WALLA WALLA — Kari Isaacson said the most important issues facing the 16th Legislative District are infrastructure and managing growth. Isaacson is running for the district’s Senate seat. 

A Democrat, she’s challenging Perry Dozier, the Republican incumbent.  

“Growth and infrastructure management, and that has a lot to do with water, power generation and distribution, transmission and the explosive growth experienced in the Tri-City area,” she said. “And then balancing that with the demands of our agriculturally based economy. We’ve got the question of development, in terms of we have to protect our most productive farmland and our vineyards, but on the other hand, we have to build more houses to accommodate all those people.” 

Solving those issues will require help from the state, she said. 

“It’s all about the capital budget,” she said. “That’s where you get the roads, bridges, major transportation.” 

Growth in the 16th District must be considered carefully, she said, taking into account the limits on resources  

“There’s something called the Growth Management Act, and we have to conform to that. And (growth) has got to be planful,” Isaacson said. “So infrastructure is looking forward to, where does (development) make the most sense, especially as far as water goes.” 

The Columbia and Snake Rivers, as well as the aquifer underground, are subject to a lot of demands, she said.  

“The stuff is really unsustainable, but if we take better care and plan better, we can reduce consumption and still maintain our way of life here,” Isaacson said. 

Growth is more robust in the Tri-Cities area than Walla Walla, she said.  

“It doesn’t mean to say we don’t have an affordable housing crisis (in Walla Walla County),” she said. “We do.” 

The legislative delegation from the east side of Washington is predominantly Republican, she said, and in her opinion that creates an obstacle. 

“We need somebody at the table and we don’t have anybody at the table,” Isaacson said. “We need a Democrat to be with the majority so that we’re there early on when legislation is proposed, priorities set, budgets set. We need to be there, and we’re not." 

Southeastern Washington has been neglected, she said, and she would be an advocate for the region. 

“I’m also very concerned about the human side of infrastructure,” Isaacson said. “Healthcare is really suffering in both Walla Walla and the Tri-City area.” 

Primary care physicians are difficult to find, and local trauma care is, in her opinion, inadequate, according to Isaacson.  

“My friends in Richland can’t get access to a primary care physician,” she said. 

Walla Walla is attracting retirees, she said, which is good but presents a challenge when it comes to health care.  

“Rural health is a whole subset category, basically, of federal and state healthcare programs, and we need to maximize rural healthcare and really advocate for that,” Isaacson said. “And part of it is access to broadband." 

A lot of healthcare in rural areas is delivered over the Internet, she said, and in some areas of the 16th District access is poor.  

“You have to have that access, and (also) ways to attract and retain healthcare professionals, doctors and nurses and other medical professionals. We have to make sure that we’re paying some good salaries. Right now, the economics aren’t working,” Isaacson said. 

The district also needs more healthcare options, Isaacson said. 

“We also have to make sure there isn’t just one dominant healthcare provider, hospital system. Right now, we have a dominant healthcare system here, and it’s religiously affiliated, so not all the full spectrum of healthcare is available to men and women, especially reproductive care,” she said. 

Competition would increase the options available to patients.  

“We need more competition. We need charitable, nonprofit hospitals – not-for-profit – but in any event, we need more competition,” Isaacson said.