Martin Moore is running for Legislative District 30, State Representative Pos. 1.

Candidate’s name: Martin Moore

Age: 36

Occupation:

Federal Way – City Council Member

Executive Director – Audiobook Ministries 501(c)3

Guest Teacher – Federal Way Public School District

1. Why are you running for the Legislature? (250 words or less)

I am running because I believe partisan politics in Olympia has become polarized and negative. Families want their elected officials to work together, to compromise – to put People Over Politics. As a new homeowner and expecting father, I am worried about the direction of our state. The decisions made in Olympia next year will have long lasting impacts on our future. We need leaders who believe in real solutions, who don’t care where the idea comes from as long as it is right for our families.

I believe in working to find commonsense solutions to our toughest challenges. We need to be looking at safe ways, driven by data and health experts, to help our economy recover, to get small businesses employing our community members again and helping our families recover from the devastating blows that COVID-19 has dealt.

As a Federal Way city councilmember for the last seven years, I have been working on policies that require a balanced approach from all political ideologies – policies that help our community and the most vulnerable. I want to bring that same bipartisan, results-oriented mindset to our capitol.

I have lived in the 30th legislative district for 28 years ago, graduated from our local public schools, bought a house in Federal Way and look forward to raising a family here with my wife, Sarah. I understand the challenges our community faces and I am well-prepared to advocate for the beautifully diverse 30th legislative district, which we call home.

2. Will you pursue/support any state legislation for reforming police departments? (250 words or less)

I believe in police reform. I support a formal citizens advisory board to help police departments stay in touch with the needs of our BIPOC communities. I support the use of body cameras and other tools that help hold officers accountable for their actions. I support the banning of chokeholds, and I want us to look more closely at community-based policing, two measure that have worked well in Federal Way. Finally, there can always be more training, especially on race and equity issues.

3. How do you plan to prioritize racial equity in Washington? (250 words or less)

No community is monolithic, and BIPOC, immigrant, and refugee communities each have distinct needs. However, a challenge that all those communities face is the color of their skin or the land of their birth having an outsized impact on their socioeconomic statuses, their education quality, and the safety of their neighborhoods. These communities need to have equitable access to jobs, healthcare, public safety, education, and environmental justice.

As a Federal Way city councilmember, I have worked hard to help provide a better quality of life for our most vulnerable communities and as your next state representative I will continue to be that uplifting voice – breaking down barriers, bringing bipartisan, and commonsense solutions to the problems we are facing.

4. What will you do in the Legislature to address homelessness and affordable housing in your district? (250 words or less)

Homelessness and housing affordability are extremely important issues to me. The lack of safe and affordable housing is one of largest barriers to recovery for those in the cycle of homelessness, incarceration, shelters, and hospitals. Having stable housing allows individuals to focus on maintaining mental and physical health, obtaining and keeping employment, and working toward future goals.

As a councilmember, I have worked on housing issues with our large population of renters. Until late last year, I counted myself as one of the renters in the community. I’m proud of the work I have done through bipartisan partnerships to protect renters.

I will continue advocating at the state level for renters’ rights and working with my colleagues in Olympia to invest in the Housing Trust Fund and encouraging equitable opportunity for affordability as the housing demand increases.

5. Where do you stand on Referendum 90 and Senate Bill 5395, and why? (A vote to approve Referendum 90 supports allowing Senate Bill 5395 to take effect, thereby requiring public schools to provide comprehensive sexual health education for all students and requiring students to be excused if requested by their parents.)

I’m extremely disappointed with how ESSB 5395 was handled. The legislature took it under consideration in 2019 and saw numerous community members speak forcefully about their concerns. Also in 2019, OSPI commissioned the Sexual Health Education Work Group to survey 10,000 individuals, 58% of whom said NO to sex ed. being a requirement for K-12.

Then in 2020, ESSB 5395 passed the House with zero compromise despite Republicans offering nearly 200 amendments, no real input from parents, without regard to the results of their own government survey, and after being voted on at 2 o’clock in the morning. Now a record 266,000 concerned Washingtonians have signed a petition to put it back in the hands of the voters, and no one should be surprised. The bill’s passage was poorly executed, unnecessarily divisive, and lacked the willingness to have bipartisan collaboration, and I’m tired of seeing Olympia “work” this way.