Dear Friends,

Thank you for visiting my Web site. The Ninth Legislative District is among the largest in our state, covering all or part of six counties in eastern and southeastern Washington. Its many attractive features include some of the finest agricultural land in the United States, two outstanding public universities and an inviting, primarily rural lifestyle. I am honored to represent the Ninth District at our Capitol for an 18th consecutive year.

My wife and I make our home in Ritzville, the seat of Adams County, which lies along Interstate 90 about an hour’s drive west of Spokane. I farm land that has been in my family for five generations, since the inception of wheat farming in the 1880s.

Our primary crop has remained the same through the decades: dryland wheat, meaning it is grown without irrigation due to the scarcity of water in the area. Just as my forefathers did, we must rely on the weather to determine the size, quality and timing of our harvest. We also raise canola and cattle.

Growing crops and making a living as a farmer requires knowing more than a little about a lot of things: botany, chemistry, hydrology, plant pathology, mechanical engineering, heavy equipment repair, meteorology, accounting, purchasing, contracts, finance and more, plus contending with an array of government rules, regulations and taxes. My “day job” equips me well to understand and address the myriad of issues that face the people I represent at our Capitol.

I am committed to providing Ninth District residents with accessible, responsible representation, and making sure the generations which follow ours – like our two children and new grandson – have opportunities to prosper which are at least equal to what we have enjoyed. That means working for fiscal stability, through sustainable budgeting and reasonable taxation, and sensible policies.

My particular interests as a lawmaker are, not surprisingly, agriculture and our state budget. Those are illustrated in two publications I periodically distribute: Ag Alert! and Watching Your Tax Dollars. They’re posted here on my website and also are available by e-mail.
  

Again, thanks for visiting. If you have any questions or concerns about the issues facing our state, please contact me via e-mail, the toll free legislative hotline at 1-800-562-6000 or my Olympia office at (360) 786-7620.  

Sincerely,

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