It is a privilege to serve in the legislature and I have loved my time representing you. My priorities reflect the values of our families and communities, and with your vote I will:
- Continue to create affordable housing options, and seek property tax relief for seniors.
- Address the homelessness and behavioral health crises. There should be no “wrong door” when it comes to behavioral health.
- Ensure working families have childcare, housing options close to services and fair treatment at work.
- Create a strong and compassionate human services safety net.
- Ensure that local governments, law enforcement, prosecutors, and advocates for survivors and safety have the tools they need.
- Reduce gun violence and suicide with effective laws and interventions.
- Protect our planet- our air and water, climate, plants, and animals.
Washington must remain a global economic leader– so we must ensure we encourage innovation, have a talented, well-educated community and a fair, transparent, and predictable tax code.
As a businessperson and formerly local government official, I have experience crafting and implementing thoughtful laws that improve lives. It is imperative that we bring people together – more voices make better policies and we must live our values with civil discourse and by working together to find solutions to our common problems.
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Anyone who lives in Washington knows that rent is high. In fact, a recent report from the Low Income Housing Coalition shows that Washington has the fifth highest “housing wage” in the country. The “housing wage” is the amount of money a person must make to afford a two-bedroom home without spending more than 30% of their income on housing.
We urgently need to fix this problem so that people can remain in their homes and thrive without having to worry about how they’re going to pay their bills each month. That’s why I’m working on a bill to stabilize rents in our state. This isn't just about capping rents—it's about creating a balanced approach that also supports housing development and protects small landlords who depend on rental income for their retirement. I believe we can—and must—come together to ensure affordable housing for all.
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We are experiencing the effects of climate change. We need to build resilience in our communities, prepare for emergencies and change how we steward our resources.
As your State Representative, I am committed to incentivizing the development of hydrogen, nuclear, wind and geo-thermal alternatives. As we transition from fossil fuels, we will create clean jobs and undo harm to overburdened communities. We have traditionally placed energy facilities in the poorest of neighborhoods, exposing already vulnerable people to more harm.
We have the opportunity to take action.
Our landfills are full of construction materials. Long permit timelines and the housing emergency means we should use existing buildings to immediately house families. We can do this.
Our landfills are full of food and organic waste that can be converted to compost and used in our own communities, in parks, in construction and transportation projects. Compost cleans water for salmon recovery. We can do this.
Community Solar is an opportunity to build solar and share the energy. We need to expand opportunities to collaborate in this way. We need transparency in who owns our utilities and how rates are set, and to partner to ensure we have transmission capacity. We can do this.
Toxic chemicals and plastics are pervasive. We cannot repeat the mistakes our parents made in tolerating lead and asbestos.
Protecting our home and conserving our resources requires bold action now. I am running for re-election because I am committed to making these simple, but extremely crucial changes for our future.
Please consider joining our effort at www.AmyWalen.com.
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I’ve long supported animal welfare, most recently sponsoring HB 1097, which goes into effect January 1st, and bans the sale of cosmetics tested on animals in our state. Receiving the endorsement of Humane Voters of Washington is truly an honor! I look forward to continuing this important work.
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