BySenators Braun, Billig, Brown, Carlyle, Cleveland, Conway, Das, Dhingra, Dozier, Fortunato, Frockt, Gildon, Hasegawa, Hawkins, Holy, Honeyford, Hunt, Keiser, King, Kuderer, Liias, Lovelett, Lovick, McCune, Mullet, Muzzall, Nguyen, Nobles, Padden, Pedersen, Randall, Rivers, Robinson, Rolfes, Saldaña, Salomon, Schoesler, Sefzik, Sheldon, Short, Stanford, Trudeau, Van De Wege, Wagoner, Warnick, Wellman, C. Wilson, J. Wilson, and L. Wilson

WHEREAS, Senator Douglas J. Ericksen was a Whatcom County native who spent the last 22 years serving his community and the citizens of Washington State in the state legislature; and

WHEREAS, He earned his bachelor's degree from Cornell University, where he played collegiate baseball and football; and

WHEREAS, Senator Ericksen was a 1995 graduate of Western Washington University, where he earned a master's degree in political science and environmental policy; and

WHEREAS, While still in college, Senator Ericksen began his legislative career working in the office of Senator Ann Anderson, whose seat he later held; and

WHEREAS, In 1998, Senator Ericksen ran for the state House of Representatives from Whatcom County's 42nd Legislative District, and held the position for six terms; and

WHEREAS, Senator Ericksen then moved to the Senate where he chaired the Senate Energy, Environment and Telecommunications Committee from 2013 to 2017, and later continued serving as ranking Republican member; and

WHEREAS, Senator Ericksen was a steadfast advocate for preserving jobs, including jobs at manufacturing facilities such as Alcoa's Intalco Works, always taking up the cause of workers and families in his district; and

WHEREAS, Senator Ericksen played an integral role in every legislative debate over energy policy, emphasizing practical cost-effective approaches that would give electricity ratepayers and purchasers of motor fuel the biggest bang for the buck; and

WHEREAS, Fearless in the face of opposition, Senator Ericksen was one of the Legislature's strongest voices for fiscal responsibility, limiting government overreach, supporting agriculture, preservation of Washington's clean and affordable energy advantage, jobs and industrial development outside the Central Puget Sound metropolitan area, and pragmatic and balanced solutions to environmental challenges; and

WHEREAS, Senator Ericksen sponsored legislation to create the state Environmental Legacy Stewardship Account and designated cleanup projects as first priority for funding, preventing a tax increase on fuel and other products, and speeding up cleanup projects across the state, including the revitalization of former industrial properties on the Bellingham Bay waterfront; and

WHEREAS, Senator Ericksen was also instrumental in securing passage of legislation that balanced safety concerns with the practical need to get tanker cars to the refineries of Northwest Washington; and

WHEREAS, Senator Ericksen enjoyed introducing creative bills, proposing the first bill to offer a mechanism to reduce carbon ever to pass either chamber of the Washington State Legislature; and

WHEREAS, When state incentives for home and community solar installations were due to expire, Senator Ericksen successfully extended the program and phased it out smoothly, a move that spurred the installation of thousands of new solar systems and created over a thousand jobs before sunsetting, according to legislative auditors; and

WHEREAS, Senator Ericksen worked hard to support public-private partnerships to develop new fish hatcheries on Puget Sound to provide salmon for fishermen and feedstock for Washington's resident orca whales; and

WHEREAS, Senator Ericksen was fond of introducing legislation to make a point, and one such instance was a proposal to restore Seattle waterways and other Seattle water projects to a pristine wilderness state; and

WHEREAS, Senator Ericksen was a champion for protecting the rights of the individual and the freedoms guaranteed by the state and federal Constitutions; and

WHEREAS, Senator Ericksen deeply respected and cherished the privilege of representing his constituents in the state legislature; and

WHEREAS, Senator Ericksen passed away on December 17, 2021, at age 52, but his legacy lives on; and

WHEREAS, He is survived by his wife Tasha, and two daughters, Elsa and Addi, his mother Bettelou, brothers David and Donald, and many loving friends and members of his extended family;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Legislature honor Senator Doug Ericksen and further his dedication and service to the citizens of Washington State.