Washington State is broken. Robert “Chili” Hicks is ready to help rebuild it.
After years of one-party rule, our state has slipped from first to last — on affordability, public safety, and schools. Here’s what’s gone wrong, and the concrete solutions Robert “Chili” Hicks is ready to deliver for the North Sound.
Washington’s Affordability Crisis
North Sound families are shouldering some of the highest everyday costs in the country — the third-highest gas prices and fourth-highest grocery prices in the nation — while housing has climbed so far that roughly 88% of families can no longer afford a median-priced home.
How Robert “Chili” Hicks wants to rebuild it
- Provide a $200 gas rebate to every Washington driver, paid from surplus carbon-tax revenue
- Support a new sales tax exemption on prepared food
- Oppose costly new regulations that have made everything in Washington more expensive
Washington’s Crime Crisis
Crime is at record highs, and for the thirteenth year in a row Washington ranks dead last in police officers per capita. Understaffed departments and weakened laws have left officers unable to stop even routine shoplifting.
How Robert “Chili” Hicks wants to rebuild it
- Provide recruitment and retention bonuses to rebuild the ranks of local police
- Reform criminal laws so officers can actually stop shoplifters and repeat theft
Washington’s Homelessness Crisis
Homeless encampments have spread through our neighborhoods, and Washington now has the fourth-largest homeless population in the country — despite spending billions with little to show for it.
How Robert “Chili” Hicks wants to rebuild it
- Give cities and counties tools they need to clear and ban encampments near schools, parks, and child care centers
- Fund transit officers to stop open drug use in transit facilities
Washington’s Illegal Drug Crisis
After the push to decriminalize drugs, Washington has become the epicenter of the fentanyl crisis — a national leader in overdose deaths and a haven for sophisticated trafficking rings.
How Robert “Chili” Hicks wants to rebuild it
- Create a new Bureau of Narcotics in the State Patrol to target traffickers and pull drugs off our streets
- Make it a crime to expose children to fentanyl and other illicit drugs
Washington’s Transportation Crisis
Like everyone throughout our state, North Sound drivers face high fuel costs and congested roads. Unlike other parts of the state, we also have to contend with ferry cancellations and reliability issues that have sweeping impacts on families on Whidbey Island and beyond.
How Robert “Chili” Hicks wants to rebuild it
- Authorize emergency procurement of non-hybrid ferries to speed up construction and fix immediate, critical service gaps
- Direct a portion of carbon tax revenue paid at the pump toward transportation infrastructure, including roads, bridges and ferries
Washington’s Education Crisis
Even after record spending, student achievement has collapsed — 60% of all students are failing math standards and 50% are failing reading, with far steeper losses for low-income and minority students.
How Robert “Chili” Hicks wants to rebuild it
- Put paraeducators, literacy coaches, and high-dosage tutoring where students need them most
- Provide grants to build and repair schools in low-income communities
Washington’s Childcare Crisis
Layers of regulation have made childcare both scarce and staggeringly expensive — one year of childcare now costs more than a year of college tuition for many North Sound families.
How Robert “Chili” Hicks wants to rebuild it
- Incentivize employers to offer childcare assistance programs
- Make it easier to open new childcare facilities where options are scarce
Let’s get to work and fix Washington.