Incumbent Larry Springer is running unopposed as the Democratic party’s 45th Legislative House District Position 2 candidate after 12 years in office. The Reporter caught up with him to discuss his platforms and policies.

Springer serves on both the Appropriations Committee and the Finance Committee as well as serving as the Deputy House Caucus Majority Leader.

Over the last term, Springer pointed to his work on creating affordable housing, including getting a bill passed which allows the county to speed up bonding capacity to allowed several hundred units of affordable housing to be built quickly.

He also pointed to a bill he helped pass that redefines how tax exemptions for aerospace companies operate following Boeing’s tax cuts and subsequent outsourcing.

The new bill requires a new company moving to the area to provide 100 new jobs paying at least $80,000 annually to receive tax breaks.

“It’s the future of how we’re going to do tax policy,” he said.

During the upcoming term, Springer said finding a way to fund K-12 education as mandated by the McCleary decision will be a top priority. He said he will be looking at reshaping or eliminating tax exemptions and redefining who qualifies for them.

“It’s a very complicated topic, but one that’s going to be very important next year,” he said as the state could need up to $4 billion in additional education funding to comply with the state courts ruling.

In fact, closing or modifying tax loopholes is a reoccurring theme for Springer.

Other topics he will be keeping an eye on include public safety, mental health care access and an influx in homelessness and affordable housing.

Even though he is running unopposed, Springer said he will still be campaigning, which he hopes will keep him in touch with his constituents.

“I’m not going to sit back and rest on my laurels here,” he said.