Secretary of State Wyman (left) and Supreme Court Justice Barbara Madsen smile as Sen. Pam Roach signals to her colleagues after being sworn in.   (Photos courtesy of Benjamin Helle)

Washington’s 64th Legislature got off to a peaceful start in the House and some unexpected fireworks in the Senate.

Sen. Pam Roach, R-Auburn, newly re-elected after a bruising challenge from a fellow Republican in the General Election, caught her GOP caucus off-guard by teaming with 23 minority Democrats and fellow maverick Republican Don Benton to defeat Sen. Tim Sheldon for the plum post of Senate president pro tempore.  Sheldon, a conservative Democrat who has angered his fellow Democrats by caucusing with the Republicans, had been in line to continue in the post, but Democrats struck by nominating Roach, no favorite of theirs.  Roach defeated Sheldon 25-24 and she immediately took the oath of office for the post.

The president pro tem serves as presiding officer of the Senate in the absence of Lt. Gov. Brad Owen, typically when he is acting governor when Gov. Jay Inslee is out of state.  The pro tem also is vice chair of the powerful Rules Committee, which has life-or-death power over legislation before it hits the Senate floor.  The position also includes perks such as an elegant office just off the Senate floor.

The Senate majority coalition had no immediate reaction, but soon called a closed-door caucus to regroup.

Sen. Pam Roach talks with Sen. Don Benton during the Senate’s floor session Monday.

The Senate coalition added to the opening-day drama by pushing through a much-debated rule change to require a two-thirds vote on new taxes. The vote was 26-23, with Roach, Benton and Sheldon sticking with the Republicans on this one. Currently, only a simple majority in both houses and the governor’s signature are needed.  The state Supreme Court has said it is unconstitutional to require a supermajority for the entire Legislature to pass revenue bills, but sponsors said the same court made it clear that each house has authority to set its own rules of procedure.

The House, with a similarly close partisan divide, was a relative lovefest, with both Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle, and Republican Leader Dan Kristiansen of Snohomish pledging to work together for solutions to Washington’s biggest problems.  “There is a big job at hand — a huge challenge,” Kristiansen said.

Secretary Wyman smiles as she hands Sen. Brian Dansel his certificate of election in the Senate.

Lawmakers in both chambers and both parties have a similar short list of must-do issues, led by writing a budget that funds state government for the next two years and addresses the state Supreme Court mandate to spend billions more in aid to education.  The high court, which has held the Legislature in contempt for its handling of the K-12 funding issue, had a presence on opening day.  Chief Justice Barbara Madsen swore in the new senators individually, with Secretary of State Kim Wyman presenting their certificates of election, and Justice Susan Owens did a mass swearing in of the House.

Gov. Inslee was scheduled to give his State of the State Address at a joint session at noon Tuesday.