The House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution Thursday praising state Rep. J.T. Wilcox, R-Yelm, as someone who “fought for responsible state budgets, accountable state government, salmon restoration and the sustainable development of natural resources for the use of the people of Washington state.”
As the session drew to a close, Wilcox announced his plan to retire in a letter to his fellow lawmakers last week. The decision comes a year after Wilcox opted to step down as House minority leader.
First elected in 2010, Wilcox served as the House Republican floor leader for six years before serving as the Republican House leader for five years. A graduate of Yelm High School and Washington State University, the resolution notes Wilcox’s involvement in “the Yelm Methodist Church, Roy Volunteer Fire Department, Pacific Education Institute, Yelm Lions Club, Graham Business Association and the Nisqually River Basin Land Trust.”
The resolution adds that he “has a tremendous record of integrity, honesty and a sense of fairness in his commitment to the public interest — and the ability to work across the aisle on common policy agendas.”
On Thursday, a bipartisan group of representatives praised Wilcox for his work with members from both parties.
“When you get to sit next to J.T., it’s like sitting by the side of a river,” Rep. Debra Lekanoff, D-Swinomish, said in her remarks. “Or it’s like sitting by a fire that’s really warm. There’s a good place when we get to sit by you J.T. It’s a good place to be able to talk to you, J.T.”
Lekanoff noted Wilcox’s openness and ability to welcome her to the Legislature, and his desire to find common ground.
“I think he has tried, to all of his various levers that are available to the minority, to encourage more cooperation, more collegiality, more bipartisanship, more listening,” House Minority Leader Drew Stokesbary, R-Auburn, said, praising Wilcox’s work on issues of importance to Washington’s sovereign tribes.
In the letter announcing his retirement decision, Wilcox offered praise to the other side of the aisle, namely Reps. Larry Springer, Frank Chopp and Mike Chapman, and said as long as Democrats of that ilk are in the Legislature, “we will have people who can be partners in the coming reemergence of a government that works.”
A Democrat from the 24th district, Chapman recalled one of his first interactions with Wilcox on Thursday. Soon after Wilcox took over as Republican leader, Chapman awoke to a newspaper editorial that claimed the district was poorly represented in Olympia and listed a series of grievances Wilcox thought needed to be addressed.
“I mentioned to someone the other day … if people could learn something about politics, that if a relationship starts off with someone saying ‘this guy’s not doing a good job, and I want to find somebody better for you,’ and then was mentioned in that individual’s email saying goodbye as maybe somebody who turned out to be an OK guy,” Chapman said. “If that happened in politics more, I think this world, this political structure, would be in a better place.”
