This fall, residents of the state’s 30th District have the opportunity to vote again for Kristine Reeves and Mike Pellicciotti as two of the state’s most vigorous representatives on our behalf. Reeves has already received a full-throated endorsement by the Seattle Times, and Pellicciotti (endorsed by Sound Transit in 2016 and expected endorsement this year) is running without corporate donations, and on an anti-corruption agenda, which includes legislation against corporate crimes.

Now residents can round out our representation by electing Claire Wilson to the state Senate. Wilson is a proven community leader, having held multiple positions that improve the lives of low and middle income residents, and has worked passionately for education of children and families in the Federal Way area, including pre-K, K-12, vocational, and career readiness. Ms. Wilson is currently the head of the Federal Way School Board, a collaborative leader who listens to all groups of our community. Her GOP opponent, current state Sen. Miloscia, sent all of his children to private Catholic schools.

Sen. Miloscia unfortunately brings his personal religion to work in the state Senate with him, and is opposed to abortion rights, along with LGBTQ rights. In the last legislative session he opposed both the Reproductive Health Act (SB 6219), which passed, and a ban on so-called “conversion therapy” for gay people, which also passed, despite him. In his floor speech opposing SB 6219, Miloscia claimed that the right to access abortion “hurts” poor women and minorities most. What hurts those women most is having a child they cannot afford, or a child created as a result of sexual assault and/or doping. After Roe became law, 90 percent of those seeking abortions in New York state were low-income women of color (according to the Guttmacher Institute).

This fall Mr. Miloscia is opposing the premier environmental initiative in the nation, I-1631, which is endorsed by both Gov. Jay Inslee and Al Gore, among many, many others. I-1631 promises to put Washington in a leading position to fight climate change, and bring more innovation and clean energy solutions into the state, along with training and full salary replacement for any displaced fossil fuel workers. Claire Wilson supports I-1631.

Mr. Miloscia wants to “reduce” our tax burdens and keep taxes low. So do I, but not by slashing support for good education at all levels, and locally, adequate support for public safety, good roads, sidewalks, sewers, public utilities, transportation, etc. The road to better financial support for the state runs through the pocketbooks of the extremely wealthy of this state who do no pay, in any way, their fair share of taxes, while making use of state resources to build business, transport their employees, and use the social safety nets of the local and state systems.

Federal Way and the surrounding communities deserve a state senator who will fight for every person’s rights, for adequate health care and job opportunities, and who will work to ensure that every child is wanted, and every family has an opportunity to thrive. Bring a tiny powerhouse to work with Kristine Reeves and Mike Pellicciotti – that powerhouse is Claire Wilson – vote for Claire as our state senator.

Laurie A. Garrett

Des Moines