Gubernatorial candidate Mark Mullet makes Dayton campaign stop

DAYTON–Candidate for governor Mark Mullet, speaking to a local group of voters here June 10, supports the notion held by a majority of Washingtonians in eastern Washington, that Olympia's approaches to dam removal and employee overtime rules are not in the state's best interests.

Mullet, an Issaquah businessman who represents the Fifth Legislative District, is vying for votes against a field of eight other Democrat candidates, including Attorney General Bob Ferguson, in the upcoming August 6 Primary Election. Twenty-eight governor candidates are on the Primary Ballot.

Speaking in Dayton, the candidate appeared to resonate with local agricultural producers on the topics of proposed removal of the four lower Snake River dams and unworkable overtime rules for agricultural employees. "The Snake River dams, which I think is a really important issue over there [in eastern Washington]," Mullet said in a subsequent interview, "but when you talk to someone over here [in western Washington], it's not as important."

Mullet is against breaching the Snake River dams.

He said he understands and supports the constraints Washington's overtime law that went into effect in 2022 has on ag producers, which requires all employers to pay time and a half for time over 40 hours per week.

"I was proud to be the co-sponsor of the bill [SB 5476] this past session because we need flexibility to get through the harvest season," Mullet told the Chronicle in a subsequent interview. The bill was introduced in the latest session but stalled in committee. It would have allowed agricultural employers to select 12 weeks a year to employ workers for up to 50 hours per week before overtime would be applied.

Another facet of ag work rules Mullet points to is the limits for the horticulture industry, which requires long hours during harvest like the small-grains industry.

He was the 2023 Washington Farm Bureau Legislator of the Year. For the state to succeed, Mullet states in his website, legislators need to make sure success is felt on both sides of the mountains. "As governor, Mark promises to support the agriculture industry in our state so we remain a national and global leader in food production."

Mullet worries that living in Washington will become unaffordable in a few years, according to his website. "We must factor affordability into every decision made in Olympia," he states.

Public safety, jobs, education, over taxation, housing and mental health are topics Mullet asserts are important to Washington voters.

He co-sponsored a treatment-focused public drug use bill that holds individuals accountable if treatment is refused. "On homeless and mental-health issues, I propose that individuals will go into a 45-day treatment program where they can't just walk out the front door," Mullet told the Chronicle.

Mullet contends that the state must be a "better financial partner with our cities and counties so they have the resources to hire more police officers, and provide access to substance abuse and mental-health treatment."

Mullet is for providing opportunities for young people to pursue higher education or pathways to "agriculture, forestry, the arts, non-profit work, the building trades or public service work," according to his website.

In the Senate, he voted against the long-term care payroll tax because it's a regressive tax and not portable. If elected, Mullet will promote a system to ensure workers' access to a payroll deduction for a retirement account.

Mullet believes other states will follow Washington's lead on climate change, if done in a way that keeps living expenses affordable. As the chair of the capital budget, Mullet believes "the state can honor all of the climate change investments made this year while substantially lowering the price of gas," the website indicates.

Taxes from cannabis sales should be used for public safety, he says.

-Charlotte and Loyal Baker