Republican state Sen. Val Stevens of Arlington, one of the Legislature’s most steadfast conservatives who worked tirelessly on improving the state’s child welfare system, said Thursday she will not seek re-election this fall.
Stevens, who won her first election in 1992, is in her fourth term in the Senate after serving two terms in the House of Representatives.
After 20 years in office, the 73-year-old said she’s ready to spend more time with her husband, two sons and six grandchildren.
“I am honored to have had the opportunity to represent the citizens of the 39th District,” she said in a statement. “Two decades in the Legislature has given me the opportunity to work with many wonderful people and to be their voice when they needed help navigating the burdensome morass of government regulations.”
research in reshaping the policies and practices of Department of Social and Health Services, one of Washington’s largest agencies.
“She’s been instrumental” in fomenting a transition how the state serves its children, said Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam, who is the committee chairman.
This year, Stevens joined Democratic senators to help pass a bushel of bills to combat human trafficking, most of which Gov. Chris Gregoire signed Thursday.
But Stevens’ lasting legacy will be her unending fight against what she often termed the “homosexual agenda.”
She stood among the legislative leaders in 1998 that pushed through the state’s Defense of Marriage Act defining marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman.
In 2009, she helped raise money and gather signatures on petitions for Referendum 71 to repeal the law granting same-sex couples the same rights under state law as married couples. And not surprisingly, she voted against this year’s bill making it legal for same-sex couples to marry.
“Will there be another bill next year, and another the year after that, until homosexuality is taught as normal and only an ‘alternative’ in Washington’s public schools, or some other societal tradition is discarded in the name of ‘equality’?” she said. “It is the proverbial slippery slope — one Washington has been sliding down every time we expanded rights for homosexual couples.”
Stevens’ didn’t intend to say anything about her future until the special session concluded.
But she did tell Pearson. As a courtesy, he has been waiting for her to make her plans public. He said he asked her this week if he could go forward because he wanted to let supporters know at several upcoming Republican Party events.
“She told me it was OK,” Pearson said today. “I think it’s a great opportunity. I think I can represent my district well in that position.”
Pearson, 53, is the ranking Republican on the House Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee. He also serves on the Capital Budget and the Environment committees.
“I think Kirk will fill her seat well and he will adhere to some of the policies she worked hard to accomplish,” said Jim Donner of Warm Beach, who represents Snohomish County on the executive committee of the state Republican Party.
So far one Democrat, Eleanor Walter, has formed a committee to seek the office.
Formal filing for state offices is in May.
Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@heraldnet.com
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