Rep. Gerry Pollet is running for re-election to the 46th Legislative District, House Position 1. He is the executive director of Heart of America Northwest, a group devoted to cleaning up the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. Pollet's background as an attorney and educator has enhanced his policy work on the issues of climate change, equitable education, and government transparency.
In the Legislature, Pollet has been a reliable vote for protecting the environment and for education. This session, Pollet sponsored bills to restrict untraceable ghost guns and limit carrying weapons in public places such as school board meetings. In addition, he supported a wealth tax, which would have been a big step toward making the state's extremely wealthy pay their share for the resources we all depend on. In previous years, he sponsored a bill to require the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050 and bills to lower class sizes and offer free community college.
While Pollet has been excellent on environmental issues, we were extremely disappointed that he was an obstacle to important legislation related to housing affordability. The "missing middle" housing bill, sponsored by Rep. Batemen, would have given Washingtonians more housing options by increasing density near transit lines. As the chair of the Local Government Committee, Pollet used his position to water down this bill with amendments in a way that would exempt much of his district. This isn't the first time Pollet has opposed important legislation that would reduce the cost of housing. In previous years, he also weakened or blocked bills that would allow homeowners to build and rent backyard cottages. We hope Pollet reconsiders his position on these bills to alleviate the crushing cost of housing for residents of his district.
Pollet's opponent in this race was Hadeel Jeanne, a longtime resident of the 46th whose campaign was focused on the experiences of everyday working people and parents in the district, many of whom struggle to afford rising rents and home prices. Regrettably, Jeanne announced on July 12 that she was suspending her campaign for family reasons, though she will still appear on the general election ballot.
Rep. Gerry Pollet is running for re-election to the 46th Legislative District, House Position 1. He is the executive director of Heart of America Northwest, a group devoted to cleaning up the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. Pollet's background as an attorney and educator has enhanced his policy work on the issues of climate change, equitable education, and government transparency.
In the Legislature, Pollet has been a reliable vote for protecting the environment and for education. This session, Pollet sponsored bills to restrict untraceable ghost guns and limit carrying weapons in public places such as school board meetings. In addition, he supported a wealth tax, which would have been a big step toward making the state's extremely wealthy pay their share for the resources we all depend on. In previous years, he sponsored a bill to require the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050 and bills to lower class sizes and offer free community college.
While Pollet has been excellent on environmental issues, we were extremely disappointed that he was an obstacle to important legislation related to housing affordability. The "missing middle" housing bill, sponsored by Rep. Batemen, would have given Washingtonians more housing options by increasing density near transit lines. As the chair of the Local Government Committee, Pollet used his position to water down this bill with amendments in a way that would exempt much of his district. This isn't the first time Pollet has opposed important legislation that would reduce the cost of housing. In previous years, he also weakened or blocked bills that would allow homeowners to build and rent backyard cottages. We hope Pollet reconsiders his position on these bills to alleviate the crushing cost of housing for residents of his district.
Pollet's opponent in this race was Hadeel Jeanne, a longtime resident of the 46th whose campaign was focused on the experiences of everyday working people and parents in the district, many of whom struggle to afford rising rents and home prices. Regrettably, Jeanne announced on July 12 that she was suspending her campaign for family reasons, though she will still appear on the general election ballot.
Rep. Gerry Pollet is running for re-election to the 46th Legislative District, House Position 1. He is the executive director of Heart of America Northwest, a group devoted to cleaning up the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. Pollet's background as an attorney and educator has enhanced his policy work on the issues of climate change, equitable education, and government transparency.
In the Legislature, Pollet has been a reliable vote for protecting the environment and for education. This session, Pollet sponsored bills to restrict untraceable ghost guns and limit carrying weapons in public places such as school board meetings. In addition, he supported a wealth tax, which would have been a big step toward making the state's extremely wealthy pay their share for the resources we all depend on. In previous years, he sponsored a bill to require the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050 and bills to lower class sizes and offer free community college.
While Pollet has been excellent on environmental issues, we were extremely disappointed that he was an obstacle to important legislation related to housing affordability. The "missing middle" housing bill, sponsored by Rep. Batemen, would have given Washingtonians more housing options by increasing density near transit lines. As the chair of the Local Government Committee, Pollet used his position to water down this bill with amendments in a way that would exempt much of his district. This isn't the first time Pollet has opposed important legislation that would reduce the cost of housing. In previous years, he also weakened or blocked bills that would allow homeowners to build and rent backyard cottages. We hope Pollet reconsiders his position on these bills to alleviate the crushing cost of housing for residents of his district.
Pollet's opponent in this race was Hadeel Jeanne, a longtime resident of the 46th whose campaign was focused on the experiences of everyday working people and parents in the district, many of whom struggle to afford rising rents and home prices. Regrettably, Jeanne announced on July 12 that she was suspending her campaign for family reasons, though she will still appear on the general election ballot.
Because of a Tim Eyman initiative, the Legislature is required to submit any bill it passes that closes tax loopholes or raises revenue to a non-binding advisory vote. The Legislature had a historically productive 2022 session, resulting in several advisory votes appearing on the ballot. We hope the Legislature will change the law to remove these meaningless measures in the future.