Three days after being sworn in as the new freshman legislator from Washington’s 14th Legislative District, Rep. Gloria Mendoza delivered a message of hope Wednesday during the Republican Perspective directly following Gov. Bob Ferguson’s Inaugural Address.
“Here in the Legislature, Washington State Republicans are offering a bold agenda to take our state from last to first in all areas of government,” said Mendoza.
The Grandview Republican noted Washington state has many challenges that have failed to be sufficiently addressed under single-party rule in Olympia.
“I am proud to live in Washington. Our state has given me so many opportunities and has incredible potential. But our state also has some serious problems — problems that continue to get worse under one-party politics,” said Mendoza, pointing out that it’s the 40th straight year of Democratic governors in Washington state.
Mendoza outlined a lengthy list of crises in Washington, from being the fourth most expensive state, with the highest prices for groceries, gas, and housing, to having the third highest crime rate, the third highest homeless population, and students failing to meet grade levels in math, reading, and writing.
“And now, even though unemployment, wages, the stock market, and state tax collections are rising, our state is facing an operating budget deficit as high as ten billion dollars,” noted Mendoza. “Rather than reexamining programs, Democratic leaders are proposing new taxes — on our homes, our income, our jobs, and even on innovation itself, just to keep up the status quo.”
Mendoza said increased taxes will only hurt Washington families even more.
“It doesn’t have to be this way,” she said, noting that legislative Republicans have a plan to fix Washington. “We want to improve life for all Washingtonians. We want safer neighborhoods, cleaner air, better schools, more affordable housing, and shorter commutes.”
Mendoza, who previously served as Grandview’s mayor, said the Republican plan includes toughening penalties on vehicle theft and organized retail theft. It also includes more housing and drug treatment, removing children from homes where caregivers are abusing fentanyl, and increasing funding for law enforcement.
“In addition to making our communities safer, Republicans also want to make Washington more affordable for working families,” Mendoza added. “We want to eliminate taxes on diapers and other essentials for babies and moms. We want to eliminate taxes on food. Finally, we want to make our schools the best in the nation.”
Mendoza said Washington state has too many problems for Olympia politicians to be distracted by issues in Washington, D.C. She called on legislators to refocus on the challenges facing Washingtonians here at home.
“Yes, national issues matter. But your governor and state legislators were elected to fix problems in this Washington, not the other one. And as you’ve heard, this Washington has a lot of problems that need to be fixed.”
Mendoza called on all citizens to unite and advocate for responsible leadership who will work through the legislative session to make a better state for all Washingtonians.
The 2025 session began Monday, Jan. 13, and will continue through Sunday, April 27.
Mendoza’s speech is available in its entirety on the House Republican YouTube channel. Watch the English version here: https://youtu.be/gU9jLw5h1SI. It is also available in Spanish here: https://youtu.be/2LUqAq0DcFA .
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