House: District 9, Position 2

Cheney bookseller Bob Bobincheck faces a tough battle against Republican Rep. Mark Schoesler for Washington’s 9th District Position 2 seat.

Schoesler, who sits on the House Finance Committee, is proud of the Legislature’s tax rollbacks and the 28,000-person drop in Washington’s welfare rolls.

The Ritzville farmer is running for his fourth House term after changing his mind about his one-time support for a three-term limit for legislators. “After three terms I’m at the point where I am now experienced and can be effective,” Schoesler said.

He sponsored legislation that stiffened penalties for methamphetamine manufacturers and provided financial help for communities cleaning up meth labs. He also helped exempt large grain elevators from air operating permits and negotiated the transfer of 800 acres of donated state land to WSU for research.

Bobincheck opened Book Recycler Book Store after retiring from an Air Force career that included two tours in Vietnam, and led to his transfer 10 years ago from Ohio to Cheney.

Bobincheck decided to enter this year’s race over Schoesler’s refusal to back away from a broad anti-pornography bill in 1995 that would have hurt Bobincheck’s book business, he said.

“They say they don’t want big brother in our lives, yet they were passing a law that would have made me the morality policeman,” Bobincheck said.

He wants to see more focus on K-12 education, particularly keeping class sizes small. Legislators should address health care needs, Bobincheck said, and attract clean, diversified economic development to Eastern Washington.