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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

New Spokane-area legislators excited for first day of session as work begins

Members of the House of Representatives take the oath of office on the first day of the 2025 legislative session on Monday in Olympia.  (MITCHELL ROLAND/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW)

OLYMPIA – Monday’s start of Washington’s 105-day legislative session also marked a new beginning for several Spokane-area lawmakers.

The day included much of the pomp and circumstance one would expect, with members of the House and Senate convening to elect chamber leaders, take the oath of office and begin the work that voters throughout the state sent them to Olympia to do. Over the next 104 days, lawmakers will hold committee hearings, consider legislation and, ultimately, adopt a biennial budget.

On the first day of the session, The Spokesman-Review checked in on the new lawmakers who will represent the Spokane area.

Rep. Rob Chase, R-Liberty Lake

Chase, who previously represented the 4th Legislative District from 2021-23, noted that the session would be his first time spending an extended period in the capitol, as COVID-era restrictions largely limited lawmakers to remote work in his first term.

As he begins his second session, Chase said he’s “thrilled to be back” and that he’s “spent the last two years studying the issues.”

As work begins, Chase sits on the state government and tribal relations committee, the education committee and the finance committees. Chase was “kind of surprised” to be selected for the education committee, though he said “there’s a lot of challenges there that I think I can help with.”

“I thought a lot about it over the years, and I can see if there’s changes or bills that could help education,” Chase said.

As of 5:30 p.m. Monday, Chase, who previously served two terms as the Spokane County treasurer, had yet to file legislation for the current session.

Rep. Andrew Engell, R-Colville

Engell, who represents the 7th Legislative District, previously served as deputy district director for U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers. Ahead of the session, Engell was selected for the agriculture and natural resources committee, the health care and wellness committee and the housing committee.

Engell said he planned Monday to introduce his first piece of legislation, which would demote wolves from “endangered” to “sensitive.” The proposal, he said, is based on prior recommendations that were not enacted.

Engell said he also planned to introduce several pieces of legislation to build housing, and would oppose a bill that would cap rent increases to 7% annually. Soon after taking the oath of office Monday, Engell sat in on his first committee hearing as lawmakers begin to consider the rent control proposal.

Rep. Hunter Abell, R-Inchelium

Abell, an attorney at a Spokane-area law firm, was selected to serve on the finance committee, the rules committee, the environment and energy committee, and will serve as the assistant ranking minority member on the civil rights and judiciary committee. In an email to The Spokesman-Review, Abell outlined his areas of focus, which includes public safety.

“We need more law enforcement officers in our state to keep our streets and communities safe,” Abell said. “We need to crack down on crime and allow prosecutors to do their jobs.”

Citing a desire to “protect taxpayers,” Abell said “any budget shortfall should be addressed through smarter, more efficient governing, NOT tax increases.”

Abell said he also wanted to focus on “protecting our agriculture, ranching, small business communities as well as our small forest owners from over burdensome regulations and ineffective and misguided environmental rules.”

Rep. Natasha Hill, D-Spokane

The attorney entered the House chambers for the opening ceremony beaming and linking arms with seasoned seatmate Timm Ormsby, D-Spokane. After her swearing-in Monday morning and the pomp and circumstance of opening ceremonies, Hill had little time to bask in her new chamber before assuming the seat on the housing committee in a packed hearing. A crowd gathered outside the full hearing room, where the committee took up a controversial “rent stabilization” bill that would cap rent annual increases for existing tenants at 7%.

During her campaign, she said she’d advocate for a bill to slow rent increases. She was not available for comment on Monday.

In addition to housing, Hill sits on committees for the capital budget and early learning and human services.

Sen. Marcus Riccelli, D-Spokane

Though a freshman in the Senate, legislating isn’t uncharted waters for Marcus Riccelli, D-Spokane, sworn in as a state senator Monday after ascending from the House, where he spent six terms representing the district that represents central Spokane.

He’s eager for his positions in committees for state government, tribal affairs and elections; health and long-term care; rules; and ways and means, the latter an influential budget-writing committee.

He also was named Senate majority floor leader responsible for assigning bills to committees, helping schedule floor discussions and managing time spent debating bills on the floor.

The only Senate Democrat east of the Cascades, the role gives Spokane a seat at the table in party discussions, he wrote in a release.

A push for Riccelli this year is his ongoing effort to establish universal free school meals across the state, as well as grappling with an estimated $12 billion budget shortfall under a Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson who will be inaugurated Wednesday.

Reporter Elena Perry contributed to this story.