science and math teacher, known for his advocacy of crime-victim rights and for juvenile-deliquency, social-service and mental-health programs, was perhaps best known as author of the Becca Bill, which established a process to identify chronic truants and steer them to programs aimed at preventing juvenile delinquency. He had been absent for much of this year’s session due to illness.

Carrell’s passing places the state Senate in an odd political situation that will send the Legislature scurrying for the lawbooks. Carrell was a member of the largely Republican Senate majority caucus, which has a bare 25-24 majority over the Senate Democrats. Until a replacement can be found for Carrell, the Senate is tied 24-24. Should a vote end in a partisan split on final passage, it is unclear whether Lt. Gov. Brad Owen, a Democrat, has the ability to cast a tiebreaking vote sufficient to pass a bill.

Passion and Policy are Remembered

Carrell was one of the longest-serving members of the Legislature. He first turned up at the statehouse in the early ’90s as a citizen lobbyist representing the interests of divorced fathers during heated debate over what was then called the “fathers’ rights” issue. He won election to the state House in 1994 and was appointed to the Senate in 2004, replacing Shirley Winsley, who took a seat on the state Board of Tax Appeals. By reason of geography and interest, Carrell became a leader on mental health – Western State Hospital is located in his district – as well as in corrections – the same was true of the state prison at McNeil Island. He was a leader in the Senate’s welfare reform efforts in 2011.

In February he revealed to constituents that he had been diagnosed with a precursor condition to leukemia known as MDS, myelodysplastic syndrome. Though he was absent much of the session, he saw more than a half-dozen of his bills become law. Among other things, they created a statewide mental health database to be used in restricting access to firearms and will provide whistleblower protections to state employees who file ethics complaints.

Carrell taught science and math for 30 years at the junior high, high school and college level. He and his wife Charlotte had three sons, Matthew, Larry and Carlton.

Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler said in a statement, “Sen. Carrell was a true statesman who put the people of Washington above all else during his 19 years of public service as a legislator. It was a pleasure to serve with him throughout his distinguished Senate career. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this difficult time.”

“Mike Carrell always looked at his time in the Legislature as a way to represent and serve his neighbors, the people of the 28th District. He fought to improve the safety of our communities and for an efficient and effective criminal justice system that above all else would focus on compassion for the victim and protection of the community.”

Schoesler recalled the passionate speeches Carrell was fond of delivering on the Senate floor, and added, “Personally, Sen. Carrell was kind, warm and gracious man, with a great sense of humor and strong convictions. His commitment to his community was always evident in his work, and you always knew exactly where you stood with him. At the same time, he worked every day he was at the Capitol to reach across the aisle in a bipartisan manner and to get results for his constituents and this state.

“He will be missed by his family, constituents, friends and colleagues more than words can convey.”

Governor, Lawmakers Issue Statements

Gov. Jay Inslee responded in a statement: “I just heard the news of Senator Carrell’s passing. This is a sad day, and Trudi and I grieve for his family and friends. Sen. Carrell was a gentleman and a committed public servant who worked hard for the less fortunate among us. He will be missed by his constituents, fellow lawmakers and everyone who has worked with him over his long career. His service to his constituents and our state will not be forgotten. I had the honor of signing several of his bills into law which will stand as part of his legacy to Washington state.”

Sen. Mike Padden offered, “From the start of his service as a legislator in 1995, Mike was passionate and worked very hard to learn about the issues. I left the Legislature during his first year in office; when I returned in 2011 and we began serving together again after many years, I instantly saw how Mike still had that passion and work ethic but also had become an accomplished statesman, able to work with people on both sides of the aisle.

“He really was a role model for what a legislator should be – the way he cared about the people of his district, how hard he worked and studied the issues. The fact that the 28th District, which is a ‘swing’ district politically, had returned him to office at every opportunity is a real tribute.

“When Mike became a state representative I was chairman of the House Law and Justice Committee. He served on my committee then, and this year, when I became chairman of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, he was on my committee again. In fact, we were on each other’s committees this year, because he was chairman of the Senate Human Services and Corrections Committee. We worked extremely closely, especially on bills that overlapped between our committees; Mike was a staunch ally, and I feel particularly privileged to have served with him at the beginning and the end of his legislative career.

“According to Mike’s wife Charlotte he passed away very peacefully in his sleep. That’s of some comfort, but still, this is such a loss for our state, his legislative district and of course his family. Mike was a kind and considerate person, and we will miss him dearly, even though he’s with the angels and saints now. It’s hard to think about being at the Capitol without him.”

Colleagues Pay Tribute

Other statements poured out through the afternoon:

Secretary of State Kim Wyman: “I’m saddened to hear about the passing of Sen. Carrell. I know he battled his illness with great courage. Sen. Carrell cared passionately about the issues he worked on, and he served his constituents very well. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife and family. He will be missed.”

Lt. Gov. Brad Owen: “Mike Carrell was an incredibly dedicated state senator who was highly respected by his colleagues and constituents alike. We will miss his leadership, his willingness to collaborate with others and his strong voice on the Senate floor.  We will also miss his deep passion on family issues and his exemplary work toward keeping our communities safe. Our hearts go out to Sen. Carrell’s family, to all those who knew him, and to those who served with him.”

Senate Democratic Leader Ed Murray, D-Seattle: “It’s a sorrowful day in the Senate. Mike Carrell was an excellent public servant. Respectfully, our thoughts are with Mike’s family and not on any implications his passing may have on the Senate. Today the Senate lost one of its own. Mike Carrell will be missed.”

Sen. Steve Conway, D-Tacoma: “Mike was a champion for Fair Share of criminal justice facilities in Pierce County and a great leader for criminal justice reform in general.

“I worked alongside him for many years in the Legislature and Mike was as collaborative a legislator as they get. No one spent more time analyzing bills than Mike did, even as he was undergoing chemotherapy.

“He was a tireless champion for Pierce County. Mike didn’t care about Republican policy or Democratic policy – he worked to advance policy that was best for the county. This is a real loss for the Senate and for Pierce County.”

Sen. Jeannie Darnielle, D-Tacoma: “In Mike’s role as chair of the Human Services and Corrections Committee in the Senate this year, he showed himself to be committed to a fair and open and collaborative process that resulted in twenty-five excellent bills coming out of his committee. Even though he couldn’t be there, he was as involved in the process as anyone, and he engaged me as an equal in my role as ranking minority member.

“I’ve been a colleague of Mike’s for as long as I’ve been a legislator. He always embraced opportunities to work collaboratively with members of the Pierce County delegation. You could tell he was a teacher: he always had a story or a historical reference to bring to the conversation. Mike was an intensely positive, true gentleman and professional. He will be missed.”

Creates Constitutional Issue

Carrell’s passing creates a political pickle for the Legislature. Because the two caucuses are tied until a replacement can be named – a process that can take weeks – it is entirely possible that some or all of the big end-of session bills could end in tie votes. Although Lt. Gov. Brad Owen maintains that the state constitution gives him the ability to cast tiebreaking votes in all cases, there are many who beg to differ and the issue has never been tested in court. The state constitution says in one place that the lieutenant governor casts votes in cases of ties, but another section says that “a majority of the members elected to each house” must cast votes in favor of a bill in order for it to be considered passed. Forty-nine members were elected to the Senate in prior elections, including Carrell. If Owen is counted as a member of the body for purposes of casting a vote, the membership of the Senate increases to 50, and thus 25 votes are not sufficient to pass a bill. Owen maintained in an earlier ruling that because the constitution says he has the ability to cast a tiebreaking vote, his vote is sufficient to pass a bill. He has done so on one occasion, but that vote went unchallenged, and Owen’s interpretation has not been kicked to the courts.

“The only thing that I would say is that it is tragic,” said state Republican chairman Kirby Wilbur. “Mike was a good senator and a good man and a good husband and it is a tragedy. We simply hope the Democrats won’t take advantage of this tragedy with the changed composition of the Senate and give the Republicans a chance to fill the seat with someone who would vote the way that Mike would have wanted and do the job the way that Mike would have wanted.”

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