OLYMPIA — The walls in state Rep. Maralyn Chase’s office bear the mark of a different time.
Proudly displayed above her desk is a framed poster by American social realist painter Ben Shahn, circa 1968. The poster contains three images — the name McCarthy (Democratic presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy), a dove and the word peace.
The poster is a remnant from her days as an anti-Vietnam War activist. It was during that era that Chase earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science at the University of Washington.
"Back then, the political science department at the U was way more radical," she said.
Chase, D-Edmonds, has come under fire for being just that — too radical — for sponsoring House Bill 3111. Titled "Population Sustainability," the bill would have directed the state secretary of health to develop a pamphlet emphasizing the benefits of couples having only one two children.
The bill, which no other legislator was willing to co-sponsor, failed to get out of committee on Friday and is dead for the year. But it stirred up a lot of reaction.
Chase, serving her second term in the 32nd District, believes poor family planning has left too many unwanted children in the hands of jail systems and social welfare programs. With birth rates soaring, she said overpopulation strains the environment more and more each year.
Many of Chase’s colleagues in Olympia balk at the notion of government becoming involved in recommending how many children a couple have.
"If I have ever heard of a government intrusion into the rights of citizens, that would be a prime example," said Sen. Dave Schmidt, R-Mill Creek.
"For the government to step into the bedroom like that, now that’s when you start taking away our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Talk about being unconstitutional."
Chase agreed, saying she wouldn’t dream of restricting the number of children a couple could have. She counts that choice among the most private and intimate decisions a couple can make.
"But to be able to make intelligent family planning decisions — that is a liberating thing," Chase said. "As passionate as I am about defending the rights of families to have children, I will defend their rights not to have children."
She maintains that her bill would have provided people with access to family planning materials and helped prevent unintended pregnancies.
It’s not a new idea, she argued.
Chase, 62, said she saw it back in 1972, when the Rockefeller Commission on Population Growth and the American Future recommended that federal funds be appropriated for population-control education.
Chase, a mother of one, cited even older theories as her explanation for the bill’s suggested number of offspring.
In 1798, Thomas Malthus calculated that the world’s population would double every 25 years, outstripping man’s ability to support himself, unless controlled by "preventative checks."
Only one of Chase’s 10 bills Chase sponsored this session made it out of committee. Her idea to set up a grade K-12 competition to create a "Washington made" logo made it to the Rules Committee.
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