Friends and neighbors,
Thank you to all who took the time to complete the Legislative Priorities Survey in November. The input I receive from surveys, community forums, emails, phone calls, and one-on-one meetings is valuable and helps me represent you and our district better. Thanks to everyone for participating in the survey or for reaching out to my office over the past year.
I’d like to take a moment to share the results of the Legislative Priorities Survey. In all, over 220 constituents responded to at least some of the questions. The survey asked for zip codes because I wanted to make sure that I heard from all parts of the district. I’m pleased to report that responses came from all corners of the district, with approximately 64 percent of respondents living in Island County, 23 percent from Skagit County, and 13 percent living in Snohomish County.
I have included graphs for six of the questions. The feedback from the survey reinforces much of what I am hearing at community forums and directly from constituents.
What is the most significant financial challenge your family faces on a monthly basis?
(ranking responses 1= biggest challenge, 8= smallest challenge)
Which transportation priority is most important for the legislature to tackle in upcoming sessions?
(ranking responses 1= biggest challenge, 5 = smallest challenge)
What is the most important conservation priority in the 10th District?
(ranking responses 1= biggest challenge, 3 = smallest challenge)
Which challenge provides the greatest hurdle for students and recent high school and college graduates?
(ranking responses 1= greatest challenge, 4 = smallest challenge)
Do you have children in school?
If so, which of the following issues most concerns you?
(ranking responses 1= biggest challenge, 4 = smallest challenge)
In addition, I asked about the issues facing veterans and active-duty servicemembers. By far, the most common challenge identified for active-duty servicemembers was the stress placed on families when a parent is on deployment. Respondents also noted a host of other issues for veterans. Healthcare was the most common concern, with nearly 38% of respondents indicating this is an important concern for veterans. Mental healthcare was the next most mentioned challenge. Employment, housing, homelessness, and educational support were also identified as areas of concern.
Thank you to everyone who participated in this survey. I’ll use this information in the next legislative session to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to address issues facing our district, such as healthcare, housing costs, and better supporting active-duty servicemembers, veterans, and their families.
Please reach out to my office if you have any questions, concerns, comments, or ideas.
Thanks again,
Rep. Dave Paul
(360) 786-7914