Margarita López Prentice (February 22, 1931 – April 2, 2019) was a Washington state legislator. A Democrat, she represented the 11th District, which includes Seattle's Beacon Hill, South Park and portions of Renton, Kent, Tukwila, Burien, and SeaTac. Early life Prentice, who is of Mexican American descent, attended Phoenix College. She also attended Youngstown State University in Ohio. She was trained at St. Joseph's Hospital School of Nursing in Phoenix, Arizona and also attended the University of Washington. Public service Prentice was elected to the Washington House of Representatives in 1988, taking office the following January. She served until 1992, when she was elected to the Washington State Senate, taking office in January 1993. Her final term ended in January 2013. Prentice was the current Chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee. She was also the former chair and current member of the Senate Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee and serves on the Labor, Commerce, Research and Development Committee. Prentice also served as an ex-officio member of the Washington State Gambling Commission. Positions Gambling On June 7, 2006, legislation that Prentice pushed through made it illegal to gamble on-line in Washington state. The legislation's implementation was delayed until courts ruled on its legality. A week before the law took practical effect, Dan "Wretchy" Martin won an on-line poker tournament and netted $160,000 for his efforts. Mr. Martin has won more than $2 million playing poker on-line. Regarding Martin's statement's about the possibility of leaving his home state to pursue his life's dream and chosen profession, Sen. Prentice said: "I just think some of these arguments are utter nonsense," Prentice told ESPN.com. "You mean you're going to move so you can play poker? Gee, lots of luck in your life. … I have nothing against card playing. That's fine. If you want to do that, but I'm sure not going to worry about someone … you know. Let them go pump gas." Farm workers Collective bargaining In 1993, Prentice was a sponsor of SB 5347 to permit farm and agricultural workers to "self-organize, to join employee organizations, to bargain collectively and to engage in other lawful concerted activities for mutual aid and protection, or to refrain from such activities. . . ." Temporary housing In 1995, Prentice was a sponsor of SB 5503 which directed the Washington Department of Housing to begin reporting on the status of temporary worker housing