What actions would you take as a state legislator to protect and strengthen Washington’s food security safety net, including both public nutrition programs and the food banks and food pantries serving communities across the state?

I believe access to nutritious food is a basic need, and our public nutrition programs and emergency food system must work together to ensure Washington families do not go hungry. As a state legislator, I would work to protect access to SNAP and other nutrition assistance programs, preserve investments in school and senior nutrition, and support state resources for food banks, food pantries, and other community-based hunger relief organizations.  We must also recognize that food banks cannot be expected to fill every gap created by reductions in public benefits. When families lose access to nutrition assistance, that need does not disappear. It shifts to local food banks and community organizations that are already serving growing numbers of Washingtonians.  This issue is personal to me. As a single mother raising my children while receiving food assistance, I understood what it meant to stretch limited resources and still worry about whether my children had what they needed. That experience helped shape my sponsorship of HB 1892, legislation to eliminate lunch copays for students who qualified for reduced-price lunches. No child should go hungry at school because their family cannot afford a copay, and no family should have to choose between food and other basic necessities.

What have you done to understand food insecurity in the communities you seek to represent—including engaging with people experiencing hunger or local hunger-relief organizations—and what policies would you prioritize to address the root causes of hunger and ensure Washington residents can afford and access the food they need?

My understanding of food insecurity comes from both lived experience and my work in the community and Legislature. As a single mother, I relied on food assistance while raising my children and experienced firsthand what it means to stretch limited resources while trying to meet a family’s basic needs. As a legislator, I also worked with community members and advocates to address food deserts and barriers to accessing healthy food in the 29th Legislative District.  Hunger does not exist in isolation. When housing, childcare, healthcare, utilities, and transportation consume more of a household’s income, food is often one of the few expenses families can adjust. Addressing hunger therefore requires us to address those underlying affordability pressures as well.  I would prioritize policies that protect access to nutrition assistance while continuing to address housing affordability, healthcare costs, childcare, transportation, and other basic household expenses. Solutions must also recognize the different barriers facing seniors, people with disabilities, communities of color, immigrant and refugee families, and residents of communities where access to affordable, nutritious food is limited. That means listening to the people directly affected and working with community organizations that understand those needs firsthand.

What policies or investments would you support to strengthen Washington’s food system, increase access to locally produced food, support Washington farmers and producers, and reduce food waste?

Washington has an incredible agricultural economy, and I believe we should strengthen the connections between the food produced here, the farmers and producers who grow it, and the families who need access to healthy, affordable food.  During my time in the Legislature, I sponsored HB 1603, which sought to create a location-based promotion program for Washington food and agricultural products. The goal was to strengthen the visibility and availability of Washington-grown products while supporting our farmers, producers, and agricultural businesses.  I would continue supporting policies and investments that expand opportunities for Washington-grown food to reach schools, food banks, food pantries, and other community institutions. I also support strengthening farm-to-school and other local purchasing programs that create markets for Washington producers while increasing access to fresh, nutritious food.  Reducing food waste should be part of that work as well. When safe, edible food would otherwise go unused, we should strengthen the partnerships, infrastructure, transportation, and distribution systems that can redirect that food to communities that need it. Strengthening those connections can benefit families, reduce waste, and support Washington’s agricultural economy at the same time.