State relations

Washington State Legislature

The Washington State legislature is a bicameral body, similar to U.S. Congress, with an upper chamber called the Senate and a lower chamber called The House of Representatives. There are 49 legislative districts in Washington State; each district is served by one Senator and two House members. There are a total of 147 legislators, with 98 House Representatives and 49 Senators. Members of the Senate are elected to four-year terms, and the House members are elected to two-year terms.

The Senate and House of Representatives meet in session each year to create new laws, change existing laws and enact budgets for the State. The legislative cycle is two years long. Within that two-year cycle, there are two kinds of legislative sessions: regular sessions and extraordinary, or special, sessions. Regular sessions are mandated by the State Constitution and begin the second Monday in January each year. In odd-numbered years (the budget year), the legislature meets for 105 days and in even-numbered years for 60 days.

Washington State Governor Jay Inslee (D)

Jay first became involved in public service in 1985. Motivated to fight against proposed funding cuts for rural schools, Jay went on to represent the 14th Legislative District in the state House of Representatives. He continued serving communities in the Yakima Valley when he was elected to Congress in 1992. The Inslees later moved back to the Puget Sound area where Jay was elected to Congress in 1998, serving until 2012.

Contact

Phone: 360.902.4111
Website: http://www.governor.wa