Issues

Technology 

Consumer Data Privacy

We live in an era of amazing, quickly emerging technology. Policy must develop along with technology, to protect individuals and workers. As your representative, I have worked for years on consumer data privacy. I started with amending initial bills to add consumer protections, and later, to run bills designed to require privacy by design and grant consumers rights so that they may have more choice and control over where their data is going. Now I am working to create a data broker registry so that companies who are profiting off of the sale of data can be monitored, creating more transparency and accountability to consumers. 

Artificial Intelligence

I am also addressing some of the potential harms of AI. The People’s Privacy Act, a bill I have sponsored for several years now, includes the right for consumers to opt out of profiling to be used for consequential decisions. These are decisions such as pre-authorization for medical coverage, interviews for job applicants, setting insurance rates, and determining salary and wages, all of which should be determined by people, not AI. While there is a lot of buzz around AI, and lots of investment in it, we must endeavor to understand the limitations of the tool.  AI shouldn’t be the only trusted resource when determining important decisions in our lives. I want to ensure that there are guardrails that protect people from potential harms of this evolving technology while allowing it to be used for beneficial purposes.  Bottom line, technology should serve people, not exploit them for profit. In the last couple years the Legislature has begun to address this by requiring chatbots to alert users that they are not talking to a human and barring chatbots from having sexually explicit or emotionally-dependent conversations with minors. It is a start towards ensuring AI is used to help Washingtonians, not hurt them. 

Data Centers are a hot topic of discussion, and with good reason.  While they may bring opportunities for economic development and jobs, these benefits must be weighed against the potential environmental harms and consumer impact. Heat production, noise, water usage, the strain to our already stressed transmission infrastructure and energy generation capacity MUST be considered and minimized. Having spoken at conferences around the country, I am prepared to take everything that I have learned and continue to apply it to Washington. This is a topic that continues to be more and more important, and I look forward to the opportunity to bring my expertise to Olympia. 

Education

As a parent and former PTA leader, I envision a public education system that meets the needs of all of our diverse learners. The Legislature has progressed towards this goal by fully funding all-day kindergarten, decreasing class sizes for kindergarten through 3rd grade, and providing increased funding for materials and supplies for classrooms. We have also expanded school breakfast and lunch options to cover every student, making learning easier and supporting every student. 

The problem still remains that local school districts pay $3.5 billion out of local levy money for teachers and staff that is supposed to be funded under the basic education allocation to districts. It is critical that we place funding the education system in compliance with the McCleary decision at the top of our agenda. Tax loopholes that do not serve the public interest need to be closed and that funding reallocated to the education system. State revenues need to be ample, sustainable, and capable of earning public support.

We must also give individual districts adequate funding and the flexibility to make spending decisions based on the needs of their student population. This would give districts a way to close the opportunity gap by attracting teachers who are best equipped to meet the needs of the students, in classes that are appropriately sized, with  supports to meet their needs and help every student reach their full potential.

Transit & Transportation

Commuters tell me that they spend too much time getting to and from work instead of enjoying time with loved ones. Businesses spend more time than necessary moving goods along our highways. Drivers are concerned over the condition of the roads and bridges. This affects quality of life, economic development, and the safety of the traveling public. I will continue to be an advocate for common sense transportation solutions that help families and workers get where they need to be.

Congestion is a multi-faceted problem with no simple solution. A contributing factor is that there is not enough affordable housing in a reasonable proximity to where people work, creating the “drive till you qualify” phenomenon. More affordable housing and expanded opportunities to telecommute can help reduce the number of commuters on the roads. We also need to add more frequent and reliable bus options, plan for rail, strengthen the incident response system on our highways so that blockages can be cleared up more quickly, and allow hard shoulder running for buses during peak times in places where there are no dedicated high-occupancy-transit lanes. 

Health and Behavioral Health

Access to healthcare should never be tied to your employment status. It is a right, not a privilege. Expenses continue to escalate and it is vital we work on affordability by getting rid of the middleman to bring costs down. We also need to pivot towards preventative care and treatment of chronic conditions. Not only is this better for every individual’s quality of life, but it also helps the state save money, helping create more funding for those who need it.

The consolidation of hospitals and clinics often leads to closure of small rural providers and can be particularly problematic when one of the acquiring entities is religion-based. This results in lack of care for reproductive and end-of-life issues in these areas. We need to work with the full spectrum of healthcare providers to make sure that healthcare is accessible to all Washingtonians, not just those with jobs that live in metropolitan areas.

Behavior healthcare resources are also vital in every community. Too often our law enforcement officers respond to calls involving behavioral health issues that they are not always equipped to handle.  One solution we have implemented in the 1st LD is the regional crisis response system, an agreement that makes Crisis Responder Mental Health Professionals available to respond with the police calls that involve a behavioral health crisis. We have also built crisis treatment centers, that people in crisis can access on their own and law enforcement can bring someone to instead of jail or the emergency room.  This frees up officers to get back out on patrol after an incident, optimizing their time. This is the start towards human-centered solutions that provide the appropriate kind of care to individuals who need it. As a representative, I am always looking to help foster these kinds of solutions to ensure every community can meet the needs of its members. 

Affordability

Equitable tax policy

I hear constantly from voters that affordability and the economy are top priorities. With high gas prices and increasing costs of everyday items, it is important to look at how the legislature can make life more affordable for individuals. I support a fair taxing system that does not create undue  burden on individuals, especially those at the lower half of the earning spectrum, ensuring that everyone pays their fair share.

This past session, the Legislature passed the Millionaires Tax. In addition to taxing every dollar after the first million of net income, the law also created various tax breaks. It nearly doubled the number of families who qualify for the Working Families Tax Credit, cut B&O Taxes for small businesses, removed sales tax on hygiene products and over-the-counter medicines, and created free breakfast and lunch programs for every K-12 public school student in Washington. This, along with the capital gains tax, is the start of correcting our state’s upside down tax code. I will continue to support bills that create fair tax systems. 

Housing and Homelessness

I am committed to working towards community-oriented solutions to address housing issues and homelessness in our state. In Olympia I worked to secure over 5 million dollars in the budget to work towards creating low-income housing in Kenmore. Although community opposition killed the proposed project,  I remain committed to working with stakeholders to find  solutions for the lack of low-income housing in our area. In a country as wealthy as ours, it is unconscionable that we have people who sleep outside every night with no place to call home. The issue will not go away without coordinated, sustained effort.  To have a healthy community, we must do everything possible to encourage a variety of types, styles, and affordability levels of housing options that serve folks at every income level. 

Environment

We are fortunate to live in a beautiful region, and I remain committed to protecting and promoting our high quality of life. To me that means ensuring the highest air and water quality, preserving parks and open space, and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels to preserve our environment for future generations.

As Washington reduces greenhouse-gas emissions, invests in renewable energy, and transitions away from a fossil fuel economy, we have a tremendous opportunity to create and maintain a thriving alternative energy industry to drive our state’s economic growth and employ a stable workforce. As a State Representative, I will aim to serve as a leader on environmental issues by supporting programs that make our community more sustainable, including prioritizing statewide funding for waterway monitoring and infrastructure improvements for water supplies, providing incentives for new technologies, developing workforce re-training programs, and strengthening our state’s commitment to green energy sources.