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Tag: Gov. Booth Gardner

Former Gov. Spellman visits WA Capitol

Former Gov. Spellman visits WA Capitol

More than three decades after serving as Washington’s governor, John Spellman returned to Olympia to tour the Governor’s Mansion and Capitol and meet with current Gov. Jay Inslee. Before seeing the governor, 90-year-old Spellman, along with two of his sons, a grandson and a granddaughter, stopped by our office to meet with staff, including two alumni from Spellman’s gubernatorial staff – State Archivist Steve Excell, who served as Spellman’s chief of staff, and Patrick McDonald, who was an intern and…

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Governors’ executive orders over the years

Governors’ executive orders over the years

  Gov. Dixy Lee Ray issued several executive orders in 1980 that related to the Mount St. Helens eruption. (Photo courtesy of Washington State Archives) They might lack the authority and consensus of legislatively approved state laws, but executive orders are a powerful way that Washington’s governors have made things happen in state government over the years. Executive orders are formal orders issued by the governor, generally to cabinet agencies statewide, requiring that certain actions be taken. They may have…

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Remembering Speaker Tom Foley

Remembering Speaker Tom Foley

(Images courtesy of Washington State Archives)  Washington state is celebrating the life and service of Tom Foley, who represented Eastern Washington’s 5th Congressional District for 30 years and as House Speaker from 1989 to 1994.  Foley died last Friday at the age of 84. Foley was a Democrat who was first elected to the U.S. House in 1964 and served until Republican George Nethercutt defeated him in the “Republican Revolution” election of 1994. Foley  later served as U.S. ambassador to…

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Classic gov bill-signing photos: Gardner and Lowry

Classic gov bill-signing photos: Gardner and Lowry

(Photos courtesy of Washington State Archives.) Latest in our series of blog posts featuring classic State Archives photos of previous Washington governors signing bills into law. Today we’re focusing on the late Booth Gardner and Mike Lowry. Gardner is shown at top signing a bill in his office. (Note the plate of souvenir pens.) The bottom photo features Lowry putting his John Hancock on a bill in the governor’s conference room as a group of legislators and bill supporters stand…

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Governors’ bill-signing pens over the years

Governors’ bill-signing pens over the years

For the past couple of weeks, Gov. Jay Inslee has been busy signing bills into law as proud legislators and bill supporters cluster around and watch each pen stroke. As is customary, the governor shakes hands, poses for photos and hands out souvenir  pens with his name on them as a keepsake to be used or framed. Since it’s “bill-signing season” here in Olympia, here’s a look at the collection of the bill-signing pens used by Washington governors going back…

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Olympia bids farewell to late Gov. Booth Gardner

Olympia bids farewell to late Gov. Booth Gardner

Legislators applaud members of the Gardner family sitting in the Senate gallery. (Photo courtesy of Legislative Support Services Photo Department) Olympia paid its final tributes to the late Gov. Booth Gardner Friday with a special joint session of the Legislature in the Senate chambers where the former two-term Democratic governor once served as a 30-something political newcomer. Gov. Jay Inslee, Secretary of State Kim Wyman and other state officials and lawmakers from both parties heard testimonials of Gardner’s lifetime of…

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Remembering Booth Gardner: ‘Civility & public service’

Remembering Booth Gardner: ‘Civility & public service’

(Left to right: former Gov. John Spellman, former Gov. Booth Gardner,  former Lt. Gov. John Cherberg, former Gov. Al Rosellini. Photo courtesy of Washington State Archives.) Booth Gardner, Washington’s 19th governor who later led a successful statewide initiative to legalize assisted suicide for the terminally ill, died at his Tacoma home Friday night at age 76 from complications of Parkinson’s disease. Gardner became one of Washington’s more popular and charismatic governors. Gardner, a Democrat, was elected as the state’s top…

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`Booth Who?’ book rollout honors Governor Gardner

`Booth Who?’ book rollout honors Governor Gardner

“Booth Who?” was the slogan that puckish campaign aides famously used for Booth Gardner’s early campaign buttons and yardsigns back when he wasn’t exactly a household name yet.  He eventually hit the political version of a Grand Slam, serving in the state Senate, Pierce County Executive and as the two-term governor. His story is now told in a new Legacy Project book called, naturally enough,  “Booth Who?”  It’s available free online and in print form ($25 softcover, $35 for limited…

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Oscar time: Booth’s ‘last campaign’ film nominated

Oscar time: Booth’s ‘last campaign’ film nominated

It’s a story well known in Washington state, and now the subject of a short documentary that’s up for an Academy Award Sunday evening.  It’s called “The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner,” a reference to the popular former governor’s debilitating battle with Parkinson’s and his crusade to legalize physician-assisted suicide. This “last campaign” is also recounted in a Legacy Project biography now nearing completion. It’s called “Booth Who?” and is written by chief historian John Hughes. It will be…

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