The Way I See It
Our children are the foundation of our future. It is a disservice to them and our nation to neglect providing them with a high-quality public education. A top-notch education opens countless opportunities for children to pursue their passions and fulfill their potential. We must prioritize preparing our children to become future leaders, problem solvers, and agents of positive change. Investing in universal pre-k provides benefits to our economy and success of future generations.
As one of the wealthiest nations on Earth, we have a moral obligation to prioritize the success and well-being of our children. We must empower our teachers to teach effectively and trust them to provide the education our communities require.
Education
The importance of the Columbia River to Southwest Washington cannot be overstated as it provides abundant, clean energy, flood control, irrigation, navigation, and recreation. The benefits provided by the 14 dams along the mainstem of the Columbia River are not without controversy. Salmon runs once stood at 5 to 16 million, declining to less than 1 million in the '70's and '80's.
Investing in this vital resource is important, especially for our native brothers and sisters, as the Columbia River is an integral part of Native culture. We must continue to support salmon and seek to restore the wild stock.
Columbia River
Logging has played an integral part in shaping the history of our district and provides a vital source of funding for our schools. As a native Washingtonian with roots in White Salmon, just outside our district, I know firsthand the difficulties faced by our logging communities. As we balance the protection of the environment and seek to preserve this industry, it is important to recognize that our foresters play an integral part in ensuring the health of our forestlands.
Various policies over the years have resulted in our forests becoming overcrowded and unhealthy, creating the perfect conditions for devastating wildfires. We can’t continue turning a blind eye to this issue and must get our foresters back in to revitalize our ailing forest ecology through fuel reduction and selective logging.
Washington Forestlands
Safe legal abortion can be a matter of life or death. Prohibiting access to this critical medical procedure unnecessarily puts women, and their loved ones, at great risk. Furthermore, it is not the place of legislators to intervene in the health decisions a woman makes for herself and her family. This very private conversation is between the patient and their doctor. Full stop.