Auburn Reporter

State Sen. Joe Fain was elected as the floor leader by his caucus, one of four top leadership positions filled by Republican senators as they met Wednesday in Olympia.

"I'm looking forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to make progress for Washington residents on important issues like education, budget sustainability, and transportation," said Fain, of Auburn.

As floor leader, Fain will coordinate floor action when the full Senate is in session and will work across the aisle on actions that take place in the Senate chamber.

The floor leader also serves as a member of the powerful Rules Committee, which is an important step in determining which pieces of legislation will be voted on by the full Senate.

Fain, the Senate's youngest member, was selected unanimously by the caucus and is the youngest senator to serve in this position in recent decades. He is midway through his first term as state senator for Washington's 47th Legislative District, which includes Auburn, Kent and Covington.

"The public is rightfully demanding that their elected representatives work together to solve problems," continued Fain. "Good ideas don't have an 'R' or a 'D' next to them. Our state Senate is in a strong position to get things done without being hobbled by the partisanship we see in Washington, D.C."

Legislative committees will assemble Thursday and Friday to review decisions from previous sessions and make plans for the 2013 legislative session, which begins Jan. 14 and will last 105 days.