Aaron Croft

Legislation AI transparency in government. Washington agencies are already using artificial intelligence in decisions affecting residents, including benefits determinations and child welfare assessments. I will push for mandatory disclosure when AI systems are used in consequential decisions and for meaningful human review before those decisions become final. Algorithms do not replace accountability. Environment / Energy Wildfire resilience, not just response. The state spends enormous sums fighting fires after they start. We spend comparatively little on the forest management and prescribed burning that prevents catastrophic fires in the first place. I will push for increased funding for proactive forest thinning and community protection zones, particularly in rural Eastern Washington where fire risk is highest and response times are longest. Education Increase state Career and Technical Education (CTE) funding for welding, electrical, machining, and logistics; skills matching regional employer demand including defense suppliers. Government Reform No fundraising during session. It is a basic conflict of interest for legislators to solicit campaign contributions from lobbyists while actively voting on legislation affecting those same interests. Washington should enact a fundraising blackout period during legislative sessions, as several states already have. Healthcare Automatic Enrollment (with Opt-Out): Cover More Washingtonians without Mandates-No new data is collected, the state only uses information you've already provided. Whenever someone interacts with a state system – for example, filing taxes, renewing a driver’s license, or applying for other benefits – Washington would automatically check if they’re uninsured, and if eligible, enroll them in a basic health plan (such as Apple Health Medicaid or a low-cost Exchange plan) Individuals have the option to opt out-and safeguards can be put in place to prevent eligibility issues for people auto-enrolled without desiring it. Requires the Exchange to report annually on auto-enrollment uptake and opt-out rates to ensure accountability. Wages / Job Benefits Workers have rights too. The right to organize, work in safe conditions, and be paid what you're owed are baseline protections for the people whose labor drives this economy. I will support enforcement of existing labor protections and oppose efforts to erode workers' ability to advocate for themselves. Housing Get Eastern Washington its fair share. The legislature invested 605 million in the Housing Trust Fund last biennium. Too much of that money stays on the west side. I will fight to ensure rural and Eastern Washington communities get proportional funding for permanent supportive housing, not just emergency shelters. Education Fund schools based on what students actually need. Rural and lower-income districts in Eastern Washington still operate at a disadvantage under the current funding formula. I will push for adjustments that account for the higher per-pupil cost of educating students in geographically isolated communities, and for special education funding to actually reach recommended levels instead of forcing local districts to cover the gap. Housing Lower Rent by Increasing Housing Supply Where LD‑06 Needs It -Primary tools here are regulatory, removing barriers costs less than building subsidized units. Reduce upward pressure on rent and home prices by legalizing modest infill, shortening permitting timelines, and lowering non‑construction costs. Healthcare Rural hospitals in Eastern Washington operate on thin margins and serve communities that have no other option. Benchmark enforcement would explicitly exempt Critical Access Hospitals and small rural facilities- this policy targets consolidated systems with market power, not the community hospitals our rural neighbors depend on. Healthcare Government out of personal decisions. Healthcare decisions, including those about pregnancy and family planning, belong between a patient and their doctor. Washington law currently protects that principle and I will defend it against any legislative effort to substitute political judgment for clinical judgment. Housing Fund housing and treatment together. Right now, housing dollars and behavioral health dollars flow through separate programs with different rules. That forces providers to choose between keeping someone housed and getting them into treatment. Spokane's own strategic plan calls this out as a barrier. I will push to braid these funding streams so a single provider can offer housing, case management, addiction treatment, and mental health care without navigating five separate applications. Education Treat teachers like professionals. Eastern Washington schools are losing experienced teachers faster than they can replace them. Pay, working conditions, manageable class sizes, and a real voice in policy decisions all matter. I will support funding structures that let small and rural districts compete for qualified teachers. Economy Waive state business license fees for new small businesses in years one and two. Healthcare A family of four earning 90,000 in Spokane can still face health insurance premiums of 1,500 a month or more without employer coverage. Federal assistance helps, but not enough at this income level. Washington should expand its own Cascade Care subsidy program (adding state dollars on top of federal help) to meaningfully reduce premiums for working families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but too little to comfortably afford coverage on their own. We'll direct the Health Benefit Exchange to model costs and thresholds, and fund expansion by reinvesting savings from healthcare cost benchmark enforcement, shifting dollars from expensive uncompensated emergency care to affordable preventive coverage. Environment / Energy Water and power accountability. Data centers can consume millions of gallons of water per day. Large facilities can strain regional electrical infrastructure and drive up costs for existing customers. Operators, not ratepayers and not farmers, should cover the costs their operations create. I will support transparency requirements and cost-allocation rules that make that happen. Economy Expand Commerce Department Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) funding targeting rural Eastern WA counties specifically. Government Reform Strengthen the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC). Washington's PDC is underfunded relative to what it oversees. I will push for increased funding and stronger investigative authority so disclosure requirements have real teeth. Environment / Energy Clean up the West Plains water, now. PFAS "forever chemicals" were identified in Airway Heights groundwater in 2017, traced to firefighting foam used at Fairchild Air Force Base since the 1970s. The federal government recently pushed the cleanup deadline back six years to 2032, affecting approximately 4,000 homes, with no advance warning to residents. That is unacceptable. I will use every available state tool, legislative pressure, agency coordination, and partnership with our congressional delegation, to ensure Washington does not let the federal government quietly walk away from this community. I will push for state-funded testing assistance for private well owners outside current program boundaries and full public disclosure of contamination data in plain language residents can actually use. Education Lower Childcare Costs by Expanding Supply-Slot creation grants can be funded within existing DCYF budget reallocation. Reduce childcare costs by making it easier to open, expand, and staff childcare providers while protecting safety standards.