Kevin Fagan

We have seen story after story of data centers coming to town. They promise community investment, but so often communities pay the cost while shareholders benefit. Now, it has come to Spokane.

Avista recently announced a proposed 500 MW data center in Spokane County. This would add electrical load equivalent to 1/3 of Spokane County’s power demand. The process was paused due to significant community pushback, but we need to take a larger look at whether a data center is right for our community at all.

My position is clear: until developers and utilities prove they can put people first in these projects, I am opposed to them, including this proposed 500 MW data center.

Our aquifer is already under pressure. Power demand across the West is growing faster than we can build clean generation. We need to conserve and protect these resources, not sell them off to the highest bidder. Our energy and water should go to people first.

These concerns, along with the experiences of communities across the country, have informed my position. I encourage residents to contact their elected officials and make their voices heard on this vital issue.

KEYWORDS: Sustainability; Decarbonization; Stewardship

The Climate Crisis is here. Drought on the Palouse. Wildfires that tear through communities. Wildfire smoke that poisons our families. Energy and home insurance rates skyrocketing. The Climate Crisis is not abstract. It is here and it is devastating the health and affordability of our communities.

We need to rapidly decarbonize, so we have a livable planet for generations to come.

My top funding priorities are federal clean energy investments in solar, wind, and batteries that directly lower monthly electricity and heating costs for families across WA-05 and bring federal dollars to the Inland Northwest.

We must also hold corporate mega-polluters accountable to protect the clean air, clean water, and family farms Eastern Washington relies on.

It’s time to make corporate polluters pay their fair share, lower costs for our neighbors, and build the future we deserve.

We need to drastically cut emissions and invest in clean energy to address the Climate Crisis and protect our communities. Federal clean energy investments should support solar, wind, and batteries while lowering utility costs for families. We must protect the clean air, clean water, and family farms Eastern Washington relies on while bringing federal dollars to the Inland Northwest.

KEYWORDS: Sustainability; Decarbonization; Stewardship

Science literacy is important because scientific issues directly affect people’s health, affordability, communities, and future. The climate crisis demonstrates why the public needs to understand science and how it connects to everyday life. Drought, wildfires, wildfire smoke, rising energy costs, and increasing home insurance rates show that climate change is not abstract; it is already affecting communities. Improving science literacy should help students understand these connections and recognize how scientific developments can shape their lives.

K-12 education standards should emphasize real-world scientific issues and technologies that students can see in their communities. Students should learn about clean energy, including solar, wind, and batteries, as well as the importance of reducing emissions and protecting clean air, clean water, and family farms. Education should also connect science to affordability and local communities by showing how clean energy investments can lower electricity and heating costs.

Building a stronger relationship between the public and science also requires students to understand how scientific knowledge can inform decisions about the future. By connecting science education to issues such as climate change, energy, agriculture, healthcare, and community investment, K-12 standards can make science more relevant to students’ lives and help prepare them to understand the challenges facing their communities.

KEYWORDS: Research; integration; hands-on

My policies around fire risk management for Washington would focus on protecting public lands, maintaining federal resources, and ensuring communities have the support they need before fires start. Washington is no stranger to forest fires, and as wildfire season approaches, cutting resources that help protect our communities is a risk we cannot afford to take.

The United States Forest Service plays an essential role in understanding local forests and managing public lands. Closing 57 research stations and consolidating others would hinder the agency’s ability to understand the diversity of local forests and create a severe roadblock in the fight against climate change. These cuts would have adverse impacts on public lands and the communities that depend on the Forest Service to protect lives, property, and local economies.

Our public lands belong to the American people and should be responsibly managed for recreation, hunting, fishing, and conservation. I would advocate for accountability and access to the resources necessary to protect these lands and the people who depend on them. Our resources are finite and should not be used as a tactic to further a political agenda. Maintaining strong institutions and adequate funding is essential to keeping Washington’s communities, public lands, and natural resources safe.

KEYWORDS: Funding; prevention; resources

Farmers are the backbone of the Inland Northwest, and family farms are shuttering at an alarming pace. Our government needs to take immediate action to remedy this and support farmers and agricultural distributors while maintaining Washington’s commitment to environmental sustainability.

We need to limit corporate control of our farms and provide stability to the commodity market. We should not get into trade wars that create additional challenges for farmers and agricultural distributors. Instead, we need policies that provide stability and support to family farms and the communities that depend on them.

I also support restoring USDA funding cuts that connect farmers to their local communities. This includes restoring funding for the Local Food for Schools and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program. These programs help connect farmers to their communities while providing important resources for local food systems.

Farmers should also have the right to repair their own equipment. The Right to Repair would allow farmers to work on their own equipment, giving them greater control over their farms and reducing barriers to maintaining their operations.

Supporting family farms requires limiting corporate control, providing stability to commodity markets, restoring USDA funding, protecting the right to repair, and strengthening connections between farmers and their local communities. These policies can help address the challenges facing farmers and agricultural distributors.

KEYWORDS: affordability; Right-to-Repair; communities