Citizens for Christopher Hurst

   Eight years ago, I stepped down from elected office when my daughter entered high school. I said I would run again when she turned 18, and this was one of the best decisions of my life. One cannot be a good politician without being a good parent first, and that was the choice I made. I am glad I did, but am happy to be back serving the people of the 31^st once again.

As your representative in Olympia, I always do my best to show my independence by working across party lines to get things done, because, as Americans, we are all in this together. I will continue my commitment to working issues that matter to our district, rather that being hopelessly tied to any political ideology, as so many politicians are today. I also never forget that my most important job isn't in Olympia at all, but back here in the district listening to citizens on issues and helping them with problems or issues they face in their lives, here, where we work and live. To that end, I have decided to file and run as an Independent Democrat in 2010.

I have spent the last two years in Olympia as the Chair of the House Public Safety Committee, and my experience as a police detective and Commander of a 15-city Homicide/Violent Crimes Task Force has provided an excellent foundation to craft laws to protect our communities from violent criminals. Laws that actually work on the street, and in the courtroom. Like all of you, I was shocked by the murder of four police officers in Lakewood last November. The first week of session, I convened a special hearing to hear from police, prosecutors, and the family members to examine all facets of the case to find out what went wrong. I am proud to say that this year you will see a constitutional amendment on the ballot to allow judges to consider denying bail to dangerous criminals while they await trial. This is a practical way to protect both police and the community.

As a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, I believe we should protect the rights of law abiding citizens, and punish criminals. Government needs to stay out of the private lives of citizens, unless there is a constitutional reason to be there. Our freedom is the most precious commodity we as Americans have.

My family has also had to deal with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. My son, Andrew, has served three tours of combat in the Middle East as a United States Army Infantry Sergeant with the 173rd Airborne. In addition to serving in Afghanistan, he also served in Iraq where he was wounded twice, once by an IED and once by a rocket-propelled grenade during a firefight. Unfortunately, 69 soldiers in his unit have now been killed in action, and many more wounded. While no longer in the infantry, he is still serving our country as a federal investigator in the Army’s Criminal Investigations Division. Additionally, my nephew was killed in Iraq in 2005, a very sad day for our family. Dealing with this stress and with the grieving family members of soldiers killed in my son’s unit has had a profound impact on me. Veterans' issues are important. Dealing with the problems and injuries of returning soldiers will be one of our greatest responsibilities and challenge as a nation and state.

The last two years in Olympia have been marked by large budget shortfalls and a difficult economy. While we managed to balance the budget without raising taxes in 2009, the persistently bad economy had us return in January with another $2.8 billion shortfall. I remained committed to the idea that raising taxes in a recession is a bad idea, and voted against raising taxes not just once, but many times. Another travesty of the session was the suspension of Initiative 960, which was approved by the voters. I supported the initiative, along with the guidance we were given by the voters on how they want us to spend their money. Even though I-960 was suspended by other legislators after I voted no, I have continued to fight for a common-sense approach to budgeting that will not damage our fragile recovery.

I have also been pushing for other measures to hold government accountable. This includes a measure that would have put strict limits on how local jurisdictions can use photo-enforcement, like red-light cameras. I have heard from countless people around the state about how upset the abuse of these systems makes them, and after seeing how other cities in other states have used these cameras to balance their budgets on the backs of drivers while shortening yellow light times, I am committed to seeing reforms past. I was able to get this bill a hearing last session, and will continue to work until it’s passed.

In my police work, I saw first-hand a disheartening amount of crime resulting from not solving problems with education, health care and illegal immigration. I have seen that wisely investing in education is the best insurance against kids becoming involved in drugs, gangs, and crime. I support funding the voter-approved teacher pay and class size initiatives. I will continue to fight for responsible and accountable education funding.

We are still in the midst of the most significant fiscal disaster since the Great Depression, caused by years of neglect and lack of oversight of the financial markets that led to a worldwide economic meltdown. During those same years we became far too dependent on other countries who have taken over much of our manufacturing base and it now exists in countries like China. This was a mistake and must be reversed if we are to return living wage jobs and economic security to America and Washington State. An important part of job creation will be to bring more of these jobs back to American soil.

Jobs, public safety, economic recovery and education are my top priorities. There are many other important issues, but these top the list. This website has my positions on many issues, as well as my work on local district projects and community specific issues concerning everything from Lake Tapps, to the Rainier School and preventing flooding from the damage to the Howard Hanson Dam.

For more information about the 2010 Campaign, the Hurst Family, Andy's service in Iraq and Afghanistan and to learn about April and I, check out the About Chris page. But of course you are free to call me at my home anytime you want. My phone number is (360) 663-2608. I am one of the very few elected officials in the state who list their home phone number. If you can't contact your elected representatives, I don't think they are doing their job.