SENATE RESOLUTION
8640
BySenators Pedersen, Braun, Riccelli, Dhingra, Shewmake, Conway, Salomon, Chapman, Alvarado, Orwall, Lovick, Slatter, Valdez, Hasegawa, Wellman, Bateman, Frame, Trudeau, Cortes, Saldaña, Robinson, Stanford, Liias, Krishnadasan, Hansen, Ramos, Kauffman, C. Wilson, Nobles, Cleveland, Lovelett, King, Warnick, Short, Goehner, Wagoner, Holy, Gildon, Torres, Dozier, Muzzall, MacEwen, J. Wilson, Harris, Boehnke, Fortunato, Christian, and McCune
WHEREAS, Karen Lynn Keiser was appointed to the Washington State House of Representatives in 1995; ran and won her first election in 1996; was appointed to the Washington State Senate in 2001; and was reelected six times; and
WHEREAS, For nearly 30 years, Senator Keiser represented the 33rd legislative district, a diverse area that includes the cities of SeaTac, Des Moines, Normandy Park, and parts of Burien and Kent; and
WHEREAS, Senator Keiser was elected by the Senate to the position President Pro Tempore on January 8, 2018, and presided over the Senate with grace when called upon to do so; and
WHEREAS, While serving on the Senate Health & Long-Term Care Committee, Senator Keiser was a pivotal leader in reforming Washington's health care system; and
WHEREAS, Senator Keiser sponsored the legislation establishing the Washington Health Benefit Exchange, which has since provided more than 1,900,000 Washingtonians with health care coverage; and
WHEREAS, Senator Keiser was instrumental in the passage of the Paid Family and Medical Leave program, which has since allowed over 600,000 Washington workers to bond with newborn babies, care for ailing relatives, or take time off for their own medical conditions; and
WHEREAS, Senator Keiser sponsored the legislation establishing the Prescription Drug Affordability Board, with the goal of monitoring and mitigating unsupported price increases of prescription drugs for Washingtonians; and
WHEREAS, Senator Keiser fought for years to lower the price of insulin for Washingtonians, culminating in her successful establishment of a permanent out-of-pocket price cap of $35 for a 30-day supply; and
WHEREAS, Serving as the chair of the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee, Senator Keiser championed policies that helped working families, improved women's economic security, and reduced workplace sexual harassment; and
WHEREAS, Senator Keiser worked to make Washington the first state in the nation to implement full overtime protections for agricultural workers, for which work she received a personal letter of commendation from President Joe Biden; and
WHEREAS, Senator Keiser continuously called for bipartisan collaboration in order to maintain sustainable progress in the legislature; and
WHEREAS, The Washington State Legislature will continue to look back at Senator Keiser's work and service for guidance and inspiration for generations to come;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Washington commend and honor Karen Lynn Keiser for her service to the citizens of the State of Washington and to the Washington State Legislature; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to Senator Keiser with our most sincere thanks and appreciation for her years of exemplary service in the Legislature.
I, Sarah Bannister, Secretary of the Senate,
do hereby certify that this is a true and
correct copy of Senate Resolution 8640,
adopted by the Senate
April 17, 2025
SARAH BANNISTER
Secretary of the Senate