Candidate Profile: Vandana Slatter For District 48

SEATTLE — The 2020 election is heating up in Washington and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office. Eyes are primarily focused on the presidential election, but voters will also decide the occupants of several state representative and senate seats.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Vandana Slatter, a Bellevue resident is running for State Representative District 48 Position 1.

Age: 55
Party affiliation: Democratic Party
Family:My husband Greg is a research scientist and we have one son Quinn, who is a university student and also serves in the WA Army National Guard.
Occupation:State Representative since 2017 with a Master’s degree in Public Administration (UW). I am a licensed clinical pharmacist with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree (UW). Before serving in elected office, I worked for over twenty years as a hospital pharmacist and as a medical scientist in leading biotechnology companies.
Previous elected experience:I was elected as a Bellevue City Councilmember in 2015, appointed as State Representative for the 48th LD in 2017, and retained and re-elected in 2017 and 2018.
Family members in government:No.
Campaign website: http://vandanaslatter.com/

The single most pressing issue facing our state is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing our state right now is ensuring a full and equitable recovery from the pandemic and its recession.
As a longtime medical scientist, I recognize that until everyone has access to a safe and effective vaccine, we will need an evidence-based, well-communicated plan to ensure robust testing, access to high quality healthcare, relief for families and businesses in need, a safe reopening of our schools, and an economic recovery that addresses inequities so that all members of our community can thrive.
I will support key investments and budget options that move sound and equitable policies forward, including improved access to broadband and childcare options for families in need. We need to build flexible options for students to get safely back to school and workers to safely return to work. I will continue to listen to the needs and ideas of underserved and diverse voices in our community, small businesses, local governments and working families.
I will always work with scientists and public health experts who provide up-to-date data and recommendations so that we can build safe, equitable and innovative policy solutions that will hasten our recovery from the impacts of COVID-19.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

As a legislator, licensed healthcare professional, former medical scientist, mom and immigrant, I believe I have the tools and problem-solving skills needed to address the difficult challenges we face during this triple crisis of pandemic, economic recession and inequality. I have a track record of working on complex policy and legislation to address issues like climate change, technology and advancement of science, homelessness, access to healthcare and telehealth, and future workforce needs with improved access to education and career pathways for students and workers.
Unlike my opponent, I bring a comprehensive and bipartisan approach to issues –such as investing in the improvement of existing transportation infrastructure but finding ways to adopt new and innovative solutions to reduce air and carbon pollution. My opponent speaks mostly to the past and not to a rapidly changing future or how we will work together as a state and community to address the interconnected and complex needs for all people in our communities.
For example, as a Vice Chair of the House Transportation committee, I was proud to co-sponsor a $9.837 billion transportation package that passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, investing in ways to address traffic congestion and bus rapid transit with the widening of I-405 from Renton to Bellevue including capacity improvements to the north end, but also supporting green transportation options. These included transit expansion and electrification, hybrid-electric ferries, summer ORCA cards for high school students, improved bicycle travel, and affordable housing near transit. If COVID has taught us anything, it is that the nature of how we work, connect with others, and our mobility needs are never static.
Through my work in the legislature, I have demonstrated an ability to tackle complex problems, address inequality, and work effectively across the aisle to build solutions. I’m proud that my approach to legislating has been endorsed by a broad coalition of supporters, including mayors of Bellevue, Kirkland, and Redmond, the Seattle Times, local firefighters and nurses, the Alliance for Gun Responsibility, Washington State Labor Council, and many more.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I believe that effective government reduces barriers so that people can thrive and fully participate in American life. This year, I was named Legislator of the Year by both Washington Conservation Voters and Washington STEM for my work to address climate change and to expand STEM, robotics, and career and technical education for all students, especially first-generation college students, students of color, immigrants and those who have had the least access to educational opportunities.
I support data-driven policies, and have passed bills to help address youth homelessness, improve teacher training, recognize the value of mental health treatment, and collect accurate and transparent occupational data. I’ve worked to address affordability by sponsoring legislation to decrease prescription drug costs at the pharmacy counter and to support and incentivize the building of affordable housing.
I applied my decades of experience in the healthcare field to work with leading educators and professionals to author legislation creating the Washington Health Corps, which connects medical professionals to underserved communities in need of support, especially behavioral health in urban and rural communities, and offers loan repayment assistance for those providers.
These accomplishments will be critical as we take on the immediate and lasting challenges of the pandemic recession, and strive to build a healthy, equitable state with a strong economy.

What steps should state government take to bolster economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic for local businesses?

I was proud to vote on a $200 million package at the onset of the pandemic to bolster our healthcare system, state response to the pandemic, and our local businesses – but it’s clear that, today, local businesses are in desperate need of our support. I have joined other Eastside legislators, local leaders, nonprofits and the business community in listening to the concerns of small local businesses, especially in immigrant communities, as we continue to respond to the virus.
We have learned that small businesses do not often have the same access to banking resources that large businesses do, so they may not meet the criteria for federal and state-based pandemic relief programs. Looking for ways to advocate for relief and partnering with federal, state and local governments so that we can help small local businesses survive the pandemic is vital. Some ideas are accessible grants, loans, or providing options for outside seating, or local campaigns to support restaurants. The compassion shown by our communities and their strong support for local and small businesses during the pandemic has been inspiring.
Other key priorities to bring this virus under control include safe and robust testing, clarity in re-opening strategies for businesses based on the best public health data, adequate and available PPE, and of course healthcare access. Our small businesses are a community backbone, providing local jobs and services our neighbors rely on. I will continue to listen to them and work in my legislative capacity to find ways to best utilize the local, state, and regional economic development tools and funding options available.

How will you address the calls for racial justice and police reform?

As an immigrant, a daughter of immigrants and a woman of color, I know we have a lot of work to do to ensure everyone has access to the same opportunities – in our economy, education system, criminal justice system, healthcare, housing and more.
I believe Black Lives Matter and that we need to transform how we do policing in our state – and across the country – to ensure better results for all community members, especially Black Americans who routinely face unneeded, tragic outcomes. I was proud to help Pass I-940 that dealt with police accountability in the Legislature – and again at the ballot box – but it is clear we still have more work to do to ensure accountability and reform in our police system.
I recognize how important our police men and women are in keeping us safe as a society, how difficult and dangerous a job it can be, and how the majority of those who choose to serve do so honorably. But the events of the past year and righteous outrage with injustice that has persisted for decades, and throughout our country’s history, have shown us that without action we will not see change.
If we are to overcome deep-seated and systemic racism in our criminal justice system, we can start by demilitarizing our police, better integrating mental health services and social workers into how we respond to 9-1-1 calls, and transparently making sure that perpetrators of violence against unarmed citizens do not have a future in law enforcement.
This is an important time to listen to our neighbors and to act on the experiences of communities of color in our state by building inclusive, and anti-racist policies. That’s what I’ve worked to do over the last few months and over my past two terms in office – vital work that I am committed to doing if re-elected.

How do you think Washington should address the threat posed by climate change?

As a scientist, I recognize the incredible threat posed by climate change, knowing we have barely a decade left to act with the urgency and force necessary to prevent or mitigate its worst outcomes. It is irresponsible, in the face of a broad world-wide scientific consensus, to delay action, especially when we can create thousands of new jobs and economic opportunities through developing a clean energy economy.
This year, I was proud to sponsor and lead efforts to pass HB 2311, which aligns our state’s emission targets with modern climate science. Because of that bill – as well as our state’s new 100% Clean Energy Law – I believe we are beginning to take the steps necessary to defeat climate change, but we have much more work to do. I am working with multiple stakeholders to understand carbon pricing as a way to fund green transportation options, and I have supported a clean fuel standard that would reduce our state’s emissions from its transportation sector, the number one source of greenhouse gases in our state.
We must continue to implement our 100% Clean Electricity Law, expand energy efficiency standards and clean building regulations to reduce emissions from new homes and existing buildings and work to expedite our transition to a clean energy economy, while supporting workers and always embedding environmental justice in our work. I am committed to addressing pollution impacts in communities that traditionally have not had a voice at the table.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

Education – I will continue to invest in our schools to give every child access to a great education that puts them on a path to a rewarding career. Especially now, as students are forced to learn remotely with varying levels of online access, I will work to close the opportunity gap, build digital equity, strengthen our education infrastructure, and ensure all students, including those with special needs, receive the attention and support they need to thrive.
Transportation and Transit - In listening to many stakeholders around the state, it is clear that mobility needs and priorities of students, seniors, families and workers are evolving, with more and more people in our district that either cannot afford to drive a car and/or choose to rely on public transit to get to school, work and leisure. The future of transportation must therefore take into account the impact of increased telecommuting, access to multiple modes of travel, freight mobility, the future workforce, carbon pollution, health impacts, electrification, and affordability. I will always strive to strike the right balance in our forward-looking transportation budgets that best meet the needs of all Washingtonians.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am honored and inspired to represent such a diverse, dynamic and innovative district, especially seeing the resilience shown facing this pandemic. By focusing on our collective strengths and shared values, I am committed to working toward a future where every Washingtonian truly has the chance to succeed and to fully participate in American life.