Gingrich Invited To Address Legislature Visit Will Be ‘Auspicious,’ Says Gop, Which Controls Chamber

Newt Gingrich, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, has been invited by state Republicans to address the Washington Legislature on Jan. 13.

Gingrich’s speech would occur just a few hours before Democratic Gov.

Gary Locke delivers his first State of the State address, in which he will lay out his annual plan and assess the general health of the state.

State GOP leaders, in a Dec. 12 letter to Gingrich, said his appearance “would provide an auspicious beginning for our deliberations.”

A Gingrich representative, Mike Shields, said the Speaker was looking forward to addressing the Republican-controlled Legislature.

“It will be a chance for him to speak directly to the people of Washington state and to the elected officials without any distortion,” he said.

Gingrich would be in Washington as part of a 17-state fund-raising tour. While here, he also would visit Microsoft Corp. headquarters in Redmond and help raise money for U.S. Rep. Jennifer Dunn, R-Wash., Shields said.

Republican leaders denied the invitation was intended to upstage Locke.