Issaquah City Councilmember Victoria Hunt Sets Sights on State Legislature

Campaign Website - Victoria Hunt

[00:00:00] Crystal Fincher: Welcome to Hacks & Wonks. I'm Crystal Fincher, and I'm a political consultant and your host. On this show, we talk with policy wonks and political hacks to gather insight into local politics and policy in Washington state through the lens of those doing the work with behind-the-scenes perspectives on what's happening, why it's happening, and what you can do about it. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Friday week-in-review show and our Tuesday topical show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, the most helpful thing you can do is leave a review wherever you listen to Hacks & Wonks. Full transcripts and resources referenced in the show are always available at officialhacksandwonks.com and in our episode notes.

Today we'll be speaking with a state legislative candidate, but before we dive into our interview, let's talk about our state government and what exactly a state legislator does in Washington. So Washington's government, like the federal system, is divided into three branches. The executive branch is led by the governor - and that branch implements and enforces laws, it includes various state agencies and departments. The legislative branch consists of the state Senate and state House of Representatives. They hold the power of policy and the purse, meaning they make the laws and improve the state budget. The judicial branch is headed by our state's top court, the Washington Supreme Court, and this branch interprets laws and ensures they comply with our Washington State Constitution.

Today we're focusing on the legislative branch. Our state has 49 legislative districts, and each district elects two representatives to the state House and one state senator. State representatives are elected every two years. State senators serve four-year terms, but are not elected all at once. The terms are staggered, with half of the Senate up in US presidential election years and half of the Senate up in even numbered non-presidential election years. State legislators do a lot more than just showing up to vote on bills. Their five main responsibilities include: Lawmaking - they propose, debate, and vote on bills that can become state laws. Budgeting - legislators play a crucial role in crafting and approving our state's biennial budget. Constituent services - they're your direct line to state government - serving as a liaison between residents and the government, helping people navigate issues with state agencies, or advocating for community needs. Committee work - most of the nitty gritty happens in committees where legislators dive deep into specific policy areas - holding hearings to hear from issue experts, lobbyists, and the public about proposed legislation. And their last responsibility, year-round engagement - even when not in session, they're meeting with constituents, holding town halls, attending community events, and preparing for the next legislative session. When you vote for a state legislator, you're not just choosing a name on a ballot. You're selecting someone who will make decisions that impact your everyday life, including the quality of your child's education, your access to healthcare services, the options you have for traveling around the region, the air you breathe and the water you drink, the fairness of the tax code and how those funds are used, and economic opportunities in your region. Your vote in this election has the power to shape the future of our state. By understanding the role of our legislators and positions of candidates, you can make an informed decision that aligns with your values and priorities.

Today, I'm pleased to welcome Victoria Hunt, a current Issaquah City Councilmember and candidate for the 5th Legislative District's Position 1 - the open State House seat. Victoria emerged as the winner of the August primary against four other candidates, and is now facing MAGA Republican and former legislator Mark Hargrove in the general election. Welcome to Hacks & Wonks, Victoria.

[00:04:08] Victoria Hunt: Thank you, Crystal - very excited to be here.

[00:04:11] Crystal Fincher: Well, you're a current Issaquah City Councilmember, who made the decision to run for this legislative seat. Why did you decide to run?

[00:04:20] Victoria Hunt: Well, I am currently serving my third term on the Issaquah City Council, and I have really enjoyed serving the community as a city councilmember. Initially, I was on the Planning Policy Commission for the city as a volunteer. And before that, I was working at the University of Washington in the Urban Design and Planning Department - and I was learning about how we could protect our wild lands and our forests, while also making sure that we're addressing our housing needs and growing in a sustainable way. I was really inspired by what I was learning at University of Washington and teaching, and wanted to bring that information and use that to help Issaquah - which is absolutely a poster child for the urban-wildland interface - and a growing city. But also in a really beautiful area, very much characterized by our forests and our bodies of water and our salmon-bearing streams. So I volunteered on the Planning Policy Commission, took what I had learned at the University of Washington. And then there was an opening on the City Council, so I went for that and have run for re-election twice now. And with this opening at the state level, I was really excited to continue working on the same sorts of issues that I've been working on as a city councilmember, but at the level of the state. And particularly, I think there's a huge opportunity at the state level to work on sustainability and on climate change issues that impact more than just Issaquah and are really important across the district.

[00:05:48] Crystal Fincher: So I think you hit on something important - at the state level, you can work on some of the same issues, but you do have different jurisdiction. What have you learned at the city level that you think will be especially helpful for you as a legislator?

[00:06:03] Victoria Hunt: So one of the things is that housing, which is one of our biggest challenges - both in Issaquah and across the 5th Legislative District and really across the whole state - there are challenges with the local cities having knowledge about their specific situation and wanting to make sure that that is taken into account when the state level is making laws that impact the entire state. And so one thing that I would like to do and would like to use my experience as a city councilmember is to use that experience having worked with my representatives to make sure that things like the Missing Middle Housing bill incorporates the feedback from the local jurisdictions and incorporates that feedback early in the process. So that those really important bills can be passed and so that we can make progress on the housing crisis that our whole state is facing. So I think that sort of really early, proactive approach to working collaboratively with our cities and with our State Legislature - that's something that I've certainly seen the importance of from the city side and would want to bring that experience to Olympia to make sure that we're making positive changes for our community.

[00:07:09] Crystal Fincher: We definitely need more of that. Also, what we need more of across the board seems to be education funding. We have a number of school districts across the state, really, but several in our region, certainly, who are struggling with very upside down budgets, significant deficits, considering laying off teachers and other staff, closing schools in some instances - which are really disruptive to the community. And this is after the McCleary decision that should have provided full funding, as our constitution mandates, to all education. Do you think we're living up to our obligation to fully fund our schools? And if not, what are you planning to do about it?

[00:07:55] Victoria Hunt: So firstly, I am a mom of two kids - both in elementary school, both in the public school system here. My daughter started kindergarten in 2020, and so I've definitely seen some of the challenges that the schools are facing, that our public school faces from that perspective as a parent. And I think that there's a lot of work to be done. I'm very honored to be endorsed by Lisa Callan, who is the representative who's serving the 5th Legislative District in the other seat - not the seat that I'm running for - and she has done a great job. And I would want to continue to partner with her to make sure that we are fully funding, especially special education. There's currently caps and there's additional needs that we're not able to fund, particularly around those students who need that extra support. And so I would want to make sure to work closely with her, pick up where she's been on the issues that she's been working on to make sure that we're fully funding all of our students so they're all set up for success. And I think there has been progress - and I think Lisa is one of many legislators who have made progress on this issue - but it's also something that I would definitely want to continue to work on and would want to use my experience with having young children to help inform some of that, as well as work with community members.

[00:09:10] Crystal Fincher: Got it. So you talked about special education funding, which is absolutely necessary - we're in desperate need of more. Will that get us there? Is that the only deficit, or do we need to provide additional funding in other areas too?

[00:09:25] Victoria Hunt: I think that there are many other areas where we will need to provide additional funding. I think that special education is one area, but it's certainly not the only area. And I also would like to make sure that we are fully funding the entire spectrum of education, and I think there's a huge opportunity as well to provide more technical college support and more career training so that people are prepared for careers once they leave the public education system. And so I think that that's another area where I would like to see support throughout the entire spectrum of education so students are set up for success.

[00:10:01] Crystal Fincher: With what you're envisioning is the additional necessary funding possible within the existing budget, or will that require additional revenue?

[00:10:12] Victoria Hunt: I think there's some changes that are possible within the existing budget, but I also do understand that we may need additional revenue. For example, right now there are initiatives on the ballot for November - one of them is the capital gains, and that funding, for example, is being used in part for education. And so depending on what happens with those existing revenue sources, we may need to make sure that we're fully funding education one way or the other and I think that's a little bit up in the air right now.

[00:10:42] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. There have been some other proposals in the educational sphere that have progressed in the legislature but haven't fully passed - one of those being universal free lunches. Is that something that you support?

[00:11:02] Victoria Hunt: I absolutely support universal free lunch. I think that it's important for students to be coming into the classroom ready to learn and part of that is that they're not hungry. So absolutely.

[00:11:15] Crystal Fincher: Also has been a lot of conversation about charter schools. We do have public charter schools here in Washington state. Do you believe we need to continue investing in and expanding charter schools, or do you think that money would be better spent shoring up our traditional public school system?

[00:11:33] Victoria Hunt: I firstly want to recognize that there aren't any charter schools in the 5th Legislative District. And I think that some of the things that people are looking for - innovative teaching techniques, or learning by doing, learning through apprenticeship, those sorts of things that are a little bit different than maybe my personal high school experience - we are able to do that within the traditional public schools. And in fact, in Issaquah, there is a traditional public school with the traditional governance system - so not a charter school - that does that sort of apprenticeship and internship type learning. And the students are really learning based on what they want to be doing for a career. And so I think that that sort of education and that sort of flexibility is possible within the traditional public schools - and we have a great example of it right here in the district. So I would definitely want to build on the success of those sorts of programs and make sure that we are fully funding the public schools that are in the district and across the state. And I think that those sorts of experiences - having seen the success of our traditional public schools, I think has led me to realize that I think we can do that by fully funding the traditional public schools.

[00:12:50] Crystal Fincher: That makes sense. What do you think of vouchers?

[00:12:54] Victoria Hunt: Well, so we do not have vouchers in the state of Washington currently - there are some other voucher programs in other states. And we have such challenges fully funding our public education programs - I think that we need to make sure that we are taking care of our students, setting them up for success in our public school system in the state, and not doing things that would take away funding sources from that system. And so I think that programs like vouchers, which again, we don't currently have, but in other states - that's money that can be used to choose schools and to fund schools outside of the public education funding. So I think the role of the state is really paramount duty to make sure that we're funding the public education system and it's not the role of the state to fund those things outside of the public education system, which vouchers in other states have been used - homeschooling is another one. So those can be options, but the state's role is to fund the public education system, in my opinion.

[00:13:59] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. I want to talk about an issue that so many communities across the state, certainly in your district and most districts have dealt with, and that is homelessness. Certainly so many communities are trying to figure out how to deal with it. And right now there's a patchwork of different ordinances, laws, and how to best help - and in some instances, how to enforce laws against people being unhoused, camping overnight in places and public spaces. And now, following the Grants Pass decision, it is now more permissible, certainly, for cities to criminalize being homeless. Did you think that Supreme Court decision was correct? And what role do you think the state has to play in putting in place the necessary pieces to reduce homelessness?

[00:15:00] Victoria Hunt: I was City Council President for the City of Issaquah in 2020 and 2021, which were really difficult years for the community for many reasons. One of those reasons were all of the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. And after the eviction moratorium ended, we saw many people who were at risk of being evicted or became homeless because they were evicted. And the economic strain at that time also just pushed a lot of people over the edge into experiencing homelessness, many times for the first time. And so my opinion on this issue is really influenced by that experience because I saw so many people that for reasons that were completely outside of their control - they weren't able to pay, they weren't able to make rent, they fell behind on their payments, and they really needed some help to get back on their feet. And there wasn't enough of that help. So I think for our communities, there are many people who can really benefit from additional services. In our community, for example, we established a partnership with a local motel where there were temporary places for people experiencing homelessness where they could get back on their feet. They could have an address to access additional services - it's a catch-22 because you often need to have a physical address to get the mail to get to the next step of a process to gain certain kinds of support. And so we've seen through those things, like having temporary housing that's accessible for community members, that we've had around 40 individuals since we established that program be able to transition - using those services - to permanent housing. And that makes a huge difference for the lives of those individuals and for the community around them. And so I really think that we need to have more services to support people to help them get back on their feet. And then that also makes good economic sense because then people are no longer cycling through the justice system. And we need to make sure that people are getting back on their feet and able to participate in society - and that's what these folks want. And so I would definitely advocate for providing more services and thinking about the problem from that perspective. Making sure that we have the housing as well - the spectrum of housing from temporary housing, like I was talking about, all the way up to permanent housing and that there are options that are affordable for people at different income levels. I would definitely advocate for those steps and not the criminalization that you referred to that is now, because of that Supreme Court decision, is an option. But I would say that I'm much more in favor of these preventative support measures as well as assistance to help people get back on their feet.

[00:17:52] Crystal Fincher: I also want to talk about just people being able to feel safe in their neighborhoods. Certainly there's been a lot of talk and a lot of action from police departments across the state in attempts to hire officers. No secret that across the state and across the country, police departments haven't been able to hire at the rate that many of them have wanted to. At the same time, and as we've seen a lot of investment and money spent in hiring officers, we have a lot of people and officers are at the front of the line saying that while there's a place for officers, we can't do everything. And our communities are missing a lot of the vital crisis care services for people in mental health crises, substance use disorder services so people can both detox and go to rehab - some of those safety net services that are so crucial to so many of the issues and to a lot of the disorder that we've seen on the streets, but that are missing or that are in such short supply that they aren't coming close to serving the need that is actually out there. When it comes to your approach and how you're prioritizing keeping your community safe - if you're elected as a legislator, what will be your priority and how will you address providing the services that everyone agrees are necessary to keep our community safe?

[00:19:23] Victoria Hunt: In Issaquah, we have had a lot of success with our co-response program. The city actually employs full-time folks that have those behavioral health expertise and can respond in lieu of or with our police officers. If there's a call for service that doesn't necessarily involve a crime being committed - somebody is concerned because they see that somebody is in crisis, for example - that may or may not be something that a police officer needs to go out on. So for those sorts of community calls for service, we have had great success with our behavioral health experts at the city being able to respond. And they have a different skill set, as you mentioned, so they are able to provide different support for people. And in our city and across the district, a lot of the calls for service that go to 911, there may not be a crime being committed - there's somebody who has a concern, they see somebody in crisis - and so allowing the people that have that particular expertise to help those folks, that also frees up the time of our police officers to address a crime that is being committed or a call for service that does require them specifically to go out. In our city, we have fully staffed the police department. We've had great success with making sure that there are opportunities for career development, and I think we very much value making sure that we do have that. Those police officers, at the same time, also recognize that there are other needs in the community that our behavioral health folks are able to address as well.

[00:20:59] Crystal Fincher: So as a legislator, what does that look like in terms of what you'll be supporting or championing or prioritizing in terms of spending?

[00:21:10] Victoria Hunt: I think right now, Issaquah was able to hire those folks in our city so that we do have a co-response program. It has been very valuable. Not every city has those resources and it's challenging for cities - cities have limited tools in the toolkit for what they're able to have as revenue and able to fund, and there's a lot of core services that cities are responsible for funding as well. So I think making sure that there are the workforce - that people are trained and have this skill set so that they can provide the behavioral health support - I think that's really important and something that the state could support. I also think that making sure that those resources are available from the state to support those communities that don't have the ability to fund those services on their own would be important.

[00:22:03] Crystal Fincher: I also want to talk about housing, which you certainly have made a priority in making more housing more affordable to more people. What will your approach be to making housing more available and affordable for people across all income levels?

[00:22:21] Victoria Hunt: I think that the state has, in recent legislative sessions, taken some great steps in this direction. I think the Missing Middle Housing bill was a great step forward. I think that we need to allow for these missing middle housing types - the smaller units. Certainly, I've heard from many community members that - seniors, they would like to be able to downsize and continue to live in their community. Or folks returning from college would like to continue to live in the community where they grew up. And so those options are much more possible when there is a spectrum of housing types available - and some of those are those smaller unit types. So I think the Missing Middle Housing bill and those sorts of bills that are going to allow for the development of those housing types that we need is important and is a good step. Transit-oriented development and supporting the creation of more of that is important. We are underserved by transit in the district, but we still are hopeful that there will be light rail that will come to Issaquah as the last stop on the line and hopeful that we will have more transit in the future. And so continuing to build where we do have transit or where we expect there to be future transit - that also helps reduce some of those costs associated with living in a particular area, in addition to the housing being affordable. And then I think that housing across all the spectrum of affordability is also really important, and we're seeing that there is not very much development of those deeper levels of affordability. And I think that making sure that the state has a role in reducing any red tape or anything that is any regulation that is reducing the ability of developers to actually create that housing is something the state has been taking some steps towards, but just reducing any of that red tape would also be something that I would like to work on.

[00:24:16] Crystal Fincher: How can you better protect renters in your district?

[00:24:20] Victoria Hunt: Well, rent stabilization was something that was considered last legislative session. And certainly in Issaquah and coming out of the eviction moratorium, we saw huge increases in rent - by some metrics, Issaquah had some of the highest rent increases actually during those years. And it is very important, I think, that people not be displaced from our community because of these really high rent increases. So I am supportive of rent stabilization, and I have every reason to believe that that will come back before the legislative session next session - because it did pass through the House and then did not pass the Senate. And so I believe it will come back now that there's been changes to both houses after this election.

[00:25:08] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. And I want to touch on that a little bit more because you're absolutely right - that is yet another bill that was able to pass out of one chamber, didn't make it out of both. And there are a number of things like that - whether it's more progressive revenue, whether it's rent stabilization, whether it's universal school meals - those have advanced but have not made it all the way through. And it seems like that's been a challenge that a number of legislators have been stumped by. So as you're looking at going into these caucuses - particularly the House caucus - where some of the things have made it through, some have even gotten stuck in the House caucus. As you stand there as one person - you're one legislator and you can advocate for things, but it's not like you can unilaterally sign a law and have it become law, like you could if you're an executive. You're basically a member of a body. What is needed in the body to help get the legislation through that hasn't made it through already? And how do you plan on helping that process with your priorities?

[00:26:21] Victoria Hunt: I am very honored to have the support of all of my fellow city councilmembers, as well as the mayor - and actually five in-district mayors. And I certainly, as one of seven on a city council, I don't always agree with or vote with my fellow city councilmembers. But I think that one thing that will be the same at the state level is just making sure that I'm clear where I stand on an issue - these are my perspectives. And then listening and giving the respect to others that might have a different opinion, and working through those differences and trying to make sure that we understand each other and that we can find enough common ground to move an issue forward so we can make a positive change for our communities that we're all serving. So I think that collaborative and respectful way of working is something that I would absolutely continue to bring to the State Legislature and is important for making sure that we work on things. And it only becomes that much more important when you're working with more individuals to pass legislation. As far as the Senate and the House dynamics, there will be a number of changes - and I'm including Representative Bill Ramos is running for the state Senate, and I'm very supportive of his run for the state Senate, and I expect that that will be a different perspective.

[00:27:36] Crystal Fincher: Obviously, relationships are very important. As you look at some of the most challenging bills that we're facing, whether it be getting rent stabilization across the line in both houses or getting universal free school meals across the finish line - what does it take to get a bill passed? And what will it look like when you're championing bills for your district and for the state?

[00:28:03] Victoria Hunt: I think it takes collaboration. I also think it takes prioritization and stick-to-it-iveness. There are so many things that the state needs to be working on. And so to really champion something, you have to focus and make sure that that continues to be the North Star, the thing that you are focusing on working towards. So I think those are some of the things that I've certainly learned through my local government experience and see as all that much more important at the state level.

[00:28:35] Crystal Fincher: I want to talk about healthcare. Obviously, at the top of mind for so many people is maintaining reproductive healthcare, gender-affirming healthcare. And we seem to do a good job, especially with a Democratic House and Senate, as well as the governor - and having our law state that. But there's also bills like the Keep Our Care Act, which deal with hospital mergers and ensuring that if there is a merger, that people don't lose vital care and services as a result, like gender-affirming care, end-of-life care, emergency care, abortion and reproductive healthcare. Do you support the Keep Our Care Act - is that something you plan to vote for? And how else will you ensure that people maintain access to affordable healthcare in your districts?

[00:29:34] Victoria Hunt: Absolutely, 100% support the Keep Our Care Act. And these are some of the things as well that when I mentioned I've loved serving on a city council, was urged by my community and had this opportunity to run for the state, these are some of the things that a city council doesn't work on - protecting our reproductive rights. And you're right, we have done a good job. But now with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, it's at the level of the state to protect our rights. And so, that dynamic and the fact that I could stand up for and protect the rights of Washingtonians on something as important as abortion access and reproductive healthcare - that was one of the things that led me to run for this office. And I absolutely support the Keep Our Care Act. When I'm talking with our Washington Nurses Association or the unions, workers that work in healthcare - that was one of the most important things to them as well. And I'm very honored to have the support of those groups and will absolutely champion that we get that passed so that we can protect access to really important healthcare across the state. And so I think taking that action is a step in the right direction. I would also want to work with our healthcare providers and with our community to understand where are the healthcare deserts, where are these services inaccessible, what can we do to make sure that access to those healthcare services is protected once we're passed the Keep Our Care Act.

[00:31:06] Crystal Fincher: There's going to be a lot of pressure on counties right now, especially as a number of cities are dealing with budget deficits and making cuts, as is the case in King County - cities making cuts to their contributions to regional healthcare usually dealt with by the county. And so many people count on the county for their access to healthcare. Does the legislature have a role, in partnership with counties, to make sure that access is stable, funding is stable for your district?

[00:31:41] Victoria Hunt: I absolutely think there is a role there. Even with the current status of services from the county, I know that there are - for certain very important. life-saving services, in some cases - there's a long line, a long wait period, and these can be really impactful for people that are needing those services. And so I think that having sustainable funding, and having access to services across the region, and filling those gaps where the county or the local governments are not able to provide services - that is an important thing that the state needs to work towards.

[00:32:24] Crystal Fincher: What more should we be doing to help protect our LGBTQ+ community and particularly our trans community?

[00:32:34] Victoria Hunt: One thing that I've heard in talking with folks is making sure that our trans community and LGBT community members are fully welcomed into conversations about what decisions are being made - when there are decisions being made about healthcare, for example - that are going to be impactful, that they are brought into those conversations early so we have that perspective. I think that many communities, including trans community, if they feel like their voice hasn't been in the conversation before, I think we need to make sure - and I would absolutely want to make sure that I'm building that trust - because I need to hear directly from them about what the impacts are going to be and how to make sure that I'm absolutely protecting their rights and making sure that the decisions I make are not adversely harming them. One of the other things that I've heard in working with the LGBT community and the trans community is also just to make sure that I'm considering the other issues that we've talked about - for example, lack of affordable housing, displacement from communities due to extreme rent increases - all of those things are also really important to this community. And so just making sure that I'm not only reaching out to the community when it's something very specific, but also making sure that I'm including their voice in my decision making in a holistic way.

[00:33:55] Crystal Fincher: I think that's very important. Now, by many metrics, we are behind on our climate goals. And this is at a time where we're seeing increasing impacts from climate change directly on our communities - whether it be from wildfire smoke, dealing with extreme heat, extreme cold - and needing to protect members of our community from those. What are your priorities when it comes to climate action and mitigating climate change as a legislator?

[00:34:27] Victoria Hunt: I believe that we are the stewards of our environment for the next generation, and we need to make sure that we are taking care of our environment. And Washington has been a leader on climate change. We need to continue to lead. We need to continue to lead on clean energy, as well as making sure that we have reliable energy. For one of my previous roles, I worked for Breakthrough Energy and did modeling of the U.S. electric grid. And in that role, really came to respect the amount of infrastructure we're going to need to build out to make sure that as we transition to cleaner sources of energy, we also have the transmission lines and we have the distribution network to make sure that that energy is reliable. And I think we need to make sure that we're bringing the community with us in these conversations. At the same time, we need to recognize climate change is here - it's already having devastating impacts on many of our communities. Here we are seeing, especially folks that have compromised immune systems, having health impacts from the wildfire smoke, as you mentioned. Also increased insurance costs due to the increased risk of wildfire. In my city, we are for the first time planning evacuation routes because we now, within the 10+ years that I've lived here, our risk of wildfire has gone up such that we need to be ready. And all of those things are only going to get worse, unless we change and continue to make progress towards reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. I would definitely want to make sure that I was working on the clean energy side of things, as well as the mitigation or the emergency preparedness. I think that we need to get ahead of those risks. We're seeing in California, for example, there's a lot of additional impact of climate change, and we need to make sure that we're prepared, and we're using those lessons learned, and that our communities are resilient. And so I would want to work on both the resiliency piece, as well as the reducing our emissions piece of climate change.

[00:36:32] Crystal Fincher: One area that I've heard some legislators discuss and explore - certainly straddles the climate response and our healthcare response - and that is indoor air in public buildings. As we've learned more about the impacts, for example, of wildfire smoke or of airplane emissions, just general pollution in our air on the health of residents, whether it be kids in school, people in public buildings, state buildings - there seems to be a need to reliably upgrade HVAC systems, filter air to reduce everything from COVID or the flu to wildfire. Is that something that you'd look to prioritize as you move forward and ensuring that the air in buildings that people are breathing is clean and helping to keep people healthy?

[00:37:31] Victoria Hunt: I think there is absolutely a growing awareness of those issues. Also that unfortunately, as we have more and more days where the outdoor air is unsafe or unhealthy, that people are going to have to be spending more time indoors. And so making sure that the indoor air quality is healthy - I think that's also important. And I have a PhD in ecology and I work as a chief data officer for a company that helps provide climate action planning to cities across the country in my day job. So all of my prioritization in this area, especially where it's something where there's science on this, there is data on this - on the benefits of improving indoor air quality, for example - I would want to make sure that I have the best available science to support the arguments. But then absolutely, I think that some of these things are increasingly important, especially on the community resiliency side. And as we have hotter days as well, we are seeing that - in my city, we have these extreme heat days where it's unsafe for people, especially elderly folks or very young children. It's unsafe. And so we're going to need to find solutions involving indoors areas, and we're going to increasingly need to rely on those sorts of community resiliency solutions. And so I think making sure that we're thinking ahead, thinking to all the ramifications of that - how do we make sure that that is a safe environment for folks to go to escape the extreme heat, to escape the wildfire smoke? I think all of that will be increasingly important.

[00:39:01] Crystal Fincher: You've also talked about mobility being a priority and people travel through our communities in a variety of different ways. Sometimes people drive, sometimes they don't. There are a lot of people who don't drive at all and who are relying on transit service or walking or biking to travel through our communities. It's an issue - I was at a senior forum not that long ago, and seniors were talking, very concerned about having safe sidewalks to walk on, some areas missing sidewalks, just not feeling safe as a pedestrian, being concerned about their grandkids and kids as they're on their bikes in the streets. What is important to you to prioritize with mobility, and what does that mean in terms of changing priorities and right-sizing expenditures when it comes to the transportation budget and other budgets that deal with this?

[00:39:58] Victoria Hunt: This is definitely quite a challenge for our district, in particular, because I think that there are a lot of folks that would love to be able to get to work on a bus, for example, but the bus doesn't go to where they work or it's just inconvenient and takes too much time. So we really are underserved by transit in this district. And I think there is a potential for more folks that would choose to use transit if we were better served by transit. In Issaquah, we are currently doing a pilot program where we have an on-demand bus, essentially - and we've seen great uptake of this program. As soon as people knew it was an option, they've chosen to use this program. And so I think the demand is there. And I think making sure that we have transit options for folks is really important. It depends as well - the challenges in different parts of the district are different. But one thing that is across the district right now is this lack of transit access. So I would want to make sure that we are working with our transit agencies to continue to try to get more frequent and convenient transit access.

[00:41:06] Crystal Fincher: It makes sense. Now, childcare is such a challenge for so many families right now. Childcare right now, on an annual basis, costs more than in-state tuition. It is really such a challenge and burden on families, and it's also weighing down our entire economy. What action can you take as a legislator to make childcare more affordable for more families?

[00:41:34] Victoria Hunt: As a mom of two kids and as a working mom, I can absolutely relate to this question. When I first went back to work with my infant child - infant care is a specialized kind of childcare and had to travel quite far to this daycare. And so that added additional time in my day. And so many parents have all of this adding up - there is cost associated with the childcare, there's also a cost associated with the time, especially if you find yourself in one of these childcare deserts. And so, one of the things that I have been interested in supporting is more state support for family childcare providers or neighborhood childcare providers. Because one of the compounding challenges around childcare right now has been the consolidation of childcares into a few locations, which results in these deserts where people have to travel really far - and that makes it that much less affordable or accessible to have childcare. And so the state does currently provide a relatively modest amount of funding for family daycare providers or for those neighborhood daycare providers, but I would like to see that support expanded. There are lots of families that might want to provide childcare and it would be a better fit for them, but it's not currently something that the state is able to support. And so I think that expanding those programs - that's one thing that I would definitely be interested in. I'm very honored to have the endorsement of the Children's Campaign Fund, and so I'm looking to them for what other legislation is in the works that might help reduce the very pressing needs for childcare that's affordable and accessible across the state.

[00:43:17] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. Children's Campaign Fund does really important and vital work, so exciting that you've received that endorsement and hopefully look forward to working together should you be elected. What haven't we talked about today that's important or that's flying under the radar, but really impactful for people?

[00:43:37] Victoria Hunt: One thing that I have really enjoyed about this campaign for the state representative has been talking to folks all across the district. And one of the ideas that has come up from several community members, which I really would like to explore, is a housing land trust. And I think if the state could support more of that, it's a potential way to help address some of our housing challenges in the state. I also think it's a good example of the community coming up with creative solutions, and I would want to make sure that I would be able to champion those and make sure that the state isn't blocking those sorts of more creative ways that we might address some of our really big challenges as a state, including our housing crisis. And so I think - as I talk with folks, I'm always looking to learn from them about those sorts of ideas and would absolutely want to be a champion for those sorts of ideas in the Legislature and making sure that the state isn't blocking those kinds of creative solutions.

[00:44:37] Crystal Fincher: Now, as voters are trying to figure out what is differentiating you from your opponent - this is an open seat, so there's not an incumbent, there's just two people in the general election running for this seat. What do you tell voters about what makes you different and why they should vote for you?

[00:45:00] Victoria Hunt: I am a third-term Issaquah City Councilmember. I have the experience working with the community on the same sort of issues - including our very real need for more options for affordable housing across the district, making sure that we are growing in a sustainable way and reducing our climate impacts, and addressing climate change while also becoming more resilient to those impacts. I'm also a working mom in the community, and I have experienced the challenges around childcare and also very much attuned to the needs of our public school system - I have two kids in elementary school. And so I think all of those experiences, as well as my PhD in ecology and wanting to make sure that I'm working both with the community's input as well as with data, I would bring all of that to Olympia to best serve this community that I've been serving in a different capacity and would continue to serve at the level of the state.

[00:45:59] Crystal Fincher: Excellent. So if people want to learn more about you or your campaign, or get involved - who can they contact? Where should they go?

[00:46:07] Victoria Hunt: Great question. I would love to have folks reach out and ask any questions you might have and get involved in the campaign. My website is victoriahunt.com and that has my social media links as well as my phone number - and I would love to hear from you.

[00:46:24] Crystal Fincher: Well, thank you so much for joining us today and helping us get to know you better. Thanks so much, Victoria Hunt.

[00:46:31] Victoria Hunt: Thank you.

[00:46:32] Crystal Fincher: Thank you for listening to Hacks & Wonks, which is produced by Shannon Cheng. You can follow Hacks & Wonks on Twitter @HacksWonks. You can catch Hacks & Wonks on every podcast service and app - just type "Hacks and Wonks" into the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to get the full versions of our Friday week-in-review shows and our Tuesday topical show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, leave a review wherever you listen. You can also get a full transcript of this episode and links to the resources referenced in the show at officialhacksandwonks.com and in the podcast episode notes.

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