Frank was a long-time member of PSARA. He was extraordinarily gracious and generous with his time when PSARA members came to lobby day in Olympia. Below are some remembrances of Frank from PSARA leaders.

 

Jeff Johnson

Jeff is the retired president of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL- CIO, and presently serves as the co-president of PSARA:

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On November 3, 1998, Initiative 688, written and backed by labor, raised Washington’s state minimum wage to the highest in the country and was the first minimum wage to be indexed to inflation. Passing by 66 percent, and bringing out an additional 3 percent of the vote, broke Republican control of the House, creating a 49-49 tie and making Frank Chopp Co-Speaker of the House of Representatives.

 

In March of 2001, labor convinced Tom Campbell (R-Spanaway) to cast his vote for Frank’s budget, passing the first Democratic budget in seven years, essentially giving Frank control of the House. In November, 2001, labor-supported candidate Brian Sullivan won a special election in the 21st LD, giving Frank and the Democrats full control of the state House.

 

Frank liked to tell the story of how his grandparents met on a picket line outside the mines in Roslyn, WA. In 2002 he was able to honor that history by helping to shepherd four collective bargaining bills through the legislature, giving full collective bargaining rights to state employees and giving over 60,000 workers a real voice at the workplace.

 

Frank was a complex man, and not always easy to work with. But he was a champion for the poor and for afford- able housing. His leadership at the Freemont Public Association (Solid Ground) and the Washington State legislature has left an indelible mark on the less fortunate among us.

Frank had so much more he wanted to give. He will be missed. Sretan put, voda Frank Chopp!

 

Marily Watkins

Marilyn is on the Board of the PSARA Education Fund and on PSARA's Government Relations Committee. She retired as the Policy Director of the Economic Opportunity Institute:

 

Frank was a master of the long game. In 2002, with our state in recession and facing a budget shortfall, he taught me a key lesson for winning new policy.

The coalition I worked with was pushing an early version of paid family and medical leave. When we met with Frank, he said there was no way he could pass it that year. But instead of leaving it there, he added, “Come back with something I can pass.” 

 

We came back with the Family Care Act, and it did pass. Since then, Washington workers have had the right to use their sick leave or any other employer-provided paid time off to care for a sick family member. It was still a long path to winning comprehensive paid family and medical leave, but along the way, the Washington Work and Family Coalition, partnering with local coalitions, helped win paid sick leave for all workers in Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma, then statewide.

 

Finally, in 2017, Speaker Chopp presided over passage of our state’s landmark paid family and medical leave program. These advances have served as models for other states, helping mil- lions of workers and families across the country.

 

Pam Crone

Pam is the chairperson of PSARA’s Government Relations Committee and a retired lobbyist for PSARA:

 

I lobbied for 20 years in the Washington State Legislature. Seventeen of those years were during Frank’s long tenure as House Speaker. Being summoned to Frank’s office has been likened to getting called to the principal’s office in junior high. The reason for the summons wasn’t always clear beforehand. Perhaps you had done some- thing really great or terribly wrong? Approaching the Speaker’s Office hop-ing for the former, the experience was always significant, and one walked out abundantly clear as to what the expectations were for a future course of action.

 

Frank exuded energy and power. No one worked harder in the Legislature than he did. His legislative successes were legion, and he knew how to communicate those successes to Washingtonians, ensuring healthy majorities session after session. I always respected and admired how he mentored ranks of smart and eager young people, providing them a front-row seat in making policy and navigating politics. I cared for him deeply and the loss is great.

 

Angie Bartels

Angie is PSARA’s Membership Vice President:

 

Frank Chopp was a very close friend and colleague of my husband, Tony Lee, deceased. While Frank was Speaker of the House, he recruited Tony to work at Solid Ground and lead the Statewide Poverty Action Network as the director and lead advocate. Together, these two incredibly talented men worked tirelessly (with others of course) over many years drafting legislation and garnering the support of other state legislators to pass laws in support of low-income residents of our state. This included health care, employment, workforce training, union support, early childhood education, equity in education, prisoner’s rights, services and rights for immigrants, and so much more.

 

Occasionally we had large meetings at our house of advocates and supporters. I remember one occasion when Frank was sponsoring legislation to increase and improve mental health services. He gave a very emotional speech about the need for services to ease the suffering of the people affected and their families.

As he spoke about his own sister’s mental health condition and how it affected their family, Frank wept. Through his tears, or in spite of them, Frank spoke boldly and valiantly of the work he was preparing in the legislature. I was very moved by this presentation, and it changed how I viewed Frank. His persona, in my eyes, of the mythical hero melded with the sensitive human being that he was. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who has fought harder or given more of himself for the people of the state of Washington.

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Rest in peace Frank. Your legacy lives on.