WashCOG board speaks to loss of former Speaker Chopp

Robert McClure congratulates Frank Chopp and Gerry Pollet at the March 14, 2025 Sunshine Breakfast.

== Photo by Desiree Erdmann

The death of former House Speaker Frank Chopp on Saturday, March 22, came as sad and unexpected news.

Chopp, the longest-serving speaker of the House and a longtime supporter of open government, had been honored March 14 with the Washington Coalition for Open Government’s Ballard-Thompson Award.

Receiving the award meant a lot to the former House speaker, said Rep. Gerry Pollett, who is also a WashCOG board member.

“As an advocate, Frank relied on the PRA and open meetings, and knew how important it was to defend the public's right to know what officials are doing,” Pollett said.

Chopp and Pollett were two of just seven lawmakers in the Legislature to pledge, at WashCOG’s request, not to use so-called legislative privilege to withhold documents from the public. The issue has been embroiled in a court battle that may eventually end up before the Supreme Court.

“(Chopp) was a fierce opponent of legislative privilege,” said WashCOG board member and government committee chair Robert McClure, who presented the award to Chopp at the annual Sunshine Breakfast. “As he said in receiving the Ballard-Thompson Award at our breakfast: ‘You have to fight back and win on this issue because the people are with you,’ ”

Chopp was a two-time recipient of the Ballard-Thompson Award, also receiving it in 2013 in recognition of his advocacy for government transparency.

WashCOG President Mike Fancher said he was shocked and saddened by Chopp’s passing.

“I feel blessed to have seen him so recently and that WashCOG had the opportunity to honor him that day. His words to us about the importance of our mission are even more inspiring as we carry on,” Fancher said.

— Video courtesy of Sally Deneen.