🏆 Accomplishments
Since taking office in 2021, Tarra has authored 21 bills signed into law and secured millions in capital budget funding for the 23rd District. Here’s what she’s delivered:
🏥 Healthcare: Expanded free and reduced-cost care to 2.2 million Washingtonians and reformed insurance prior authorization twice — cutting the red tape that delays treatment for patients across the state.
🧠 Behavioral Health: Created an independent oversight office to protect patients’ rights and expanded access to mental health and substance use disorder services statewide.
⚖️ Criminal Justice Reform: Eliminated the debt traps that follow people out of incarceration and ensured that nobody is released from prison without housing and a path to stability.
🗳️ Voting Rights: Restored the right to vote for every person leaving incarceration — immediately upon release — giving thousands of Washingtonians their voice back.
👩⚕️ Healthcare Workforce: Strengthened nursing standards, supported healthcare workers in recovery, and invested in growing Washington’s care workforce to address shortages in our community.
🏗️ Delivering for Kitsap: Secured millions in capital budget funding — affordable housing, a new SUD clinic in Poulsbo, healthcare clinics, land conservation, and community infrastructure across the 23rd District.
Issues
💼 Affordability
I know first-hand that the rising costs of living have made it too challenging for hardworking families to thrive in our region. That’s why as State Representative, I work to tackle the systemic barriers that trap people in cycles of debt. My legislation to create the Behavioral Health Advocacy Office has also provided a vital watchdog for consumers, ensuring that the cost of care doesn’t come at the expense of their rights or financial stability.
- Continue fighting for tax reform that ensures the super-rich pay their fair share to fund essential public services while tax relief is afforded to working families
- Increase state investments to end homelessness and expand the supply of affordable housing in Kitsap
- Secure funding for affordable childcare to help working parents stay in the workforce
🎓 Education
As a graduate of Central Kitsap High School and Olympic College, I know that education is one of the most effective pathways out of poverty. As State Representative, I’ve championed investments for education and apprenticeships for people from all backgrounds to help bridge the gap between the classroom and a living-wage career.
- Expand funding for early childhood education and specialized wraparound services for students with additional needs
- Fully fund our schools adequately to ensure stability in class sizes, counselors, nurses and special education
- Increase access to job training and apprenticeship programs to prepare students for the 2026 economy
- Fight to keep tuition affordable at Washington’s public colleges and universities
🏥 Healthcare
My background as a Registered Nurse has given me the ability to lead some of the most significant healthcare reforms in recent Washington history. As State Representative, I led the effort to pass the landmark Charity Care Law (SHB 1616), which expanded free and reduced-cost healthcare to 2.2 million Washingtonians, and passed the Mental Health Parity Act (2025) to finally force insurers to treat mental health and substance use disorders with the same urgency as physical health. My work on Prior Authorization Reform and Healthcare Provider Reimbursement has prioritized patients over paperwork, ensuring that Kitsap residents can actually access the care they are promised.
- Pass legislation to cap the rising costs of life-saving medications
- Codify and strengthen protections for women’s reproductive healthcare services
- Work toward a comprehensive healthcare system that ensures no Washingtonian faces bankruptcy due to a medical emergency
🌱 Environment
I believe that protecting our natural resources is both an environmental and economic necessity. Through the Climate Commitment Act, I ensured dedicated revenue for the 23rd District to fund land conservation, forest management, and clean energy infrastructure. By securing the first wave of funding for ferry electrification, we placed our community at the forefront of the state’s transition to a clean energy economy while protecting the air and water quality of the Puget Sound.
- Hold fossil fuel industries accountable for their carbon footprint and environmental impact
- Invest in infrastructure specifically designed to protect communities most vulnerable to climate change
- Increase state incentives for energy-efficient construction and the production of cleaner fuels
- Deepen collaboration with Tribal leaders to ensure state climate investments honor sovereignty and protect vital natural resources like salmon and shellfish
🚢 Transit & Transportation
Reliable transportation is the backbone of the Kitsap Peninsula, and I’ve delivered historic results to keep our community moving. Alongside my seatmates, we championed the $17 billion Transportation Package which funded Highway 3 expansions, toll relief, and vital improvements to the Kitsap commuter service. One of my proudest achievements was securing free ferry fares for all riders 18 and under, ensuring that our youth have the mobility they need to access school, work, and opportunity across the water.
- Secure sustained funding for ferry staffing and operations to end service disruptions while increasing access to passenger only ferries
- Expand bike and pedestrian safety projects to create more walkable, connected neighborhoods
- Continue the expansion and modernization of our local highway and transit networks
✊ Civil Rights
My passion lies in being a tireless advocate for a justice system that prioritizes human dignity, transparency, and community belonging. As State Representative, I’ve led the successful effort to Restore Voting Rights (ESHB 1078), ensuring that every person has a voice in our democracy immediately upon their release from incarceration. Through Reentry & Rehabilitation (2SHB 1818), I improved human dignity and safety by ensuring nobody is released from prison into homelessness. I have also been a strong voice for immigrants, members of our beloved LGBTQIA+ community, animals, seniors and people with disabilities.
- Work to end the school-to-prison pipeline by investing in community-based interventions
- Ensure that people of color and marginalized voices are directly involved in the legislative decisions that impact their lives
- Ensure survivors of crime have adequate healing opportunities while prisons are rehabilitative so returning neighbors are successful
- Ensure support and accountability for law enforcement while protecting our immigrant and LGBTQIA+ community from targeted harassment