Reeves points to his business experience as big plus

Almost all the candidates in this race have some mix of public- and private-sector experience. But only Aubrey Reeves has owned a business for four decades.

Reeves, who spent 10 years as mayor in Union Gap while running Aubrey’s RV, believes that experience has prepared him for the state House.

Describing himself as a Republican “on the conservative side, but not radical,” Reeves said one of his primary goals would be doing away with excessive regulation of small business.

“Anyone you talk to says basically that Washington state is not business-friendly,” said Reeves, who turned 68 Saturday.

He doesn’t know specifically what he would do to loosen regulations, but said the model of other states could be followed. As a legislator, he pledges to have an open-door policy and be receptive to learning and to new ideas.

“I guess I’d have to look at the laws and see what has to be changed,” Reeves said.

 He also believes the legislature could do more to help new business construction by acting like a port district and facilitating things such as sewer and water connections.

Washington has “lots of property and workers” that entrepreneurs could take advantage of, he said.

On health care and insurance reform, which the Legislature plans to further examine next year, Reeves is of the free-market school. Less stringent rules about what conditions are covered by a policy would make insurance less expensive and allow buyers to tailor it to their own health needs, he said.

Some of his employees at the RV business opt out of company-provided insurance because the state’s coverage mandates make it too expensive, he said. That’s an instance in which his business experience gives him perspective.

“Forty years of running my own business and 10 years as the mayor of Union Gap has given me experience on both sides,” Reeves said.

Reeves graduated from Eisenhower High School in Yakima. He and his wife, Giulia, have a grown son and daughter.