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Too many American families know of or have been touched personally by the devastating loss of an infant or mom during childbirth. It’s both tragic, and an area of tremendous opportunity especially as so many of these deaths are preventable. I believe every single individual deserves the chance to live his or her life to their full potential. I also believe Congress is poised to… Read more »

“Centralia Man Accused of Attacking Grocery Store Employees with Knife” “Suspects Sought in Centralia ATM Explosion” “Man Killed in Chehalis Stabbing; 12-Year-Old Also Injured” “‘Terrifying Experience’: Chehalis Homeowner Details Dec. 16 Burglary, Cautions Neighbors” These are just a handful of recent headlines in The Chronicle highlighting an alarming increase in violent crimes… Read more »

Law enforcement personnel across Southwest Washington inform me that a combination of federal and state policies have triggered crime to increase dramatically and pose a threat to our families and communities. In recent years, dangerous calls from political extremists to “defund the police,” “abolish ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement),” eliminate our borders and decriminalize… Read more »

In just a couple of days, 20 years will have passed since the horrific events of Sept. 11, 2001. Sadly, our nation is again mourning American lives cut short by cowardly terrorism after the deaths of 13 U.S. troops during the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops late last month. Those deaths, the reports of Americans being stranded in Afghanistan, the horrific scenes at the Kabul Airport… Read more »

After a year of mostly empty classrooms, parents and students have reached a breaking point. A mom from Battle Ground recently wrote to me, “I am struggling to get my kindergartner to do his assignments, and doing them on the computer is difficult and time-consuming. It is killing their love for learning before it is even given a chance to start.” A teacher from a nearby school district… Read more »

Over the past few weeks, we didn’t have to turn on the TV or see photos online to understand the severity of the wildfires burning up and down the West Coast.   Unbreathable air shut us into our homes. The dark skies gave us a gut-wrenching, hopeless feeling. Many Washington, Oregon, and California residents lost homes and businesses. Hundreds of thousands of acres of vital… Read more »

‘Child care is crazy expensive.” Chris, a dad and engineer in Vancouver, told me recently he and his wife are paying more annually for day care for their young child than if they were sending him to the University of Washington. And in the case of college tuition, they could at least get a loan to ease the burden. I hear these sentiments echoed by parents across Southwest Washington. As… Read more »

The rising cost of prescription drugs is forcing seniors and other patients to take drastic measures in Southwest Washington. It’s not uncommon for me to hear from folks who are skipping doses, cutting pills in half or foregoing filling prescriptions altogether. Meanwhile, the price of insulin, blood pressure medicine and cholesterol-lowering drugs continue to rise. This is not right and… Read more »

“I spend my entire Social Security check on insulin.” Read more »

As a young mom and a lawmaker, I often consider the intersection of public policy and family health. It’s this experience that has spurred me to work hard on policy focused on improving health care for mothers—whether it’s keeping them safe during pregnancy, expanding access to maternal telehealth services or simply allowing mothers to carry breast milk through airport security. These are issues that matter to everyone. Read more »