WHEREAS, Washington has a rich history of being a champion for women's rights and a national leader in promoting progress for women, having been one of the first states to grant suffrage to women; and
     WHEREAS, In 1910, Washington distinguished itself by becoming the fifth state in the nation and the first on the Pacific Coast to permanently enact women's suffrage; and
     WHEREAS, It took an additional 10 years, but Washington's action inspired and reinvigorated the national suffrage movement, which culminated in the passage of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920, assuring all women in the nation the right to vote; and
     WHEREAS, Washington's history would look very different today had it not been for the courageous women who were willing to speak out against the status quo in pursuit of equal rights for all; and
     WHEREAS, Susan B. Anthony was a catalyst for change and spoke on suffrage legislation before members of the Washington State Territorial Legislature in Olympia on October 19, 1871, making her the first woman in the history of the United States to be given the privilege of addressing an assembled Legislature; and
     WHEREAS, It was Susan B. Anthony who paved the way for women leaders as 2014 marks the 101st year since women first began serving in the Washington State Legislature, the next major step in equality after Washington women won the right to vote in 1910; and
     WHEREAS, Over the past 100 years, women have made significant marks on the history of the state and the legislative process throughout their hard work, effective leadership, and broad influence to transform economic, cultural, political, family, and social issues in Washington; and
     WHEREAS, In 1926, Bertha Landes became the first woman to lead a major American city as mayor of Seattle, and gender barriers continued to crumble when Belle Reeves became Washington's first female secretary of state; and
     WHEREAS, In 1977, Dixy Lee Ray became Washington's first female governor, and only two years later, Senator Jeannette Hayner became the first woman to serve as the Senate Majority Leader in the Washington Legislature; and
     WHEREAS, Washington was the first state in the nation to have two female United States senators, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, and a female governor, Christine Gregoire, at the same time; and
     WHEREAS, Today Chief Justice Barbara Madsen leads the state Supreme Court, where a majority of the justices are women, and Kim Wyman serves as Washington's 15th Secretary of State and is the second female to ever hold that office in Washington's 125-year history;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate applaud these women, and many others who have served Washington diligently and boldly, for changing the course of history and promoting the full equality of women; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize that Washington has consistently been a national leader in the percentage of women serving in the Legislature, honor the legacy of women leaders in service to the State of Washington, and celebrate their role in our democratic process over the past 100 years.