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?

While the laws on the use of the lottery revenue have changed since its inception in the 1980s, allowing some of the funds to enter the general fund, I would support changing that and ensuring these funds go directly back into programs like free school lunches, supporting other nutrition programs, and basically helping families across the state.

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?

Because we don’t have an income tax, the majority of the states revenue comes from our local sales taxes and B&O taxes.  This regressive tax code places the largest burden on those with the lowest income.  I would like to try and expand the working families tax credit.  It functions similar to a Universal Basic Income, which I believe is the best way to prevent some of the causes of hunger.  Additionally, we need to work to eliminate food deserts and partner with trusted organizations that are engaged in hunger relief. They will be the best source of information to actually determine the best way forward.

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?

We already have a system that is supposed to protect our farmers from high fuel prices, but it doesn’t seem to be working as intended and/or doesn’t have a large enough budget to adequately protect farmers. I would like to see farmers producing more food for the local markets, instead of exporting major commodities.