Family budgets here on the Kitsap Peninsula have been stretched to the breaking point as we are paying some of the highest costs in the country for everyday essentials. Washington now has the third-highest gas prices, the fourth-highest grocery prices, and the fourth-highest home prices in the entire nation.

David Olson plans to:

• Provide gas rebates to Washington drivers using surplus carbon tax revenue.
• Support a new sales tax exemption on prepared food.
• Oppose costly new regulations that have made everything in Washington more expensive.

Despite record levels of education spending, student achievement keeps getting worse throughout much of Washington. The Peninsula School District—where David Olson has been a member of the school board for 12 years—has been a model for avoiding these trends. In part due to David Olson’s leadership, Peninsula schools have among the highest reading and math scores and high school graduation rates in the state.

David Olson plans to bring Peninsula Schools’ successes to other districts by supporting efforts to:

• Expand structured reading literacy programs and hire reading coaches in elementary schools.
• Provide targeted funding to struggling students and schools serving low-income communities.

Like everyone throughout our state, Kitsap Peninsula drivers face high fuel costs and congested roads. Unlike other parts of the state, locals here also have to contend with sky-high tolls on the Narrows Bridge and ferry cancellations and reliability issues that have sweeping impacts on families in Bremerton, Port Orchard and beyond.

David Olson plans to:

• Authorize emergency procurement of non-hybrid ferries to help address immediate service gaps and speed up construction timelines.
• Direct a portion of carbon tax revenue paid at the pump toward transportation infrastructure, including local highways, ferries and the Narrows Bridge.

Crime remains a significant concern, and Washington has ranked last in the nation for police officers per capita for 13 consecutive years. Staffing shortages in our local police departments and sheriff’s offices and changes to criminal laws have affected law enforcement’s ability to address crime, including theft, shoplifting, and other property crimes.

David Olson plans to:

• Provide recruitment and retention bonuses to rebuild the ranks of local police.
• Reform and enforce criminal laws related to theft and repeat offenses.

Washington has the fourth-largest homeless population in the country, and the problem is only getting worse. Despite significant taxpayer investment, local communities continue to face widespread encampments, creating safety and health concerns.

David Olson plans to:

• Give cities and counties the tools they need to clear and ban encampments near schools, parks, and child care centers.
• Create a public dashboard that tracks spending and results for encampment removals, addiction treatment, and transitions into permanent housing.

Regulatory requirements and limited availability have contributed to rising childcare costs and shortages. For many Kitsap Peninsula families, childcare costs more than housing and is driving parents out of the workforce.

David Olson plans to:

• Encourage employers to offer child care assistance programs.
• Reduce barriers to opening new child care facilities in areas where options are limited.