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Ag and Rural Caucus Reorganization, January 2023

Posted on January 19, 2023
ARC Reorganization
6:30 pm Thursday 19 Jauary
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84093446627?pwd=VFJ3N2p3RUhRRUNFRDhYKzlTa01sQT09 
Meeting ID: 840 9344 6627 
Passcode: 148588

Gun Control Bills

The table is set. At least four “gun control” bills have been introduced in the Legislature.
HB 1143: (18 co-sponsors); requires permit and training
HB 1144: (17 co-sponsors); requires training certificate
HB 1178: (15 co-sponsors); repeal state preemption to allow local governments adopt more restrictive regulation of firearms
HB 1240: (26 co-sponsors); prohibit manufacture or sale of “assault rifles”

House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee held its first public hearing yesterday, 17 January. I very much encourage you to view the hearing.

HB 1143 and 1144 are similar except that the latter does not require a permit in advance of purchase.

Opposition centers on the registry of permit holders (“unconstitutional”) created by 1143, and the purchaser’s expense for the required firearm training required by both.

Representative Walsh (LD 19) in the hearing makes much of the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision from June, 2022. 

Since Heller and McDonald, the Courts of Appeals have developed a “two-step” framework for analyzing Second Amendment challenges that combines history with means-end scrutiny. The Court rejects that two-part approach as having one step too many (emphasis added).

“Means-end scrutiny” here means questioning a permit applicant’s reasons for carrying a firearm. The overturned New York law required the applicant to have a good reason over and above his/her right to a firearm: An individual who wants to carry a firearm outside his home may obtain an unrestricted license to “have and carry” a concealed “pistol or revolver” if he can prove that “proper cause exists” for doing so.

The Bruen decision is written by Justice Thomas. It is an example of “original intent” thinking. Take a look.

A more familiar theme is that advocates are “weak on crime”. The solution is, instead, to tighten the penal system. 

HB 1178 repeals Washington’s state preemption of gun regulation. Local governments can make more restrictive regulation. My reading, however, is that local governments are still required to observe minimum state requirements (see below).

HB 1240 bans assault rifles. Its language preempts the usual complaint that the category of “assault” rifle is fiction, by providing detailed language about the targeted firearms.
 Status Quo Ante
Washington bans “bump stocks” (which enables semi-automatic weapons to fire automatically), ghost weapons, and high-capacity magazines, and imposes exceptional regulations on purchase:

No dealer may deliver a semiautomatic assault rifle to the purchaser until: (1) the purchaser provides proof they have completed a recognized firearm safety training program within the last five years; (2) the dealer is notified by the chief of police or sheriff that the purchaser is eligible to possess a firearm and the purchase is approved; and (3) 10 business days have elapsed since the purchase application or, in the case of a transfer, 10 business days have elapsed from the date a background check was initiated. • The purchaser of a semiautomatic assault rifle must be personally known to the dealer or present clear evidence of his or her identity. • Subject to various exceptions, a person under 21 years of age may not purchase a semiautomatic assault rifle, and no person may sell or transfer a semiautomatic assault rifle to a person under 21 years of age

Assault weapons in Washington are regulated by prohibiting the sale of magazines holding more than 10 cartridges. The ammunition is similar to that used in hunting rifles like the 30-06 for hunting. The distinctive feature of assault weapons is that they are semi-automatic.

Assault rifles get our attention because they are disproportionately used in “mass murders” where six or more people are killed. Assault weapons make up about five percent of private firearms in this country (20,000,000 out of 400,000,000 total). They account for about four percent of gun deaths, but about two-thirds of deaths from “mass murder”.

Opponents claim banning assault weapons is glory seeking by urban liberals. They correctly point out that handguns – not assault rifles – account for sixty percent of gun deaths (with nearly forty percent not identified). Opponents claim that it is hypocritical to ban assault rifles when handguns kill more people.: Regardless of the definition being used, fatalities in mass shooting incidents in the U.S. account for a small fraction of all gun murders that occur nationwide each year.

Opponents also note, again correctly, that banning assault rifles does not address suicide deaths by firearm, more than half (54%) of all deaths by firearm and about half (53%) of all suicides. The recurring theme is that people are the problem, not the gun.

Finally, Steve Starr alerted me to gun homicides in rural communities: From 2016 to 2020, 13 of the 20 U.S. counties with the most gun homicides per capita were rural: 80 percent of these 20 counties are in states that received an “F” grade for their weak gun laws, according to Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence 
Join us tomorrow evening to talk about firearms, deaths by firearms, and gun control.

Don
18 January 2023


Potpourri: Elections, State Meeting, Guns

Thursday we will do a mix of things.

First, we will do reorganization. I will turn the meeting over to a neutral party who will then announce that no one other than the current office holders were nominated to run for 2023-2025 office. This means that I will return as chair, Teresa Purcell as Vice Chair – West, Robert Schutte as Vice-Chair East, Claus Joens as Secretary, and Marty Gilmore as Treasurer. (Robert and I wrote candidate statements. Follow the links.)

We have good geographic spread: Walla Walla County, Cowlitz County, Pend O’Reille, Whatcom, and Jefferson. We have the corners covered. We are short on the middle but we have really strong CD 4 participation in the Policy Committee.

I encourage everyone to participate in our various meetings and programs. ARC proceedings thrive because they are open.

Second, we will anticipate State Party reorganization with announcements and field questions from new state committee people about what to expect. I will share plans for ARC in Olympia (ARC caucus meeting; social event).

Third, we will return to talking about fire arm regulation – gun control. We will talk about guns but not act. We need to address this third-rail of rural politics because it is on the state’s agenda. We did not put it on the state’s agenda but there is no better place than ARC to talk about guns.

We owe it our rural candidates to make sense of the facts about guns in Washington and about proposals coming from our urban colleagues.

I received a handful of excellent responses to my December invitation to comment. Thank you. Our ARC members cover the range of positions, including the middle of not knowing quite what we should do.

To set the stage boundaries, I direct you to the Alliance for Gun Responsibility for the new agenda, and to Senator Phil Fortunato’s (LD 31-Auburn) GOP response.

See you Thursday.

Don
16 January 2023


Housekeeping…Reorg and Meet up

Our reorganization meeting will be virtual at 6:30 pm Thursday 19 January.

Who can vote? Virtually anyone. A member is:

Any resident of Washington who supports the purpose of the ARC and agrees to be publicly identified as a Democrat. Members must identify themselves to the Secretary to ensure that they receive correspondence from the ARC and can be confirmed as eligible voters.

You are a member and voter if you have received this mailing.

Who can run for office? Again, virtually anyone. We do separate our vice-chairs between east and west and by gender. Current officer holders, and ARC Bylaws, are on the website: arcwashdems.wordpress.com.

County chairs do have a little privilege as members of the Policy Committee. As you complete your county reorg’s please forward me your chair’s name and email, even if there has not been a change. Chairs, of course, can delegate their ARC participation.

Please, too, forward this email to anyone you may think interested in ARC and urge them to send their contact information to Claus Joens, joenscabin@gmail.com, ARC Secretary, and copy me.

We will elect chair, two vice chairs, secretary, and treasurer. Officers are not required to hold local county office. Ronn Wright (w7eryron@gmail.com will act as elections coordinator. Please indicate your interest in running to him by 31 December, and include a persuasive statement to be circulated to the membership.

Other business:

We will meet socially in person at the State Central Committee Meeting in Olympia. Tentatively, we will meet Friday evening 27 January at 5 pm in the hotel restaurant. At least a handful of us will be in town and we would like to meet up. More later.

Don
8 December 2022


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Ag and Rural Caucus of State Democratic Central Committee
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Ag and Rural Caucus
2921 Mud Creek Rd
Waitsburg, WA 99361

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Vaccination is described as safe, effective, and the best protection available against respiratory viruses like COVID-19, influenza, and RSV, according to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH). ... See MoreSee Less

Washington state releases new vaccine recommendations ahead of flu season

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The state of Washington announced its vaccine recommendations for the 2025-26 respiratory virus season.
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If we're reading this correctly, Trump has just broken the law by advising the public to buy Lilly stock, which is a violation of the STOCK Act - short for the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act, the STOCK Act is a 2012 law that aims to prevent insider trading among members of Congress, government officials, and their staff.🚨INVESTMENT ALERT🚨Eli Lilly is set to build a $5,000,000,000 manufacturing plant in Virginia! ... See MoreSee Less

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What’s different now is the looming threat of entire research programs being eliminated, not just reduced.www.tricitiesbusinessnews.com/articles/our-view-sept-2025?fbclid=IwY2xjawM3oFVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHo... ... See MoreSee Less

We can’t afford to lose this much talent. PNNL layoffs put scientific progress at risk

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The real risk of PNNL layoffs is brain drain on a national scale.
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Layoffs are spreading and unemployment is rising—and one kind of worker is being hit the hardest.
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Some good news to report this morning, but we wish Rep. Dan Newhouse would step up and work with his WA state Dem colleagues to challenge the potential shut down of Hanford's VIT plant. ... See MoreSee Less

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WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Kim Schrier (WA-08) and Congressman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) introduced a bipartisan bill to enhance conservation efforts in Washington state.
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Party Calendar

October 2025

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
2
  • Indivisible TC - Founder Hour, Thurs

    Indivisible TC - Founder Hour, Thurs

    October 2, 2025  12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
    https://zoom.us/j/94107976607?pwd=qZeb9jUuH9e3DwVvukrhqxuwrNTWvv.1

    Join in and ask questions, get updates or just say hi! Zoom link below, let me know if you need the mobile version. These are held every Thursday at 12pm and occasional weekends.

    See more details

•
3
  • Indivisible Tricities - First Fridays Happy Hour

    Indivisible Tricities - First Fridays Happy Hour

    October 3, 2025  4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
    Moonshot Brewing 8804 W. Victoria Ave Kennewick, WA

    We are going to start a social every first Friday of the month and BIG thanks to Moonshot Brewing who has agreed to let us meet there. Join us on Friday, Sept 5th, 4-6pm. Let’s come together and have some fun! Hope to see you there!

    See more details

•
4
5
6
7
  • TCD Democrats Protest Tuesday

    TCD Democrats Protest Tuesday

    October 7, 2025  3:45 PM - 5:45 PM
    John Dam Plaza, 815 George Washington Way, Richland, WA 99352, USA

    "Protest Tuesday" at John Dam Plaza on GWay in Richland from 3:45pm to 5:45PM. Bring your own sign or flag or one will be provided. Join our stalwarts and protest whatever is bothering you most that day.
    https://www.facebook.com/events/999996418325987/999996484992647/

    See more details

  • Richland City Council

    Richland City Council

    October 7, 2025  7:30 PM - 8:30 PM
    Richland City Hall, 505 Swift Blvd, Richland, WA 99352, USA

    See more details

• •
8
9
  • Indivisible TC - Founder Hour, Thurs

    Indivisible TC - Founder Hour, Thurs

    October 9, 2025  12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
    https://zoom.us/j/94107976607?pwd=qZeb9jUuH9e3DwVvukrhqxuwrNTWvv.1

    Join in and ask questions, get updates or just say hi! Zoom link below, let me know if you need the mobile version. These are held every Thursday at 12pm and occasional weekends.

    See more details

  • MiniVan Training: Democrats University

    MiniVan Training: Democrats University

    October 9, 2025  5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
    https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/JAmvKeUER7yEYZtEgU2dBQ#/registration

    Information you provide when registering will be shared with the account owner and host and can be used and shared by them in accordance with their Terms and Privacy Policy.

    See more details

• •
10
  • Tri-City Democrats Meeting/Potluck

    Tri-City Democrats Meeting/Potluck

    October 10, 2025  6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
    For current location please visit https://www.facebook.com/TriCityDems/

    See more details

•
11
12
13
  • Benton County Executive Board

    Benton County Executive Board

    October 13, 2025  6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
    Meeting details will be provided over email from the Benton County Democrats Chair.

    See more details

•
14
  • TCD Democrats Protest Tuesday

    TCD Democrats Protest Tuesday

    October 14, 2025  3:45 PM - 5:45 PM
    John Dam Plaza, 815 George Washington Way, Richland, WA 99352, USA

    "Protest Tuesday" at John Dam Plaza on GWay in Richland from 3:45pm to 5:45PM. Bring your own sign or flag or one will be provided. Join our stalwarts and protest whatever is bothering you most that day.
    https://www.facebook.com/events/999996418325987/999996484992647/

    See more details

  • Kennewick City Council Workshop

    Kennewick City Council Workshop

    October 14, 2025  6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

    See more details

• •
15
16
  • Indivisible TC - Founder Hour, Thurs

    Indivisible TC - Founder Hour, Thurs

    October 16, 2025  12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
    https://zoom.us/j/94107976607?pwd=qZeb9jUuH9e3DwVvukrhqxuwrNTWvv.1

    Join in and ask questions, get updates or just say hi! Zoom link below, let me know if you need the mobile version. These are held every Thursday at 12pm and occasional weekends.

    See more details

•
17
18
  • NO KINGS Zillah Washington

    NO KINGS Zillah Washington

    October 18, 2025  10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
    1st Avenue & Vintage Valley Parkway Zillah, WA 98953

    **In Zillah, we don’t put up with would-be kings. Come out and let your neighbors know they aren’t alone.

    Our peaceful movement is only getting bigger and stronger. “NO KINGS” is more than just a slogan—it’s the foundation our nation was built upon. Born in the streets, carried by millions in chants and on posters, it echoes from city blocks to rural town squares, uniting people across this country to fight dictatorship together.

    The president thinks his rule is absolute. But in America, we don’t have kings, and we won’t back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty. Grow our movement and join us.

    A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.

    See more details

  • NO KINGS Tri-Cities WA

    NO KINGS Tri-Cities WA

    October 18, 2025  11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
    Columbia Center Blvd 1321 N Columbia Center Blvd Kennewick, WA 99336

    Keep your eye out for the perfect costume because this year’s HAIRraisin’ FUNraiser will take place on Saturday, October 25, at 6pm at the Pasco Red Lion Hotel and Conference Center. Costumes are encouraged at this Halloween Bash celebrating the amazing work that B5 does.

    Guests will hear an update from Executive Director Theresa Roosendaal, and hear two stories of B5 students who are thriving here in the Tri-Cities. There will be auctions, games, a costume contest, and an opportunity to win a two-year lease for a 2025 Cadillac CT4 generously donated by McCurley Cadillac! 

    You can purchase tickets at here or contact Larissa at 509-551-1643 or at larissa.knopp@thriveatb5.org.

    See more details

  • NO KINGS Walla Walla

    NO KINGS Walla Walla

    October 18, 2025  12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
    Walla Walla County Superior 315 W Main St Walla Walla, WA 99362

    In America, we don’t put up with would-be kings.

    Our peaceful movement is only getting bigger and stronger. “NO KINGS” is more than just a slogan—it’s the foundation our nation was built upon. Born in the streets, carried by millions in chants and on posters, it echoes from city blocks to rural town squares, uniting people across this country to fight dictatorship together.

    The president thinks his rule is absolute. But in America, we don’t have kings, and we won’t back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty. Grow our movement and join us.

    A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.

    See more details

• • •
19
20
21
  • TCD Democrats Protest Tuesday

    TCD Democrats Protest Tuesday

    October 21, 2025  3:45 PM - 5:45 PM
    John Dam Plaza, 815 George Washington Way, Richland, WA 99352, USA

    "Protest Tuesday" at John Dam Plaza on GWay in Richland from 3:45pm to 5:45PM. Bring your own sign or flag or one will be provided. Join our stalwarts and protest whatever is bothering you most that day.
    https://www.facebook.com/events/999996418325987/999996484992647/

    See more details

  • Richland City Council

    Richland City Council

    October 21, 2025  7:30 PM - 8:30 PM
    Richland City Hall, 505 Swift Blvd, Richland, WA 99352, USA

    See more details

• •
22
23
  • Indivisible TC - Founder Hour, Thurs

    Indivisible TC - Founder Hour, Thurs

    October 23, 2025  12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
    https://zoom.us/j/94107976607?pwd=qZeb9jUuH9e3DwVvukrhqxuwrNTWvv.1

    Join in and ask questions, get updates or just say hi! Zoom link below, let me know if you need the mobile version. These are held every Thursday at 12pm and occasional weekends.

    See more details

  • BCDCC General Public Meeting

    BCDCC General Public Meeting

    October 23, 2025  6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
    Meeting details will be provided over email from the Benton County Democrats Chair.

    See more details

• •
24
25
  • HAIRraisin’ FUNraiser

    HAIRraisin’ FUNraiser

    October 25, 2025  6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
    Red Lion Hotel Pasco Airport & Conference Center 2525 N 20th Ave, Pasco, WA 99301

    Keep your eye out for the perfect costume because this year’s HAIRraisin’ FUNraiser will take place on Saturday, October 25, at 6pm at the Pasco Red Lion Hotel and Conference Center. Costumes are encouraged at this Halloween Bash celebrating the amazing work that B5 does.

    Guests will hear an update from Executive Director Theresa Roosendaal, and hear two stories of B5 students who are thriving here in the Tri-Cities. There will be auctions, games, a costume contest, and an opportunity to win a two-year lease for a 2025 Cadillac CT4 generously donated by McCurley Cadillac! 

    You can purchase tickets at here or contact Larissa at 509-551-1643 or at larissa.knopp@thriveatb5.org.

    See more details

•
26
27
28
  • TCD Democrats Protest Tuesday

    TCD Democrats Protest Tuesday

    October 28, 2025  3:45 PM - 5:45 PM
    John Dam Plaza, 815 George Washington Way, Richland, WA 99352, USA

    "Protest Tuesday" at John Dam Plaza on GWay in Richland from 3:45pm to 5:45PM. Bring your own sign or flag or one will be provided. Join our stalwarts and protest whatever is bothering you most that day.
    https://www.facebook.com/events/999996418325987/999996484992647/

    See more details

  • Richland City Council Workshop

    Richland City Council Workshop

    October 28, 2025  6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
    Richland City Hall, 505 Swift Blvd, Richland, WA 99352, USA

    See more details

• •
29
30
  • Indivisible TC - Founder Hour, Thurs

    Indivisible TC - Founder Hour, Thurs

    October 30, 2025  12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
    https://zoom.us/j/94107976607?pwd=qZeb9jUuH9e3DwVvukrhqxuwrNTWvv.1

    Join in and ask questions, get updates or just say hi! Zoom link below, let me know if you need the mobile version. These are held every Thursday at 12pm and occasional weekends.

    See more details

•
31
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