Brendan Williams
Member of the Washington House of Representatives
from the 22nd district
In office
January 10, 2005 – January 10, 2011
Preceded bySandra Singery Romero
Succeeded byChris Reykdal
Personal details
Born1968 (age 55–56)
Political partyDemocratic

Brendan W. Williams (born 1968) is an American politician who served in the Washington House of Representatives from 2005 to 2011, representing Washington's 22nd legislative district.

Background

Williams served as the executive director of the Washington Health Care Association (WHCA) prior to elective office. He also worked as a private practice attorney and a deputy insurance commissioner in Olympia, Washington.

While the head of WHCA, Williams argued a tax case against the Washington Department of Revenue on behalf of boarding homes and negotiated a settlement ratified by the Legislature in 2004. Under the settlement, estimated to be worth over $31 million in just the first four years, boarding homes pay less than one-fifth of the tax rate the state was looking to impose through a change in regulatory interpretation.[1] During his tenure, nursing home care faced proposed $72 million Medicaid budget cuts each year from 2002 to 2004; the cut proposed in 2002 would have been $14.13 per day for each patient.[2] WHCA defeated those cuts each legislative session and turned them into a $33.1 million funding increase in 2003[3] and a $19.3 million funding increase in 2004 that boarding homes shared.[4]

Williams is the author of four law review articles, most recently in the Gonzaga Law Review,[5] and dozens of newspaper columns largely advocating for the care of those with disabilities.

Term as legislator

Williams served as a Democratic Party member of the Washington House of Representatives. As a legislator, he promised to serve only three terms in a safe district.[6]

In 2010, he worked to save a correctional facility in a Republican district. The Tacoma News Tribune reported "Republicans backed Democratic Rep. Brendan Williams' amendment, but he couldn't get much help from his own party, and it failed on a 45-52 vote. Williams then became one of a few Democrats to vote against their party's budget."[7] That year Williams also offered a budget amendment to cut legislators' per diem payments equal to any pay cuts to state employees, which was rejected.[8] Following the budget vote, the Associated Press reported that "[I]n a scathing e-mail sent to his constituents . . . Rep. Brendan Williams, D-Olympia, railed against cuts to programs like nursing home care, education and natural resources."[9]

Referred to as "Olympia's iconic liberal state legislator" by The Olympian in 2010,[10] Williams advocated rights for Washington homeowners. Under Washington law those purchasing new homes have no warranty rights and cannot recover for negligence as they can in other states. Quoting a building industry publication that pushed "the no-warranty message," Spokane's Spokesman Review described Williams in 2009 as "the building group's great Satan."[11] He put forward a number of bills in favor of homeowners' rights; while such bills passed the Senate and House Judiciary Committee they were denied House floor votes.[12][13] They had strong support from Washington newspapers,[14] KOMO TV News investigations,[15] business leaders who suffered negligent construction themselves, and military families in Williams' district.

Williams was the prime sponsor of many laws, such as one protecting churches and health clinics from insurance cancellation when targeted by crimes like arson, which was the first in the nation to do so,[16] a law creating sexual assault protection orders;[17] a law preventing local governments from interfering with churches housing the homeless;[18] and another allowing domestic violence victims to remove pets as part of protection orders.[19]

With 123 state legislative races on the ballot in his final race in 2008, Williams received the 4th-highest vote total of any winning candidate.[20]

Awards and honors

In 2009, Fuse Washington recognized Williams with a "Sizzle" Award for "Favorite Gunslinger." The award recognized Williams for his work to advance consumer protection and campaign finance reforms in Washington State.[21]

He also received recognition from other organizations such as the Autism Society of Washington.[22] Newspapers praised his work for open government.[23][24]

Sexual Misconduct Allegations

In November 2017, several women accused Williams of inappropriate sexual conduct. Williams has denied any misconduct.[25][26]

References

  1. ↑ https://fortress.wa.gov/binaryDisplay.aspx?package=8790
  2. ↑ http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2001-02/Pdf/Bills/Senate%20Bills/6387.pdf
  3. ↑ http://leap.leg.wa.gov/leap/budget/lbns/2003dshs.pdf
  4. ↑ http://leap.leg.wa.gov/leap/budget/lbns/2004dshs.pdf
  5. ↑ "A Better "Exchange": Some States, Including Washington, Control Their Health Care Markets While Most Surrender Autonomy to Resist Reform - Gonzaga Law Review". www.law.gonzaga.edu. Archived from the original on 2014-05-19. Retrieved 2014-05-19.
  6. ↑ "State Representative Brendan Williams Walks Away | Olympia Power & Light". Archived from the original on 2015-01-14. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
  7. ↑ "Political Buzz". Tacoma News Tribune. Archived from the original on 2014-08-12. Retrieved 2014-08-12.
  8. ↑ "Furlough Bill Passes | PSE of WWU". Archived from the original on 2014-12-04. Retrieved 2014-08-12.
  9. ↑ "Local News | Wash. Legislature enters final days of session | Seattle Times Newspaper". Archived from the original on 2015-01-19. Retrieved 2015-01-19. _ga=1.220441560.1143687609.1420565642
  10. ↑ "Rep. Williams going out with gun blazing - Political Buzz". Archived from the original on 2014-09-05. Retrieved 2014-09-05.
  11. ↑ "Home builders erect a new pinata: "Rep. Williams is the new Sen. Weinstein"..."
  12. ↑ "The speaker ducks a desperate homeowner". 11 March 2008. Archived from the original on 5 September 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  13. ↑ "Washington State Legislature". dlr.leg.wa.gov. Archived from the original on 2014-09-05.
  14. ↑ "The house that Carmela built". 13 February 2007.
  15. ↑ "House Speaker still stands in the way of Homeowner's Bill of Rights". 6 March 2008.
  16. ↑ "Washington State Legislature". dlr.leg.wa.gov. Archived from the original on 2014-09-25.
  17. ↑ "Washington State Legislature". dlr.leg.wa.gov. Archived from the original on 2014-09-25.
  18. ↑ "Washington State Legislature". dlr.leg.wa.gov. Archived from the original on 2010-07-14. Retrieved 2014-09-25.
  19. ↑ "Washington State Legislature". dlr.leg.wa.gov. Archived from the original on 2010-11-14. Retrieved 2014-09-25.
  20. ↑ "Legislative - All Results". results.vote.wa.gov.
  21. ↑ Fuse "Favorite Gunslinger" Award Archived April 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  22. ↑ "SHORELINE: Williams wins award".
  23. ↑ "When it comes to open government, a sledgehammer is sorely needed". 3 March 2008.
  24. ↑ "Sunshine returns to D.C. as clouds gather in Olympia - Inside Opinion". Archived from the original on 2016-04-14. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
  25. ↑ "4 women accuse former state lawmaker of harassment, assault". Archived from the original on 2017-11-02. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
  26. ↑ "3 women accuse former Washington legislator of harassment, assault". 1 November 2017.
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