Affordability and Housing
Our region's biggest export shouldn't be our young people. People need well-paying jobs that can support a family.
A good place to start is investing in infrastructure. We can create jobs by repairing roads and bridges, expanding ferry service, and expanding our electrical grid. Public investments in our infrastructure unlocks private investments in our industry. That’s why I secured funding for projects like the US 12 Highway-Rail Separation in Grays Harbor County. At the same time, diverse economic growth requires unlocking new private investment in our economy. I will continue to identify unnecessary administrative burdens and push for permitting and regulatory reform.
Healthcare
In a healthcare system as broken as ours, families are forced to choose between high costs and partial coverage while our rural hospitals struggle to stay open. This is unsustainable. I'll continue working to make sure everyone on the Peninsula has access to affordable healthcare, no matter where they live, so our grandparents can age in place and our kids can get the services they need on the way to adulthood, whether that's affordable insulin or mental health care.
In my first term, I secured funding to support Jefferson Healthcare's labor and delivery service and worked with a coalition of providers to protect healthcare funding in rural Washington.
Childcare and Education
Affordable childcare is one of the biggest financial pressures on working families, and one of the biggest barriers to parents who want to participate in the workforce. At the same time, only about a third of low-income students in our state are reading at grade level, and chronic absenteeism has roughly doubled since the pandemic.
In my first term I passed HB 1351 to increase childcare capacity by removing an outdated regulatory practice that was leaving spots empty. I'll keep working to bring more childcare slots online, support our providers, and strengthen public schools so every kid in our district has the chance to succeed.
Disaster Preparedness and Wildfire
Wildfire risk on the Peninsula is rising, and so is the cost when disasters strike. Our communities need to be ready, and we need state government to be a reliable partner before, during, and after.
In my first term I passed HB 1563 to stabilize the insurance market for prescribed burns, a key tool for keeping forests healthy and preventing catastrophic wildfire. I'll keep working to invest in forest health, emergency preparedness, and the infrastructure our communities need to recover when storms or fires hit.
Supporting Seniors
The 24th Legislative District has the highest median age in Washington. Nobody who has spent a lifetime working and contributing to this community should have to worry about a roof over their head, food on the table, or the cost of a prescription. I'll keep working to protect seniors in affordable housing, expand access to in-home and community-based services, and defend the programs that let people grow old where they want to.
Climate and Environment
The Peninsula's forests, rivers, and coastline are the foundation of our economy. They support fishing, shellfish, timber, recreation, and tourism, and they capture more carbon than just about anywhere else in the state. Climate change is real, and our region is uniquely positioned to be part of the solution. I'll keep advocating for habitat preservation and ensure our working and natural lands and waters are managed sustainably, so they keep delivering for the people and wildlife who depend on them.
Reproductive Freedom
As attacks on reproductive rights continue in states across the country, I'm committed to protecting access to abortion here in Washington. In particular, I will continue to push for access to reproductive healthcare, including contraception, IVF, and family planning services. The decision whether and when to have a family belongs to the person making it.