Editor's note: Patch has submitted questionnaires to all 45th Legislative District candidates, and plans to post the responses verbatim as we receive them.
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NAME: Larry Springer
OFFICE SOUGHT: State Representative
PARTY AFFILIATION: Democratic
TOWN OF RESIDENCE: Kirkland
CURRENT OCCUPATION: State Representative, owner of The Grape Choice wine store
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND: Former school teacher, former Mayor of Kirkland and 11 eleven year city council member, former board member of Kirkland Art Center and Kirkland Performance Center, former member Seattle/King County Economic Development Council, current board member of Hopelink, former president of Leadership Institute, founding member of Leadership Eastside.
WEBSITE: www.larryspringer.org
WHAT IS THE MOST PRESSING ISSUE FACING VOTERS IN YOUR DISTRICT: Adequately funding K-12 and higher education.
IF ELECTED, WHAT WILL YOU DO IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS IN OFFICE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE? My primary focus will be on higher ed as I serve on the Higher Education Committee. There is an effort underway to identify a funding source specifically for higher education. As a member of the Ways and Means Committee I will once again insist at the very least that there be no further cuts to higher ed. We were successful last session and need to continue holding the line and ultimately increase funding of our colleges and universities.
DO YOU SUPPORT/OPPOSE REFERENDUM 74: SHOULD GAY MARRIAGE BE LEGAL IN WASHINGTON? I support Ref 74. It is a simple matter of equal rights for all Washingtonians. The state should not be telling certain classes of people whether or not they can be legally married in our state.
DO YOU SUPPORT/OPPOSE, INITIATIVE 502 TO MAKE SMALL AMOUNTS OF MARIJUANA LEGAL TO PEOPLE 21 AND OLDER? BRIEFLY, WHY? I support I-502. It is an incredible waste of law enforcement resources to continue prosecuting these victimless crimes. Law enforcement should be free to go after much more serious crimes. We could save several hundred million dollars in law enforcement/incarceration costs and the revenue from the sale.
