WHEREAS, In 1976, Terry Lee Wilson graduated from Indiana University School of Law, where he learned the fine art of bill drafting from the legendary Professor Reed Dickerson; he hasn't stopped drafting bills since; and
     WHEREAS, After graduating from law school and seeking to flee the rust belt of Indiana, Mr. Wilson packed his 'Bread' albums in the back of his silver Chevrolet Chevette and drove west; and
     WHEREAS, Like the explorers Lewis and Clark, Mr. Wilson didn't stop until he hit the Pacific Ocean ... at Olympia, Washington; he was impressed by the mild weather, beautiful landscapes, and generous retirement systems; and
     WHEREAS, Shortly after arriving in Olympia, Mr. Wilson landed his first job as a temporary session attorney at the Code Reviser's Office where he honed his legislative drafting skills by mastering the exotic and arcane details of excise taxation and the Interstate Commerce Clause; and
     WHEREAS, Laboring in relative obscurity for more than 12 years in the Code Reviser's Office, Mr. Wilson silently worked toward his lifelong goal: Personally rewriting the entire state tax code; and
     WHEREAS, Recognizing his unique talents, Mr. Wilson was hired by the Senate as Tax Counsel for the Senate Ways and Means Committee, which allowed him to pursue his lifelong goal at an even faster rate; and
     WHEREAS, After mastering computer programming, Mr. Wilson created a unique legislative bill-drafting software that is used throughout the Legislature; and
     WHEREAS, In 1997, Mr. Wilson's obscurity as a wizard bill drafter came to an abrupt halt after gaining great notoriety by drafting Referendum 47, an artful scheme to reduce property taxes that was overwhelmingly approved by the voters ... and overwhelmingly declared to be unconstitutional by the Washington State Supreme Court in a very close vote of 9 to 0; and
     WHEREAS, Mr. Wilson has seen every version of the old saying, "Don't tax me, don't tax thee; tax that fellow behind the tree"; and
     WHEREAS, Mr. Wilson's mind is like a Rubik's Cube of tax law: You can ask him to twist and bend it in every complicated direction, but in the end, he always knows how to solve the puzzle and make things come out right; and
     WHEREAS, There are rumors that his set of RCW's is gathering dust: He knows all sections of the tax law so well, he never has to look anything up; and
     WHEREAS, We've all heard the saying, "Taxation without representation is tyranny," but perhaps Mr. Wilson has observed that taxation with representation is not so good either; and
     WHEREAS, The Senate wishes Mr. Wilson all the best, as he enters retirement, free to pursue one of his favorite hobbies: Computer programming; and
     WHEREAS, Mr. Wilson's amazing productivity will be missed by the three employees who will be hired to replace him;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate recognize Terry Wilson's legal expertise and wise counsel, valued by many political generations of senators, representatives, and legislative staff; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to Terry Wilson.