Blanche Pennick (December 5, 1904 – September 21, 1991) was an American politician who served as a member of the Washington House of Representatives from 1945 to 1947. She represented Washington's 19th legislative district as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

. She chaired the Counties and County Boundaries Committee. Pennick was born in 1905 in Melbourne, Washington (near

Montesano Montesano is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, Grays Harbor County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. The population was 4,138 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the county seat of Grays Harbor County. Hi ...

) to pioneers John and Catherine Pennick. She is notable as the plaintiff in a court case decided by the Washington Supreme Court interpreting a provision of the Washington State constitution. Under the constitution, "No member of the legislature during the term for which he is elected shall be appointed or elected to any civil office in the state which shall have been created, or the emoluments of which shall have been increased, during the term for which he was elected." During Pennick's term, the legislature passed a bill to increase the salary of

county auditor The term county auditor is applied as a descriptor, and sometimes as a title, for the fiscal officer in county government with oversight responsibility of all financial books and records of all county offices. United States The county auditor posit ...

s. Later in the term, Pennick ran for and won the Democratic nomination to be the auditor for

Grays Harbor County Grays Harbor County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 75,636. Its county seat is Montesano, and its largest city is Aberdeen. Grays Harbor County is included in the Aberdeen Micropolitan ...

. The state Supreme Court ultimately ruled that Pennick was ineligible to serve as auditor because of her membership in the legislature that had increased auditors' salaries. (The court overruled that decision in 1966.) Outside the legislature, she had a 38-year career in education, including working as an education advisor to '' World Book Encyclopedia'' in Chicago and serving as Grays Harbor County Superintendent of Schools.

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