SENATE RESOLUTION
8659
By Senators Valdez, Saldaña, Alvarado, Cortes, Slatter, Lovick, Orwall, Chapman, Salomon, Conway, Shewmake, Dhingra, Riccelli, Pedersen, Hasegawa, C. Wilson, Lovelett, Nobles, Cleveland, Kauffman, Hansen, Krishnadasan, Liias, Stanford, Trudeau, Frame, Wellman, Bateman, Robinson, King, Wagoner, Holy, Gildon, Braun, Short, Fortunato, Warnick, Muzzall, Torres, Dozier, J. Wilson, McCune, Harris, Boehnke, Christian, Goehner, MacEwen, and Schoesler
WHEREAS, The Washington State Senate deeply mourns the sudden and heartbreaking loss of Senator Bill Ramos, who passed away unexpectedly on April 19, 2025, while on a trail run near his Issaquah home, doing what he loved - spending time in nature with his dog, Sadie; and
WHEREAS, Senator Ramos, raised in East Oakland, California, served with humility, joy, and fierce dedication, his career spanned city, state, and federal government, always rooted in a deep love for people and community; and
WHEREAS, Senator Ramos served with distinction on the Issaquah City Council from 2016 to 2019, as a state Representative from 2019 to 2025, and as a state Senator from January 2025 until his very last day, representing the 5th Legislative District, which stretches from Issaquah to Snoqualmie Pass and Enumclaw; and
WHEREAS, Prior to elected office, he served with the United States Forest Service and the United States Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration, where he worked closely with over 50 tribal nations to improve transportation equity and access in rural and tribal communities in Alaska and throughout the Pacific Northwest; and
WHEREAS, Senator Ramos was a passionate, effective legislator and a champion for transportation equity, tribal sovereignty, and environmental stewardship; and
WHEREAS, During his time in the state House, Senator Ramos chaired the state Government & Tribal Relations Committee and served as vice chair of the Latino Democratic Caucus, and in the Senate, he served as vice chair of the Senate Transportation Committee and was a member of the Senate Members of Color Caucus; and
WHEREAS, Senator Ramos was deeply attuned to the struggles of his constituents, especially working families and the Latino community; and
WHEREAS, Senator Ramos consistently approached every policy decision with an unwavering commitment to equity, tirelessly seeking solutions to uplift marginalized communities; and
WHEREAS, For Senator Ramos, centering equity in his work was not a deliberate effort, but a natural extension of his character and values; and