The Unacceptable Tragedy of State Neglect
There has been some conversation about whether 50 children died in the last year or 90 children died. It doesn't matter if it's 50 or 90. We should be crawling out of our skin if it's one.
The Human Cost of Bad Policy
The debate on the House floor during the 2026 session marked one of the darkest moments in our state's history. We were not just discussing policy. We were arguing over the body count of our own failures.
The root of the crisis was the "Keeping Families Together Act" (KFTA). This law fundamentally broke our child welfare system. It elevated the standard for removing a child to "imminent physical harm." In practice, this meant our caseworkers could not rescue a child from a home littered with fentanyl unless they could prove immediate, physical injury.
We tied the hands of our protectors. We left children in toxic, lethal environments in the name of bureaucratic family preservation.
When the inevitable tragedies occurred, the legislature engaged in a sickening debate over the exact number of fatalities. I refused to let my colleagues hide behind a spreadsheet.
"There has been some conversation about whether 50 children died in the last year or 90 children died. It doesn't matter if it's 50 or 90. We should be crawling out of our skin if it's one."
Fighting for Accountability
The opposition deflected. They defended the KFTA. They prioritized an extreme, academic view of child welfare over the visceral reality of babies dying from fentanyl poisoning.
I led the charge to dismantle this deadly standard. I fought to amend the law so our caseworkers could intervene proactively. When a child's environment becomes a drug den, the state must act immediately. We cannot wait for a fatality to justify our compassion.
This fight exposed a deep rot in Olympia. The extreme majority lost touch with basic human preservation.
I am stepping up to take Washington back. I am fighting to bring balance to Olympia.
We are the adults in the room. We demand a state where government executes the basics flawlessly. There is no duty more basic than protecting a vulnerable child from a lethal environment. We must stop the extremes from gambling with the lives of our youth.
We need common sense to dictate our laws, not radical ideology. We need accountability, action, and unyielding protection for the most vulnerable among us.
Stand with me. Join the coalition to protect our children and bring sanity back to our government.
Watch the Floor Speech
Join The Fight For Accountability
Help us hold the line against bad policy and runaway spending.