GOP lawmaker barred from House Chamber for rest of session after outburst

Tensions soared in the state House of Representatives Thursday after a Republican lawmaker disrupted proceedings and was barred from returning to the floor.

Now state Rep. Jeremie Dufault, a Selah Republican, won’t be allowed back into the House chamber for the rest of session. But he can still participate virtually, Democratic leadership confirmed in an email, adding that this wasn’t Dufault’s first floor disturbance.

The move comes after Dufault interrupted proceedings on House Bill 1296, which addresses the rights of public-school students and parents.

Democrats say that HB 1296 would clarify a citizens initiative that legislators passed into law last year and align it with existing state and federal law. But Republicans have blasted the bill since the start, contending that it would “gut” the original measure.

Dufault claims that the majority party is silencing the opposition. He noted that last week, Democrats deployed an unusual technical maneuver that ended an hourslong debate on HB 1296’s companion bill.

Another rule-related partisan dispute erupted between lawmakers on Thursday. Republicans tried to invalidate changes made to the bill in the Senate. When Democrats declined, Dufault made his frustration known.

“You changed the rules, and now you break the rules!” he yelled before being gaveled down by Deputy Speaker Pro Tempore Tarra Simmons, a Bremerton Democrat.

Proceedings ground to a halt. An above-typical number of Washington State Patrol troopers soon stood on the periphery, but Dufault says that he walked off the floor voluntarily.

When legislators returned to the floor for debate following a more than two-hour break, Dufault wasn’t among them.

HB 1296 went on to pass 59-39 along party lines; Dufault voted virtually. It now awaits approval from Gov. Bob Ferguson, who hasn’t taken a public stance on the measure.

House Speaker Laurie Jinkins, a Tacoma Democrat who helms the lower chamber, said it’s the speaker’s duty to preserve decorum and order so that lawmakers can accomplish their work for Washingtonians. House rules also empower the speaker to discharge anyone engaging in disorderly conduct or creating a disturbance, she said in an emailed statement.

“It’s disappointing that Rep. Dufault has created multiple disturbances on the House Floor this session, and has shown no willingness to adhere to House rules after multiple transgressions,” the speaker told McClatchy.

Jinkins said Dufault has been removed from the chamber for the rest of session, although he is allowed to participate in proceedings remotely “and will continue to represent his district through his vote.”

“It’s my hope that he will choose to follow the rules that apply to all House members, and return (to) the House Chamber in the future,” she continued.

Reached for comment about the statement Friday morning, Dufault issued a statement:

“What I did was a breach of decorum. It is important to follow the rules. I understand and agree with that. But the House has become a place where one party has to follow the rules, but the other doesn’t.

“My outburst happened when the Speaker improperly allowed changes to the parents’ bill of rights, an issue I am deeply concerned about. After she made her unprecedented ruling, I made my comment.

“I accept the consequences of my action. I will participate in the rest of the session remotely. But I will also continue to fight for my constituents and stand up to the tyranny of the majority when needed.”

Dufault said in a Thursday night call that he’s consistently spoken out on behalf of his constituents. He said there have been a couple times when his microphone was cut off while he was talking “in compliance with the rules,” prompting him to speak louder, but that he never intended disrespect.

How Republican and Democratic lawmakers get along during the final three days of session remains to be seen. Sine Die, the last day of the 2025 legislation session, is Sunday, and the Legislature still needs to release and vote on a final operating budget – another contentious topic.

Dufault said that he won’t return to the floor unless invited.

“It has been made clear to me that I’m not able to go on the House floor,” he added. “Apparently they really did not like what I said.”