YAKIMA, Wash. -- If he's elected to another year in the state House, Rep. David Taylor, R-Moxee, wants to branch out.

"In addition to the issues I've continuously worked on for 15 years now -- property rights, local control, less taxes, water rights -- I'm really starting to take a look at K-12 education and issues that affect our students," he said.

The rookie legislator, whose experience with those other issues came as a county planner and a land-use consultant, said he's met with school officials in the 15th District and plans to meet with more.

Emphasis on the state's graduation-requirement exam, the Washington Assessment of Student Learning, has standardized curricula and kept school districts from innovating, he said.

Taylor isn't advocating doing away with statewide standards entirely, but he would like to see schools provide more options for non-college-track students. He's also interested in the notion of tiered graduation requirements that would be different for college-bound students than for students pursuing vocational and technical degrees.

"I think there's significant opportunities to enhance the vo-tech side of education in conjunction with some private-public partnerships to get these kids ready for work," he said.

In terms of specific legislation Taylor might propose, there's nothing concrete yet.

"Quite frankly I'm not going to accept 'give us more money,' ... If it's a policy change at (the Office of the Superintendent for Public Instruction) I'll advocate for that. If it's a legislative fix, I'll advocate for that," he said.

If he retains his seat, Taylor plans to revive a bill he wrote that would mandate a 72-hour review period for legislation that affects the state budget. It died in committee.

Also, more in line with his land-use and agriculture expertise, he will continue to advocate for water storage in the Yakima Basin. That could mean the proposed Black Rock reservoir; it could mean expansion of the Pine Hollow reservoir. Whatever it is, progress needs to be made on water storage, Taylor said.

With more than $15,000 in contributions, according to the state Public Disclosure Commission, Taylor has a significant early fundraising lead. He plans to start spending that money on advertising within the next few weeks.

* Pat Muir can be reached at 509-577-7693 or pmuir@yakimaherald.com.

PROFILE

Name: David Taylor

Age: 37

Occupation: agricultural and land-use consultant, rancher

Previously held elected office: appointed to state House during this year’s session

Education: Bachelor’s degree in geography, Central Washington University