This week on Inland Journal from SPR News:
We'll meet the four people who want to replace longtime Spokane Democrat Timm Ormsby in the Washington House of Representatives. Ormsby has served the Third Legislative District since 2003. He’s leaving public office at the end of the year.
Three Democrats, Pam Kohlmeier, Luc Jasmin III and Donovan DeLeon, have filed to run for that seat, along with Republican Natalie Poulson. Their names will appear on the August 4 primary election ballot. The top two candidates in the race, regardless of party, advance to the November election.
Natalie Poulson: We're paying really a really high amount of taxes, it's expensive for us to put gas in our car, it's expensive to buy groceries, our housing, even my property taxes are out of control... Let's start talking about why has it increased so much. We even had [former Washington Democratic Governor] Gregoire talk about it, to where, why is it increased so excessively? What are we doing? We've gone from a surplus to a deficit. So again, let's really sit down and find out what's going on.
Pam Kohlmeier: All of health care is kind of under attack right now with HR1, funding cuts federally. So the state really has to step up to help make sure that health care access is available for all of us in the state. And behavioral health is already underfunded...not funding it appropriately, actually costs the state more in the long term. Jails, all this stuff.
Luc Jasmin III: Folks are fine if they've got to sacrifice somewhere or if something needs to be prioritized a little bit more than something else. But what people really want is transparency and they want to be part of the solutions and that's what I'm really looking to bring. I'm not solving this by myself. I'm asking for folks to elect me so that we can solve it together and I will do my part in making sure I show up.
Donovan DeLeon: I think the biggest thing about being from here or being from around here and going and coming to Spokane is how much it's changed because of the housing situation...Now, instead of an apartment being a third of your income, it's half your income. You could get a house for about three times your annual income. Now it's almost five. So everything's going into housing.
