Helen Sommers: An Oral History

pg. 302 The Press
Duane Berentson and
John Bagnariol are elected
co-Speakers of the state
House of Representatives on
January 8, 1979
Washington House of Representatives
Co-Speakers John Bagnariol and Duane Berentson,
Olympia, 1979 – Courtesy Washington Secretary
of State
On January 8, 1979, state representatives elect
both Republican Duane Berentson (b. 1928) and
Democrat John Bagnariol (ca. 1932-2009) to be
Speaker of the House of Representatives. The novel
arrangement of two co-Speakers presiding over the
legislative session results from a tie in membership:
there are 49 Republicans and 49 Democrats in the
House, so neither party has a majority. As a result,
the parties have to work out procedures for sharing
power, a process made easier by the cordial
relationship between Berentson and Bagnariol,
who are longtime legislative colleagues.
For many years a tie for control of the Washington
House of Representatives would have been
impossible because that body had an odd number
of members – 99 since 1933. However, in 1972 the
United States District Court redistricted Washington’s
legislative boundaries to comply with the
United States Supreme Court’s “one person, one
vote” rule, which mandated that electoral districts
have approximately equal populations. The courtimposed
redistricting plan reduced the number
of seats in the House of Representatives from 99
to 98 (two representatives elected, along with one
senator, from each of 49 districts).
No Majority, New Rules
In the 1972, 1974, and 1976 elections, Democrats
controlled the 98-member House by comfortable
margins. As the majority party, the Democrats held
the Speaker’s post and chaired all the committees,
controlling what bills were voted on. In the 1977
session, John Bagnariol, a Renton insurance agent
who had represented the 11 th District since the 1966
election, was chosen House Speaker by his fellow
Democrats.
Democrats were expected to retain their House
majority in the 1978 election. However, Republicans
mounted an aggressive effort to gain control of
the House and, in the words of State Democratic
Party chair Joe Murphy, “[t]hey sneaked up on us”
(Larsen, “GOP Sneaks Up ...”). When all 98 races
were decided, the Republicans had picked up 13
seats, reducing the Democrats’ previous 62-to-36-seat
majority to a 49-49 tie. The unprecedented situation
left observers and legislative leaders uncertain
how the evenly divided House of Representatives
would function.
Normally the majority party elects the Speaker
to preside over the session, designates the committee
chairs, and appoints non-member employees such
as the chief clerk. Lacking a majority, neither party
could do so in the 1979 session. Various options were
suggested, including bringing in a non-member to
preside as Speaker, before the co-Speaker arrangement
was agreed upon.
Berentson and Bagnariol
Working out how to share power was made
easier because Bagnariol and Duane Berentson, the
Republican House leader from Burlington, Skagit
County, who had represented the 40 th District since
1962, had served together for many years and were
on good terms. Vito Chiechi, who was the Repub-