Appointed to the state Senate at 22, Simon Sefzik says he’s starting a ‘job of a lifetime’
When I pulled into the member parking lot in Olympia for the first time a few weeks ago, and asked a security guard where the Capitol was, he took a good look at me and told me the nearest entrance was restricted to members and staff due to COVID. Was I an intern? he asked.
I explained that I’d just been appointed to a seat in the state Senate, representing Whatcom County’s 42nd Legislative District. Luckily another guard standing nearby had heard the story on the radio, and waved me through. The Capitol, by the way, was just to my right.
I can’t blame the guard for his confusion. At age 22, I am the youngest current member of the Legislature, and the youngest senator — ever — as far as anyone can determine from incomplete legislative records.
I hope the people of Whatcom County will see youth as an advantage. I view Olympia with fresh eyes. I come to the Legislature without preconceived notions of partisan politics and trench warfare. Certainly, I am skeptical of expansive government, intrusive regulation and identity politics. But I do think there is much we can accomplish by looking toward the values we all share.
In many ways, this is a job I have been preparing for my entire life.
A few words of introduction are in order. My family moved to Whatcom County when I was eight, eventually settling in Ferndale. In school, I participated in speech and debate. At Patrick Henry College in Virginia, I majored in American Government. I interned in Congress and for the White House Coronavirus Task Force and later held a full-time position with the White House Management Office. Yet Whatcom County is my home — its people are my people — and nothing makes me prouder than the opportunity to represent our community in Olympia.
My first few weeks have been like drinking from the proverbial firehose. There are a thousand things you never consider until you need to do them for yourself. Like how to introduce a bill. You “drop it in the hopper.” But first, you need to know where the hopper is. (Don’t worry, I found it.)
One of the things that impresses me about Olympia is that perhaps 80% of the bills we pass are a matter of bipartisan cooperation. Outside Olympia, we hear about matters of great controversy. But when our big debates are done, we move right on to the next bill and do what needs to be done.
This is especially important as we consider relief measures for Whatcom County in the wake of this winter’s disastrous flooding. Issues like these should never be painted in red or blue. I was delighted to introduce a companion bill in the Senate to a proposal from Rep. Alicia Rule, D-Blaine, establishing an innovative grant program for agricultural producers recovering from natural disaster. I also have introduced legislation for $85 million in flood-recovery funding for Whatcom County, likely to be on the table during deliberations over the budget.
Other legislation I have introduced includes a proposal to suspend state fuel taxes for the remainder of the year, using our state’s current surplus to maintain transportation funding statewide. The FUEL Act would immediately reduce gas prices by 49.4 cents a gallon and would be particularly meaningful for lower-income households that must pay a larger share of their income for basic necessities.
I was reminded last week of the awesome trust that has been placed in me when I gave my first speech on the Senate floor during a tribute to my predecessor, the late Sen. Doug Ericksen. To many he was a political figure; I knew him as a family friend and father of two, and I was devastated when I learned of his death. Above all, we need to remember that politics is about humanity, from the people who serve to those we represent. As the people of Whatcom County turn to Olympia for help in flood cleanup and prevention, I hope to repay the honor that has been bestowed on me by putting the people first.