A Deadlocked Senate, and a Pierce County Man Holding the Switch
Thirteen roll calls, thirteen 21-21 ties. As Olympia's galleries packed the senate chamber for a fight over local option, the whole thing came down to two senators quietly promising to change sides.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
OLYMPIA, Feb. 17. — A crowd which packed the senate from pit to dome today, expecting lively verbal pyrotechnics in the consideration of the local option bills, was disappointed. Absolutely without debate thirteen roll calls were had on motions to amend the Falconer bill, and each one resulted the same, 21 to 21, and the amendments were defeated.
The present plan seems to be to let this bill go to a final vote and then defeat it by the tie vote, after which Rosenhaupt of Spokane and Fatland of Pierce, who are now voting with the "drys," have agreed to come over with the "wets," which will give the "wets" power to pass a bill satisfactory to them.
The house met at 10 o'clock and had just started proceedings when Beach of Mason, addressing the chair, said: "I am greatly oppressed this morning by the cares of state and move we take a recess until 1:30."
The house caught on and with a laugh passed the motion unanimously and made a football rush for the senate chamber, where they were interested spectators during the morning session. Acting Governor Hay was also present.
“"I am greatly oppressed this morning by the cares of state and move we take a recess until 1:30."”
Washington voted itself dry by local option and then statewide in 1916, four years ahead of national Prohibition — and the mechanism was exactly this: a legislature tied in knots, with one or two members deciding the map for everybody. Modern ballot fights over alcohol, cannabis and gambling still come down to the same arithmetic in the same chamber, and still turn on whichever legislator is willing to switch.
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