WA state Sen. Ericksen’s death a loss to Snake River dam supporters and conservatives
The death of Washington state Sen. Doug Ericksen is a loss, and one that will be felt far beyond his Northwest hometown in Whatcom County.
Ericksen was a Tri-Cities ally on many issues, but it was his vocal support for the Snake River dams that was particularly significant.
The Republican legislator was not only on our community’s side, but he also took the lead in trying to protect the dams — a rarity for a politician from the west side.
He made headlines in 2020 when he challenged Seattle residents to consider taking out the Ballard Locks and the dams owned by Seattle City Light. Ericksen argued that would be the best way to restore their area’s waterways to their natural state.
He even crafted legislation — Senate Bill 6830 — to support his proposal. When he gave a presentation to the state Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee meeting, it came complete with a PowerPoint display and backup testimony from dam supporters.
It was clearly a satirical pitch, but only the twinkle in his eyes gave him away. Ericksen managed to speak with a straight face and a serious demeanor in order to get his point across.
He, like many Tri-Citians, was exasperated with Seattle-based environmental groups who pushed to remove the Snake River dams after releasing their own studies justifying the idea.
In discussing his tongue-in-cheek plan, Ericksen said, “I’m sure we could design an impartial study to reach the conclusions we want. Lake Washington property owners might be inconvenienced when the water starts rising. Others might not like it when electricity bills skyrocket. But as they say in Seattle, no sacrifice is too great for somebody else to make.”
At the time, he told the Tri-City Herald he decided to go forward with his outrageous proposal because he believed Seattle should transform its own landscape before trying to dramatically change anyone else’s.
Sadly, Ericksen tested positive for COVID-19 while in El Salvador last month. He reached out to Republican colleagues Nov. 11 saying he believed he would benefit from receiving monoclonal antibodies, but that it wasn’t an available treatment there.
He was later transported to a Florida hospital, but his condition was not known for weeks.
Then came the news that he died on Friday, Dec. 17, at the age of 52, leaving behind a wife and two daughters. A funeral service for Ericksen will be held Wednesday, Dec. 29 in Bellingham.
He served in the House from 1998 to 2010 and was elected three times to the state Senate. Like many in his caucus, he was opposed to COVID vaccine mandates but it is unclear if he was vaccinated.
His accomplishments over the years have been highlighted on his legislative website, where he is described as a “champion for the rights of the individual and the freedoms guaranteed by the state and federal constitutions.”
Ericksen was also described as one of the Legislature’s strongest voices for fiscal responsibility, and for supporting pragmatic and balanced solutions to the state’s biggest environmental problems.
A Republican with a sharp sense of humor, Ericksen’s voice will be missed by conservatives come the 2022 legislative session.
This story was originally published December 23, 2021 at 11:15 AM.