WHEREAS, Senator James E. West has proudly served the people of the 6th legislative district with honor and distinction since 1982, dedicating his life to making the State of Washington, especially the City of Spokane, a better place to live, work, and raise a family; and

            WHEREAS, James E. West rose from humble beginnings in the Grant School neighborhood on the South Hill in Spokane to graduate from Lewis & Clark High School, attend the University of Nevada at Reno, Spokane Community College, and Spokane Falls Community College, and graduate from Gonzaga University with his B.A. in criminal justice; and

            WHEREAS, James E. West has served his country as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division of the U.S. Army and most recently passed legislation to allow veterans of the Korean conflict who were drafted before graduation to finally receive their diplomas; and

            WHEREAS, Throughout his career outside of the Legislature, James E. West ran a retail scuba shop, worked as a licensed realtor, served the Spokane County Sheriff's office as a deputy sheriff, and first worked in the Legislature as a security guard; and

            WHEREAS, James E. West committed much of his life to working with the Boy Scouts of America, both as a scoutmaster and director of Camp Cowles, touching thousands of lives, inspiring young people to greatness and winning the Inland Northwest District Award of Merit; and

            WHEREAS, James E. West started his career in public service in 1979 as the then youngest person ever elected to the Spokane City Council, he then won election to the State House of Representatives in 1982 where he served until winning his seat in the Senate in 1986; and

            WHEREAS, James E. West views his chairmanship of the Senate Health Care Committee as one of the most valuable experiences in his life, during which time he toured prisons, mental hospitals, facilities for people with developmental disabilities, and programs for troubled youth, and passed groundbreaking mental health legislation to expand regional services for the mentally ill, create the state Department of Health, develop a statewide trauma network, and require motorcycle helmets to prevent serious brain injuries; and

            WHEREAS, James E. West cultivated a wide network of political connections as both chairman and ranking member of the powerful Ways & Means Committee and both minority and majority leader of the Senate; and

            WHEREAS, James E. West's budgeting and leadership principles provide a lasting framework from which future generations of legislators can learn for decades to come; and

            WHEREAS, James E. West was named legislator of the year seven times throughout his career by groups ranging from the Association of Washington Business to the Washington State Medical Association, and from the Washington Ambulance Association to the Associated Builders and Contractors; and

            WHEREAS, James E. West's colleagues and staff in the Legislature, the Third House, and the Fourth Estate will deeply miss the tough-talking former deputy sheriff, with his sharp wit, voracious appetite for new ideas, tenacious grasp of parliamentary procedure, and unmatched skill as a political strategist; and

            WHEREAS, James E. West's devotion to the City of Spokane was unwavering during his twenty-five year tenure as a public servant, from his intense passion for Gonzaga basketball to his recent willingness to sacrifice one of the most powerful political positions in the state to serve as mayor of the city that he loves;

            NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate thank Senator James E. West for his many contributions to the State of Washington, to the legislative institution, and to all the people he has mentored since first taking legislative office more than two decades ago; and

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we wish James E. West the very best in his new role as mayor of the City of Spokane; and

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to James E. West's father, brother, and two sisters in Washington and in California.

I, Milton H. Doumit, Jr., Secretary of the Senate,

do hereby certify that this is a true and

correct copy of Senate Resolution 8685,

adopted by the Senate

December 5, 2003

MILTON H. DOUMIT, JR.

Secretary of the Senate