Curtis King- Latest News

For new politician, patience is king

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 06:48:00 GMT

By JENNIFER HENRICHSEN

FOR THE YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

JOHN FROSCHAUER/special to the Herald-Republic
Sen. Curtis King looks out on the Senate floor in Olympia.

OLYMPIA -- An unlikely politician, Curtis King has been called Senator by friends for years.

"I forget why it started, but it stuck," King says.

The moniker paid off. A seasoned businessman and novice politician, he beat out incumbent Jim Clements for the 14th District state Senate seat last year.

Perhaps, then, it comes as no surprise that King, after five weeks on the job, paints the Legislature with a businesslike brush: Good bills are assets, bad bills are liabilities, the Legislature exists for the consumer and, at the end of the day, it all comes down to relationships.

King is building those relationships. Though he arrived as an experienced community leader and insider in Yakima, he's had to rapidly learn the intricate and often confusing legislative process of Olympia -- and get used to being known in the hallways as the new guy.

While Candidate King vowed to be a more staunch Republican loyalist, Senator King moved quickly to establish alliances in both parties -- a reflection, supporters say, of the way he worked on community boards and service clubs in Yakima.

As one of only 17 Republicans in the 49-member Senate, it is also a recognition of political reality.

"You can either be hard-line on issues or work across the aisle. The session is about establishing relationships that will help get things done," he says.

JOHN FROSCHAUER/special to the Herald-Republic
Sen. Curtis King walks back to his office in Olympia in this photo taken Feb. 1.

Unlike most newcomers, who have months to grow into the job during a 120-day session, King's learning curve has come during a short 60-day session. And like most of his colleagues this year, Yakima's senator is keeping a low profile.

He has pushed nothing too splashy, nothing controversial.

One of his proposals -- giving colleges and local government access to the driving records of prospective employees who would drive on the job -- appears likely to become law. Another, offering a tax break for beekeepers, will move forward under House legislation.

But for King, it's not just a matter of introducing legislation, but keeping an eye on other bills that he views as bad for business.

He endorsed a slew of education bills and comprehensive anti-gang legislation. And though Yakima city officials lobbied hard, he chose not to support a bill allowing random drug testing for police because not enough law enforcement groups backed it.

"He knows how to pick his battles," says Senate Minority Leader Mike Hewitt, R-Walla Walla. "He rarely speaks on the floor."

Colleagues describe him as studious and methodical, friendly and open, eager to make a good impression but careful not to make early mistakes. Whether he's greeting a fellow lawmaker or a constituent, he's ready to shake hands and smile.

Sometimes, though, it's hard not to stumble.

Nervous about his first floor speech, he spent several minutes practicing his delivery but then forgot to properly address the Senate President, Brad Owen, before standing up to champion a bill that would directly fund school libraries.

After a few chuckles about the oversight, there was a brief, but robust, roasting from two senior Republican colleagues. They playfully told Democrats to watch out because King had Sen. Alex Deccio's "legendary smell of pork" -- a reference to Deccio's unabashed pride for bringing home state dollars -- and noted King's close resemblance to former Sen. Jim West of Spokane.

King blushed and laughed heartily.

The ribbing -- part of the initiation for newcomers -- was all in good fun, and another lesson in how Olympia works.

JOHN FROSCHAUER/special to the Herald-Republic
Sen. Curtis King talks with Sen. Janéa Holmquist, R-Moses Lake, in the wings of the Senate in Olympia.

Having never served in elected office, he arrived with none of the institutional knowledge that generally sets the Senate apart from the House. With 49 members, many of whom worked their way up the political ladder and served in the House, the upper chamber is known as a more of a collegial and senior group.

"Adjusting to the Legislature and especially the Senate is difficult ... But Curtis will do well because he is so successful at relationship building," says Rep. Charles Ross, R-Naches.

King lost no time getting started. Legislators say he "jumped in," first getting sworn in back in November so he could vote during the one-day special session when lawmakers reinstated a 1 percent property tax levy limit. Then he began meeting with other members and legislative staff to get caught up on issues.

"I remember telling him to hurry up and have the swearing-in ceremony so he could get paid," Democratic Sen. Margarita Prentice of Renton says jokingly.

Prentice, a 20-year veteran of legislative politics, was one of the first people King sought out for a personal meeting. She chairs the powerful Senate Ways & Means Committee, which helps write the state budget.

King "figures out what he needs to know" so he doesn't tread on anyone's toes, she says. "He's very receptive."

The 61-year-old King routinely arrives at his Capitol office just as the downtown Starbucks in Olympia opens its doors, sometimes earlier.

King spends the next four hours with a Starbucks hot chocolate or tea, reading detailed charts with bill descriptions prepared by staff or meeting constituents. Then it's off to committee hearings or the Senate floor until late evening.

Though partisan politics often rule, King's long hours and freshman status have brought out the maternal instincts of legislators from both sides of the aisle.

"I call (his legislative assistant) Laura Bell once a week to check on him. He might not like to be checked up on ? but most freshmen forget to eat," says Rep. Mary Skinner, R-Yakima, a 14-year veteran.

Others have gone out of their way to help get his bills passed. Democrat Sen. Marilyn Rasmussen of Eatonville pushed his bee-keeping legislation forward, while dropping her own.

"I wanted him to know we're like a family," Rasmussen says.

Sen. Janéa Holmquist, R-Moses Lake, who sits behind King on the Senate floor, can be seen whispering advice in his ear now and then, guiding him on legislative protocols and rules.

JOHN FROSCHAUER/Special to the Herald-Republic
Sen. Curtis King chats with a fellow senator on the Senate floor in Olympia.

Described as a "gracious listener" by many legislators, King is also making his voice heard. He's the ranking member of the Senate's Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee and also serves on the Transportation; Labor, Commerce, Research & Development; and the Economic Development Trade & Management Committees.

King's quiet confidence continues to build on small successes like fighting SB 5831. Proposed by Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle, the bill would have unnecessarily raised consumer costs, says King, by requiring standardized training of people who install heating and ventilation systems.

He worked with Holmquist to draft amendments that would temporarily exempt workers who install refrigerators or hearths. Those weren't adopted, but another senator's amendment effectively weakened the bill, which was largely a result of their opposition, Holmquist says.

A triumphant King declared himself a "happy camper" last week, after the bill was reduced to a study.

He seems content working behind the scenes rather than on the front lines of legislation and is taking particular interest in fighting legislation that he believes hurts business.

"I didn't want to put my name on a lot of bills just to say I had them. They need to have importance and value," he says.

During a lunchtime address to small business leaders last month, King called a proposal for family leave entitlement "poor policy" and said a workplace bullying bill would open up a "Pandora's box" of claims by disgruntled employees. Talking about prevailing wage for workers makes his "blood boil," he says.

So far, he's getting positive reviews from folks back home.

"We told him to get his feet on the ground, create relationships with the majority party and really 'do your homework.' He's done that," says Mike Morrisette, president and CEO of the Greater Yakima Chamber of Commerce.

"He speaks his mind and doesn't put a lot of spin on things ... that's respected here in this farming community," Morrisette says.

For three more weeks, King will plug away, trying to make friends, even with those who disagree with him. His motto: Leave the argument in the room and then go fishing or have a cup of coffee together.

"I never foresaw myself as a politician ?," he says. "I just want to make and affect positive change. Otherwise I wouldn't be here. You have to do it with the gifts God gave you."

How Sen. Curtis King has voted

Education

* SB 6556: Develop policy guidelines and provide medical treatment to students with allergic reactions -- Yes

* SB 5714: Establish a program to test the implementation of Chinese and Spanish in up to two elementary schools -- Yes

* SB 6534: Increasing the rigor and content of math taught in schools -- Yes

* SB 6388: Would put an autism spectrum disorder specialist in each educational service district -- Yes

Transportation

* SB 6885: Make driving records available to state schools, universities and local government self-insurers -- Yes

* SB 6794: Require the state Department of Transportation to build ferry vessels because current ferry vessels are inadequate and unsafe -- Yes

* SB 6309: Cars built in 2010-on must have a label attached disclosing level of greenhouse gas emissions -- No

Health Care

* SB 6364: Establishes standards for long-term care insurance -- Yes

Economic

* SB 6381: Requires brokers to fully disclose information and act loyally to borrowers -- No

* SB 6728: Will encourage responsible lending, protect borrowers, and preserve access to credit in real estate market -- Yes

* SB 6332 House Financing Commission: Increases the commission's debt amount from $4.5 billion to $6.5 bill to continue financing for homes and nonprofit facilities -- Yes

King also:

* Agreed to co-sponsor the Senate version of anti-gang legislation.

* Supports the House eluding bill, which would increase prison time on drivers who cause injury while being pursued by police.

* Did not support a House bill that would allow random drug testing for peace officers.

* Has not yet taken a position on a House bill that would extend full police powers to tribal law enforcement.

Sen. King's first bill would take tax sting out of beekeeping

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 10:44:00 GMT

Sen. King's first bill would take tax sting out of beekeeping
Published On: January 24, 2008

Page:
Section: Main/Home Front

Sen. King's first bill would take tax sting

out of beekeeping

By JENNIFER HENRICHSEN

FOR THE YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

OLYMPIA - Beleaguered beekeepers may soon have healthier hives with legislation introduced by a freshman senator from Yakima.

Republican Sen. Curtis King is the prime sponsor of Senate Bill 6468, which received a public hearing before the Senate Committee on Agriculture & Rural Economic Development on Monday. It's his first legislative proposal this session.

The bipartisan measure would exempt pollination services, sales of bees and use of bees from the applicable state taxes, saving about a dollar per hive, said King. Beekeepers would also receive a sales tax exemption on diesel fuel.

King hopes this bill will encourage new people into the industry and reduce costs for current beekeepers, at a time when many Central Washington beekeepers are wondering how much longer they can afford to pollinate Western Washington bogs and berries.

Without bees we wouldn't have the cherries, apricots and peaches of the Yakima Valley, King said.

One of the problems afflicting beekeepers, King said, is the mysterious "Colony Collapse Disorder," which results when worker bees abandon their queen bee for no apparent reason.

Sue Olson, co-owner of Olson's Honey in Yakima, said that continued losses "may make 2008 the last year bees are available for pollination."

Eighty percent of Olson's 4,500 Western Washington hives were lost last year from unknown causes, one which may have been colony collapse, Olson said.

Out-of-state beekeepers entering Washington to pollinate do not pay this tax, putting Washington state beekeepers at a competitive disadvantage.

King said his legislation will not directly address colony collapse, but it will provide "equal footing" of in and out-of-state beekeepers, by exempting all Washington state beekeepers from the business and occupation tax.

"I'd rather see (beekeepers) use their income to keep their bees alive than write a check to the Revenue Department," said King.

A partial analysis by the state Office of Financial Management estimates SB 6468 would amount to at least $162,000 in tax relief during the fiscal years 2009-2011, resulting in an equal reduction in state revenues.

The tax savings "needed is a small amount of money in the grand scheme of things," said King.

King's bill is almost identical to SB 6299 proposed by Sen. Marilyn Rasmussen, D-Eatonville, chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee and the lead Democratic sponsor of King's measure.

King said he expects Rasmussen to add part of her bill as an amendment to his proposal in the next few days. At that point, the amended bill would be sent to the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

Sen. Jim Honeyford, R-Sunnyside, is among the bill's co-sponsors.

* Follow SB 6299 as it travels through committee by accessing http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=6468&year=2007

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King sworn in a second time

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 08:34:00 GMT

Published on Saturday, December 1, 2007

By DAVID LESTER
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

If this keeps up, newly minted state Sen. Curtis King will get the hang of this swearing-in stuff.

King took his oath of office a second time Friday in Yakima County Superior Court before more than 25 family members and supporters.

The 14th District Republican did the same thing Thursday in Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown's office in Olympia so he could participate in the special one-day session devoted to the property-tax issue.

Washington Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerry Alexander did the honors Thursday.

Friday's event amounted to a ceremonial oath before Yakima County Superior Court Judge James Hutton, who joked with the 61-year-old King, saying he thought there'd been an effort to establish a monarchy when he saw King's campaign signs appearing around town earlier this year.

"I know how hard you campaigned," Hutton told King. "I know you will serve your constituents well in your new endeavor."

King, active on a number of community boards, defeated incumbent Jim Clements of Selah in the GOP primary. He won an easy general election victory over Wylie Mills.

Clements, a former state representative, was appointed to the Senate seat after former Sen. Alex Deccio retired late last year.

Only family members spoke when Hutton offered an opportunity for anyone in the audience to speak.

King's sister, Laurel Christiansen of Everett, said her brother is the best person to represent the district in Olympia. The 14th District includes Yakima and the area north of the city.

"I hope the people know they couldn't have found anyone better" to represent them.

Following the swearing-in, King said he is looking forward to the coming legislative session. King will serve on committees dealing with Early Learning and K-12 Education; Transportation; Labor, Commerce, Research and Development; Economic Development, Trade and Management.

He said he hopes next year to have a chance to serve on the health care committee.

King added he hopes to develop good working relationships with the majority Democrats in the Senate.

"It affords me the opportunity to develop relationships further and see what positive things we can accomplish," he said.

A reception for King's family and supporters was conducted later at the Yakima Country Club.

Breaking down the 14th District race

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 16:13:00 GMT

PUBLISHED ON September 2, 2007
Section: Main/Home Front

Breaking down the 14th District race

By PAT MUIR YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

Curtis King of Yakima took the Yakima precincts in last month's 14th District Republican state Senate primary, while Jim Clements of Selah took the Selah precincts - no surprise there, really.

But while Clements was winning relatively low-population precincts by one vote or a dozen votes, King was winning big ones by more than 100. He ended up taking all six precincts in which more than 500 Republican ballots were cast. And in five of those precincts, he won by more than 100 votes.

By contrast, in the four Selah precincts combined, Clements outpolled King by a total of 71 votes.

It wasn't just a few big districts that swung the race to King, either. Clements, the incumbent state senator who had 13 years of state legislative experience, won only 22 precincts to King's 46.

The bulk of King's support came from Yakima, where he focused the door-to-door campaigning that local political analysts say won him the race.

"I did doorbell more in Yakima because, obviously, there's more voters there," King said. "But we did spend some time in Naches and some time in Selah. - We tried to concentrate on where we could get the most bang for our buck."

The primary win, which ended with King taking 55 percent of the vote to Clements' 45 percent, all but secures the 14th District Senate seat for King. He will face Democratic candidate Wiley Mills in the November general election, but Mills is a perennial candidate and not endorsed by the Yakima County Democratic Party. The general election winner will serve the final year of retired Sen. Alex Deccio's term.

Clements was appointed to fill the seat in January pending this year's election. The seat will be up for election again in 2008.

Most of King's supporters during the campaign are from Yakima, and he's from Yakima himself so it makes sense that that's where his voting base is, said Benine McDonnell, a longtime local Republican activist who volunteered for Clements.

"That's the logical conclusion to draw," she said. "Also I would presume that most of the doorbelling that King did would have been in the metropolitan area, the Yakima area."
Along with the doorbelling, King's standing in the Yakima business community likely helped secure the city votes, Yakima County Auditor Corky Mattingly said.

The geographic breakdown, which shows the bulk of King's support from more urban parts of the county, fits the themes of the campaign, she said. King touted his business experience, while Clements tried a more down-home persona in a television ad where he ran with puppies and did some fishing, Mattingly said.

"The appeal of these two candidates was very distinct," she said.

Yakima County Democratic Party Chairman Paul George, who followed the campaign closely, agreed there was a perception of Clements as rural and King as urban that played out at the precinct level.

"In this particular case, there was a feeling in the city that people needed a city person in the Senate," George said.

How, then, to explain King's victory in a number of rural precincts outside any city limits? Was it his opposition to Clements' votes with Democrats last session to expand state-funded child health insurance and put the supermajority requirement for school levy approval before voters?

George believes it's simpler than that. People just generally wanted change, and King campaigned hard, he said.

"Jim did deliver, he really did," George said. "He skillfully leveraged things that the community really wanted. - But Curtis ran an energetic campaign and got it done."

* Pat Muir can be reached at 577-7693 or pmuir@yakimaherald.com.

By the numbers
Precincts won
* Curtis King: 46
* Jim Clements: 22
* Tie: 2
Biggest margin
* For King: Precinct 169 in northwest Yakima, won by 163 votes, 432-269
* For Clements: Precinct 1301 in Naches, won by 53 votes, 86-33
Turnout percentage
* Highest: 54.4 percent of registered voters in Precinct 4601, northwest of Yakima
* Lowest: 17.8 percent in Precinct 126 in southeastern Yakima

Copyright, 2007, Yakima Herald-Republic. All Rights Reserved.

King unseats Clements in marquee 14th District Senate race

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 07:19:00 GMT

King unseats Clements in marquee 14th District Senate race
By PAT MUIR
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

Published on Wednesday, August 22, 2007

SARA GETTYS/Yakima Herald-Republic
"This is Lois. We won!" Lois King, right, calls supporters after the numbers were posted Tuesday night announcing her husband Curtis' win in the 14th District Senate race. Behind her, from left, are Dale Carpenter, Maureen Adkison, King and Joe Falk. Carpenter is King's campaign manager; Adkison and Falk are supporters.

Sen. Jim Clements, R-Selah, called it a career Tuesday night as political newcomer Curtis King easily swept past him after months of grass-roots campaigning as a candidate who would bring a more hard-line Republican approach to Olympia.

King won 56 percent of the vote (7,015 votes) in the 14th District Senate Republican primary; Clements ended the day with 44 percent, or 5,568 votes.

King, a Yakima businessman who has never served in elected office, now faces Democrat Wylie Mills in November. But given Mills' low ratings, even by his own party, it's widely expected that King will win and can begin packing his bags for the 2008 legislative session in January.

Clements, a veteran lawmaker who got his start in the state House in 1994, appeared at the Yakima County Courthouse shortly after the results were announced and marched, hand extended, right up to King.

"Congratulations, Curtis," he said. "You ran a good race, and I want you to know the transition will be smooth."

King will serve the final year of retired Sen. Alex Deccio's four-year term. He was as gracious in victory as Clements was in defeat, after a campaign that got more publicly contentious the longer it went on.

"I would thank (Clements) for the 13 years that he gave to the 14th District," King said. "And I appreciate the job that he did."

Clements, who spent 12 years in the state House before moving to the Senate, is an orchardist in Selah and a retired school administrator. He turned 63 during the campaign.

King, 61, is president and former co-owner of King Brothers Woodworking, which he and his brother inherited from their father. Despite having no prior political involvement, he is well-known for his civic engagement, including spots atop the boards of the local United Way, Yakima
Regional Medical and Cardiac Center and the Central Washington State Fair.

Clements didn't want to talk Tuesday about what he might have done differently in the race, saying he would leave that to the pundits. But Deccio, who left the state Senate last December, attributed the outcome to King's relentless doorbelling efforts.

"Politics is a crazy business," he said, shaking Clements' hand. "I think it was the doorbelling."

"We will have all sorts of predictions as to why a senator fell," Clements responded.

It was the most contentious state Senate race in the Valley in recent memory, with both sides campaigning right up until the end. King spent the final days before Tuesday knocking on doors of potential voters, while Clements' volunteers waved signs on street corners. Both men stepped up their advertising during the final weeks of the campaign.

Clements outspent King $107,000 to $81,000, based on the latest state Public Disclosure Commission expenditure reports. But he wasn't able to start raising money or campaign as early as King because of campaign restrictions on legislators.

That had him playing catch-up in the beginning, but at the time he said he thought he could beat King without even raising any money. It didn't take Clements long to change that tune, and he insisted throughout the campaign he wasn't taking King lightly. Still, he did not expect to lose Tuesday.

"I'm surprised," Clements said. "I'd be foolish not to say so."

Tuesday's results also surprised Deccio, who thought Clements' incumbency would probably be enough to carry him through. Deccio did not endorse either candidate and said Tuesday he thought it was a shame two Republicans of such caliber had to run against each other.

Either would have filled his shoes ably, he said.

"Curtis worked about the hardest of any campaign I've ever seen," Deccio said.

Their campaign tactics were notably different.

The more established politician, Clements launched his campaign with a $200-a-plate June fundraiser featuring 2004 gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi. He did not go door to door asking for votes.

King also had hundreds of signs up by early June, developed a campaign Web site and set up an official headquarters. He knocked on more than 5,000 doors, distributing his campaign literature and asking for support.

The race has been a hot topic for months, starting in January when Yakima County commissioners appointed Clements to succeed Deccio, heeding the recommendation of Republican precinct committee officers who favored him 25 to 22 over King. King said then that he would challenge Clements during this election.

Since then, some of the state's most notable Republicans have weighed in, with Rossi stumping for Clements and former U.S. Rep. Sid Morrison of Zillah taping a television ad for King.

During the campaign, the candidates distinguished themselves more along philosophical lines than issues, with Clements touting his experience and ability to work with the Democratic majority. He also pointed to his record of getting funding for local projects, something Deccio was famous for. King promised a more hard-line brand of partisanship and criticized Clements for crossing the aisle on education and health care issues last session.

King said Tuesday that he plans to work just as hard in Olympia as he did on his campaign. Clements, who was known for his work ethic in the House and the Senate, said he plans to continue as co-chairman of the new state gang task force that his legislation helped create. He also plans to spend a little more time traveling and with family.

He will not run for office again, he said.

"I'm not going to belabor the loss," Clements said. "I'm not going to bemoan it. É That's life, and you deal with it."

* Pat Muir can be reached at 577-7693 or pmuir@yakimaherald.com.