Steve Kirby

Family
Steve was born and raised in the 29th District, living in the same house in South Tacoma for over forty years. He and his wife, Beckie Summers Kirby, have lived in Tacoma’s Fern Hill neighborhood since 2002. They have five children and four grandchildren.

Experience
The simple truth is that in the House of Representatives, experience and seniority matter, and Steve Kirby has plenty of both. As a senior House member and as Chairman of the powerful Business and Financial Services Committee, Steve Kirby is widely regarded as one of the most influential voices in the legislature. His irrepressible sense of humor is legendary, but in the blink of an eye he can become a serious problem for anyone who gets between him and what’s good for his district. “He’s been around long enough to know this process inside and out,” says House Speaker Frank Chopp. “And that’s what it takes to defend your constituency and get things done.”

Steve’s background and years of experience are good for the people of the 29th district. There is just no time for on-the-job-training when it comes to protecting our interests in State government. He knows all the players without a program, but he’s managed to avoid all the petty partisan politics that stand in the way of good government. The fact is, he’s well liked by House members of both parties.

Steve Kirby has a rich and unsurpassed history of civic involvement. He was elected to the Tacoma City Council 35 years ago at the age of 25 and served four terms. As a councilman he served on the Workforce Development Council Executive Board, the Tacoma-Pierce County Board of Health, the Tacoma Joint Municipal Action Committee, the Pierce Transit Board of Directors, and he was the first chairman of the Tacoma City Council’s Public Safety Committee. And because of his dedication to providing essential services to the people of Tacoma he was declared an honorary member of the Tacoma Firefighters Local 31, Tacoma Police Local 6 and Tacoma Library Employees Local 120.

In the House of Representatives, Steve Kirby’s extensive local government experience allowed him to bypass the usual “training period” and he began making his mark right away. Today he has established a reputation as a seasoned legislator with a broad range of experience. Over the years he has served on the House Rules Committee, the Agriculture Committee, the Technology Committee, the Capital Budget Committee, The Local Government and Housing Committee, the Organized Crime Advisory Board, and the Joint Executive Legislative Committee on Water Policy. He currently serves on the House Judiciary Committee and the Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee, and he is chairman of the prestigious Business and Financial Services Committee, where he is known for his expertise in consumer protection legislation.

In addition to his official civic duties, Steve Kirby has been active in his community in other ways throughout his adult life. He has been a member of the Tacoma Athletic Commission, the Tacoma Executives Association, the Pierce County Democratic Central Committee Executive Board, the Pierce County Young Democrats, the Southeast Lions Club, the Southeast Tacoma Optimist Club, the South End Neighborhood Center Advisory Board and the City of Tacoma Community Development Advisory Committee.

No other candidate comes close to matching his participation in community service.

Employment
Prior to the legislature, Steve Kirby was the Finance Director for the Sisters of Saint Dominic of Tacoma for ten years. During legislative interims, he works at Harkness Furniture in South Tacoma.

 Steve Kirby puts the needs of the people first.  Not those of the special interests.

His only special interest is the people of the 29^th District.  He’s living proof that it’s possible to be elected ten times and hold a public office for 27 years without becoming a part of the problem.  He’s never forgotten where he came.  He’s never backed down when the well-being of his community was at stake.

He’s learned from nearly three decades of experience that in politics, the perfect is almost always the enemy of the good and that change often needs to happen incrementally.  That’s what it takes to get things done.

• He fought against unfair tax increases.
• He’s worked hard to expand opportunities to stimulate our economy and create new family wage jobs.
• He’s insisted on accountability in state government to ensure that our hard earned tax dollars are spent wisely.
• He’s focused on programs that matter to real people—affordable health care, job training and programs that provide our seniors with the services they need.
• He fights for your right to feel safe at home, at school, at work and in your neighborhood.  He doesn’t just talk tough…he wants to get tough on criminals.
• He wants to give every student the best possible education at our public schools, colleges and universities.  Because today’s economy runs on brainpower, not horsepower.
• He believes economic opportunity grows in a climate that’s friendly to both workers and businesses.

He’s a leader we know. A leader we can count on.

In times like these, we need more cooperation and less confrontation.

This is not the time for petty, partisan politics.  For the State House to be working at optimum efficiency, we need legislators who can work across the aisle – democrats and republicans working side by side to solve problems.

Steve Kirby is well respected by House members of both parties, and that’s what it’s going to take to get things done in this highly charged political environment.  Legislators aren’t elected to do the work of the political parties.  They’re elected to do the work of the people.

Steve Kirby puts people ahead of partisan politics.  He always has.  He always will.

Anyone can make excuses.  Steve Kirby makes a difference.

Some politicians get elected, go to Olympia, vote against everything and then blame everyone else for not getting things done.  Not Steve Kirby.  He’s a different kind of politician.

If you’re new to the 29^th District, you’ll probably like his unique style.  The people of Tacoma liked him enough to elect him to the city council four times before sending him to the State Legislature twelve years ago.

He’s smart and he works hard.  His irrepressible sense of humor is legendary, but in the blink of an eye he can become a serious problem for anyone who gets between him and what’s good for his district.  He puts the needs of the people first.  Not those of the special interests.

Let’s return a leader to Olympia who makes a difference…not excuses.

Around here he’s known as a guy who gets things done.

And for many years Steve Kirby has been at the head of the pack when it comes to fighting for the programs and policies that will protect the interests of the working men and women of his district.

He’s fought hard to expand opportunities to stimulate our economy and create new family wage jobs.  He’s fought against unfair tax increases and insisted on accountability in state government to ensure that our hard earned tax dollars are spent wisely.  He’s focused on programs that matter to real people— funding education, providing affordable health care, keeping our neighborhoods safe, and ensuring our seniors receive the services they need.

He’s a leader we know. A leader we can count on.

Steve Kirby has served four terms on the Tacoma City Council and six terms in the State House of Representatives.  As a senior House member and Chairman of the powerful House Business and Financial Institutions Committee, he is widely regarded as one of the most influential voices in the legislature.

Steve Kirby knows how to get things done.  He knows all the players without a program.  He has what it takes to stand up to the powerbrokers who think they can call the shots in Olympia, and the special interests who will stop at nothing to pad their pockets at the expense of the people.

He’s a leader we know – a leader we can count on.