I encourage you to vote for Cathy Dahlquist (in the) Senate Race in the 31st District.

Recent statements and mailings from Sen. Roach about the Enumclaw School District have been grossly misleading, divisive and serve only to hurt our students.

Cathy understands the Enumclaw School District is a historical district that happens, like most districts across the state, to be a consolidation of over 20 smaller districts over the last century. Black Diamond was the last consolidation 39 years ago and has played an integral part of the successes of our district through their taxes to support all our schools ever since then. The mitigation for the upcoming development in Black Diamond that the board and administration negotiated will save taxpayers of the future millions of dollars in the value of the land identified and set aside for seven critical school sites. No other district in the state has ever gotten so much from developers.

I did not come willingly to the school board table to work with Cathy – politically we are very different. But through the six years of service together as school board members, as well as working with her as a representative, I have come to value Cathy’s tenacity in researching issues and her forthright honesty about her positions. Her demonstrated willingness to listen and collaborate across the aisle to address the challenge of adequately funding public education yet balancing the fiscal concerns of social services, prisons, transportation and the like will help the 31st District. She fiercely maintains protection for small business and concern for taxes in balance with her understanding of growth and addressing pressing needs.

It is time for a change in the Senate seat for the 31st

Nancy Merrill

Enumclaw