Committee and Affinity Group News
[See the Web Log for prior Committee News write-ups. All meeting Minutes are available on the Documents and Resources page.]
We are working on a messaging campaign for use in all media that ends with the tagline, “—you might be a Democrat,” Take a look at our current list of messages on this Google Sheet. If you have more catchy lines, please send them to secretary@bencodems.org.
Buttons for Committees and Affinity Organizations:
From the Chair
Benton County Democrats Executive Board Meeting July 15
Delivering Results from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
Legislation Committee
Follow the progress of Bills of Interest in this linked chart.
Editor’s Note: In the following announcement our Senator joins Tim Eyman in opposing a tax bill needed to fund public services.
Elections Committee
Daily Presidential Primary Ballot Tracking
Update on Legislative Redistricting
Document on Partisan Endorsements in Nonpartisan Elections
Candidate Index
Good Morning,
The Primary Election will be underway in a couple of days with ballots going out in the mail this Wednesday. Please find the attached notification of processes and notice of election that will be published in the county’s official newspaper.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Amanda Hatfield Elections Manager Benton County Auditor | Elections Division (509) 737-3931 Email: amanda.hatfield@co.benton.wa.us www.bentoncountywa.gov/auditor
Primary Election Notice – Deadlines Canvassing Election
Party Notification of Processes
Almost every campaign has an online store at which you can purchase signs and other themed items. Many statewide and national Democratic campaigns don’t prioritize expenditures in Eastern Washington. To locally show your colors you may have to just get online and get them yourself. The links below take you to the store associated with each campaign.
Happy Shopping.
Earlier this week, we got a chance to catch up with a friend who we’ve known for more than 20 years. She’d had a pretty busy couple of days, to say the least. But we couldn’t be more excited for her — or more thrilled to endorse Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.
We agree with President Biden — choosing Kamala was one of the best decisions he’s made. She has the resume to prove it: As a prosecutor, she defended the Constitution and fought for folks who deserve a fair shake. As California’s Attorney General, she worked hard to ensure everyone was treated fairly, no matter who they are or who they love. As a Senator, she was one of the strongest voices holding the Trump administration accountable. And, as Vice President, she helped lead the charge on expanding the Affordable Care Act, combating climate change, fighting for reproductive freedom, equality, and the rule of law.
But Kamala has more than a resume. She has the vision, the character, and the strength that this critical moment demands. There is no doubt in our mind that Kamala Harris has exactly what it takes to win this election and deliver for the American people. At a time when the stakes have never been higher, she gives us all reason to hope.
We know over the next few months, Kamala will continue to make her case directly to the American people — Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike. As she does, she will have our full support — and we look forward to watching her unite our party and our country around a vision for a brighter, fairer, more prosperous future.
We’re going to do everything we can to elect Kamala Harris the next President of the United States. And we hope you’ll join us.
Barack and Michelle Obama
We sincerely thank you for your help and support.
This Sunday marks 100 days until the November election — and even fewer days until early voting begins across many key states. We know that our goal of reaching out to millions of voters in Washington is ambitious, but this team has never shied away from a challenge.
In the last 100 days, we’re building the strongest volunteer team possible, and we want you to join!
Sunday signifies a shift in this race, Kendall. We’re about to transition to a stage where our campaign will need to rely heavily on the volunteer networks you’ve helped create in your community to motivate and mobilize voters.
We cannot stress enough the importance of getting involved today. Talking to voters directly is one of the most impactful ways you can help elect Kamala Harris and Democratic candidates up and down the ballot nationwide — and by getting an early start now, we’ll be able to talk to enough voters to win in November.
But only if you join us. This is the moment when every call you make, door you knock, or piece of content you share on social media can have a real difference.
Click here or the button below to find a volunteer shift near you:
We know we send you a lot of emails, but here’s why, Kendall: When we wake up on November 6, we want everyone on this team to know that we did everything we possibly could to elect Kamala Harris and defeat Donald Trump.
We know for a fact that when we organize, we win. Volunteering with Team Harris is easy, powerful, and an important way you can shape the future of our country. Whether you’ve volunteered with us in the past or it’s your first time getting involved, your time and energy will make a huge difference.
Let’s win this election,
Kamala Harris Organizing Team
We sincerely thank you for your help and support.
President Biden’s tenure has been defined by major advancements in infrastructure, manufacturing, and health care—achievements that mirror Democrats’ long-standing commitment to our values. These policies will undoubtedly define his tremendous legacy, which Maria was proud to have been a part of.
We are in uncharted territory, but one thing is absolutely certain: we must maintain our Senate majority to keep our democracy moving forward. That means we must win the tough races – especially in battlegrounds like Nevada, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
To guarantee the strong Democratic leaders in these races have the resources to fight and win, will you split a contribution today between Maria and these campaigns right now?
We are calling on you to help harness this momentum. We are energized and ready to continue the fight, but we need your support.
It is imperative that we secure victories in these races to hold the Senate – while we continue to fight to take back the House and elect Kamala Harris President.
Together, we can make sure that the progress we’ve made under President Biden is not just preserved but built upon. Our rights, our health, and our futures depend on what happens in this election.
– Team Cantwell
Friends of Maria
PO Box 12740
Seattle, WA 98111
United States
Primary Day is right around the corner here in Washington, which means many registered voters will start to receive their ballots beginning today.
As Washingtonians start making decisions about who to support in the August 6 primary, we must ramp up our efforts to reach every voter about what’s at stake in this election.
From privacy and abortion rights to climate action, gun violence prevention, and more – we can’t afford to sit by while right-wing extremists continue to roll back decades of progress. That’s why I’m committed to defending our Democratic Senate majority and continuing to deliver results for Washington.
With an activist – and unelected – Supreme Court set on dismantling our fundamental rights, we urgently need a Democratic majority in Congress who will fight to codify abortion rights, pass critical environmental protections, and deliver relief to communities burdened by the rising cost of living.
As ballots start hitting mailboxes, I’m working hard to get the word out about our agenda and mobilize as many Democrats as possible to protect our progress here in Washington and nationwide.
Thanks for all you do,
Maria
Friends of Maria
PO Box 12740
Seattle, WA 98111
United States
Misty “Birdie” Jane Muchlinski will have a fundraiser on June 20 from 5:00 to 7:00 PM in Prosser at the home of Cindy Bluemel, 216 Claret Drive.
Here are three reasons we CANNOT trust anti-choice Republican Dave Reichert with our reproductive freedoms.
| 1️⃣ In April, Reichert got caught telling a room full of anti-choice activists that he wants to “work toward unraveling” state abortion protections. |
| 2️⃣ Reichert voted three times — yes, three — for a nationwide abortion ban that criminalizes doctors. |
| 3️⃣ The Seattle Times called him an “anti-abortion stalwart.” |
Reproductive freedom is at stake in this election. Donate $5 or more to elect Bob as Washington’s next Governor and protect reproductive freedoms.
We can’t give Dave Reichert the chance to eliminate our reproductive health care. Bob’s counting on grassroots supporters like you to defeat him.
Thank you,
Ferguson HQ
To give by check:
Bob Ferguson for Governor
PO Box 22169
Seattle, WA 98122
Email us: info@electbobferguson.com
It’s official! Washingtonians are casting their votes for our August 6th primary.
In the last year, I have been to all 39 counties to listen to Washingtonians and share my vision for the future of our state.
Grassroots supporters like you made that outreach possible.
Now, with hundreds of thousands of Washington voters still undecided, we have more work to do. Please consider making a donation today.
Look at what we’re up against in this extremely competitive race:
- Recent polling has been inconsistent — that means anything can happen.
- Anti-choice Republican Dave Reichert already launched a negative TV ad full of misleading attacks.
- Another PAC supporting my opponent has been created and is raising large sums of money to try and defeat me.
- Reichert is out of touch with Washington values. Here are just a few examples: he voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, defund Planned Parenthood, voted three times for a nationwide abortion ban that criminalizes doctors, and says “I love Donald Trump’s policies.”
With voters casting ballots NOW, I need to ask: Will you chip in $5 or more now to help us reach undecided voters on both sides of the mountains?
Thank you,
Bob Ferguson
To give by check:
Bob Ferguson for Governor
PO Box 22169
Seattle, WA 98122
Email us: info@electbobferguson.com
This election is bigger than me. It’s bigger than keeping our statewide leadership blue. And it’s bigger than Washington.
This election is, simply put, about defending our democracy and our fundamental rights and freedoms from dangerous extremists.
Have you heard about Project 2025? It is very real — and if Republicans have their way, their ultra-conservative plans for the future of our country will stifle the progress we’ve made here in Washington on so many fronts.
I don’t want to scare you, Kendall, but I do want you to know the facts. Project 2025 would:
- Require Washington to report where women seeking abortions live with the aim of preventing them from seeking abortions outside of their home state
- Eliminate the Department of Education
- Redirect federal funds to support a “biblically based” definition of family with a married father, mother, and children
- Cut and overhaul Medicaid
- Reverse FDA approval of the abortion pill, mifepristone
That’s just the tip of the iceberg, but we can’t lose hope. As Attorney General, I’ll do everything in my power to stop far-right attacks on our fundamental rights and freedoms and make sure Donald Trump, J.D. Vance, and their extremist friends can’t harm Washingtonians.
I have the experience to back it up — as general counsel to Gov. Jay Inslee, I stood up to Trump’s early attacks on our human rights, including his hateful Muslim ban in 2017. I am ready to defend Washingtonians against any repressive forces that threaten our freedoms or our democracy.
Thank you,
Nick
Nick Brown for Attorney General
401 2nd Ave S STE 303
Seattle, WA 98104
United States
Making the Olympics takes training, and so does serving as Attorney General!
You don’t need to be an Olympic qualifier to watch Nick’s newest ad, but we’d give it a gold medal.
The ad features Nick’s children as they list his extensive experience as a Harvard Law School graduate, Army JAG officer, counsel to Gov. Inslee, and the first Black U.S. Attorney for the Western Washington — all the while humorously supervising Nick’s attempt to pole vault.
You can watch Nick’s new ad here, with his costars Brooklyn and Whitaker:
Nick might not be able to pole vault, but we know he’ll certainly be an incredible Attorney General for all Washingtonians. He’ll fight for abortion rights, our democracy, gun safety, and healthier communities for all. Nick is the only candidate with experience taking on Donald Trump — and he’ll do anything to protect Washingtonians’ fundamental freedoms.
Running for office isn’t exactly like running track and field at the Olympics, but with your help, Nick can bring home the win on August 6!
Thank you!
— Team Nick
Nick Brown for Attorney General
401 2nd Ave S STE 303
Seattle, WA 98104
United States
Hello again friends,
Yesterday, while in Everett, I spoke with KIRO 7 News about cybersecurity, election disinformation, foreign interference, domestic terrorism, and election worker safety. My office and every county auditor are working hard on multiple fronts to ensure the security and accessibility of this and every election.
As The Seattle Times editorial board wrote after the 2023 legislative session: “The state Legislature created new laws to help ensure the integrity of elections and increase access to the ballot. All were enacted at the request of Secretary of State Steve Hobbs.”
As your Secretary of State, my top priorities are to ensure that our elections are secure, accessible and transparent to every eligible voter.
Watch my appearance below and make a donation to my campaign for re-election. Your ballot in Washington state’s Primary Election is due by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 6. I would be honored to earn your vote.
Steve Hobbs
Friends of Steve Hobbs · 3309 114th Dr NE · Lake Stevens, WA 98258-8787 · USA
Project 2025 and Public Education
Your primary ballots should be arriving soon – Please VOTE!
Happy 4th of July – You know what’s not in our Constitution….
45 Days, 4,500 road miles; A top ten list of observations.
Trump is guilty; he leads in swing states, and if he wins, our students will pay the price!
BIG NEWS: Team Reykdal secured major endorsements over the weekend!
Friends –
Filing week has passed, and it’s still with a heavy heart that I will not continue in the Public Lands race. However, just because my presence and our voice are no longer in this particular race, it doesn’t mean we won’t be heard.
I continue to stand by the values our campaign centered and a people-first approach to stewardship. As each of the Public Lands campaigns and other important races on the ballot progress, it’s important that we keep our community’s diverse and unique needs at the center of any decisions we make and votes we cast.
This is why I want to share with you my bottom-line demands of the next Commissioner of Public Lands who wants to earn my support. I hope these can help guide you as you make informed decisions.
Whoever is CPL needs to:
- Elevate the Environmental Justice Director and Tribal Relations Director to the executive level to successfully exert their full authority to manage our natural resources for the public benefit of all Washingtonians;
- Consult women, Tribes, labor, and immigrant communities on who they hire and retain for their leadership and executive positions;
- Run a campaign centered in community and putting resources back into community, so CPL has more accountability to people who work the land and build the public support necessary to resist and stand up to big timber;
- Run a campaign that does not take immigrants, Tribal Nations, Eastern Washington, and Central Washington communities for granted;
- Run a campaign that inspires people to vote no on the initiatives and yes for a future that includes their communities;
- Run a campaign promoting climate-centered policies and community resiliency, valuing trees as a critical cooling mitigation and flood control asset;
- Remove barriers to grants, including the application process, delays, and unreasonable expectations of small community organizations and Tribal Nations;
- Be a collaborative leader who will partner with other state agencies, not impede climate-based science and common sense implementation;
- Commit to reducing the impact of industrial agricultural grazing on public lands on land health and water quality;
- Support migrant workers’ right to organize, fight for thriving wages and benefits, and utilize the CPL platform to support migrant workers to access public goods like unemployment insurance regardless of their status;
- Support and champion No on I-2117 and continue to hold big corporations accountable for polluting Washington State;
Our support, particularly Latine communities’ support, should be earned — not expected.
Adelante,
Team Rebecca Saldaña (D)
PO Box 20776
Seattle, WA 98102
United States
Ballots are out, and a lot is at stake in this race.
The newly-drawn 14th LD is a Democratic district where Biden and Inslee would have comfortably won in 2020, with President Biden earning 56.6% and Governor Inslee earning 55%. That makes this the top pick-up opportunity in the state for the Democratic Party in 2024.
We can win this, but we need your help to turn out members of our community who don’t often vote. It’s going to take another $17,000 for us to hit our targets in advertising and voter outreach. Can I count on your support today?
I also need your vote! Not sure where to bring your filled-out ballot? You can find local ballot drop boxes here, or just put your ballot in the mail—no postage required!
Thank you for being part of the team!
Best,
Maria
Friends of Maria Beltran (D)
PO Box 2011
Yakima, WA 98907
Platform and Resolutions
The Platform Task Team has proposed a platform update for 2024.
The Platform and Resolutions Committee is starting resolutions work this year.P
For those wishing to propose a resolution, below is a link to a template you can use to craft your resolution.
This is a link to a chart of our current resolutions plan and actions taken.
The following resolutions have been passed by the Central Committee and forwarded to the State party.
- Agrivoltaics Benefits to Eastern Washington
- Reinstate ban on naked credit default swaps
- Limit ratio of Executive v Employee pay
The following resolutions have been passed by the State party.
- Reinstate Restrictions on Stock Buybacks (final)
- Recovery Government Funded IP & Patents developed in whole or in part with taxpayer investments: Modification of Bayh-Dole Act 1980
- Faith and Credit-Debt Ceiling
- Reforming SCOTUS Nomination and Confirmation Process
The following resolutions are available for comments as they are being worked on by the committee:
Link to our Rittenhouse Resolution:
This is a link to the current State Party resolutions.
Organization Committee
Blue Dots in Red Sea – Michael Moore’s latest podcast, Young Voters
Benton County Elected Precinct Committee Officers for 2023-2024
Here’s a complete list of all our PCO’s, elected, appointed, and acting:
Benton County Democratic Precinct Committee Officers
Join this Day of Action to Support the NEW 14th LD
Call to Meeting Thursday, July 18 – Includes voting
Opportunities to support Pasco and the LD14
Call to Meeting Thursday, June 20 – including endorsements
Meet and Support Senator Manka Dhingra for Atty. General
Meet and Support Chelsea Dimas Candidate for WA House of Representatives LD14 Position 1
Join Us at These Events and Meetings
4th CD News
Focus on Down-Ballot Races and Newly Registered Voters Drive Democratic Wins
Just Kidding, This Is Anything But Boring
Strength in Unity: Working Together Trumps Division
Outrageous Spending in Down-Ballot Races: 2024’s Extravagant Political Battlegrounds
Our Winning Strategy, Stop Whining!
New post in RuralAmericansUnited
Democrats Cure MAGA Cancer: Sunlight
Ag and Rural Caucus
Ag and Rural Caucus for July
| Link to recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/j0CRnCT-m72yPpVcOcBXteA4zbsHTvvnn_FiHpRO7QN9sbxmUXThkyqH12eSE7s.9qDiW9nhwEqzpBkL Link to last evening’s session. https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/yhhUXGucTw2hoJVfjV09tqdud5_OB9p1lnTircTim5jj0-_yLGiRKt0zEs3ZDrw.B2LbOWahvljlBz3C Note special session next Thursday. The session on County Incentives is not on our usual schedule. Policy Advocacy: Wind and Solar 6:30 pm Thursday 18 July Agrivoltaics Chad Higgins, OSU College of Agricultural Sciences 6:30 pm Thursday 25 July County Incentives https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85907982157?pwd=MU4vV3E3VGZ5VU02dnhvZjg2b3hKZz09 Paste link into browser. |
| Getting Counties and Developers to a Table Community Benefits Agreements. This is what we want, isn’t it. Or something like it. We want the counties to sit down and negotiate with developers. On the table would be the total amount of compensation, what part is in kind and what part is cash, and what the benefit profile over time looks like. A shared future should be on the table. This is tough to do in Washington. A developer has the choice of working with a county and its planning department, or seeking expedited disposition of their application with EFSEC (Washington State Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council) and the governor. EFSEC is not in the business of looking out for counties and their taxpayers. EFSEC does a lot of tasks very thoroughly but EFSEC does not husband county welfare. A county that has the capacity to evaluate a developer’s proposal is rare enough …then add the developer’s incentive to skip out and go to the state to get a fast and clean response. It is little surprise that counties have no leverage to get developers to the table to negotiate a Community Benefit Agreement. Now a pinch. It is at least theoretically possible to add to EFSEC things-to-do list. We could enlist EFSEC to host a forum that would bring counties and developers together. The pinch would be to foster negotiations without giving veto rights to either party. Mike McArthur, Community Renewable Energy Association (Oregon), is uniquely positioned to assess the different ways counties can access developers. He has been a county judge (commissioner), he has led the Oregon Association of Counties, and he now oversees a consortium of counties and developers committed to making wind and solar work for everyone involved. Our neighbors in Oregon sometimes wish they had our EFSEC to move projects along. And we wish we had the benefits that Oregon counties enjoy from wind and solar development. Join us tomorrow for a conservation and a mutual search for solutions. Don 24 July 2024 |
| Tax Shift: A story of Joe and Jill Homeowner living in George. Tax shift can be for real. Windmills and solar panels are taxed as personal property, not real property. Real property can gain in value, personal property disappears in depreciation. So, imagine a county, George, with a stable tax base generating a predictable revenue stream to George’s government. In comes a major windmill project. The tax base inflates with tax flowing from the new personal property. With Washington’s 1 percent lid on annual increase of property tax revenue, Joe and Jill Homeowners are happy. Their home may be worth a bit more each year but their assessment goes down and they pay less tax. The shiny windmills are paying it for them. At first. After ten years or so, the windmills depreciate out and are no longer paying Jill and Joe’s tax. And after ten years of George’s budget increasing at 1 percent each year to take advantage of the windfall from the new property – and stay up with inflation – the tax base reverts back to Jill and Joe. This is tax shift. The punch line is that Jill and Joe Homeowners can end up paying a good deal more tax while the shadows of the blades of the now-depreciated windmills sweep over their back deck. This is the scenario that Representative Ramel is trying to alter with his substitution of a flat production tax to replace (the state’s) declining personal property tax. Paul Jewell of the Washington State Association of Counties knows this scenario well. Read his organization’s study of tax shift. He is now organizing assessors, treasurers and commissioners around the state to find solutions. WSAC first documented tax shift. It is now trying to resolve it. We are all looking for solutions. Join us this Thursday. Don 23 July 2024 |
| A proposal – Tax production instead of property HB 1756, passed last session with bi-partisan support, exempts renewable energy personal property from state property tax. all qualified personal property owned by an eligible taxpayer and used for the generation of renewable energy is exempt from the state property tax levy. Is this a give-away to solar and wind developers? No. It replaces property tax with a production tax. Eligible taxpayers granted a personal property tax exemption under this act are subject to a production excise tax for the privilege of using qualified renewable energy generating systems The whole idea is to funnel money back to local governments. This bill provides a mechanism for the local government to earn back some of those lost revenues in a time where some of the local communities are struggling to meet the cost of inflation on their budgets. Is HB 1756 and a production excise tax a solution, even a partial solution, to making counties whole? Representative Alex Ramel was the primary sponsor of HB 1756. Let’s hear his thoughts. Join us this Thursday. Don 22 July 2024 |
| Money for Counties from Renewable? There is money in solar panels and windmills. There is money for the developer, there is money for the land owner, and there is money for local government. Money for local government? We in Washington have not seen much of it. Oregonians, on the other hand, welcome renewable energy development precisely because of the financial returns to the counties. So, what is the story? Thursday we are going to talk about how to return some of the economic “rent” to the counties hosting solar and wind developments. Our presenters are Mike McArthur, ED of Oregon’s Community Renewable Energy Association, Representative Alex Ramel, LD 40 Bellingham, and Paul Jewell, policy director of the Washington State Association of Counties. We are going to talk about how to structure licensing of renewable energy facilities so that local communities benefit. Rep. Ramel has authored legislation that helps. Up next. Join us this Thursday. Don 21 July 2024 |
| Sheep and Panels? For Real? Is agrivoltaics for real? Can we actually mix sheep, or vegetables, with solar panels? Chad Higgins, our guest Thursday, will bring us up to date what mixed use is actually installed and what is in the works. Chad’s day job is with the Department of Biological and Ecological Engineering at Oregon State. His research is “probing the spatial characteristics of atmospheric water vapor”. Chad knows the science, and he knows farming. Chad inspired the agrivoltaics that feature in the Hop Hill project in the Black Canyon region north of Sunnyside. The project is on hold at the moment. The siting was deemed inconsistent with Benton County’s land use regulations. The Hop Hill presentation assigns agrivoltaics a central role. Watch its video for a persuasive message. BrightNight, the developer behind Hop Hill, was an early advocate of agrivoltaics. It correctly understood the issue of taking ag land out of production, and crafted a plan to offset the effects of installing solar panels. Go to the project presentations and the video and evaluate BrightNight’s plans. Then join us Thursday to discuss the promise of agrivoltaics. Don 14 July 2024 |
| Decades to Recover? So why are we looking at soil quality and agrivoltaics as our first session? The answer is simple. It has become a graphic talking point used by opponents of solar. It goes back to last August. Kelly McLain, WSDA, wrote to EFSEC that the Carriger project just outside Goldendale was on prime agricultural land and that soft soils meant that Carriger would grade and gravel much of the site. On January 17 Carriger responded saying that the farm ground was not all that good. Besides, Carriger argued, “the Project’s solar arrays will generally follow existing contours within the MPE, requiring minimal grading…[and] only three percent of the project site would be “new, impervious surfaces”. Then came the headlines – McLain’s response a week later: “The impacts of the project include ground compaction, gravel additions to meet footing requirements, a long length of time for the project, and reduced opportunity for tillage, photosynthesis, irrigation, grazing, etc. throughout the life of the project… it may take decades for the agricultural viability issues to be remediated.” This is what made farmers shake their heads, and opponents cheer their new ally. Chad Higgins will lay out “the rest of story”. Join us. 7 July |
| Largest Solar Farm in the State Pre-pandemic, Ormand Hilderbrand and I attended the opening ceremony of the solar installation at Lind…Avista’s Adams Nielson Solar Farm. It was a grand affair with Governor Inslee, Congressman Newhouse, and Senator Schoessler in attendance. It was the largest solar farm in the state at that time, at about 200 acres. Times change. Our thinking in attending was to assess the ground preparation for the solar panels. Ormand had experience in Sherman County in Oregon of bad performance by the solar developer. There was excess ground leveling and a general desert under the panels. We wanted to see what was happening in Lind. Lind was different. The ground, taken out of CRP, was undisturbed and the development impact appeared minimal. This was before much attention was paid to soil consequences of solar development. It was a naïve installation. So, what does it look like today? I visited the site last week and took a photo from the Lind Cemetery, which is surrounded by the solar farm. Don 2 July 2024  |
| July Shift from Briefing to Advocacy Our Policy Briefings shed light on issues affecting rural communities around the state. The idea is to provide you information…the advocacy is up to you. (Of course, there is an advocacy nudge from the topics we choose to cover.) This July is different. We will have two Policy Advocacy meetings where we advocate a position. This position is in favor of wind and solar installations. The first Policy Advocacy session is about solar arrays and soil quality, and the consequences of solar installations for agricultural production. The second session is about the economic incentives for counties to promote wind and solar installations. This shift to advocacy for July follows the unfortunate politicization of wind and solar in central and eastern Washington. It does not have to be this way. We have a model in central Oregon where conservative counties are cheerleaders for wind and solar because of the revenue generated to build local public infrastructure. One goal is to have Washington commissioners to sit down with their Oregon counterparts, compare notes, and discuss what is required for Washington counties to profit from development. Don 29 June 2024 |
Our Better Practices roundtable is on the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm.. Use the link above for 2024.
Our Policy Series is on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm. Use the link above for 2024.
Copyright © 2024 Ag and Rural Caucus, All rights reserved. Ag and Rural Caucus of State Democratic Central Committee
Our mailing address is: Ag and Rural Caucus 2921 Mud Creek Rd Waitsburg, WA 99361
Ag and Rural Summer Fun Contest
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Summer Fun: “A Rural Democrat…” contest
Progress Report II Jake, Cheryl, Kathie, Diana, Vicki joined.in. Thank you!
Don 10 May 2024 |
| Summer Fun: “A Rural Democrat…” contest Progress Report So far Rick, Ron, Ann Marie, Glenn and Doug have submitted texts. Keep them coming. A Rural Democrat doesn’t wait to be asked, they offer help Rural Democrats are the OG Americans. (Or original if you don’t feel gangsta enough, lol) A Rural Democrat knows where their food comes from; the backyard Rural Democrats are the real party of Lincoln. A Rural Democrat: my feet on the ground, my eyes on the horizon. if you farm land in Maga country and still believe in a woman’s right to choose- you might be a rural Democrat! if you farm land in Maga country and still believe in unions- you might be a rural Democrat! A Rural Democrat knows that plants like warmth, but they don’t like climate change (this is from Jerrod Sessler, who famously stated while on stage with me that “Climate change can’t be that bad, plants like the heat don’t they”) Rural Democrats are the fabric that binds this nation together. Rural Democrats feed America. Rural Democrats, 40 miles and 40 years from town, closer to the heart of America. Rural Democrats–tied to the land, connected to the people A take on Jeff Foxworthy: if you farm land in Maga country and still believe in equal rights- you might be a rural Democrat! Rural Dems drive beat-up trucks Rural Democrats- the heart of America. Don 8 May 2024 |
| Summer Fun: “A Rural Democrat…” contest Identity is everything in today’s politics. And “rural” is a current favorite of political organizers. Yet the content of rural as an identity is left undefined. It is time that we, who are rural, step forward and advance a favorable image of rural. We talk about controlling policy agendas. Let’s work on owning our identity. Rural cannot be taken seriously having our own image we can wave. The identities that swirl around our political talk are artful blends of fact and imagination. We can take liberties with census data and voting habits as long as we are not too flagrant. Every dark side has silver tones if you look hard enough. This is a call to have fun with sloganeering. Email me with your suggestions for how to package the good, the honorable, the praiseworthy parts of being rural and a Democrat in Washington. Examples: “A Rural Democrat fixes things” “A Rural Democrat, where who you are is who you are” “A Rural Democrat knows who owned your house before” “A Rural Democrat celebrates Thanksgiving – with family” And so it can go. Have fun with this. I will include your suggestions in a special box in this summer’s mailings. Don 5 May 2024 |
Our Better Practices roundtable is on the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm.. Use the link above for 2024.
Our Policy Series is on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm. Use the link above for 2024.
Copyright © 2024 Ag and Rural Caucus, All rights reserved. Ag and Rural Caucus of State Democratic Central Committee
Our mailing address is: Ag and Rural Caucus 2921 Mud Creek Rd Waitsburg, WA 99361
Convention After-Action Report, and Future Plans
Address: 117 Legislative Modular Building * PO Box 40408 * Olympia, WA 98504
Olympia Office: (360) 786-7614 * Toll Free Hotline: (800) 562-6000 * E-mail: Matt.Boehnke@leg.wa.gov
June 15, 2024
Boehnke attends Nuclear Legislative Workgroup in Chicago
A few days ago, I returned from a trip to Chicago to Co Chair the National Conference of State Legislatures, Nuclear Legislative Work Group spring meeting on July 8-9.
The purpose of these meetings is to provide legislative members with the opportunity to learn about nuclear energy and related policy activity around the country. The group brings together the nuclear energy industry, government, and nonprofit professionals to foster communication with legislators and through these efforts, NLWG members help guide NCSL policies that serve as the basis for NCSL’s advocacy before the federal government on behalf of state legislators.
NEWS | Boehnke selected to serve on the new state AI task force
On June 21, State Sen. Matt Boehnke, the Legislature’s leading expert on cybersecurity and technology, was selected to serve on a new state Attorney General task force on artificial intelligence technology.
Boehnke, R-Kennewick, will serve on the 18-person task force, which will be tasked with issuing findings, guiding principles and policy recommendations.
“Serving on this task force provides an incredible opportunity to bring the insights and experiences I have gained through my service in the military cybercommand units and representing the innovative Tri-Cities community to the forefront of state policy,” Boehnke said. “I look forward to contributing to the development of comprehensive AI guidelines that will benefit all Washingtonians.”
Boehnke meets with Pasco School District staff
Earlier in June, I met with Pasco School District Superintendent Michelle Whitney and staff at the Richard L. Lenhart Transportation Center in Pasco, Wash.
The transportation center is named after Richard Lenhart, a Pasco school bus driver who lost his life in 2021, protecting 35 students from a man who entered his bus armed with a knife.
I had the honor of presenting Ms. Lenhart, Superintendent Whitney, and her staff, and Russell Shjerven, Teamsters Local 839, with copies of ESSB 5891, passed by the legislature and signed by the Governor. The bill, known as the Richard Lenhart Act, designates trespassing on a school bus as a criminal offense, protects the safety and security of students, and maintains order on school buses.
NEWS | B-Reactor tours extended through October
I am pleased to share that Visit Tri-Cities has announced the Department of Energy (DOE) will be extending reservations for The Manhattan Project B-Reactor Tours through the end of October 2024. This extension grants visitors more time to explore this significant historical and scientific landmark.
The B-Reactor is a significant landmark in our nation’s history, and extending the tours allows us to share this legacy with a broader audience. This move underscores our commitment to preserving history and fostering an appreciation for scientific achievements.
CORRECTED LD8 Membership Meeting – NOW Wednesday, July 10, 6-8 p.m., Conf Room A, Richland Library
15th LD Democrats News
16th LD Democrats News
16th LD Democratic Central Committee
Call to Meeting 07/31/2024
7:00p.m. to 8:00p.m.
Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83197234621
Fellow 16th LD Democrats,
We stand at a moment of history. Earlier today President Biden chose to end his reelection campaign and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris. While this development is likely to draw a wide variety of reactions from across the political spectrum, it is essential that we remember that the Democratic Party is the only thing standing between Donald Trump and the White House. How we as PCOs, local leaders, candidates, and volunteers may well determine whether our nation remains the world’s oldest functioning democracy. In the coming weeks and months, it will be up to each of us to support our eventual nominee and every candidate up and down the ballot.
To this end, we will be having our monthly meeting on July 31st at 7:00p.m. via zoom. The agenda for this meeting can be found here: 16th LD Agenda July 31, 2024
The Meeting Information is as follows:
· Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83197234621
· To Participate by phone:
o Dial: 1 (253) 215-8782
o Then Dial: 83197234621
o Then Press: #
To donate to our central committee use the following link: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/16th-ld-democratic-party–wa–1
Here in the 16th LD we are privileged to have three strong candidates who are out there doing the work to flip our district. I encourage you to learn more about them and volunteer on their campaigns. You can connect with each of them using the following links:
| Elect Kari Isaacson PO Box 1133 Walla Walla, WA 99362 electkariisaacson@gmail.com 509-540-7791 http://www.electkariisaacson.com Donation Link: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/elect-kari-isaacson-1 | |
| Friends for Linda Gunshefski P.O Box 1113Walla Walla, WA 99362 drlgun@yahoo.com 509-386-3153 https://www.electlindagunshefski.com/ Donation Link: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/friends-for-linda-gunshefski-1 | |
| Friends of Craig Woodard 128 N 2nd, P.O Box 2400 Walla Walla, WA 99362 craigwoodard1@gmail.com 951-201-7874 https://www.electcraigwoodard.com/ Donation Link: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/friends-of-craig-woodard-1 |
We can win this election both at the Federal and local levels. Now more than ever is a time to do the work!
Sincerely,
Jeffrey A. Robinson
Walla Walla County Democrats News
Yakima County Democrats News
Call for First-Vice-Chair Nominations
Do you want to outcompete Republicans?
Join democrats for a weekend of action!
May meeting moved to Wednesday
Monthly Meeting! Candidates, events planning and more!
Petitions, meet a judge, and more!
March Meeting 3/25 + Run for Delegate!
February 26: See you at Single Hill!
Chelsea Dimas for state representative
City Council letter-writing and 13th LD meeting
Updates! Endorsements, engagement, and the coming spring
Meeting update: Bob Ferguson and local politics watch
Join us for our Election Watch Party!
Thanks for an amazing weekend!
From the State Central Committee
Dear Friend,
We are excited to announce the launch of a special shirt celebrating Kamala Harris and the strength of our diversity!
In my family, these colors represent a sort of exuberant and infectious generosity & joy. You see them everywhere on the subcontinent – and what could be more exciting at this moment than to see them on the smiling faces of people we love everywhere?
Suddenly, we’re on a new timeline not just for South Asians, but for the nation, filled with the possibility of justice & joy. We wanted to celebrate that by making something beautiful for all of us (something that could also raise money to elect Democrats up and down November’s ballot): Get your shirt today here!
Wearing this shirt is a way to celebrate Kamala Harris and the incredible strength of our community. Your purchase will directly support our efforts to elect Democrats up and down November’s ballot.
Thank you for joining us in this celebration.
In Solidarity,
Chair Shasti Conrad
Washington Dems
Washington State Democrats PO Box 4027 Seattle, WA 98194 United States
Dear Friend,
Shasti Conrad here, your Washington State Democratic Party Chair. Our movement to elect Democrats up and down the ballot has been supercharged over the past 72 hours.
President Biden’s heroic and historic decision to pass the torch to the next generation to lead our nation and the overwhelming outpouring of support for Vice President Harris to become our presumptive nominee has changed this election in fundamental ways.
But there is still one thing missing to ensure we win this election: You.
Your involvement in our Party and our democratic process is the linchpin to victory. Without your support, we won’t be able to combat the lies and extremism embodied by the Republican candidates running this year.
Without your voice speaking up for our candidates, we cannot overcome the dark money corroding our democracy. Without your vote, we have no hope of continuing our state’s progress on educating our children, protecting our environment, or building an economy that works for everyone.
So please get involved!
There are numerous ways to help your WA Democrats ensure victory in our August Primary and the November General Elections.
Donate. Help WA Dems raise the resources we need to overcome the corporate interests backing our opponents and get our message out to voters.
Volunteer. Knock doors. Make phone calls. Text your friends and neighbors to encourage them to get their ballots in and support Democratic candidates.
Vote. Ballots for the Washington State Primary Election have already been mailed out. Make a plan to vote and get your ballot in as soon as possible. Research shows that voters who participate in their primaries are far more likely to also vote in the general election. We need to make sure every voter has their voice heard and their ballot counted.
If you can help us with these three simple actions, I am confident that we will secure victories for working families, restore reproductive freedoms, protect our immigrant communities, and restore health and balance to the natural environment come November.
Please consider getting involved right away.
Thank you.
In Solidarity,
Chair Shasti Conrad
Washington State Democrats
Washington State Democrats PO Box 4027 Seattle, WA 98194 United States
Dear Friend,
We knew Vice President Kamala Harris would face racism, misogyny, and blatant disrespect from MAGA Republicans, but we didn’t expect it to come this fast.
The Chair of the Washington GOP, Jim Walsh, has crossed a line with his party’s recent RACIST remarks in response to Kamala Harris being selected as our nominee.
Look at what the Washington GOP tweeted.
It’s appalling.
It’s disturbing.
And it makes Washington look bad.
Calling the Vice President a DEI hire is simply racist.
Flat out.
Jim Walsh, you should be ASHAMED of yourself.
We cannot let this kind of hatred go unanswered. Let’s show Jim Walsh that we support Kamala Harris and Democrats up and down the ballot by raising $5,000 grassroots dollars in response to his shameful comments. Every dollar you contribute by donating at the link below sends a strong message that WE STAND AGAINST RACISM AND SEXISM and support strong, progressive leadership.
secure.actblue.com/donate/wa-2024
Thank you for standing with us and Kamala Harris. Together, we can make a difference.
In solidarity,
Chair Shasti Conrad
Washington State Democrats
Washington State Democrats PO Box 4027 Seattle, WA 98194 United States
PCOs Can (and Should) Start Doorbelling – For PCOs, the time to walk or call the voters in your precincts is NOW so that we can get that data back into Votebuilder ASAP. The data PCOs collect in the first quarter of this year is essential to the voter targeting every Democratic candidate will be able to do in the primary election and for the rest of the year. If needed, our Coordinated Campaign staff can help set PCOs up with a phone or canvass list, an appropriate script for their precinct, and either a listening or ID canvass – just ask us at organizing@wa-democrats.org.
Democratic National Committee News
July 25, 2024.
Today. The day we are asking you to make your first online donation to the Democratic National Committee. Remember it as the day you did your part in helping to defeat Donald Trump and elect Democrats across the country.
$10.
That is the amount of the contribution we are asking you to make today. The DNC is the organization best positioned to move resources where they need to be, when they need to be there in order to help Democrats win. And that’s just what we’ll do with the $10 you give today.
November 6, 2024.
That is the day AFTER the election ends. And it’s the day we want you to wake up knowing you did everything you could to make sure Democrats everywhere WIN this November.
The wind is at our backs but we need your help to keep it going. We’re talking about nothing less than the future of our democracy.
Thank you,
The Democratic Party
Text JOIN to 43367
If you’re ready to elect Democrats in all 50 states, territories, and D.C., make a contribution today.
Contributions or gifts to the Democratic National Committee are not tax deductible. Paid for by the Democratic National Committee, www.Democrats.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
In the coming weeks, the Call Crew is gearing up to make calls to support Democrats in 2024 Priority States! We can’t do it without you.
Whether you’re a seasoned caller or new to the team, your help is essential. Together, we can ensure a strong Democratic turnout in November.
Reach out to voters in your area and beyond to build momentum ahead of Election Day.
Sign up for a Zoom Phone Bank shift in your time zone:
Sign up for a shift today to be part of this incredible effort!
The Democrats
Text JOIN to 43367
If you’re ready to elect Democrats in all 50 states, territories, and D.C., make a contribution today.
Contributions or gifts to the Democratic National Committee are not tax deductible. Paid for by the Democratic National Committee, www.Democrats.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
Join us for Out and Proud: Let’s Sashay to the Polls!
Tri-City Democrats
Winter Social
Ballot Initiatives//League Reflections //Candidate Forums // more
LWVWA Takes NO Position on I-2117 //Candidate Forums // more
Evergreen Voter | LWVWA Council //Extending Your Impact // more
Legislative Action Newsletter March 13, 2024
Legislative Action Newsletter March 3, 2024
Get Out The Vote
Local dance group helped create a GOTV video, sponsored by our local League. Please view this delightful video.
Spanish Version
English Version
https://1drv.ms/v/s!Ah1rUQEIS9Efg6U8J-TO1fM9Kz5XJw?e=cLuAc
Columbia Basin Badger Club
BADGER FORUM: UPDATE FROM KYIV
BADGER FORUM THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, Noon
Ukraine
September 12: LIVE FROM UKRAINE
Dear Friend,
Check your mailbox – ballots for the 2024 primary election arrive this week! This election features races that will help shape the final choices of who becomes our state’s next governor, attorney general, and state legislators. Together, the choices we make will have a big impact on affordable housing, public safety, and economic security in Washington.
Below is the Fuse Progressive Voters Guide to the 2024 primary election – your ticket to highly informed voting based on progressive values. We worked with Washington’s leading progressive organizations to research and recommend nearly 180 candidates and ballot measures across the state.
The deadline to mail in your ballot is August 6, but you should join your neighbors and mail it in today! Then forward this guide to your friends, family, and co-workers — they can find their own locally customized version at ProgressiveVotersGuide.com/Washington.
Thanks for all that you do (especially voting),
Collin and the entire team at Fuse
P.S. Our team has been researching, writing, and interviewing candidates and experts since March to bring you a comprehensive voting guide. In this critically important year, we need to put the guide in the hands of as many undecided voters as possible. Will you support our campaign to distribute the Progressive Voters Guide with a donation of $5?
Fuse is the state’s largest progressive organization — people creating change online, on the ground, and on issues that matter.
Together for Progress
Join us at
fusewashington.org
Do you want to support democracy? Check out these Calls to Action to help locally and nationally!
John Lewis: Good Trouble Online Screening Event
Sunday, April 28th @ 4 pm PT/7 pm ET
Join Meaningful Movies Project and Fix Democracy First for a special online screening of John Lewis: Good Trouble on April 28th at 4 pm PT/7 pm ET!
John Lewis: Good Trouble is a documentary film that provides an intimate glimpse into the extraordinary life and enduring legacy of legendary U.S. Representative John Lewis. Spanning over six decades of remarkable activism, the film portrays Lewis’s evolution from a bold teenager at the forefront of the Civil Rights movement to a formidable legislative force. It begins with Lewis’s courageous plea to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for assistance in integrating a segregated school in his hometown of Troy, Alabama, a pivotal moment that cemented their close bond. From organizing Freedom Rides amidst violence and imprisonment to standing steadfastly at the forefront of historic marches in Washington and Selma, Lewis displayed resilience and determination. Throughout his journey, he championed the spirit of “good trouble,” inspiring fellow Americans to confront injustice fearlessly. As the film chronicles Lewis’s unparalleled commitment to justice and equality until his passing on July 17, 2020, it underscores his enduring message of hope and perseverance. View the trailer HERE.
Also join us for a panel discussion after the film with:
Barbara Arnwine is the President & Founder of the Transformative Justice Coalition, an organization focused on systematic change that achieves racial justice, gender, economic and social justice and human rights. Ms. Arnwine is internationally renowned for contributions on critical justice issues including the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1991 and the 2006 reauthorization of provisions of the Voting Rights Act. She is also a founder of Election Protection, the nation’s largest nonpartisan voter protection coalition.
Rev. Dr. Derrick Harkins is a senior advisor with Raben, a public affairs and organizational consulting firm, where he uses his extensive political and ministerial experience to help advance the firm’s Faith Strategies Group. Prior to this position, Rev. Dr. Harkins was appointed by the Biden-Harris administration to serve as director of the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). He also currently serves on the board of Interfaith Alliance.
Cinthia Illan-Vazquez is the Executive Director at The Washington Bus, a movement building organization that increases political access and participation for young people across WA. Prior to joining the Bus, Cinthia was the Community Engagement Manager at the Center for Education Results where she led and supported various community engagement efforts and strategies. Cinthia also served as legislative assistant to current Speaker of the WA State House of Representatives Laurie Jinkins, and as a community organizer with the Washington Dream Coalition, an undocumented and youth-led advocacy organization.
Support Democracy! Please make a donation to support our programs and work for democracy. We can't do this without you!
Follow Us!
Fix Democracy First
1402 3rd Ave Ste 500
Seattle, Washington 98101
(206) 552-3287
info@fixdemocracyfirst.org
Support Democracy! Please make a donation to support our programs and work for democracy. We can't do this without you!
Follow Us!
Fix Democracy First
1402 3rd Ave Ste 500
Seattle, Washington 98101
(206) 552-3287
info@fixdemocracyfirst.org
John Lewis: Good Trouble Online Screening Event
Sunday, April 28th @ 4 pm PT/7 pm ET
Join Meaningful Movies Project and Fix Democracy First for a special online screening of John Lewis: Good Trouble on April 28th at 4 pm PT/7 pm ET!
John Lewis: Good Trouble is a documentary film that provides an intimate glimpse into the extraordinary life and enduring legacy of legendary U.S. Representative John Lewis. Spanning over six decades of remarkable activism, the film portrays Lewis’s evolution from a bold teenager at the forefront of the Civil Rights movement to a formidable legislative force. It begins with Lewis’s courageous plea to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for assistance in integrating a segregated school in his hometown of Troy, Alabama, a pivotal moment that cemented their close bond. From organizing Freedom Rides amidst violence and imprisonment to standing steadfastly at the forefront of historic marches in Washington and Selma, Lewis displayed resilience and determination. Throughout his journey, he championed the spirit of “good trouble,” inspiring fellow Americans to confront injustice fearlessly. As the film chronicles Lewis’s unparalleled commitment to justice and equality until his passing on July 17, 2020, it underscores his enduring message of hope and perseverance. View the trailer HERE.
Also join us for a panel discussion after the film with:
Barbara Arnwine is the President & Founder of the Transformative Justice Coalition, an organization focused on systematic change that achieves racial justice, gender, economic and social justice and human rights. Ms. Arnwine is internationally renowned for contributions on critical justice issues including the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1991 and the 2006 reauthorization of provisions of the Voting Rights Act. She is also a founder of Election Protection, the nation’s largest nonpartisan voter protection coalition.
Rev. Dr. Derrick Harkins is a senior advisor with Raben, a public affairs and organizational consulting firm, where he uses his extensive political and ministerial experience to help advance the firm’s Faith Strategies Group. Prior to this position, Rev. Dr. Harkins was appointed by the Biden-Harris administration to serve as director of the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). He also currently serves on the board of Interfaith Alliance.
Cinthia Illan-Vazquez is the Executive Director at The Washington Bus, a movement building organization that increases political access and participation for young people across WA. Prior to joining the Bus, Cinthia was the Community Engagement Manager at the Center for Education Results where she led and supported various community engagement efforts and strategies. Cinthia also served as legislative assistant to current Speaker of the WA State House of Representatives Laurie Jinkins, and as a community organizer with the Washington Dream Coalition, an undocumented and youth-led advocacy organization.
Support Democracy! Please make a donation to support our programs and work for democracy. We can't do this without you!
Follow Us!
Fix Democracy First
1402 3rd Ave Ste 500
Seattle, Washington 98101
(206) 552-3287
info@fixdemocracyfirst.org
Build skills with FAN this summer and Vote NO on Initiatives
Announcing Our Search for FAN’s Next Executive Director
Putting Our Values into Action
Table with us at Spokane Pride
Taking Action Together this Election Season
Announcing our FAN Spring Summits
Continuing Opportunities for Advocacy
Important announcement from FAN
All in for Harris: Support our nationwide activation 📣
TOMORROW: Join Shannon Watts, Leah Greenberg, and more to get organized to elect Kamala Harris
RE: Weigh in on Indivisible’s next steps
Special Newsletter: MAGA Convention Edition
We need to help Biden reform SCOTUS
JD Vance: Not the most strategic pick, but the most dangerous
The work ahead, Trump picks a VP, working toward a ceasefire, and Monday updates
How to respond to the violent attack at Trump’s rally
🚀 Campaign Launch: Project 2024
Here it is: our plan to win in 2024
Indivisible Rural Program [2021 WORKING DOC]
Want to get involved?
Council meetings take place in person and online every second Thursday.
Email info@TCDIC.org for more information and the zoom link
Volunteer with the Council today!
Here are some ways you can take action.
- Mon, Aug 5 @ 10am
What is GOTV? › - Tue, Aug 6 @ 10am
Planning a Vote-By-Mail Program › - Thu, Aug 8 @ 10am
NDTC Expert Q&A: Expert Q&A: AI as a Campaign Tool › - Wed, Aug 14 @ 10am
How Local Parties Prepare for GOTV › - Thu, Aug 15 @ 10am
Maximize Your Field Strategy Through Precinct Prioritization › - Sat, Aug 24 @ 8am
National GOTV Bootcamp ›
All times PDT
Connect with us on social media!
Paid for by the National Democratic Training Committee, TrainDemocrats.org, not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
ChatGPT. DeepFakes. Generative Learning. It’s a whole new, wild world out there thanks to the emergence of AI.
That’s why we’re teaming up with our friends at Higher Ground Labs to discuss how to safely and effectively use AI as a tool on the ground! Join us on August 8 at 1 PM EST where we’ll get into all of your questions about these cutting-edge tools and how they can supercharge your campaigns.
We’ll dive into topics like:
- Foundations of Generative AI (what it is, risks, and opportunities)
- Using AI Safely, Securely, and Responsibly
- How to Get Started with AI and Prompt Engineering
- Practical Tools and Use Cases (that you can try immediately!)
Artificial Intelligence has the potential to save time, raise money, and create content so your campaign can thrive. If you’re interested in learning about the buzz around AI for social impact, join us on August 8 at 1PM EST.
Hope to see you there!
-NDTC
Follow us on our social media and stay up to date with NDTC!
Copyright (C) 2024 National Democratic Training Committee. All rights reserved.
Fifteen million jobs. The largest climate investment in American history. Passed legislation lowering costs of prescription medication, increasing gun safety protections, and ensuring the rights of working people to organize for fair wages and benefits.
We are deeply grateful for President Joe Biden’s service to this great nation. By passing the baton to the next generation of leaders, like Kamala Harris, our Party is renewed and revitalized. NDTC is excited to carry Harris’ vision of hope and progress forward into November and beyond.
If you are fired up about supporting Kamala Harris and the hundreds of down ballot Democrats that will benefit from her extraordinary political moment, we encourage you to learn how to design and run a winning GOTV program with us on August 5th.
With Harris as the nominee, the hundreds of NDTC-trained candidates across the country will be able to provide a crystal clear contrast between a MAGA-endorsed agenda and the bold, bright vision that Democrats down ballot are fighting for.
If you are inspired to get in the ring yourself and explore a run for office: we have just what you need to get started. Make a plan to win with this course today.
As the largest Democratic campaign training organization in the nation, we cannot wait to teach even more Democrats how to build long-term power and win even more elections with Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket.
Let’s go win this thing!
With heart and hustle,
NDTC
Follow us on our social media and stay up to date with NDTC!
Copyright (C) 2024 National Democratic Training Committee. All rights reserved.
👋 This is your weekly recap when it comes to all things NDTC! Check out our upcoming events and featured course of the week. Find more at traindemocrats.org
Whether that’s doing call time, running for office, or getting a new piece of legislation on the ballot — changing the world is hard work!
COURSE OF THE WEEK
Running a Distributed Organizing Plan
If you’re curious about tactics, organizing capacity, and structures of distributed organizing programs, check out this course..
UPCOMING LIVE TRAINING
How to Have Successful Volunteer Recruitment Conversations
Volunteers power successful campaigns. We’ll discuss how to identify & engage prospective volunteers. Plus, we’ll practice making effective asks for volunteer support.
7.24
10am PDT
UPCOMING LIVE TRAINING
NDTC Expert Q&A: Winning Together with Labor Communities
Whether you are a candidate, campaign staffer, or local leader, join us for a conversation around how you can collaborate effectively with labor communities across the country, shape pro-worker policies, and uplift the American worker.
7.25
10am PDT
UPCOMING LIVE TRAINING
What is GOTV?
It’s GOTV season! We’ll dive into GOTV-specific terminology, key logistics, and essential components of a successful GOTV plan.
8.05
10am PDT
Follow us on our social media and stay up to date with NDTC!
Copyright (C) 2024 National Democratic Training Committee. All rights reserved.
Connect with us on social media!
National Democratic Training Committee
910 17th Street NW, Suite 925 Washington, DC, 20006, US
Project 2025 Payday: JD Vance, Peter Thiel, Palantir & Trump’s Tech Billionaire Donors
Republican Dog Whistles: Kamala Harris Collection
AI Decodes Project 2025 To Expose Its Real Intent
Canvass smarter: Design better walking routes with AI-powered software delivery pros use
Netanyahu and Trump: Running for office to avoid jail time
Turnout election? Canvass better with smarter tech.
Where Black and Asian American Voters Can Influence the Election Most
How AAPI Victory Alliance uses WhatsApp Bots to Engage and Build Asian Voter Contact Lists
Why is Facebook censoring news about Project 2025? Ask the Republican operatives working there!
Trump’s History of Insulting Women: How Will He Target Kamala Harris?
President Biden’s Legacy: Mapping His 12 Greatest Accomplishments
From Russia With No Love: Meet the Russian operatives helping MAGA
Meet the Republican operatives dismantling democracy with Project 2025
Trump’s Project 2025 Mass Deportation Scheme mapped
BIGGEST LAND GRAB EVER: Project 2025 To Sell Off Your Public Lands!
Meet J.D. Vance: Project 2025’s MAGA VP Pick
ACLU Supporter, Project 2025 makes the stakes in our fight for our democracy higher than ever.
Its proposals would threaten every single one of our key rights – calling for mass deportations, prosecuting abortion providers nationwide, banning trans health care, and so much more. We at the ACLU are doing everything we can to thwart the potentially catastrophic impacts of Project 2025 – but we need you with us.
We’re already investing tireless hours and resources in the 2024 election to protect all of our freedoms. We’re deploying hundreds of volunteers in key states to protect our elections, show up in state legislatures, and organize around ballot measures that will protect our rights.
ACLU Supporter, this political moment is truly unprecedented. But the ACLU’s role in protecting our democracy and fundamental freedoms is not.
We know what it takes to defend our rights – we’ve been doing it for over 100 years. And we know that if we wait to defend our democracy, it will be too late. Project 2025 is the roadmap to tyranny. The policies it spells out aren’t just words on a screen – they represent millions of people whose civil liberties are on the line. Millions of people we can and must defend.That work doesn’t start after our next president is sworn in. It’s already begun.
We’re already in statehouses, communities, and beyond protecting immigrant families from mass deportations, trans youth from gender-affirming care bans, students from censorship, and voters’ right to the ballot nationwide.
The ACLU is THE best-equipped organization to defend our rights and democracy from the threats spelled out in Project 2025. We’re ready to continue giving our all every day from now to November 5. And after Election Day, we’ll do our duty to hold our president – ANY president – accountable.
Thank you for being a crucial part of this movement.
In solidarity,
The ACLU Team
American Civil Liberties Union
125 Broad Street, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10004, USA
ACLU Supporter, Project 2025 makes the stakes in our fight for our democracy higher than ever.
Its proposals would threaten every single one of our key rights – calling for mass deportations, prosecuting abortion providers nationwide, banning trans health care, and so much more. We at the ACLU are doing everything we can to thwart the potentially catastrophic impacts of Project 2025 – but we need you with us.
We’re already investing tireless hours and resources in the 2024 election to protect all of our freedoms. We’re deploying hundreds of volunteers in key states to protect our elections, show up in state legislatures, and organize around ballot measures that will protect our rights.
ACLU Supporter, this political moment is truly unprecedented. But the ACLU’s role in protecting our democracy and fundamental freedoms is not.
We know what it takes to defend our rights – we’ve been doing it for over 100 years. And we know that if we wait to defend our democracy, it will be too late. Project 2025 is the roadmap to tyranny. The policies it spells out aren’t just words on a screen – they represent millions of people whose civil liberties are on the line. Millions of people we can and must defend.That work doesn’t start after our next president is sworn in. It’s already begun.
We’re already in statehouses, communities, and beyond protecting immigrant families from mass deportations, trans youth from gender-affirming care bans, students from censorship, and voters’ right to the ballot nationwide.
The ACLU is THE best-equipped organization to defend our rights and democracy from the threats spelled out in Project 2025. We’re ready to continue giving our all every day from now to November 5. And after Election Day, we’ll do our duty to hold our president – ANY president – accountable.
Thank you for being a crucial part of this movement.
In solidarity,
The ACLU Team
American Civil Liberties Union
125 Broad Street, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10004, USA
On Abortion, JD Vance is the bridge between Trump and Project 2025
–The Intercept
Did you hear about Project 2025? The GOP released their 900-page dangerous manifesto if Donald Trump gets a second term. And JD Vance agreed that overturning Roe v. Wade was just the beginning.
Here’s some of what is outlined for abortion – a national ban on abortion with no exception for rape or incest, government surveillance on women’s bodies to punish those seeking any abortion care, revoking FDA approval for the abortion pill, Mifepristone, and ending the mandate for insurance to cover the contraceptive pills.
Vice President Kamala Harris is a champion for women and a fighter for our rights. She has been a leader for this country on important issues, including abortion rights.
Our opportunity to elect the first woman president has never been greater than it is right now, at this moment. Along with Vice President Kamala Harris, our elected alums are hard at work by already calling out Project 2025 and fighting back against the anti-choice agenda. But we need all the help we can get to ensure we’re training more Democratic women to run for office up and down the ballot to win in November.
We must support Democratic women seeking office to ensure extremists like JD Vance don’t implement their GOP agenda.
THIS IS URGENT!! Can we count on you to support more Democratic women and help us reach our $25,000 July fundraising goal?
–Team Emerge HQ
Empowering Democratic women to run – and win!
www.emergeamerica.org
4 Embarcadero Center
Suite 1400
San Francisco, CA 94111
United States
We’ve almost wrapped up July, and in a historic moment Vice President Kamala Harris will be the first Black woman and first Asian American woman on a presidential ticket in our nation’s history – and she is also a co-founder of Emerge.
Vice President Harris sparked the creation of Emerge when she ran for San Francisco District Attorney more than 20 years ago. Her inner circle saw the need for a program to train women on how to run for office and win, and that is exactly what they created Emerge to do. Since then, we have been successful in training more than 6,000 women through state and national programs and over 1,200 of those women serve in elected office today. Ahead of this year’s crucial elections, we are committed to ensuring Democratic women up and down the ballot have the tools they need to win to build on those numbers.
A bold Democratic leader like Vice President Harris at the top of the ticket will support every woman in down ballot democratic races across the country.
To keep up our momentum and create history by electing Democratic women – we need the support of our people-powered movement. We’re launching our ambitious, must-meet $25,000 fundraising goal. Will you contribute $25 or more in honor of Vice President Kamala Harris?
Thank you,
Brianna Carmen
Political Director, Emerge
Empowering Democratic women to run – and win!
www.emergeamerica.org
4 Embarcadero Center
Suite 1400
San Francisco, CA 94111
United States
TIP OF THE HAT
You may have thought tipping culture was already out of hand, but, well, you were wrong. Because according to a new report from the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, some companies providing so-called “payday advance” loans actually request that consumers provide them tips… for the service of letting them access their own paychecks a few days early.
It’s pretty clear that the entire point of inserting a tip screen in this kind of transaction is to fool customers into adding the tip unwillingly. Because while it’s true that some customers do appreciate the opportunity to provide tips as a way of acknowledging good service (or to somewhat compensate for low wages in the service sector), there are approximately zero people on planet Earth who would be inclined to tip a company which is providing them a loan against their own paycheck. Nobody wants to tip a bank teller or throw a gratuity at the CoinStar machine. Surely nobody wants to do this either. And yet these loan companies are out there hustling for tips, hoping customers get confused or think they don’t have a choice but to chip in something extra, and then claiming it’s all just voluntary.
Make it make sense.
have been made in large Sunbelt cities, as compared to the number of eviction filings before the pandemic. Other regions have seen smaller increases in evictions, due largely to increased legal protections for renters in those cities.
at Amazon were injured during Prime Day 2019, according to a new report from the US Senate. The company insisted that injury rates are down and complained that the report “was not shared with us before publishing.”
was paid by hedge fund honcho Ken Griffith for a fossilized stegosaurus named Apex. After his purchase, Griffith promised that “Apex was born in America and is going to stay in America!”
It’s hardly news to be told yet again that billionaires are pretty damn rich. But perhaps the one thing more startling than the scale of the wealth of the country’s 800 billionaires is the rate at which that wealth is growing. As the chart below from Americans for Tax Fairness shows, the total wealth of American billionaires has more than doubled since Trump’s trickle-down tax cut. In fact, these 800 billionaires control significantly more wealth than the entire bottom half of the country.
A big part of the reason is that the American tax code incorporates a wide range of loopholes that benefit the richest few, including the low rate paid on capital gains as compared to the taxes paid on work income; the “stepped-up” basis that lets investment gains go entirely untaxed for a lifetime; the weak estate tax; and all kinds of other goodies.
Our country simply isn’t building enough homes people can afford, and the shortage only seems to be growing larger each year. Don’t worry, there are plenty of realtors, builders, and developers making plenty of money. But it’s pretty clear that just letting them keep on keeping on isn’t going to solve this problem.
So it’s worth paying attention to a new proposal for a fairly technical change which would allow government-backed Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac to stimulate construction by creating a new market for government-backed construction loans. While this may seem like a small thing, some experts think that $100 billion of these kinds of loans, tapped through a revolving fund, could produce more than 250,000 new units of housing a year. And sure, building more publicly owned social housing would be even better, but this could be a smart way to quickly address the housing crisis without first requiring a fundamental rethinking of how we think about real estate. (Though maybe we should do that part too.)
What did you think? Choose a reaction:
Civic Action
119 1st Avenue South Suite 320
Seattle, WA 98014
United States
The past week has been a whirlwind. In the last 72 hours, over 135,000 Women’s Marchers have joined our organizing calls to get marching orders on how to elect the first woman president of the United States and defeat the MAGA agenda.
On those calls we heard that you’re feeling a lot like us – some mix of exhaustion, invigoration, hope, or maybe even fear that we will work our hearts out to be defeated by sexism at the ballot box once again.
That’s all understandable. We don’t want to let the momentum of this moment mask the fact that we have a lot of hard work ahead of us. It will take all of us doing all that we can to make sure #WeWontGoBack
We are not in a position where we can afford to cede any ground to the opposition. We will continue to organize in the electoral moment and beyond. We will hold elected leaders accountable to their mandate to care for our communities and for our children.
With determination,
Team Women’s March
| Women’s March is a 501c(4) organization. Your generous support helps us prepare for fights we see coming and those we don’t. Donations are not tax-deductible. If you prefer to make a tax-deductible gift, we encourage you to support the Women’s March Network. Gifts to the Network support our organizing, communications, advocacy, and public education efforts. |
Today, President Biden announced he would not seek a re-election campaign. As we reflect on his time in office, we are filled with gratitude for his fearless leadership on gun safety and the profound impact of the Biden/Harris Administration.
President Biden’s journey as a champion of gun violence prevention has been nothing short of transformative. His passage and signing of the most comprehensive gun violence prevention legislation in 30 years is a milestone that will pave the way for future progress. Additionally, by establishing the first White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, he has shown the nation and the world that gun violence demands our highest attention.
His dedication didn’t stop there. He also signed more executive actions to address gun violence than any other president, driving the single largest decrease in violence in modern American history. His bold actions and compassionate leadership have made a real difference, and for that, we are deeply grateful.
As we move forward, we are reminded that we need a courageous leader in the White House who shares a commitment to prevent gun violence, prioritizes the safety of our communities, and stands up against the gun lobby’s extremist agenda.
However, throughout their careers, both former president Trump and his running mate Sen. JD Vance have demonstrated a clear pattern of prioritizing the gun lobby’s desires over the safety and well-being of the American people.
This was made apparent, when a gunman armed with an AR-15 attempted to assassinate Trump at his own rally, yet NRA-backed politicians still refused to do the right thing and resisted common-sense, life-saving gun safety measures that could have prevented the shooting.
We call on you, our dedicated supporter, to join us in this critical fight. Stay engaged, spread awareness, and support candidates dedicated to standing up against gun violence.
We’ve gotten to where we are today because of our determination and our willingness to never give up hope—even on the days where change seems impossible. Now, we must keep moving forward.
Thank you so much for your support in the most critical election of our lifetimes.
Renée Hopkins
CEO, Alliance for Gun Responsibility
The recent attack on former President Trump highlights a terrifying reality: gun violence is a threat to everyone, regardless of their status or political affiliation. This incident should serve as a wake-up call for all elected officials to recognize the urgent need for comprehensive gun safety legislation and unity in our country.
We cannot afford to let partisan politics stand in the way of protecting our communities. Gun violence is a public health crisis that affects all Americans, and it requires a unified, bipartisan response. The statistics are alarming: in an average year, 44,341 people die, and 96,935 are wounded by guns in the United States, costing the country $557.2 billion each year. Families are torn apart, communities are traumatized, and the fear of gun violence is a daily reality for many.
We cannot continue to stand by while lives are lost and futures are destroyed.
We must hold our elected officials accountable and demand that they take this issue seriously. This means having difficult conversations and enacting bipartisan gun safety legislation, such as universal background checks, safe storage laws, and extreme risk protection orders. These are common-sense solutions to keep guns out of the hands of people with the intent to harm, solutions that the Alliance has been advocating for since our founding.
My team and I are committed to tirelessly working towards a future free from gun violence. We invite you to support our mission by contributing $5 today to join us in this crucial fight.
Renée Hopkins
CEO, Alliance for Gun Responsibility
Dear MoveOn member,
We are fired up and ready to elect Kamala Harris as our next president—and the support from MoveOn members and voters has been overwhelming! In just the first 24 hours after announcing her candidacy, the Harris campaign raised $81 million dollars, the largest single day of fundraising for any candidate in history, and signed up over 20,000 new volunteers.1
MoveOn members have resoundingly endorsed Vice President Harris with over 87% support—one of the most definitive endorsements in MoveOn’s history—and now it’s time to pull out all the stops to send her to the White House!
Under Kamala Harris’s leadership, we know we can organize to expand our rights, protect our communities, and use the power of the federal government to advance reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy, climate justice, economic justice, racial justice, and more. One thing has always been clear—voters will determine the future of this country. And in November, it will take all of us coming together to elect Kamala Harris.
In 2020, Kamala Harris made history as the first Black, South Asian, and female vice president in the United States. This year, we can break that glass ceiling once and for all and elect her as our first female president!
With less than four months left until Election Day, we cannot waste a single second, and we need to show the country that we are energized and committed to the Harris campaign.
The stakes of this election could not be any more clear. We can’t return to Donald Trump’s presidency and the daily chaos and the struggle of stopping the worst of his attempts to divide us, further dismantle democratic institutions, and roll back our remaining rights and freedoms. The white Christian nationalist Project 2025 takeover plan tells us everything we need to know about the plan for a second Trump presidency. We have to come together as a strong, unified voting bloc to protect our future and elect Kamala Harris.
This is a historic moment and a historic opportunity. Are you ready to get the job done?
Thanks for all you do.
–Mohammad, Kelsey, Amanda, Chris, and the rest of the team
P.S. Interested in doing more to help support our efforts to elect Kamala Harris for president? Click here to RSVP to join MoveOn’s national phone bank in support of Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign this Thursday at 7 p.m. ET (6 CT/5 MT/4 PT).
Source:
1. “Harris Raised $81 Million in First 24 Hours as Candidate,” The New York Times, July 22, 2024
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/22/us/politics/harris-fundraising-biden-actblue.html
Want to support MoveOn’s work? Voters just defied history and stopped a MAGA wave of extremism at the polls. But there is more work to do to end the filibuster, codify abortion rights into law, and defend our freedoms, our families, and our futures. We can accomplish all this and more, but only if we work together.
Will you chip in monthly to power our critical work?
No, I’m sorry, I can’t make a monthly donation.
MOVEON POLITICAL ACTION, https://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. MoveOn Political Action – PO Box 96142, Washington, D.C. 20090-6142.
Dear MoveOn member,
Over the last 36 hours, we asked you: Should MoveOn endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president?
An overwhelming 87% of you said YES! MoveOn members have endorsed Kamala Harris for president!
Now comes the work, and let’s be clear that it still will not be easy to defeat Donald Trump, his MAGA cronies, and their Project 2025 takeover of America. That’s where each of us comes in, because together, we can move mountains.
Will you help us show our overwhelming support for Vice President Harris and support MoveOn’s election program to defeat Donald Trump, MAGA, and Project 2025? Your donation will be split 50/50 between Vice President Harris’s presidential campaign and MoveOn’s election work.
If you’ve saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:
Trump and Vice President Harris could not be more different.
Trump is a sexual predator; Vice President Harris prosecuted sex crimes and defended survivors.1
Trump was responsible for the Supreme Court that overturned Roe v. Wade; Vice President Harris has been a strong voice for reproductive freedom.2
Trump rolled back hundreds of environmental protections; Vice President Harris has been fighting Big Oil since the beginning of her career.3
Trump is a privileged white man; Vice President Harris would be the first Black, South Asian, and woman president in our nation’s history.
The difference between Trump and Vice President Harris couldn’t be more stark, and now we need to make that clear to the 1.5 million surge voters who will determine the outcome of the election and the future of our country. We urgently need to connect with them about what a future under a Harris administration would look like vs. what one under a Trump fascist government would do to our nation.
Will you donate now to help elect Kamala Harris and boost MoveOn’s election program? Your donation will be split 50/50 between Vice President Harris’s campaign and MoveOn’s election work.
If you’ve saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:
The next few weeks are going to be game-changing.
The Harris campaign needs to resource a national campaign, pick a vice presidential candidate, and officially clinch the Democratic nomination. Our focus must be on educating voters who don’t pay close attention to politics about Vice President Harris’s vision for a country that works for all of us and juxtaposing the Project 2025 policies Trump and his cronies plan to put in place if he wins in November.
We’re already redoubling our work with a newly energized, research-based, multifaceted campaign to engage, motivate, and mobilize 1.5 million surge voters—those who need a bit of a push to go to the polls in swing states and districts.
Under Kamala Harris’s leadership, we know we can organize to restore and expand our freedoms and rights, protect our communities, and use the power of the federal government to advance reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy, climate justice, economic justice, racial justice, and more. One thing has always been clear—voters will determine the future of this country. And in November, it will take all of us coming together to elect Kamala Harris. We need you in this moment.
Donate now to help defeat Trump and his MAGA cronies! Your donation will be split 50/50 between Vice President Harris’s campaign and MoveOn’s election work.
If you’ve saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:
Thanks for all you do.
–Mohammad, Corinne, Emily, Oscar, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. “Kamala Harris says an abused high school friend inspired her to fight for women: ‘I wanted to protect people,'” Yahoo!, January 16, 2021
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/kamala-harris-says-an-abused-high-school-friend-inspired-her-to-fight-for-women-i-wanted-to-protect-people-002935129.html
2. “Harris, who is Biden’s voice on abortion rights, is likely to raise the volume,” NPR, July 22, 2024
https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/07/22/nx-s1-5048045/harris-abortion-health-drug-prices-insulin-medicare&a
3. “A Guide to Kamala Harris’ Views on Abortion, the Economy, and More,” Time, July 22, 2024
https://time.com/7001208/kamala-harris-views-abortion-economy-immigration-israel-gaza/
Want to support MoveOn’s work? Voters just defied history and stopped a MAGA wave of extremism at the polls. But there is more work to do to end the filibuster, codify abortion rights into law, and defend our freedoms, our families, and our futures. We can accomplish all this and more, but only if we work together.
Will you chip in monthly to power our critical work?
No, I’m sorry, I can’t make a monthly donation.
MOVEON POLITICAL ACTION, https://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. MoveOn Political Action – PO Box 96142, Washington, D.C. 20090-6142.
You already know that If I-2109 passes, it will not only repeal Washington’s capital gains tax on the uber-rich, but also cut more than $5 billion from childcare and education funding by 2030. Mega-millionaires will take it as a green light to keep manipulating Washington’s tax code, putting more tax responsibility on the rest of us.
Children’s groups, teachers, parents, and many more organizations – including Invest In WA Now – are donating to help defeat I-2109. That’s money the campaign needs for grassroots organizing, digital and cable ads, and much more.
Already, dozens of you – IWN super-activists, have contributed to the No on I-2109 campaign – THANK YOU!
We need an outpouring of grassroots support to defeat I-2109. Chip in to the No on I-2109 campaign to help defeat this measure and stop mega-millionaires like Heywood from rigging taxes for himself.
The capital gains tax is a tax on extreme Wall Street profits. Only 0.02% of Washingtonians have to pay it, but we all benefit from it. The tax just took effect and its first year raised nearly $900 million for childcare and education!
Thanks in large part to the capital gains tax, Washington no longer has the least equitable tax code in the nation. We can’t afford to take any steps backward.
Together, we will make sure Washingtonians know what’s at stake – and ensure mega-millionaires pay what they owe.
Thank you for whatever you can give.
In solidarity, Treasure Mackley Executive Director Invest in Washington Now
Invest in Washington Now, 509 Olive Way Ste 1133, Seattle, WA, 98101
Dems 101 – Two messages from the heart
Dems 101 – The Real Meaning of the 4th of July
Dems 101 – A message from Ohio – Part 1
Dems 101 – Over 50 groups have adopted the Democratic Creed
Dems 101 – News + help for candidates
Dems 101 – Upcoming events in Michigan, Georgia & Ohio
Dems 101 – This time, just Forward!
Dems 101 – Backward and Forward
Dems 101 – March 2024 Newsletter – BUILDING A COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY COALITION (Part 2)
Dems 101 – February 2024 Newsletter – BUILDING A COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY COALITION
Friend,
You may know me from Invest in Washington Now, the group that helped more than 70,000 Washingtonians take action and pass the first-ever capital gains tax on Washington’s mega-millionaires and billionaires to fund child care and education.
Now, some mega-millionaires are desperate to repeal this tax with Initiative 2109 — and cut billions from education and childcare in the process. It’s selfish and short-sighted. They have no idea what it’s like to struggle to afford child care. They can afford full-time nannies. All they care about is having a lower tax bill at the end of the year.
The mega-millionaires trying to repeal the capital gains tax are in a losing battle. They’ve lost in the Washington Supreme Court and even the U.S. Supreme Court.
But they aren’t giving up. They see I-2109 as their path forward. They will spend millions on ads to deceive Washingtoninans into voting for something that will hurt working families.
If I-2109 passes, Washington will lose more than $5 billion in funding for child care and education over the next six years. And mega-millionaires will take it as a green light to keep manipulating our tax code, putting more burden on the rest of us.
Thanks for whatever you can give.
In solidarity,
Treasure Mackley
Executive Director
Invest in Washington Now
No on 2109 Committee
PO Box 21961, Seattle, WA, 98111
Top Contributors:
National Education Association, WA Federation of State Employees, Washington Education Association, Lisa Mennet, SEIU Initiative Fund
When I say that I-2117 would end investments in every corner of our state, I mean it:
Roads and bridges. Ferries. Fish barriers and habitats. Wildfire prevention. Agriculture. Tribal-led projects.
The list goes on. And on.
There are thousands of projects and hundreds of programs at risk. We’ve invested $3.3 billion in our communities so far… but our opposition wants to allow more pollution and roll back our progress.
These projects are making life better for Washingtonians. I-2117 would defund them. It’s that simple.
Help protect what we’ve worked so hard to achieve. Chip in today.
Very truly yours,
Jay Inslee
This map is what we’re fighting against:
The climate crisis is happening right now. It’s accelerating extreme heat that’s hurting our quality of life and even sending Washingtonians to the hospital. We need to treat this like the emergency it is.
But instead, right-wing millionaires are playing politics. They’re trying to overturn our landmark climate law – game-changing climate progress that set the standard for other states and nations to follow.
From Washington state to Arizona, millions of people are enduring extreme heat and wildfire threats.It doesn’t end there. We just saw Hurricane Beryl intensify into a Category 5 storm in record time. It wreaked unimaginable destruction across the Caribbean. Meteorologists predict it’s just an example of storms to come.But this movement knows we don’t sit in despair. We take action. That’s how we passed our landmark climate law in the first place – and now that it’s under threat, we must step up once again.
Very truly yours,
Jay Inslee
Our intrepid researchers have identified new writing opportunities – JUST ADDED:
.
Newest opportunities:
Arizona, Nevada, and Wisconsin – Vote Forward – Write non-partisan letters to encourage voter participation of historically underrepresented communities
These opportunities are still available:
California, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania – Activate America – writing postcards to support Senate Candidates, Defending/Flipping House seats
Spanish-speaking Voters– Activate America – write postcards in Spanish to registered Spanish-speaking voters to encourage voter participation.
Michigan – Blue Wave – Write postcards to ask voters to sign up to Vote by Mail
Arizona – Center for Common Ground – write postcards to 54 thousand Black voters
Arizona, California, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin – Field Team 6 – writing postcards to encourage registration of voters and support liberal candidates in vital swing states
Native Americans in 12 target states – Field Team 6 – encourage voter registration
California, Michigan, Nevada, Spanish-speaking Voters, Wisconsin – Grassroots Dems – writing postcards supporting Wm’s Rights Candidates, flipping crucial House seats & encouraging voting by mail
Washington – Postcards 4 WA – Write postcards to elect State House members and County Commissioner in close races
California, Colorado, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Washington, Pennsylvania – Vote Forward – writing non-partisan letters to encourage young citizens (18-35) and Dem-leaning voters to turn out in 2024 election
Postcards to Swing States – Paused for new postcard writing sign ups until Aug 1st due to the overwhelming demand from the new campaigns added in July
Hedge fund millionaire Brian Heywood is trying to repeal our state’s tax on capital gains profits with Initiative 2109.
Why should you care? The tax on capital gains profits helps fund childcare and education in Washington. If it’s repealed, it will worsen Washington’s childcare and school funding crises from Seattle to Wenatchee to Spokane. And that’s the last thing our state needs.
I-2109 is a ploy by a few ultra-wealthy people to avoid paying what they owe. It would cut more than $5 billion in funding for education, childcare, and early learning over six years to pay for a tax break for about 4,000 mega-millionaires and billionaires.
Brian Heywood has already spent millions of dollars to put this bogus initiative on the ballot. He and his ultra-rich friends will spend even more on the campaign to pass I-2109 so they can try to shape Washington’s tax code in their favor.
Washington state’s tax code has been upside down for years, and I-2109 would only make things worse. Thanks for reading up on it and joining the movement to defeat it!
— Team Civic Action
Civic Action
119 1st Avenue South Suite 320
Seattle, WA 98014
United States
Good of the Order
What Can I Do? Here’s a way to join the postcard brigade
Fix Democracy First has compiled an excellent list of sites with which to expand your activism
WIN GOTV has a number of postcard writing opportunities
BCDCC Officers and Subcommittee Chairs for 2023-2024
The Benton County Democratic Central Committee is searching for a Newsletter editor, if you’re interested please check out information here: https://www.bencodems.org/newsletter-editor/