(WA State Rep.) Dunn denied hearing to appeal sanctions over remarks

the Columbian ^ | Dec. 7, 2007 | KATHIE DURBIN

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The House Executive Rules Committee has rejected state Rep. Jim Dunn’s request for a hearing on his appeal of a Nov. 5 decision denying him travel reimbursement privileges during the 2008 session.

In its unanimous vote, the committee noted that House “respectful workplace policies” are not new and that all state representatives have been given training on the subject.

Dunn, R-Vancouver, said Thursday that it was House Speaker Frank Chopp, a Seattle Democrat, who demanded that Republican House leaders discipline him after he made a sexually offensive remark to a woman in a Kennewick hotel bar. Several legislators were present and overhead the remark.

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Dunn has acknowledged that his comments were inappropriate. But in his Nov. 28 appeal, he claimed that GOP leaders improperly retaliated against him for “exercising his free speech rights.” He asked for a hearing before the House Executive Rules Committee within 10 days.

Dunn said his appeal is temporarily “on hold” anyway because DeBolt is on vacation.

On Wednesday evening, Dunn stood up the Burnt Bridge Creek Neighborhood Association at a meeting his staff had requested. He was scheduled to talk about neighborhood issues in the upcoming legislative session.

“I need to contact them and put in my apologies,” he said Thursday. “I’ve been under the weather.”

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Washington *PING*

This reprobate lives a few blocks from me, and is supposedly my elected representative to the Statehouse in Olympia.

Our local Republicans are too gutless to call for him to resign because they can't find a replacement, and are afraid that they will lose the seat to a Democrat. Frankly, I would welcome just about anyone else at this point, and I continue to wonder how much longer we will have to put up with this ass.

[Betty Jane]

I'd like to know exactly what he said before asking him to resign. Trent Lott's innocuous remarks were made to be racist as were George Allen's. I'm tired of dems getting to attack people for whatever they deem offensive on that day, yet never calling "ism" on their own.

So color me not outraged.