WHEREAS, For 20 years TVW has opened state government to the people of Washington, offering unedited "gavel-to-gavel" coverage of government deliberations and public policy events of statewide significance since signal activation on April 10, 1995; and

WHEREAS, TVW was the brainchild of Congressman Denny Heck, who currently represents Washington's 10th Congressional District, and previously served as majority leader in the Washington State House of Representatives and chief of staff to Governor Booth Gardner and veteran state government official Stan Marshburn; and

WHEREAS, TVW's founders believed that the people of Washington deserved to be able to watch their elected officials in action, even if they could not be physically present in Olympia; and

WHEREAS, Since its inception, TVW has televised well over 30,000 hours of public policy proceedings, including coverage of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government, state agencies, state elections, and public policy events hosted by nongovernmental organizations; and

WHEREAS, The first event televised by TVW was a death penalty case before the Washington State Supreme Court, through which TVW also made history with the first-ever televised state court proceeding; and

WHEREAS, TVW televises all floor debates in the Washington State Senate and House of Representatives, offers live and archived coverage of all committee hearings in the Senate and House of Representatives via television or webcast on-demand, and archives all of its coverage for citizens to view online, on-demand; and

WHEREAS, When the Legislature is not meeting in Olympia, TVW's mobile camera units cover legislative and public policy events across Washington, which are available on TVW's increasingly popular web site, tvw.org, which handles over 5 million online plays of its videos each year, with demand continuing to grow steadily; and

WHEREAS, The cable television industry carries TVW for free, giving TVW $7 million per year in free carriage and enabling TVW to reach two-thirds of state residents via television; and

WHEREAS, TVW allows the news media free access to its footage, making it easier for television, radio, and newspaper reporters to cover state government even when not physically present at the Capitol; and

WHEREAS, TVW educates young people about civics and government through its free civics education programs for teachers and students throughout the state, including its "Teach with TVW" web site, innovative "Capitol Classroom" program, and award-winning "Engaged: Students Becoming Citizens" video series; and

WHEREAS, TVW produces award-winning shows, including Inside Olympia, The Impact, and Legislative Review, which highlight key legislative debates and decisions; and

WHEREAS, TVW has won four regional Emmy Awards in its history, including three Emmy Awards in the last two years; and

WHEREAS, During its 20 years of service, TVW has had four distinguished presidents, including Congressman Denny Heck; Cindy Zehnder, former Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives; Greg Lane, Deputy Secretary of State; and former State Representative Renee Radcliff Sinclair; and

WHEREAS, TVW has employed a highly talented and dedicated staff who share a commitment to the organization's mission, with special recognition owed to 20-year employee Scott Chisa, programming coordinator, and 17-year employee Anthony Arenas, operations supervisor, who are the two longest serving TVW employees;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate congratulate TVW on 20 years of service to the people of Washington State; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to TVW's president and CEO, and the TVW Board of Directors.