<\/a>Jay Inslee takes the oath of office for his third term as governor. (Governor Jay Inslee)<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
Gov. Jay Inslee delivered his third inaugural address in a way he couldn’t have imagined when he first took office eight years ago.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
The raging COVID-19 pandemic prevented the tradition of the governor speaking to a joint session of the Legislature inside the chamber of the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Instead, he formally launched his third term with a videotaped speech charting a course through continuing challenges and uncertainty wrought by the public health crisis toward “a new normal” and “a new era.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“Out of the darkness and anxiety of 2020, will come the relief of a new era,” he said. “Let this new era be a time that lifts our hearts; that renews our dreams and ambitions; and that lets us as Washingtonians finally embrace the future we’ve been building up to now.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
The speech was played on the walls of mostly empty House and the Senate chambers as this year’s session is being conducted remotely.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
In the House chamber, only Speaker Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, was present at the rostrum, along with newly sworn in Lt. Gov. Denny Heck, who also serves as president of the Senate.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Inslee touched broadly on issues he’s focused on making progress in during the 105-day session, including policing reforms, climate change, and achieving greater equity in the application of laws, running of state institutions and providing of public services.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
He also vowed “to keep supporting small businesses with every resource at our disposal. And when workers lose pay because they’re sick or laid off, we’re going to help see that their struggles don’t spiral.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“We’re going to get these businesses open eventually, we’re going to get people back to work, and in the meantime we are preparing for that day when we can fully reopen the economy,” he said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
On education, he pledged to continue to expand early childhood education and fund college financial aid programs.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“We’re going to get students back into the classroom, and make sure it’s in safe and healthy settings,” he said, without elaborating on a timeline and means of doing either.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t