2026 guide for where WA politicians & candidates stand on privacy issues.
Race: State Representative Pos. 1
District: Legislative District 28
Party: Republican
After reviewing the bill and learning more about the issues surrounding it, I agree that protecting children from harmful online content is a legitimate and important goal. However, I also believe that legislation should be evidence-based, respectful of constitutional rights, and carefully tailored to solve the problem it is intended to address.
One of the questions I continue to have is whether the legislative record demonstrates that the existing tools available to parents are ineffective when they are properly implemented. There are already parental controls available through device manufacturers, operating systems, internet providers, and third-party software. Before creating a new statewide age-verification requirement that affects every adult accessing lawful content, I would want to understand why these existing measures are not achieving the desired outcome, whether they are being utilized effectively, and whether the proposed solution would produce a meaningful improvement in protecting children.
As a healthcare provider, I approach legislation much as I approach patient care. When a patient is not achieving the desired outcome, the first question is why. Is the current approach being used? Is it being used correctly? Is it ineffective even when properly implemented? Without understanding the underlying cause, it is difficult to know whether adding another intervention will solve the problem or simply create new burdens.
I also have concerns whenever legislation has the potential to affect individual privacy or constitutional liberties. Government has an important role in protecting children and prosecuting exploitation, but parents have the primary responsibility for raising and protecting their children. Before expanding government mandates, I believe we should demonstrate that any proposed solution is likely to produce a meaningful improvement over existing approaches and that it represents the least restrictive means of accomplishing its objective.
Based on what I have reviewed to date, I would have had significant concerns with HB 2112 as drafted. I am not persuaded that HB 2112, as drafted, has demonstrated that it would effectively achieve its stated objectives while appropriately balancing parental responsibility, privacy, constitutional rights, and limited government. If similar legislation is introduced in the future, I will evaluate the final language, all available evidence, available alternatives, stakeholder input, and any proposed amendments before determining how I would vote.