• Our Future Depends on Public Education
My mom, dad, aunt, uncle, cousins and husband have all dedicated their lives to teaching in our state's public schools. For them to succeed, our state must commit to fund education amply and provide the innovation necessary to help our next generation. That means lowering class sizes, providing all-day kindergarten and making pre-school affordable for everyone. Since I was elected, I have visited every public school in the 43rd District multiple times and have worked closely with the Seattle Public Schools on providing them the support they need in Olympia. Having four sons at Meany Middle School gives me great appreciation for the paramount importance of funding great public schools.
• Improve Transportation and the Environment
The 43rd District is at the center of many of our transportation infrastructure challenges. I am proud to have helped pass the plan to replace the SR 99 Viaduct with a deep-bore tunnel and the plan and revenue to replace the dangerous SR 520 floating bridge that optimizes transit use and protects the neighborhoods of our district. We are now witnessing the results of those decisions from 10 years ago. I am thrilled to have helped pass the authorization for Sound Transit 3 that will build out the light rail system and connect the neighborhoods of our district to cities throughout the region and 2022 legislation to authorize voters in Seattle ot make even greater investments in transit. And, as a bike commuter for over 25 years, I have been working on bicycle safety issues as well.
• Everyone Deserves the Same Rights
As a gay man, I have faced discrimination. As a civil rights attorney, I have helped people about to lose the family home, a loved one's inheritance or custody of children because gay men and lesbians have not been treated equally under the law. We can't and shouldn't have to protect our community one family at a time. As one of the main advocates of our LGBT civil rights in Olympia, I am proud of our work to ensure that all families are valued and respected equally; to end discriminatory policing; to allow communities of color to participate equally in our elections system; to guarantee equal pay for equal work and paid family leave; and to make sure that people of limited means have access to our civil justice system.
• Public Safety
As Chair of the House Judiciary Committee and Chair of the Senate Law & Justice Committee, I worked to reform and
fund our mental health and involuntary commitment system. We need to make sure that our communities are safe and that people with mental
illness get the treatment that they need. In the 2013 session, I was also the prime sponsor of the bill to require background checks
on all firearm purchases that became I-594. In 2018, I was the prime sponsor of first-in-the nation legislation to allow the voluntary waiver of firearm rights.
I will continue to fight for reasonable regulation of gun ownership to reduce suicide and other gun violence.