1. What makes you a good candidate to represent Washington’s 14th District?
I am a strong advocate for the 14th district in Olympia. From the Yakima Valley to the Columbia River, our district spans vast agricultural areas while also being home to higher education, manufacturing, transportation, construction, and many other supportive commerce industries. My goal is to protect the values of Central Washington to keep it strong for generations to come. I believe in respecting the Constitution, limited government, lower taxes, and personal accountability.
2. A lack of affordable housing is a community concern throughout Klickitat County. What role do you believe the state is able to play in finding solutions, and what solutions do you support?
The taxes and regulations coming out of Olympia limit new home construction. The lack of affordable housing is a direct result of these policies.
I have supported our building trades and have been pushing for reforms that will ease the cost of building homes. Unfortunately, these reforms have been rejected by the majority party. When we have harmful building regulations and oppressive taxes and fees, we limit growth while inflating the cost to build a new home.
The best way for Washington State to solve the affordable housing shortage is to make it easier to build, with less regulatory burdens, taxes, and fees. I will continue to champion policies that will help to build more affordable housing. If this problem isn’t solved, families will have to leave Washington for more affordable states.
3. Do you support the growth of the renewable energy industry in the 14th District? Why or why not?
I support a power grid that runs off diverse sources of clean energy including hydroelectric, nuclear, solar, wind, natural gas, and pump storage. We need to remember that hydroelectric is a critical renewable resource and contributes to our state’s clean grid. The pros and cons of solar and wind must be weighed against the needs of our rural communities. I support the renewable energy industry growth in the 14th district as long as it does not negatively impact our communities.
4. What are the greatest challenges the state of Washington faces going forward?
My goal is to help families keep more of their own money by fighting the tax-and-spend mentality in Olympia. The Legislature had a $15 billion surplus last session. The majority party spent it all, with not a dime of actual tax relief coming back to the citizens of our state. The budget has almost doubled in the past 10 years. This spending is out of control and unsustainable. As the Assistant Ranking Member of Appropriations, I have presented budgets that fund state priorities while also providing tax relief. I will continue to advocate this fiscal responsibility in Olympia as your State Representative.
As a husband and father of three, community safety is vitally important to me. Crime is out of control. The majority party passed bills that put handcuffs on our law enforcement officers at the expense of our communities.
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