Republican Incumbent Rep. Paul Graves and challenger Lisa Callan, a Democrat, are asking for your vote in this November’s election for the 5th Legislative District’s second position seat.
The 5th Legislative District runs east from Issaquah to the border of Kittitas County and south through Maple Valley and Black Diamond. Graves was elected to the position in 2016 and has served one term. Callan, an Issaquah School Board director, is running to serve her first term as a legislative representative.
(More election coverage is online at www.valleyrecord.com.)
Biography
Graves: I was born and raised here in east King County, and am finishing my first term as your state representative. I am the ranking member of the house judiciary committee, and also serve on the primary budget-writing committee and the health care committee. I graduated from Western Washington University — where I served as the student body president — and earned my law degree from Duke University. I have devoted a substantial amount of my legal career to representing foster kids for free in trial courts. For my work, I was named the pro bono lawyer of the year by King County’s leading foster youth advocacy group. Now, when I’m not serving in our part-time legislature, I am an in-house lawyer for a family-owned trucking company. I live with my wife Jenny, our sons Chad and Patrick, and our three dogs in Fall City.
Callan: I’m Lisa Callan — a mom, school board director, and candidate for state representative here in the 5th Legislative District. After 18 years working as an engineer at Boeing and in software development in the tech sector, I had my son, Riley, and got involved with our local schools. In 2013, I had the incredible opportunity to run a successful campaign for the Issaquah School District school board. In this nonpartisan role, I’ve worked hard to ensure that each and every child gets the education they need to thrive. I’ve also worked effectively with state lawmakers from both political parties to resolve complex funding issues. I plan to continue this work as your next state representative.
Do you believe taxes are calculated fairly to fund education in our state? If not, what would you change?
Graves: I believe that the legislature overshot on property taxes, and should make property tax relief a priority. Even after doubling funding for K-12 schools over the past six years, the state still has $800 million more than it thought it would just a few months ago. That’s thanks to a good economy, and should serve as a reminder that the best form of new government revenue is a strong economy. With such a boom in taxes, I think it would be irresponsible to impose new kinds of taxes, like income taxes (which the voters have said “no” to nine times) or capital gains income taxes. We have shown we can fund the priorities of government without instituting new taxes, and I believe we should be responsible with taxpayer money rather than continually seek more.
Callan: No. Our residents and school districts in King County are treated particularly unfairly. In Olympia, I’ll work to reduce the property tax burden for you and your family and advocate for more equitable, sustainable funding. To start, we’ve got to take a look at the way we offer corporate tax breaks to our state’s businesses. These tax breaks must offer a significant public benefit to our communities and our economy. Otherwise, that revenue should be used to fairly fund education.
Home prices and property taxes have been on the rise. How would you promote housing diversity and affordability?
Graves: Four main ways — first, prioritize property tax relief so seniors and those on fixed incomes are not forced out of their homes. Second, remove unnecessary zoning restrictions that serve to limit the supply of housing and hence raise home prices and rents. Third, reform condo lawsuit laws, which currently make ours the worst state in the country to build condos, and have consequently resulted in almost no affordable condos being built. And fourth, partner with innovative groups like Mary’s Place (which houses low-income women and families), and the Doe Fund (which takes the hardest cases of drug use and mental illness and imposes high standards and work requirements, and has seen tremendous outcomes).
Callan: As a long time Issaquah resident, I know how important the issue of housing affordability is, especially for our teachers, first responders and service industry workers. When it comes to promoting diverse housing choices, our state’s partnerships with counties, cities, and tribal governments are crucial. As your next state representative, I’ll work thoughtfully and collaboratively with our district’s municipalities to advocate for policies that empower them to help their communities. I’ll also advocate for sufficient support of the Housing Trust Fund, which funds affordable housing projects across the state – a fantastic return on investment. Finally, it’s about time for the Legislature to take real leadership and reform the many issues surrounding condominium development. It’s important that our state’s developers fulfill the demand for housing that exists for younger and older Washingtonians.
Mass shootings, suicides and school security are big concerns in our communities. When it comes to guns, how do you balance safety with constitutional rights?
Graves: I believe we can protect constitutional rights and still reduce gun deaths. I broke from my party and supported a ban on bump stocks and a voluntary waiver law. I have worked with both republicans and democrats to improve our background check system, and have supported policies that keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers. Recognizing that the majority of gun deaths are suicides, I have worked to address mental health and anxiety, especially with teenagers. I have held forums with local student groups on ways to improve school safety, and support mental health counselors in schools, as well as school resource officers who can make sure every school in the state is safe.
Callan: We can ensure the safety of our students and families without threatening our constitutional right to bear arms. From Snoqualmie to Maple Valley to Issaquah, gun owners agree that there are sensible solutions to prevent acts of gun violence. We must do more to keep guns away from those who would harm others or themselves. I support many of the solutions proposed in Initiative 1639, like comprehensive background checks, 10-day waiting periods, and firearm safety training requirements – solutions that apply the same level of regulation to long guns that already exist for handguns.
