State sens. Tim Sheldon, D-Potlatch, and Rodney Tom, D-Bellevue.
OLYMPIA, Nov. 27.—Senate Democrats filled out the rest of their leadership line-up for next year, but let’s say everything is definitely subject to change. Tim Sheldon, one of the Democratic senators who has been promising to vote for a bipartisan shakeup next year, insists the plan is still on.
And one sign that it definitely is still in motion: Sheldon himself is in line for a plum position, after years on the outs with his own party’s leaders.
On Tuesday the pieces started falling into place for one of the most momentous shakeups in the history of the Legislature. State Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, was confirmed as winner in his race for reelection in the 17th Legislative District, giving Democrats a narrow 26-23 majority. The final count from the Clark County Auditor’s office indicated he won his race over Democratic challenger Tim Probst by a bare 78 votes. There’s a recount still to come next week, but if the outcome holds, all it takes is two votes from Democratic senators to turn the Senate upside down when lawmaking resumes Jan. 14.
Sheldon, D-Potlatch and Rodney Tom, D-Bellevue, say they’ll vote for a power-sharing arrangement with Republicans on the first day of session. So that’s that — presuming Republicans stand firm.
Sheldon to Preside
It also means that the Dems really don’t have the power to name any Senate leaders, save their own team captains. The slate they named after their closed-door meeting at the Water Street Café can really be seen only as a recommendation. But when they were done they promptly issued a news release promising to “focus on collaboration,” full of hands-across the aisle talk.
For instance, Democrats put out the word that Sheldon is their choice for president pro tempore – the Senate officer who wields the gavel when Lt. Gov. Brad Owen is away from the podium. You might say it’s taken quite a while. Sheldon is one of the longest-serving members of the Legislature – next year will mark his 23rd session. And yet, because of his penchant for voting with Republicans on budget bills and procedural motions, Sheldon’s advancement hasn’t exactly been quick. He was a committee chairman once, years ago – but it was when Republicans were in power. And two years ago former Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown stripped him of all committee assignments save one, owing to his lack of fealty to Democratic leadership.
This year he became even more of a pariah in some Democrats’ eyes when he joined Tom and another Democrat, Jim Kastama of Puyallup, now a lame duck, in voting for a largely Republican-written budget. The troika changed the balance of power in the Senate and dumped the Dems from the drivers’ seat.
Now, despite everything, Sheldon gets the gavel. But don’t worry, he says – it hasn’t changed his thinking a whit.
“What I’m striving for is bipartisanship,” he said. “Sen. [Democratic leader Ed] Murray has been good to work with, and I appreciate the confidence the caucus has placed in me. It is a role in which you want to avoid politics. I’ve watched the lieutenant governor operate. I think it is a tradition to be fair and evenhanded and maintain decorum, treating everyone exactly alike. There is no senator who would be treated less respectfully than anyone else.”
Tom Wins Chairmanship
Meanwhile, the Dems say they’re willing to give Tom a chairmanship – though curiously it is not one of the first-rank budget assignments. They’re recommending that Tom be given the Higher Education Committee. It should be noted, however, that Tom is a leading contender for the majority leader position, should the shake-up come to pass.
The Senate Democrats are proposing that in the new order, they be given a slight majority on committees – an advantage of one member on each committee, by reason of the fact that they still technically have the majority of the seats in the upper chamber. But that’s a big switch from the past. Last time out, for instance, on the Ways and Means Committee, the Democrats packed the panel with 13 Dems and just 9 Republicans.
They say other “recommendations” for committee positions signal a degree of bipartisanship as well. They are proposing that the budget-writing committee be given to state Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam, a loyal Democratic player on fiscal matters who nevertheless frequently splits with his caucus on social issues and the environment.
In a statement, Murray said he hopes the arrangement signals the Democrats’ willingness to cooperate. “In the Senate, we’ve shown a collaborative approach can get results,” he said. “These proposals will help that collaboration continue in a chamber that often has fluid majorities. They reflect the diversity of our caucus and our state and the commitment by Senate Democrats to finding practical solutions to the issues facing Washingtonians of all walks of life.”
Bipartisan School Finance Panel Suggested
Democrats are proposing one other innovation – a bipartisan committee to consider school-finance issues, a thorny topic next year as lawmakers struggle with the billion-or-more cost of the Supreme Court’s McCleary decision, which held that the state isn’t spending enough on basic K-12 education. The committee would have an equal number of Republicans and Democrats.
Though Dems have their list, Sheldon said he expects at least some chairmanships to go to Republicans. One hot seat might be the chairmanship of the transportation committee, a natural choice, Sheldon said, given the fact that the Legislature’s transportation panels seldom bog down in partisan warfare. He said he expects negotiations between the parties to begin once Senate Republicans name their own leaders Wednesday. The GOP vote is set to begin in late afternoon.
The D-List Crowd
Here’s that list from the Ds. Democratic Caucus leaders, named by caucus:
Caucus Chair: Sen. Karen Fraser, D-Thurston County.
Floor Leader: Sen. David Frockt, D-Seattle.
Majority Whip: Sen. Andy Billig, D-Spokane.
Assistant Floor Leader: Sen. Annette Cleveland, D-Vancouver.
Asst. Majority Whip: Sen. Mark Mullet, D-Issaquah.
Recommended by Democrats, position requires a vote by the full Senate:
President Pro Tempore: Sen. Tim Sheldon, D-Potlach.
Vice President Pro Tempore: Sen. Paull Shin, D-Edmonds.
Budget, rules and select committee chairs and vice chairs recommended by the Democrats:
Ways & Means Chair: Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam; vice chair: Sen. Sharon Nelson, D-Vashon Island.
Transportation Chair: Sen. Tracey Eide, D-Federal Way; vice chair: Sen. Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens.
Rules Chair: Lt. Gov. Brad Owen; vice chair: Sen. Tim Sheldon, D-Potlatch.
Select Committee on Education Finance and Results, Co-Chair: Sen. David Frockt, D-Seattle; Republican caucus to select a co-chair.
Policy chairs and vice chairs recommended by the Democrats:
Human Services & Corrections: Sen. Nick Harper, D-Everett; vice chair, Sen. Jeannie Darneille, D-Tacoma.
Agriculture, Trade & Economic Development: Sen. Brian Hatfield, D-Raymond; vice chair, Sen. Maralyn Chase, D-Shoreline.
Government Operations, Tribal Relations & Elections: Sen. Steve Conway, D-South Tacoma.
Pre-K-12 Education: Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell; vice chair, Sen. Annette Cleveland, D-Vancouver.
Labor Commerce & Consumer Protection: Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle; vice chair, Sen. Bob Hasegawa, D- Seattle.
Energy Natural Resources & Marine Waters: Sen. Kevin Ranker, D-Orcas Island; vice chair, Sen. Sen. Andy Billig, D-Spokane.
Financial Institutions, Housing, Insurance & Telecommunications: Sen. Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens; vice chair, Sen. Mark Mullet, D-Issaquah.
Workforce Development: Sen. Maralyn Chase, D-Shoreline; vice chair, Sen. Paull Shin, D-Edmonds.
Judiciary: Sen. Adam Kline, D-Seattle; vice chair, Sen. Nick Harper, D-Everett.
Higher Education: Sen. Rodney Tom, D-Bellevue; vice chair, Sen. Bob Hasegawa, D-Seattle.
Health, Aging & Long Term Care: Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Kent; vice chair, Sen. Jeannie Darneille, D-Tacoma.
Environment & Growth Management: Sen. Christine Rolfes, D-Bainbridge Island.
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