(The Center Square) – Washington state Rep. Jeremie Dufault, R-Selah, will finish out the last days of the legislative session – which is set to end on Sunday – participating remotely from his office, instead of from the floor of the House of Representatives.
Dufault was banned from the House floor, the wings adjacent to the floor, and the gallery for the remainder of the session following an outburst during Thursday’s floor debate on Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1296 addressing student and parental rights.
Critics contend the bill guts citizen Initiative 2081, passed by the Legislature last year, which grants parents access to school materials such as textbooks, curriculum, and their children’s medical records.
Dufault, who has been sharply critical of the bill, told The Center Square that he was upset at Senate Democrats making changes to the bill.
“The Speaker made an improper ruling to attach another bill to the bill that guts the parents’ bill of rights, and one of our Republican members made a motion to point out that the speaker [of the House] was making an improper move,” he said, noting the presiding speaker, Rep. Tarra Simmons, D-Bremerton, denied the motion. “So I stood up and I said, ‘You change the rules and now you break the rules!’ and I got gaveled and the House went at ease.”
At that point, lawmakers left the floor and went to their respective caucuses.
“I went up to one of my friend’s offices as I was working on some amendments on the transportation budget, and at one point, when I walked out of the office, there were several members of the state patrol and the House Sergeant at Arms standing there,” Dufault explained.
He said he was told that he was not allowed in the gallery, wings or House floor.
House Speaker Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, emailed a statement to The Center Square about the incident.
“It is the Speaker’s duty to preserve order and decorum in the House so we can accomplish our work for the people of Washington,” she wrote. “House rules further empower the Speaker to remove any person creating a disturbance or engaging in disorderly conduct within the House Chamber. It’s disappointing that Rep. Dufault has created multiple disturbances on the House Floor this session, and has shown no willingness to adhere to House rules after multiple transgressions.”
Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, who also chairs the Washington State Republican Party, spoke with The Center Square about Dufault’s ban.
“Dufault violated House standards of decorum,” he noted. “He’s a rational man, and I think he was intentionally testing limits in raising objections to how the speaker has changed and used rules. I don’t condone what he did. It was a violation of House rules for how you speak and conduct yourself, but I also know that Jeremie is smart, and I think he did this to make a point.”
Just ahead of final passage, several Republicans made emotional pleas in opposition to the bill including Rep. Dan Griffey, R-Allyn.
“OSPI is going to be able to double down and say if you don’t force young girls to shower with people that are transitioning, we will remove your funds,” said Griffey. “Madame Speaker, that is wrong.”
The bill passed on a 59-39 party-line vote and is going to Gov. Bob Ferguson. He can sign the bill into law, allow it to become law without his signature or veto it.
“As this bill gets worse and worse, I get more determined to point out the flaws in it and the many things that the people of Washington state will be upset about,” Dufault said. “I’m still voting, I’m still speaking, and I will keep fighting for what I believe is right.”
