2016 Candidate Questionnaire State Level Lieutenant Governor

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2016 Candidate Questionnaire State Level Lieutenant Governor Candidate Name Position Sought Home Legislative District Are you a Democrat? Are you known as a Democrat?

1 2016 Candidate Questionnaire State Level Lieutenant Governor Candidate Name Position Sought Home Legislative District Are you a Democrat? Are you known as a Democrat? Campaign Contact Information Steve Hobbs Lieutenant Governor 44 th Yes Mailing address: th Dr. SE Lake Stevens, WA Phone: (425) Fax: Website: Transitioning ( steve@electhobbs.com Facebook: Friends of Steve Hobbs Campaign manager or point of contact Myself, John Wyble (206) , or Bill Phillips (425) Consultant(s) John Wyble (WinPower) and Bill Phillips (Sound Strategies) Part I Candidate Background Please briefly describe your qualifications, education, employment, community and civic activity, union affiliation, and other relevant experience. Attach a resume with more complete history. I hold a Masters of Public Administration from the UW Evans School along with a BA in Political Science from the UW. I have served over 20 years in the US Army Reserves and the Washington National Guard. Describe your history of involvement in Washington state politics. What campaigns have you run or worked on? What specific actions have you taken as a public leader to advocate for new state revenue? I ran for State Representative in 1994, Snohomish County Council in 2005, and then successfully ran for State Senator in I was re-elected in 2010 and I also ran for Congress, 1 st District, in As a state senator, I have supported reforms that make the most of dwindling revenue streams and preserve the social safety net for those who need it most. I support a mix of relief to the private sector, responsible and fair cuts to spending, and new revenues where possible without negatively impacting working families. What prompted you to run for this office? What priorities are you seeking to address with your campaign? The most important qualification in a Lt. Governor is ability to run the state when the governor is out of state, incapacitated, or managing a catastrophe such as the Oso landslide. My experience and training in the Army

2 Reserves and WA National Guard prepare me to assist in such emergencies. Additionally, my service in the State Senate prepares me to preside over that body, another key role of the Lt. Governor. I will, when called upon, cast tiebreaking votes that are in the best interests of our residents and Democratic ideals. I don t see the role of Lt. Governor as being primarily bureaucratic. I will continue and expand the current Lt. Governor s approach to trade, develop the office as an important part of the state emergency response network, and advocate for policies that improve and maintain the quality of life for all Washingtonians. List the notable endorsements you have received to date. Who are you planning to ask for an endorsement? It s early in the process and we only recently announced, but I m proud of the endorsements already earned. I ll be approaching Labor groups, Democratic LD s and county organizations, elected officials, and grassroots activists over the next several months and throughout the campaign. Steve Hobbs Endorsement List Legislators: Rep. Mike Sells Rep. Hans Dunshee Rep. Luis Mosocos Rep. Chris Hurst Rep. Brian Blake Rep Judy Clibborn Rep J.D. Rossetti Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos Senator Dean Takko Non Legislators: Tulalip Tribal Chairman Mel Sheldon Tim Bellow Chair Lummi Tribes Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers Snohomish County Sheriff Ty Trenary Snohomish County Councilman Terry Ryan Bellingham Mayor Kelli Linville Everett Mayor Ray Stephenson Edmonds Mayor Dave Earling Lake Stevens Mayor John Spencer Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring Snohomish Mayor Karen Guzak Mill Creek Mayor Pam Pruitt Arlington Mayor Barb Tolbert International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 302 Everett City Council Member Paul Roberts Mukilteo City Council Member Scott Whelpley 39 th District Democrats Describe the progress of your campaign and campaign goals. For instance, what earned media has your campaign received? How much money have you raised? How many doors have you knocked on?

3 I haven t been able to raise money directly for this race due to the legislative freeze. I currently have 150k in surplus and hope to raise another 100k shortly after session. In total, I plan to spend ~600k on this race. We will be active in all phases of the campaign. Have you ever been a member of any other political party? If so, what party? Have you ever given money to a candidate from another party in a partisan race? If so, to whom and when? No. Please answer the following questions. Yes* No 1 Have you ever failed to pay any taxes or court ordered judgments? 2 Have you ever been found in violation of a Public Disclosure Commission, Federal Election Commission or Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission regulation? * If you answered Yes to either of the above, please explain your answer: Part II Local and State Issues # Question Yes No Qualify your response 1 Do you support WAmend s I-735 (amending the U.S. Constitution to lessen the influence of money in politics, and declare that corporations do not have the rights of natural persons)? 2 Do you support the right of public workers, excluding military, to bargain and strike? 3 Do you support Raise Up Washington s new initiative to increase the minimum wage? 4 Do you support the Reproductive Health Act? 5 Do you support amending Washington s Constitution to require a two-thirds vote to raise revenue, as demanded by Tim Eyman? 6 Do you support adoption of a Sound Transit 3 regional transportation package? 7 Do you support combating the climate crisis by implementing a cap and trade system? 8 Do you support legislation to fix Washington's broken three strikes law? 9 Do you support allowing coal or oil to be exported from Washington State s ports? My bill would raise the minimum wage to $12.50/hr and provide guaranteed sick leave. I support my own bill over the initiative. I have advocated and negotiated for this during several sessions. Climate change is a major issue. I support a fuel pollution tax, but don t believe cap and trade is the most effective course.

4 10 Do you support making two years of community college or technical school tuition-free? 11 Do you support requiring tax exemptions to be listed as expenditures in the state budget? 12 Do you support the privatization of our public worker's compensation system, which protects employees who are injured on the job? 13 Do you support requiring paid vacation and sick + safe leave for Washington s workers? 14 Do you support Tim Eyman s I-747, which artificially limits property tax collections? In principle I support it. I just don t see how we do it under current budget constraints. 15 Do you support CarbonWA s I-732? I support a fuel pollution tax and other economic incentives over this initiative. 16 Do you support Washington adopting a truly nonpartisan, citizen-run redistricting process that would result in more competitive districts? 17 Do you support Washington State prepaying postage on all ballots? 18 Do you support automatic voter registration? 19 Do you support the death penalty? I support it as it s used in WA, as leverage in heinous cases and when clear evidence, such as DNA, is shown. I believe it should be employed rarely and only in the most horrific cases. 20 Do you support barring employers from asking criminal history questions in job applications? Except in cases where such information is crucial in the candidate s suitability for the job. Part III Free Response Questions Please review the 2014 King County Democratic Platform, approved by the delegates to the King County Convention and available from KCDCC s website. List which planks, if any, you disagree with, and why. I don t disagree with the general principles of the platform. During his final term in office, Brad Owen struck down an unconstitutional rule imposed by Senate Republicans that attempted to require a two-thirds vote to advance certain revenue bills. If elected, would you uphold this ruling, and work to defend majority rule from the likes of Tim Eyman and Pam Roach? Yes.

5 Describe your vision for tax reform and fairness. How do we fully fund our public schools while making our tax code more progressive? Would you support sunsetting all tax exemptions, and voting to renew only those that demonstrably benefit the public interest? I favor reviewing our tax code and revenue structure. Sunsetting everything may be a bit problematic in terms of impact, but I do favor reviewing and changing policies in order to better benefit the public. As Lieutenant Governor, it will be your job to preside over the Washington State Senate when not acting as the state s chief executive. Please explain how you will approach this responsibility. As described above, I see this position as more than bureaucratic. That said, the Lt. Governor can be the last line of defense against negative legislation. By law, the Lieutenant Governor is the Chair of the Legislative Committee on Economic Development and International Relations (LCEDIR). What ideas can you offer to improve LCEDIR s effectiveness? The current Lt. Governor has made the office a vital part of our trade and economic policy. I will continue and work to expand that role. I will expand tourism and help encourage diverse industries to make WA their home base. It s important that jobs attracted to our region provide living wages and benefits to their workers. Do you support current Democratic Lieutenant Governor Brad Owen s decision to ban firearms from the Senate gallery? If elected, will you continue this policy? Yes. Are you cognizant of -- and how do you plan on addressing -- the inequitable incarceration of minorities? Mandatory minimum sentencing negatively impacts communities of color, who tend to be arrested and jailed more than whites for minor crimes. As Lt. Governor I will advocate for policies that reduce this gap and treat all members of society equally in regard to law enforcement. What policies would you promote to address the climate change crisis? I support a fuel pollution tax, strict enforcement of environmental protections, and economic incentives that target the worst polluters without negatively impacting jobs or the economy. If the Democratic Party is successful in retaking the Senate this year, our majority for may be a narrow one. Would you be willing to vote to break a tie, should one occur, in Leader Nelson s favor? Yes.

6 Many Washingtonians are unaware that the Lieutenant Governor has the power to make appointments to over forty boards and commissions. What kind of attributes will you look for when making appointments? I ll look for leaders who are passionate about the issues. That s the most important attributes. They will also need to be responsible, trustworthy, and seeking to serve due to their beliefs rather than ambitions. I will strive to make my appointments diverse and reflective of everyone in our state. What important state and local issues have you worked on (or taken an interest in) that you feel aren't getting enough attention from elected leaders and the media? Career and technical education, Public Works infrastructure funding, Storm water mitigation and fish barrier replacements. These are important issues that too often are overshadowed by other concerns. I affirm that all the information provided in response to this questionnaire is true, complete and correct, to the best of my ability, and that no relevant matter has been omitted. Signature Printed Name Steve Hobbs (electronic signature) Steve Hobbs Date: 3/6/16

2016 Candidate Questionnaire State Level Lieutenant Governor

2016 Candidate Questionnaire State Level Lieutenant Governor Candidate Name Position Sought Home Legislative District Are you a Democrat? Are you known as a Democrat? Campaign Contact Information Campaign