Friends,
Last Monday, I had the honor of being sworn in as the newest Representative for the 10th Legislative District. I take the trust you have placed in me seriously. I’d like to continue our conversation about our priorities here in Olympia and listen to your concerns and ideas about the issues facing our communities and our state.
My goals and committees
I’m very pleased that I’ve been appointed to the College & Workforce Development, the Education, and the Transportation committees. Serving on these committees will allow me to effectively advocate for the needs of in the 10th District. These committees also align well with my priorities for this legislative session.
First, we need to provide more opportunities and better outcomes for Washingtonians to secure family-wage jobs without the burden of overwhelming student debt. We can do this by developing diverse pathways to promote workforce readiness including apprenticeships, community college, and certificate programs, as well as lowering costs for universities.
Like you, I’m committed to ensuring our PreK-12 schools are safe and provide our children with the education they deserve. I will be working with my colleagues to fund our public schools so that they are sustainable and better support special education, mental and behavioral health, and career readiness.
In addition, we need to develop better transportation infrastructure in the 10th District that promotes our quality of life, creates jobs, and supports tourism. We live in a beautiful area that depends greatly on a modernized ferry fleet. We also need to ensure our bridges—like those at Deception Pass, Swinomish Channel, and Highway 532—are fully functioning.
Finally, Washington State can lead the nation with a robust clean-energy economy that provides living-wage jobs: doing so will help protect our quality of life and local industries like fishing, agriculture, and tourism. I’m committed to working with my colleagues to take action that addresses climate change and mitigates the effects on our district and our state.
I want to hear from you
I’m dedicated to working hard for these priorities this session, but I also want to hear from you. Here is a constituent feedback form to get your thoughts on certain topics. I want to hear your ideas.
You can also reach me at 360-786-7914 or at dave.paul@leg.wa.gov.
Does someone you know what to be a page?
Every year, students ages 14 to 16 come from all over the state to serve as legislative pages at the House of Representatives. Pages perform a wide variety of responsibilities, from presenting the flags to distributing amendments on the House floor.
In addition to contributing to the efficient operation of the legislature, pages receive daily civics instruction, draft their own bills, and participate in mock committee hearings. Pages are sponsored by members of the Legislature, usually from the district in which they live.
To help lower-income families participate in the program, the House of Representatives created the Gina Grant Bull Scholarship; check out the FAQ page to see if you can apply.
Taking part in the page program is a great opportunity for young people to gain a unique perspective of the legislative process. If you have a teen who could benefit from this experience, I encourage you to consider sending them to Olympia for a week. Please contact Sara Develle at sara.develle@leg.wa.gov if you would like my office to sponsor your teen!
For more information, please visit the House Page Program website.
As always, I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Rep. Dave Paul