DAVE PAUL: Supporting Education, Veterans, and Cleaning Up Our Estuaries
State Representative Dave Paul (D-Oak Harbor) sent this email to constituents from his legislative account on Tue., Apr. 12, 2022.
Friends and neighbors,
In my work representing our community, I’ve had the opportunity to meet so many of you and your neighbors, listen to your concerns, and learn about what issues affect your daily lives.
This session, I looked for ways to support education and rural communities, protect our quality of life, and support veterans and military families. I’m pleased to report that we made meaningful progress in each of these areas.
Education, Living-Wage Jobs, and College Affordability
Improving college affordability and strengthening workforce training are critical for rural communities. Programs like Running Start, College in the High School, and the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship are smart, cost-effective paths to family-wage jobs. Increasing access to these programs is one of my greatest priorities.
This year, I led the effort to create a statewide summer Running Start program, and students will be able to benefit from this landmark policy as soon as this summer.
Running Start accelerates learning and reduces college debt, and I’ve long championed that the program should be available in the summer. Many students have jobs and participate in athletics during the school year, which prevents them from taking advantage of dual-credit programs. Expanding Running Start to the summertime allows more students to enroll in the program.
I also successfully passed legislation expanding the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship to include apprenticeship programs and more rural students, providing them another path to jobs in high-demand professions. Additionally, this bill helps nurses earn advanced nursing degrees. That’s critically important as we train the next generation of nurses.
Protecting the Environment
Many of you have expressed concern about protecting the Salish Sea. Derelict boats are a significant issue across our region. They are dangerous to boaters, our ports, and our shipping lanes—and can have a significant environmental impact. I sponsored HB 1700 to help local governments and ports remove these safety hazards before they pollute our waterways—saving taxpayers millions of dollars.
Improved Services for Veterans and Our Community
Our district contains one of the state’s largest populations of veterans. One of my greatest legislative priorities has been to improve the lives of veterans, active duty servicemembers, and their families to better assist those who have served our community.
More veterans die by suicide than in combat, and our state must do more to support the mental health and well-being of veterans. HB 1181 helps prevent suicide among Washington’s veterans and military members by providing better access to resources and prevention programs.
It’s an honor to serve as your state representative. Please reach out to my office if you have any questions, concerns, ideas, or suggestions.
Thank you,
Rep. Dave Paul
