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Lisa Parshley – Olympia, WA

Will you support funding to expand access to free school meals to all grades?

Yes.

Will you support increasing funding for senior nutrition programs?

Yes.

If elected, in what areas would you support making investments to overcome structural racism and racial inequities?

Equity must be baked into all state and jurisdiction policies and budget actions. It must be the lens through which we run policy and budgets for our state and local governments. Everything, and I mean everything, has to pass this lens, and we amend or change the policy or budget item to match our DEI lens. We have used this at the City of Olympia (for the last three years), and it has improved our deliberations and considerations of policy and budget expenditures.

TAX POLICY Question: What measures will you support that promote equity and fairness in Washington’s tax code and create more opportunity for community investment? 

Income inequality is the root cause of so many of the intersecting issues currently facing most communities: systemic racism, housing insecurity, food insecurity, and homelessness. We have made it impossible for the average person to build wealth because of a lack of living wage jobs, high housing and food costs, and affordable childcare. We have allowed those with the most to avoid paying their fair share of taxes. A straightforward way to begin to address this income inequality is to right-size our state’s taxing system. I promise I will be that voice in the legislature that speaks to how bad our regressive tax system is at every chance I get.

Passing the capital gains tax was an excellent step in the right direction. As a candidate and community leader, I will do everything I can to ensure we defeat Initiative 2109 in November. I will carry literature, and when I doorbell, I will speak to the defeat of this initiative and 2117 (which provides carbon tax funds to initiatives with no current revenue streams).

If Washington voters maintain the state’s Climate Commitment Act, will you support increasing CCA funding for programs that encourage and support food donation?

I was proud to work at Governor Inslee’s side as he drove state climate policy forward, and now with some of the best laws in the land, Washington must focus on implementing and enforcing those laws. I would be more than happy to discuss CCA funding priorities with Food Lifeline in the future!

Do you support increasing EFAP funding?

Yes.

Will you support policies and funding that improve access to land and resources for individuals and communities to develop urban agriculture and community gardens in Washington?

Yes.

Will you advocate for initiatives that ensure fair compensation and support for small farmers and community food producers, enhancing individual and community food sovereignty in Washington?  

Yes.