Special Session Day 2: Fagan resignation letter delivered
OLYMPIA -- Rep. Susan Fagan delivered a letter to Gov. Jay Inslee officially resigning her 9th District seat as of Friday.
Fagan, R-Pullman, announced her resignation Wednesday in the wake of an ongoing investigation by the Legislative Ethics Board into allegations she falsified expense reports. She said she hoped her successor could be named swiftly.
"It is important that the people of the Ninth Legislative District be fully represented during the Special Session," she wrote.
The 30-day clock on special session started Wednesday. There might not be any important votes to take for the next few days, but eventually legislators are going to have to vote on the operating, capital and transportation budgets, plus perhaps other contentious topics where an extra vote one way or another might decide an issue.
By resigning before May 11, the first day for candidates to file for office, Fagan's seat will be part of a special election this fall. Had she waited until after May 11, her replacement wouldn't have to run until 2016.
But the process of filling the seat can be time consuming, and may take more than 11 days. So people interested in the seat, even if they don't get the appointment, can file for the office during filing week. Open seats in this strongly Republican district can draw a crowd, although incumbent Republicans often run unopposed, or with only token opposition.
Fagan had no opponent last year, or in 2012.
Because the 9th District has all or parts of six counties, the Republican State Central Committee will propose three nominees for the seat. The party typically gets those nominees from Republican precinct officers in the district, and submits the list to the county commissioners of the six counties, who will have 60 days from tomorrow to meet and try to get a majority to agree on one of the three.
If the commissioners can't agree after 60 days, Inslee makes the appointment from the list within the next 30. Odds are that won't happen because Republicans are not likely to let a Democratic governor make the choice.
