4 Lawmakers COVID-19 Positive For Start Of Legislative Session

OLYMPIA, WA — The 2022 legislative session is off to an awkward start, as nearly one tenth of the Washington State Senate is currently sick with COVID-19. The 60-day session kicked off Monday, and will be held largely remotely because of — apparently well-founded — concerns about COVID-19 transmission in the legislative building.

The first infection was reported Friday, when Sen. John Lovick (D-Mill Creek) announced that he had tested positive and was experiencing mild COVID-19 symptoms. He was followed Saturday by Washington state Senate Leader Andy Billig (D-Spokane). In a news release, Billig confirmed he was vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19, which he credited for protecting him against severe symptoms.

“I am grateful to have been vaccinated and boosted, which I know has prevented me from having any significant symptoms,” Billig said. “I also appreciate that we have the technology in place to facilitate a hybrid legislative session so Senators can fully participate in legislative activities even while they quarantine. I do not expect this positive test will keep me from any of my legislative duties as session gets underway next week.”

Come Monday, and two more legislators announced they are COVID-19 positive: State Sen. Mark Mullet (D-Issaquah) and State Sen. Yasmin Trudeau (D-Tacoma). Like Billig and Lovick, Trudeau was vaccinated, and will be isolating at home with her family.

“It’s scary to have COVID when we have a little one here at home who’s too young to be vaccinated, but we’re monitoring all of our symptoms extremely closely and know that we have an incredible community surrounding us to help us take care of our family," Trudeau said in a release.

Monday was set to be the start of Trudeau's career in state politics. Just this November, she was appointed to replace State Senator Jeannie Darneille who had stepped down from the state legislature to take on a new role as the Assistant Secretary of DOC's Women's Prison Division.

“This isn’t the way I wanted to start my first session, but I’m no less excited and ready to do the work our community wants done," Trudeau said. "After a full isolation and recovery, I plan to go to Olympia when it is safe and possible to do so – but whether I’m there or here at home, I’m ready to work.”

While all four lawmakers will be forced to stay home for a few weeks, they won't be missing much in-person legislating. Last week, the Washington House announced plans to remain fully remote for the legislative session. The Senate, meanwhile, has adopted a hybrid plan, limiting the floor to 15 members at a time. Notably, Billig was one of the four Senate Facilities and Operations Committee members who voted in favor of that hybrid plan.

“The goal, and I think we all share this goal however we voted here, is to make the operation of the Senate as safe as possible, as transparent as possible and to have as much participation as we can safely have from the public,” Billig said following the vote.

All four of the COVID-19 positive lawmakers say they have had mild or no symptoms, and all are confident they will fully recover. However, COVID-19 has claimed one Washington lawmaker's life: Washington state Sen. Doug Ericksen died in December after testing positive for COVID-19 during a trip to El Salvador. He was 52. Unlike the lawmakers currently carrying COVID-19, Ericksen's vaccination status was unknown, but he had been a strong critic of Gov. Inslee's COVID-19 orders and fought for the right to not get vaccinated.

That prominent lawmakers are testing COVID-19 positive reflects the current state of the pandemic in Washington. The state is in the middle of what is now the largest wave of COVID-19 case counts ever, driven by the more-transmissible omicron variant. The Washington State Department of Health estimates that, as of Jan. 4, Washington had reached a 7-day average of more than 9,500 cases a day. For comparison, the delta wave peaked at around 3,600 cases a day. To prevent hospitals from overflowing and to tamp down on transmissions, health care workers — and state lawmakers — are urging everyone to follow COVID-19 safety protocol by wearing masks, practicing social distancing, and getting vaccinated and boosted.

“I wear my mask, I wash my hands about 20 times a day and I still got it," said Sen. Lovick. "This virus is nothing to mess around with and we all have to do our part to protect ourselves and each other.”

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