Q&A with Rep. Luanne Van Werven

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In this year’s elections, Rep. Luanne Van Werven (R-Lynden) is running for re-election to the District 42 – Position 1 seat in the state house of representatives, a position she has held since 2015.

Van Werven discussed with The Northern Light what she’s accomplished, the highest priorities on her political agenda and what she wants people to know about her re-election campaign.

This interview was edited for brevity and clarity.

Could you talk about your personal history and how that led to public service?

I have always been very active in my community. I was able to stay at home and raise my four children and that gave me opportunities to volunteer in my community. One of the things important to me was to volunteer on local campaigns and help like-minded individuals get elected to office. When there was an opening for this particular position, because of my work down in Olympia and here, I was encouraged to run. That was in 2014 and I’ve won three elections since.

Before being a state representative, what campaigns were you working on in the community?

The first campaign I was involved in was with senator Ann Anderson. She was someone I looked up to. She was a strong woman who had a very graceful demeanor but a rock-solid foundation. As a volunteer, I helped her get elected. The other thing that I was involved in was working with local organizations advancing pro-family policy. That’s how I became connected with people locally and in Olympia.

How do you believe that you can support the people of the 42nd legislative district?

I have worked really hard for my district and know that I have gained a good knowledge base. Everything from our manufacturing industry to our agricultural industry, we have such a diverse district. It runs the gamut, from our commercial fishermen, recreational fishermen, to our Cherry Point industries to our organic farm industries. I have been able to be a support across all sectors to be able to go to Olympia and represent the best way possible.

Many of the issues we deal with in Olympia go past the partisan divide. It’s being open to the issues of my community and making sure that I’m representing all people in my district as best I can. I have been able to do that and it’s been a great honor to have made those connections across my district.

What does the 42nd district mean to you?

I’m a fifth-generation Whatcom County resident so my roots are deep here. I love this community. I’m the daughter of a milk truck driver, which means I grew up closely connected to the agriculture industry. I grew up and raised my children here and consider this district the most beautiful and diverse district in the state.

What do you want people to know about your re-election campaign?

I’m going to continue to invest in Whatcom County. The way I can do that is the citizens of Whatcom County send a lot of tax dollars to Olympia. I have the opportunity to help bring some of those tax dollars back to Whatcom County in the form of projects. We were able to bring $2 million back to Birch Bay for a library that they’re in the process of raising the rest of the funds for. I was able to bring funding to extend infrastructure to the eastern side of Blaine that will provide critical housing.

I’ve been working closely with Blaine city leaders trying to find a way to take care of the busy intersection of Peace Portal Drive and Blaine Road. With the inspection sites for those trains, traffic can be backed up so far for people traveling between Birch Bay, Semiahmoo and Blaine. We’re getting the funding in order to take the road above the train tracks.

That’s the joy of my job, bringing projects back to the district. We have a unique district with one of the few counties in the state where we have a four-year college, a community college, a technical college, plus the Northwest Indian College. I serve as lead Republican for the higher-ed committee in the House. I’ve been able to focus my work on trying to make higher education more affordable for students after they graduate. Just the other day, the governor funded a bill that passed through the House unanimously that notifies students that low-cost textbooks are available at registration. I’m working on lowering the cost of textbooks and lowering the cost and access for trade schools or technical colleges, and then to be able to reduce tuition at our colleges.

Would you consider those the highest priorities on your political agenda?

Certainly higher education is very important but there are so many important issues for the 42nd district and affordable housing is something that’s so needed. I have been working on changes in policy to make affordable housing more available.

Our Cherry Point industries need all the support they can get because they provide very good family-wage jobs. Sadly, we just lost an opportunity with a green biodiesel fuel plant that was going to be built at Phillips 66 but the red tape and opposition in Whatcom County thwarted that effort. Here is a project that would have been environmentally friendly and the future, our green alternative fuel, and we couldn’t even get that across the line. It’s important to support all of our industries in the 42nd district but the Cherry Point industries are the foundation for our county, as well as we’ve got lots of manufacturing companies. If we want to have our children come back and live here, then we need to be able to provide them with opportunities and careers.

How are you working to get these priorities accomplished?

Since I have been in Olympia for six years, I have gained quite a bit of influence, both in Olympia and locally. Whether it’s passing bills that promote good public policy or making those connections with the people locally, there are endless opportunities to influence the direction of Whatcom County.

What do you consider your biggest accomplishments in office so far?

A few days ago, the governor signed my bill, a consequential bill called Hailey’s Law and it would allow for, if a drunk driver is arrested, that the car could be impounded for 12 hours. A drunk driver who was able to access their car immediately after being arrested slammed into Hailey, who spent two years recovering. The state supreme court overturned the law last summer because they had problems with the constitutional aspect of seizing a vehicle, but they did not have a problem for the sake of public safety of impounding the car for 12 hours. I was able to draft a bill last year that would mitigate the concerns of the supreme court but reinstated the policy of law enforcement being able to impound the car for 12 hours so that the driver does not have access to the vehicle if they’re still under the influence.

I have been able to advocate for the greater good for the 42nd district in the form of important projects, construction projects and community projects in the district. Everything from the Kendall Trail to funding for east Blaine, the Birch Bay library and the trail extension in Lynden, for the toxic cleanup in Bellingham Bay, those are very important projects that I’ve been a part of.

What more do you hope to achieve?

There were several bills I introduced this year that did not make it all the way through. One of these bills that was important to me was one that would provide protection for juvenile crime victims. I serve on the Sunshine Committee, which is a legislative task force. We carefully consider which public records should be exempt from access and which should be available. We have found out that juvenile crime victims, with advances in technology, aren’t as protected as we had hoped when it comes to their email addresses or online social media presence. I [also] had a bill that would make sure there were no limitations on lemonade stands for children. That was a bill important to our youngest entrepreneurs.

Is there anything else that you would like to add or you think people should know?

I think it’s important for people to know that when I’m in Olympia, I am working to make the voice of the 42nd district heard. I’m fighting hard for the 42nd district and that I do not buy into the partisan extremism that some might get caught up in. I’m going to focus on the work for the 42nd district without making it political or partisan. That’s been my hallmark in Olympia and that’s what I will continue to do.

Next week’s issue of The Northern Light will include an interview with Blaine city councilmember Alicia Rule, who is seeking to fill the seat currently held by Van Werven.

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