The House was called to order at 9:55 a.m. by the Speaker (Representative Morris presiding).

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

RESOLUTIONS

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 4684, by Representatives Schmick and Fagan

WHEREAS, The Town of Connell was officially incorporated on November 28, 1910, and will be celebrating its Centennial this year; and

WHEREAS, The first officers of the Town of Connell were: Mayor W.H. Miller; Treasurer H.J. Sohm; Councilmembers S.T. Bailie, M.H. Finch, N.T. Murry, Joe E. Janosky, and W.S. Moon; and T.Z. Warner as Town Clerk; and

WHEREAS, Connell was first settled in the mid-1800s by pioneer families, and the original settlement was known as Palouse Junction, and became an important crossroads of railroad and agricultural pursuits; and

WHEREAS, Connell is named for one of the Northern Pacific trainmen at the time; and

WHEREAS, Connell continued to prosper through the effort of hard-working citizens, and has come to be known as "Eastern Washington's Harvestland" for its bounteous agriculture; and

WHEREAS, Connell anchored the expansion of major food processing facilities and other businesses, the North Franklin School District, and Coyote Ridge Corrections Center, the largest correctional facility in the state; and

WHEREAS, Citizens have given admirable stewardship and built community pride; and students and athletes have excelled; and artists have created wall murals and world-class sculptures; and

WHEREAS, The current officers for the City of Connell are Mayor Garland D. Walton and Councilmembers Jared A. Broberg, Rhonda K. Quinton, Lee M. Barrow, Ron Boyer, Monica L. Pruett; and Maria T. Peña, City Clerk/Treasurer; and

WHEREAS, The City of Connell is located at the crossroads of U.S. Highway 395 and State Route 260, and is positioned to move forward for years to come;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State House of Representatives officially recognize and congratulate the City of Connell and its citizens, past and present, on the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Town of Connell; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives to Garland D. Walton, Mayor of the City of Connell; to the City Councilmembers and City Officials; and to Kathy Valdez, Editor of The Franklin County Graphic.

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 4684 was adopted.

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 4685, by Representatives Schmick and Fagan

WHEREAS, The St. John/Endicott High School varsity volleyball team reached an unprecedented accomplishment when the team won its first state title on Saturday, November 14, 2009; and

WHEREAS, The Eagles won their championship by defeating high school volleyball opponents from LaCrosse/Washtucna, Colton, Trout Lake/Glenwood, and Crescent; and

WHEREAS, St. John/Endicott defeated Crescent High School in the first round to make it to the quarterfinals of the tournament; and

WHEREAS, The Eagles beat Trout Lake/Glenwood High School in the quarterfinals; and

WHEREAS, The Eagle volleyball players continued their tournament domination against Colton High School in the semifinal game; and

WHEREAS, The 2009 Eagles showed that they could soar their way to victory and the 1-B state championship title when they finished the tournament against LaCrosse/Washtucna in a heated five-game battle;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honor the 2009 St. John/Endicott High School volleyball team Dusti Bafus, Katie Jensema, Emily Kucklick, Lucy Lautenschlater, Gretchen Van Lith, Kelly Van Lith, Tricia Luft, Carmen Lust, Michelle Means, Linsey Miller, Kaylea Newton, Haley Reiber, Kelsey Simon, Ciara White, Alli Winters, Coach Megan Doering, and Assistant Coach Kendrin Maj on the occasion of capturing the school's first volleyball championship title.

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 4685 was adopted.

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 4686, by Representatives Schmick and Fagan

WHEREAS, The Colfax High School volleyball team reached a state record among all divisions when it won its sixth-straight volleyball 2-B state championship on November 14, 2009; and

WHEREAS, The Colfax High School volleyball team has won 8 state championships in the last 10 years; and

WHEREAS, The Bulldogs won their championship by defeating opponents from Pomeroy High School in Pomeroy, La Conner Braves in La Conner, La Salle in Union Gap, and Northwest Christian School in Spokane; and

WHEREAS, Colfax defeated Pomeroy High School in a swift three games to make it to the quarterfinals of the tournament; and

WHEREAS, The Bulldogs swept La Conner High School in another three games in the quarterfinals; and

WHEREAS, Colfax's volleyball players continued their tournament domination with another three-game sweep of La Salle High School in the semifinal game; and

WHEREAS, The 2009 Bulldogs showed that they deserved the state championship title when they finished the tournament against Northwest Christian School without losing a single game to an opponent, concluding a twelve-game run to take out four opponents during the tournament;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honor the 2009 Colfax High School Bulldogs volleyball team Amelie Bruya, Maggee Cochran, Carmen Hall, Hannah Harazin, Danielle Herne, Sidney Huber, Rachel Johnson, Kayla Johnson, Christa Nyholm, Megan Pearson, Samantha Pearson, Shaina Simonson, Brooke Waldo, and Brooke Webber and coaches Sue Doering, Shawna Kneale, and Jill Solbrack, on the occasion of capturing the school's sixth-straight championship title.

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 4686 was adopted.

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 4687, by Representatives Schmick and Fagan

WHEREAS, The Connell High School football team made school history on December 5, 2009, by capping a perfect season with the 1-A state championship; and

WHEREAS, Connell qualified for state with a 51-7 victory in the South Central Athletic Conference playoff; and

WHEREAS, The Eagles remained unbeaten and won their gridiron crown by defeating opponents from Cascade (Leavenworth), River View (Kennewick), Chelan, and Cascade Christian (Puyallup) by an average margin of 26 points per game; and

WHEREAS, Connell took a 21-0 lead in the first half of the state championship game, held the previously undefeated Cascade Christian Cougars to one touchdown and added another for a final score of 28-7; and

WHEREAS, It was the school-record sixth consecutive state-level appearance for the Eagles football program, which reached the championship games in 2006 and 2007; and

WHEREAS, Connell's football program has qualified for postseason play 19 times in 36 years and has a record of 24-17 during that span; and

WHEREAS, The 2009 Eagles collected a passel of all-conference honors, with players named most valuable on offense and defense, five players on first-team offense, six players named to first-team defense, and were led by the SCAC-East coach of the year, Wayne Riner;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State House of Representatives honor the 2009 Connell High School Eagles football team and coaches Wayne Riner, Clint Didier, Doug Edmonds, Zak Fife, Zeek Fife, Scott Forsyth, and Kyle Berry, on the occasion of capturing the school's second state football title.

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 4687 was adopted.

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 4688, by Representative Kessler

WHEREAS, The arts, including dance, music, theatre, and visual arts, are defined as a core content area in Washington state's definition of basic education, and considered an essential component of the complete and balanced education that should be provided for all students; and

WHEREAS, Learning in and through the arts enables students to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, imagination and creativity, discipline, alternative ways to communicate and express feelings and ideas, and cross-cultural understanding, which supports academic success across the curriculum as well as personal growth outside the classroom; and

WHEREAS, Imagination and creativity are increasingly understood as critical capacities needed for success in life in the 21st century and students develop these abilities through meaningful learning in the arts; and

WHEREAS, The arts can bring every academic subject to life and the integration of the arts within the broader academic curriculum, including reading, mathematics, science, and social studies, can enhance student engagement, extend student learning, and deepen student understanding of all the academic content areas; and

WHEREAS, The arts can transform our schools into havens of creativity and exploration, places where students want to learn, teachers want to teach, and all members of the learning community are more engaged and motivated; and

WHEREAS, We applaud the efforts and dedication of educators and advocates around the state, and we call for school and community leaders to continue to broaden and strengthen their arts education focus in order to ensure equity of access to arts learning for all students;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the importance of arts education for its students and future leaders.

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 4688 was adopted.

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 4690, by Representative Quall

WHEREAS, Providing all Washington state children a public education is the paramount duty of the state; and

WHEREAS, It is impossible to provide our children a quality public education if they cannot get to school, if they are hungry during the school day, or if the schools they arrive at are neglected, cold, and unsafe; and

WHEREAS, Classified employees are the bus drivers who are safely transporting, in sometimes dangerous road conditions, over 474,514 students each day in 9,035 busses over 500,000 miles; the child nutrition employees providing breakfast for 113,518 students and lunches for over 440,000 students each day; the custodial, maintenance, and security employees ensuring that the 2,174 school buildings where our children are receiving their education are functional, warm, clean, and safe; and

WHEREAS, Classified employees are the secretaries who make sure that all parents, staff, and most importantly all children receive the necessary support and services while at the same time providing love and attention to each student's special needs, even if all that is needed is a Band-Aid, a friendly ear, or a reminder; and

WHEREAS, Classified employees are the paraeducators who are increasingly depended upon to provide individualized attention to students in the classroom to ensure they meet the higher academic standards, as well as provide such specialized services as nursing and interpreting for deaf and disabled children and students who speak other languages; and

WHEREAS, Classified employees are normally the first employees called upon when there is a threat to our children's safety and security; and

WHEREAS, It is necessary to employ over 50,000 classified employees to provide these essential support services to the nearly one million students receiving public education; and

WHEREAS, Washington state students have had their education significantly enhanced by the services of classified school employees; and

WHEREAS, Washington state citizens seldom reflect on the critical role classified employees play in providing our children a quality education;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honor classified school employees and urge all citizens to join in honoring, recognizing, and respecting the dedication and hard work of all classified school employees; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives to the Public School Employees of Washington, SEIU Local 1948 and SEIU Local 925.

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 4690 was adopted.

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 4691, by Representatives Morris and Quall

WHEREAS, Every April the tulips are in bloom, celebrating the beginning of spring; and

WHEREAS, The beautiful Skagit Valley is the Northwest's tulip capital and the number one producer of tulip bulbs in North America; and

WHEREAS, The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival kicks off the festival season in Washington; and

WHEREAS, Nearly half a million people visited the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival last year, participating in the joy and excitement of the event and contributing to the economy of the Skagit Valley; and

WHEREAS, This year's 27th annual festival will run from April 1st through the 30th, focusing on the communities of Sedro-Woolley, Burlington, Anacortes, La Conner, Mount Vernon, Concrete, and Conway; and

WHEREAS, Visitors will be greeted by more than 700 acres of tulips reflecting all the vibrant colors of the rainbow, by the fullness of life in the valley, and by its wonderful people; and

WHEREAS, This year's Tulip Festival Ambassadors, Anna-Marie Alvarado and Blake Gurney, will ably and personably perform their responsibilities as representatives of the festival; and

WHEREAS, Highlights of the event include the World Tulip Summit, the Mount Vernon Street Fair, PACCAR Open House, Air Show and Fly-in, Skagit County wineries, RoozenGaarde, Tulip Town, art shows, bike rides, foot races, and much more;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State House of Representatives salute all the communities of the Skagit Valley, their Chambers of Commerce, the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Ambassadors, and the Tulip Festival Committee; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives commend the community leaders and corporate sponsors for the success of this important event and encourage citizens from across Washington to take the time to enjoy this spectacular display; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Executive Director, Cindy Verge, and the Tulip Festival Ambassadors.

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 4691 was adopted.

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

There being no objection, the House adjourned until 10:00 a.m., February 26, 2010, the 47th Day of the Regular Session.

FRANK CHOPP, Speaker

BARBARA BAKER, Chief Clerk