The Legislative Power Struggle in Olympia
Republicans scramble to organize the House as a looming senatorial battle threatens to stall state business.
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Though forty members of the house are now here in Olympia, no one is heard prophesying the outcome of the speakership fight. The fight is mainly between Hoole and Morrison. A caucus was held by the Republican members from Whatcom, Snohomish, and Skagit, who elected Representative Roscoe as chairman to stand together on regional issues. While they kept the senatorial question out of their immediate deliberation, the contest will inevitably end in a fight along senatorial lines. The prevailing desire for a business session of the legislature is having a powerful influence; members realize that if the senatorial contest is carried into the legislature, it will prolong the session and demoralize legislation. The people are demanding beneficial legislation, and there is a general disposition among Republicans to have a business session with no deadlock.
“Every one foresees that if the senatorial contest is carried into the legislature it will prolong the session and demoralize legislation.”
Legislative brinkmanship and the tension between party factionalism and the need to 'get business done' are constant echoes in Washington's political history, from the 1893 session to current legislative cycles.
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