Editorial: Primary picks for 10th, 39th legislative districts

By The Herald Editorial Board

Voters in the 39th Legislative District, which spans most of eastern Snohomish County and northeast King County, have an open seat to fill for the Position 2 representative, following the departure of Elizabeth Scott. Scott, who won election in 2012 and 2014, had planned to run for Congress against U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene, but withdrew earlier this spring, citing health reasons.

In the neighboring 10th District, which includes Whidbey and Camano islands, northwest Snohomish County, including Stanwood, and southwest Skagit County, the Senate race has attracted two Democratic challengers to Republican incumbent Barbara Bailey: Nick Petrish, a U.S. Army veteran who works as a union electrician and Angie Homola, a former Island County commissioner who runs an architectural firm.

In the 39th District, three have filed for Scott’s seat: Republican John Koster, who has previously served as a state representative and Snohomish County councilman; Democrat Ronda Metcalf, who has served as a Sauk Suiattle Tribal Council member and the tribe’s general manager; and Libertarian Shane Driscoll, an Amazon employee, who cites no previous elected experience.

The Herald recommends Koster and Metcalf in the primary.

Koster, a former dairy farmer from Arlington, served three terms in the House and three terms on the county council. Following his service on the council, Koster was hired to the county’s newly created ombudsman office but was dismissed after a year’s service for signing his name to what was viewed as an anti-union political fundraising letter. Since his dismissal Koster has filed a $950,000 lawsuit for wrongful termination, naming the county and past and current county officials.

On issues legislators are likely to confront next year, Koster says he has serious concerns about proposals for a levy swap, which seek to equalize funding among school districts. Noting the increased spending approved in recent years, Koster questions spending even more money on education without seeing improvements in graduation and dropout rates.

Koster said his emphasis in the Legislature would be to get control over excessive rule-making and regulation that stifles business and limiting the tax burden to provide only necessary services.

Metcalf, a veteran who was trained as one of the U.S. Army’s first female combat medics in the 1970s, has served a total of eight years on the tribal council and since 2013 as its general manager, overseeing the tribe’s business enterprises, its health clinic, police department and other responsibilities.

Metcalf is supportive of reviewing tax loopholes and finding additional tax revenue to increase education spending and teacher pay.

A Darrington resident, Metcalf said she also wants to improve access to medical, mental health and addiction treatment services in the district’s rural areas.

For the 10th District Senate seat, The Herald recommends incumbent Barbara Bailey and challenger Angie Homola.

Bailey, who served 10 years in the House for the district prior to election to her first term as senator in 2012, was closely involved in efforts to reduce college tuition costs and pass the transportation spending package in 2015.

Bailey backs the Senate Majority Coalition’s most recent plan, which she believes will meet a state Supreme Court mandate for funding education, and believes that much of the debate now centers on defining basic education and “ample” funding. Bailey does not see additional revenues as necessary to meet the Legislature’s commitment to education funding and wants to hold the line on taxes.

Bailey also said she’d focus on ensuring the state’s mental health system is properly funded and that private rights to water access are protected.

Both Homola and Petrish are well-spoken and thoughtful challengers, but Homola’s elected experience and previous work on a bipartisan council give her the edge.

Homola wants to close tax loopholes and seek voter-approved tax revenue sources to increase education spending beyond “basic” needs to include more early childhood education, music, arts, sports and vocational training.

Homola also wants to see greater investment in transportation in the 10th District and intends to focus on the state’s public health needs, its veterans and on issues of environmental protection and land-use planning.