Adam Kline

For the American manufacturer, banker and politician from New York, see Adam W. Kline.
Not to be confused with Adam Klein.
Adam Kline
Member of the Washington Senate
from the 37th district
In office
January 20, 1997 – January 12, 2015
Preceded byDwight Pelz
Succeeded byPramila Jayapal
Personal details
Born
Adam Daniel Kline

(1944-10-27) October 27, 1944 (age 80)
Red Bank, New Jersey, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouses
  • Desire Plumb
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1972; sep. 1979)​
  • Laura Gene Middaugh
    ​
    (m. 1989)​
WebsiteSenate homepage

Adam Daniel Kline (born October 27, 1944) is an American politician who was the State Senator for Washington's 37th district, comprising part of South Seattle, six precincts in Renton and two in Tukwila. He served the 37th District for more than 17 years. He chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee and was a member of the Government Operations and Elections Committee and the Rules Committee.[1]

Before entering law school, Kline worked as a merchant seaman and as a newspaper reporter. He is a veteran of the Civil Rights Movement. He worked for SNCC in Greenwood, Mississippi, during the 1964 Freedom Summer and, after law school, returned to Greenwood in 1972 to work for North Mississippi Rural Legal Services.[2]

In January 2010, Kline sponsored SB 6396 which attempted to ban assault rifles and pistols.[3][4][5] In February 2013, Kline sponsored SB 5737 which would allow police to conduct warrantless searches in the homes of gun owners once per year, with a punishment of up to one year in jail for citizens who did not comply. Kline later stated he had not closely read the bill and had made a mistake.[6] Media reports noted the inspection provision was present in Kline's bills SB 6396 (2010) and SB 5475 (2005) as written by the Brady Campaign and the San Francisco-based Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.[7]

Kline practiced law for 32 years before retiring in 2004 to work for the Laborers Union. He was a cooperating attorney with the ACLU and is active with NARAL Pro-Choice America and Washington Conservation Voters.

In 1972, Kline married Desire Plumb, with whom he had one child, Genevieve Amanda Kline. He and Desire parted in 1979, and, in 1989, he married Laura Gene Middaugh, who serves as a judge on the King County Superior Court.[8]

  1. ^ Rosenthal, Brian M. (January 2, 2014). "Adam Kline to retire from state Senate". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on June 4, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
  2. ^ "Veterans of the Civil Rights Movement -- Adam Kline". Civil Rights Movement Archive. Archived from the original on February 13, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2007.
  3. ^ Shannon, Brad (January 27, 2010). "Pro-gun activists show up en masse". The Olympian. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
  4. ^ Camden, Jim (January 26, 2010). "Proposed ban on some assault weapons gets mixed reviews". The Spokesman-Review. Archived from the original on March 8, 2016. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
  5. ^ Coyle, Meg (January 26, 2010). "Wash. state lawmakers debating assault weapons ban". KING 5. Archived from the original on June 25, 2013. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
  6. ^ Westneat, Danny (February 16, 2013). "Mistake in gun bill could defeat the effort". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on April 2, 2013. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
  7. ^ Westneat, Danny (February 23, 2013). "Dems keep shooting themselves in foot". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
  8. ^ "About | Senator Adam Kline". www.adamkline.org. Archived from the original on December 7, 2010. Retrieved May 22, 2022.