“Good morning, Cougs.”
That’s how state Sen. Sam Hunt, an Olympia Democrat and WSU alum, convened Thursday’s meeting of the State Government & Elections Committee — his last.
Hunt, a member of the WSU Class of 1970, is retiring after 24 years in the Legislature, including 16 in the House of Representatives. After serving as a schoolteacher, Hunt spent time as a staffer for the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, the state Senate, education advisor to Gov. Booth Gardner, and legislative director for the Department of Information Services. In the Legislature he most recently has chaired the State Government and Elections Committee. With an office adorned with WSU paraphernalia, no legislator in recent memory has worn their affinity for their alma mater quite like Hunt.
To commemorate his last meeting, staff facing Hunt wore WSU ballcaps and a few legislators on the committee and several guests to the committee joined in. Hunt handed over his gavel to Sen. Javier Valdez, his successor as committee chair. “Go Cougs” said one committee presenter, Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck.
The Legislature is gathered in Olympia this week for committee day activities, which serve as a pre session ahead them convening for the 2025 regular session on January 13th.