Issues

Jobs: Job creation takes place in the private sector. We need government policies that encourage businesses to open and stay open in our community. That means tax relief, regulatory relief, and congestion relief.

Tax Relief: Working families and small business owners face a tax burden that discourages investment, job creation, and philanthropy. As an alternative to higher taxes in this time of multi-billion dollar budget deficits, state government must set priorities, even if that means difficult budget cuts. Olympia must live within its means just as individuals, families, and businesses must live within theirs. In order to stimulate our state’s economy, we need serious tax relief and tax reform, including the elimination of our state’s Business and Occupation Tax.

Educational Excellence: As the son, grandson, and great grandson of Puyallup teachers, and as a Puyallup High School graduate, I appreciate our public schools. Our state constitution says that education is the “paramount duty of the state.” We must invest as many dollars as possible into the classroom. We also need serious reforms in order to attract and reward the best teachers and prepare students for citizenship in the 21st century.

Public Safety: Government exists to provide security so that you and I can live freely and peacefully. While many budget areas should be cut, public safety must not be cut. We must ensure that our police and fire departments are equipped with the technologies, coordination, pay and benefits that they need to do their jobs well. We must also prioritize funding for the criminal justice system, including prisons. The recent shootings of police officers in Pierce County have exposed flaws in our criminal justice system that must be resolved by tougher laws.

Environment: Growing up, I spent countless hours enjoying the beautiful outdoors of the Pacific Northwest. I wrote my first letter to the editor of an environmental newsletter in elementary school, lamenting pollution in Puget Sound. As a state legislator, I will consider myself a steward of our environment. I will be an advocate for conservation, not regulation. I will work with people on both sides of the aisle to encourage the private sector to innovate, create, and consume in environmentally friendly ways.

Long-term Care: Healthy communities are known for their high standards of care for their most vulnerable citizens. The thousands of disabled, elderly, and chronically ill Washingtonians who cannot care for themselves deserve our state’s best efforts for their safety and compassion. Our state’s long term care system should be adequately funded and vigilantly safeguarded.