Randy Gordon (politician) explained

Randy Gordon
State Senate:Washington
District:41st
Term Start:January 11, 2010
Term End:December 6, 2010
Preceded:Fred Jarrett
Succeeded:Steve Litzow
Party:Democratic
Birth Date:1953 6, mf=yes
Birth Place:Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Children:3
Residence:Bellevue, Washington
Alma Mater:University of Michigan (BA)
Harvard Law School (JD)
Occupation:Lawyer

Randolph I. Gordon (born June 29, 1953) is an American lawyer and politician who served as a Democratic Washington State Senator from Bellevue, Washington. In 2010 he was appointed to replace Sen. Fred Jarrett.[1] He owns his own law firm, Law Offices of Randolph I. Gordon PLLC,[2] in Seattle, Washington, and is an adjunct professor at Seattle University School of Law.

Early life

Randy Gordon was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1953.[3]

Education

Career

In 1978 he started his law practice at the law firm Riddell, Williams, Bullitt & Walkinshaw of Seattle, Washington.[4] He was a principal in the law firm Casey Gordon Davis, P.S. from 1983 to 2002. This practice emphasized trial practice, business and commercial litigation, products liability and plaintiff personal injury, toxic tort and chemical exposure litigation, mediation and arbitration, court-appointed special master. In 1995, he was the appellants' counsel in Birklid v. Boeing, 127 Wn.2d 853, a landmark case where he represented seventeen workers that were exposed to toxic phenol compound fumes. The case determined that knowledge of a hazardous condition constitutes 'deliberate intention'.[5] From 2002 to 2010, he was a principal of the Bellevue, Washington, law firm Gordon Edmunds Elder PLLC where his specialties are Mediation and Arbitration, Civil Litigation, Personal Injury Law, Toxic Exposure Law, and Products Liability.[6] In 2011, he formed a new law firm Gordon Edmunds Grelish PLLC carrying on the same work in Seattle, Washington.[2]

He has taught as an adjunct professor at the Seattle University School of Law since 1999, where he specializes in products liability and remedies.[7]

Politics

Randy Gordon is the Precinct Committee Officer for Precinct BEL 41-0219 in Bellevue, WA.

2006 campaign for U.S. Representative

In 2005, Randy Gordon ran an exploratory campaign to unseat U.S. Representative Dave Reichert in Washington's 8th District. He dropped out of the race on January 5, 2006.

2009-10 session

In 2010 he was nominated to the Washington State Senate by Democratic Precinct Committee Officers (PCOs) and confirmed by the King County Council to replace Sen. Fred Jarrett who resigned to serve as King County deputy executive.[1] [8]

During the short spring 2010 session, Gordon received three committee appointments: Joint Legislative Audit & Review Committee (JLARC), Early Learning & K-12 Education and Judiciary.[9]

Gordon sponsored seven bills during the session, co-sponsored forty bills, one senate joint memorial, twenty-two senate resolutions.[10]

In his first speech on the Senate floor, Gordon voted with other Democrats in order to suspend a voter-approved initiative so that so-called tax loopholes could be closed in order to pay for mandatory budget items required by the state Constitution.[20] [21] A two-thirds majority was not needed in order to amend I-960 because lawmakers can amend initiatives with a simple majority vote after they've been on the books for two years.[22] SB 6843 was passed into law.[21] Within the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee, the committee that works to make state government operations more effective, efficient and accountable by auditing and evaluating how money is spent, Gordon reviewed a book of tax exemptions. He signed on to two major bills that hope to close some of these tax loopholes amounting to a half of a billion dollars[23] - SB 6853[24] and SB 6873.[25]

As part of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Gordon helped SB 5838[26] through committee that would result in tougher infraction for drivers whose violation of traffic laws results in the death or substantial bodily injury of a pedestrian, bicyclist or any other "vulnerable" roadway user.[27] [28]

As part of the Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee, Sen. Gordon sponsored SB 6593[29] which would transfer the Infant and Toddler Early Intervention Program to DEL from DSHS. Gordon testified in behalf of the bill[30]

The session ended with Gordon voting for 2ESSB 6143[31] to close a $2.8 billion budget shortfall by a combination of cutting state services and increasing taxes.[32] Taxes were increased on non-essentials - beer, soda, bottled water, and candy. Cuts were made in K-12 and higher education, and other state services.

2010 campaign for State Senate

Gordon was defeated by Mercer Island City Councilman Steve Litzow.[33] After an automatic recount, Gordon's defeat was confirmed. He lost by 192 votes out of nearly 60,000 votes cast.[34] [35]

Pro bono work

Honors and awards

Speeches

Memberships and affiliations

Family

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Bellevue lawyer Randy Gordon named to state Senate . . Staff . 2010-01-11 . 2010-01-12.
  2. Web site: Law Offices of Randolph I. Gordon PLLC . 2013-03-08.
  3. Web site: Randy Gordon . Washington State Bar Association . 2010-01-15.
  4. Web site: Our History . Ridell Williams . 2010-04-06.
  5. Web site: The "Deliberate Intention" Exception to the Industrial Insurance Act after Birklid v. Boeing: A Guidebook for Bench & Bar . Washington State Bar Association . 2010-04-06.
  6. Web site: More Law - Lexapedia . 2010-04-06.
  7. Web site: Randy Gordon, Adjunct Professor . 2010-04-06.
  8. News: New state senator is lawyer, poet and optimist - Democrat Sen. Randy Gordon of Bellevue takes over Fred Jarrett's seat for the 41st . . Mary L. Grady . 2010-02-04 . 2010-04-26.
  9. News: Democrat Sen. Randy Gordon of Bellevue takes over Fred Jarrett's 41st Legislative District seat . . Mary L. Grady . 2010-02-02 . 2010-04-06.
  10. Web site: Senator Randy Gordon - 2009-10 Prime Sponsored Bills . Washington State Legislature . 2010-04-08.
  11. Web site: SB 6512 - Increasing school safety. . Washington State Legislature . 2010-04-07.
  12. Web site: SB 6593 - Transferring the administration of the infant and toddler early intervention program from the department of social and health services to the department of early learning. . Washington State Legislature . 2010-03-29 . 2010-04-06.
  13. Web site: SB 6686 - Changing the election and appointment provisions for municipal court judges. . Washington State Legislature . 2010-04-07.
  14. Web site: SB 6694 - Regulating the foreclosure of residential real property. . Washington State Legislature . 2010-04-07.
  15. Web site: SB 6728 - Concerning classroom training for electrical trainees. . Washington State Legislature . 2010-04-07.
  16. News: Gordon bill to curb frivolous appeals heads to governor's desk . . 2010-03-09 . 2010-04-06.
  17. News: Randy Gordon bill aims to crack down on 'appellate abuses' . . 2010-02-22 . 2010-04-06.
  18. Web site: SB 6764 - Regarding accrual of interest on judgments founded on tortious conduct. . Washington Legislature . 2010-03-19 . 2010-04-06.
  19. Web site: SB 6796 - Assessing a business and occupation tax surcharge on automatic teller fees in excess of one dollar and fifty cents. . Washington State Legislature . 2010-04-07.
  20. News: WA Lege: Deja vu. Senate Democrats suspend I-960 . . 2010-02-11 . 2010-04-08.
  21. Web site: SB 6843 - Preserving essential public services . Washington State Legislature . 2010-04-07.
  22. News: State House approves I-960 suspension . . Curt Woodward . 2010-02-18 . 2010-04-08.
  23. News: Gordon signs on to tax loophole reform bill . . 2010-02-24 . 2010-04-06.
  24. Web site: SB 6853 - Relating to creating the legislative review of tax preferences act of 2010. . Washington State Legislature . 2010-04-10.
  25. Web site: SB 6873 - Increasing state revenues to preserve funding for essential public services by preventing abusive tax avoidance transactions, narrowing or eliminating certain tax preferences, and providing equitable tax treatment. . Washington State Legislature . 2010-04-10.
  26. Web site: SB 5838 - Concerning traffic infractions where the conduct is a proximate cause of death, great bodily harm, or substantial bodily injury. . Washington State Legislature . Senators McDermott, Jacobsen, Murray, Kohl-Welles, Fairley . 2010-04-10.
  27. News: Vulnerable User Bill vulnerable to confusion . . Lillian Tucker . 2010-02-03 . 2010-04-26.
  28. Web site: "Vulnerable to Confusion," Bill Squeaks Through Committee . Cascade Bicycle Club . Chris Rule . 2010-02-08 . 2010-04-26 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110219175600/http://blog.cascade.org/2010/02/%E2%80%9Cvulnerable-to-confusion%E2%80%9D-bill-squeaks-through-committee/ . February 19, 2011.
  29. Web site: SB 6593 - Transferring the administration of the infant and toddler early intervention program from the department of social and health services to the department of early learning. . Washington State Legislature . Senators Gordon, Kauffman, Prentice, Oemig, Tom, Kline, Parlette . 2010-04-26.
  30. Web site: This week in Olympia, Feb 15, 2010 . Department of Early Learning . 2010-04-26.
  31. Web site: SB 6143 - Relating to revenue and taxation . Washington State Legislature . Margarita Prentice . 2010-04-07.
  32. News: Lawmakers end session with taxes, service cut . . Andrew Garber . 2010-04-13 . 2010-04-13.
  33. News: Mercer Island Councilman to challenge Bellevue's Randy Gordon for 41st District Senate seat . . Elizabeth Celms . 2010-02-12 . 2010-04-07.
  34. News: It's official, Steve Litzow is new state senator for the 41st District . . Staff . 2010-12-03 . 2011-06-12.
  35. News: Recount: Litzow beats Gordon in 41st Senate race . . Chris Grygiel . 2010-12-03 . 2011-06-12.
  36. Web site: Lehto and Wells v. Sequoia and Snohomish County.
  37. Web site: Washington State Association for Justice Awards . 2010-01-15.
  38. Seattle Journal for Social Justice . A TALE OF TWO INITIATIVES: Where Propaganda Meets Fact in the Debate Over America's Health Care . Gordon, Randy . 4 . 2 . 2006 . 2010-01-15.
  39. News: Time to dole out Cappies, despite Olympia's unfinished business . Everett Herald . Jerry Cornfield . 2010-03-14 . 2010-04-11.

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