Pam Roach: Activist to Veteran Legislator

Pam Roach was elected 31st District State Senator in 1990 and has just finished serving in her 20th legislative session. She started as a citizen activist and now, with a smile, she says she was a "community organizer!"

Senator Roach is known for her stanch defense of our State and Federal Constitutions, her work to make government more open and accountable, and her consistent votes to protect taxpayers.

As Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee she led the efforts to reform our state's DUI laws and our juvenile justice system. She was the legislative sponsor of the successful "Hard Time For Armed Crime" and "Three Strikes You're Out" initiatives.

As chair of the Governmental Operations and Election Committee Senator Roach ushered in election reforms after the infamous Florida Primary by sponsoring the "Help America Vote Act."

Pam is currently working to make DSHS more accountable. Every month at least one child dies under the auspices of Child Protective Services. CPS also takes children from qualified relative families. Senator Roach brought the story of grandparents Doug and Ann Marie Stuth to KING 5 TV which eventually led to the Stuths adoption of their granddaughter after the state had falsified records.

Senator Roach is also working to save Rainier School for the developmentally disabled from closure. For her efforts she was the only incumbent Senator running for reelection this year to be endorsed by the Federation of State Employees at their meeting last week.

In her spare time Senator Roach works with La Escuela de Esperanza (School of Hope) a non-profit organization which she founded to aid the children of Honduras. Besides Honduras she has enjoyed travel to 34 countries including five trips to China. During one trip to China she represented Gov. Gregoire in the earthquake area of Chengdu. In another she organized and led a delegation of 14 state legislators to study Chinese culture and languages instruction. She has championed the including of foriegn language instruction in our elementary schools.

Pam and her husband Jim have been married 39 years and have five children. Son, Dan, is currently serving in the State House of Representatives. Pam and Dan are the only mother-son duo to serve in the legislature from the same district, at the same time, in U.S. history. Son, John, is currently serving as a captain in the United States Air Force and recently returned from assignment in Qatar.

Pam and Jim live on a 7 acre farm near Enumclaw and enjoy gardening and barbecues with their children and 13 grandchildren.

Working with Law Enforcement

During my 20 years in the State Senate I have concentrated a large portion of my efforts to public safety including the working conditions and pensions of law enforcement.

As Chair of the Law and Justice Committee (Judiciary Committee) I led the effort to reform DUI laws and was responsible for shepherding laws such as administrative license revocation, ignition interlock devises for those with convictions, and .08 before the federal government passed it. For these efforts I was given a citation of appreciation by the Traffic Safety Council.

I was the Senate prime sponsor of the Juvenile Justice Reform Act which was the product of the Governor’s (Gardner and Locke) Juvenile Justice Reform Committee where I served with Prosecutor Norm Maleng, Bobbi Bridge, and criminal justice leaders from across the state. I sponsored “Hard Time for Armed Crime” in the legislature before it was taken up as an initiative. “Three Strikes You’re Out” was also an initiative I began in the legislature (working with John Carlson).

I am currently on the Sentencing Guidelines Commission and was a member of the Governor’s Substance Abuse Council before it was cancelled due to budget constraints. I successfully worked to keep released predatory sex offenders out of neighborhoods and into industrial areas where they are not close to families. It was my budget proposal that funded the on-line locator for sex offenders by address of the inquirer. I was awarded WACOPS “Legislator of the Year” for five years running.

At the end of the 2010 session I appointed to the Bail Practices Work Group that was formed to close loopholes in bail law. I have spent the last 20 years working to make Washington a safer place to live and to enhance the safety and working conditions for Police and Fire Fighters.

I am proud to have been endorsed in this election cycle by the King County Police Officers Guild, the Valley Professional Fire Fighters (Auburn, Algona, and Pacific) and several individual members of the public safety community.