The House was called to order at 10:00 a.m. by the Speaker (Representative Moeller presiding). The Clerk called the roll and a quorum was present.

The flags were escorted to the rostrum by a Sergeant at Arms Color Guard, Pages Brandon Vroman and Garrett Cooper. The Speaker (Representative Moeller presiding) led the Chamber in the Pledge of Allegiance. The prayer was offered by Representative Green, 28th District, Washington.

Reading of the Journal of the previous day was dispensed with and it was ordered to stand approved.

POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE

Representative Hargrove: “Thank you Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to take a couple of moments today to remind this body that today is the National Former Prisoner of War Day. In particular this day is the 70^th birthday of the American ex-POW, ex-prisoners of war. Since WWI about 142,000 Americans have been prisoners of war from our country at various places around the world. Today just about 15,000 of them remain alive, that’s from WWII, the Korean Conflict and Vietnam and actually twenty three from our most recent conflict.

I just want to make this a little more personal. I’d like to tell just a little bit about one of those prisoners of war, his name is Les Strup. He was in the Korean Conflict, often called the forgotten war. This gentleman, Les Strup, was not yet twenty years old when he found himself on a patrol in Korea and they realized they were surrounded by the enemy troops as he set about scuttling their equipment, destroying it so it would not be taken captive. He says that the bushes came alive as the enemy troops came down and took him captive. In the following 1,000 days as he was a prisoner of war, they were moved from camp to camp during the night only so they would be up all night walking fifteen or twenty miles. Of course they were ill equipped for the weather and so on as they were being moved around. He tells me that he saw fellow prisoners of war executed along the way when they could not keep up on these trying marches.

In particular there came a time when he and some of his fellow prisoners of war had come up with a plan for escaping the prisoner of war camp, and it was discovered. He was then taken to the edge of a ravine, had a gun pointed at his head, and told he was going to die. At that moment he did not realize that he was going to survive; he was going to come back to the United States, get married, have five children, and the youngest daughter of that family would at some point marry a nice young Air Force academy cadet, who would sixty years after that time when he was facing that terrible situation, sixty years after that he would be standing here today giving this speech to you.

Now as you can imagine when he came back to the United States there were some serious things to deal with, all of the emotional and psychological trauma that he had had to endure that he would have to overcome. Also of course his family had to put up with understanding those things that he was going through. Also there were physical demands too, when he left Korea he was 6’2” and he weighed 90 pounds, so there was a significant toll on his body. He for decades wore glasses that were kind of odd because they had to correct for his double vision that he faced there.

Another example I can think of the toll of that war is that I know for a fact, for decades that I’ve known him, that I have never seen a grain of rice in his house or on his plate at a restaurant. So anyway Mr. Speaker I just wanted to bring that personal example of one of the prisoners of war that are true heroes of our country. They sacrifice so much for us and we will do well to remember them today. Thank you Mr. Speaker.”

INTRODUCTIONS AND FIRST READING

HB 2831 by Representatives Hope, Sells and McCoy

AN ACT Relating to providing additional information, opportunities, and protections for parents and students regarding state and federal assessments of student learning; amending RCW 28A.655.070; and adding a new section to chapter 28A.655 RCW.

Referred to Committee on Education.

SSB 5940 by Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Hobbs, Ericksen, Keiser, Tom, Kastama and Zarelli)

AN ACT Relating to public school employees' insurance benefits; amending RCW 28A.400.280, 28A.400.350, 28A.400.275, and 42.56.400; adding new sections to chapter 48.02 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 48.62 RCW; creating new sections; and making appropriations.

Referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

SSB 6636 by Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Kastama, Zarelli and Tom)

AN ACT Relating to requiring a balanced state budget for the current and ensuing fiscal biennium; amending RCW 82.33.010; adding a new section to chapter 43.88 RCW; and adding new sections to chapter 82.33 RCW.

Referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

There being no objection, the bills listed on the day’s introduction sheet under the fourth order of business were referred to the committees so designated.

MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE

April 7, 2012

MR. SPEAKER:

The Senate has passed:

SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL NO. 5940

SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL NO. 6636

and the same are herewith transmitted.

Brad Hendrickson, Deputy, Secretary

There being no objection, the House advanced to the eleventh order of business.

There being no objection, the House adjourned until 9:00 a.m., April 10, 2012, the 30^th Day of the 1^st Special Session.

FRANK CHOPP, Speaker

BARBARA BAKER, Chief Clerk