CHIMACUM — State Rep. Steve Tharinger and challenger Jim McEntire discussed how to address gun violence at schools and how Washington state should limit its carbon footprint during a forum in Chimacum.
Tharinger, a four-term incumbent and a Democrat now living in Port Townsend, and his Republican opponent from Sequim spoke during a forum Tuesday night hosted by the League of Women Voters of Jefferson County and American Association of University Women.
Tharinger seeks to keep his Position 2 seat for Legislative District 24 while McEntire seeks to replace him in the Nov. 6 general election. District 24 covers Jefferson and Clallam counties and part of Grays Harbor County.
McEntire said rural and urban areas might have different ways of addressing school safety. He suggested there could be efforts made by providing better entry controls and visitor management and suggested funding school resource officers.
“Funding school resource officers, people trained in security who are either retired law enforcement or retired military, is part of the answer,” McEntire said.
McEntire said the real issue is mental health and he described the state mental health system as being in shambles.
“That includes school kids from families that are unable to care for them or are unable to manage their behavior,” he said. “The school boards are responsible for the security of their students, so the state is in a supportive role, I think.”
Tharinger argued that the solution to gun violence in schools is not introducing more guns to schools.
“It’s counterintuitive,” Tharinger said. “It doesn’t make sense to think you’re going to make schools safer by bringing guns to school.”
He said the state needs to look at gun violence as a public health issue. He said that Initiative 1639, a gun control measure on the November ballot, would help.
He said the initiative could prevent children from getting into their parents’ guns because the guns would be required to be put away.
Tharinger said he supports provisions that require training, safely securing firearms and raising the age to purchase semi-automatic rifles to 21.
“Responsible gun owners, when you talk to them about it, they are fully supportive of those types of public health issues and ways to manage gun violence,” Tharinger said.
McEntire and Tharinger agreed that Initiative 1631, a measure that would introduce a fee on carbon emissions, is not the solution to reducing the state’s carbon footprint, but the two had different ideas for addressing the issue.
“I’m supportive of policy that deals with carbon and fossil fuel, but I’m not convinced the initiative is the best policy,” Tharinger said.
He questioned whether the “layers of committees” created by the initiative would be beneficial. He said the Legislature is working on legislation he feels would be more effective.
He said the solution should be centered around reducing emissions tied to transportation.
“[Climate change] is real and the science is solid,” Tharinger said. “Folks who deny climate change seem to me to be in a different universe.”
McEntire questioned whether the initiative was constitutional. He said the state Legislature is the only body that can cause money to be spent.
He said the bigger issue is that it would burden working families.
“Everything we buy in our stores is shipped in by truck,” McEntire said. “Fuel costs are going to rise 14 to 15 cents a gallon. That’s a direct hit to working families’ budgets. “
He said the state should address the issue, but that the initiative isn’t the right solution. Instead, the state should offer incentives to make changes.
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsuladailynews.com.