New nickname, same as the old nickname

Washington State might have an official nickname if a bill that passed a Senate committee becomes law, but it's not really “new.”

You’ve seen it on everything from license plates to a state college.

Senate Bill 5595, by Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, designates “The Evergreen State” as Washington’s official nickname, a moniker first employed 135 years ago. It was penned by Charles T. Conover in 1890, who became city editor of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer more than a century ago.

“What it implies is something that can remain green, remain fresh. But most importantly, it's also been part of our commerce, our economy. This is something that we can utilize,” he said. “None other or other states have what we have.”

It’s not the most pressing issue, Wilson acknowledges, but SB 5595 gives senators a chance to do something fun this session.

“We should make this legitimate. Our nickname should stick and validate all those license plates and the stories that we tell our family where you're from,” he said. “It's easy to say now we're from the Evergreen State.”

The State Government and Elections committee voted unanimously to move forward with the bill.