Recent Events
See the Web Log for information about past events
Hey there – This month’s training focus at NDTC is campaign planning, and it’s not a mystery why. At this point in the cycle, you should be establishing your plans and laying foundations. Check out this week’s lineup to learn more.
First up is What is a Democratic Precinct Chair on Tuesday, March 14 at 1pm ET.
The best person in your community for getting connected to Democratic constituents is your local precinct chair.
By the time get out the vote (GOTV) time is here, you’ll want to have meaningful connections with all of your potential voters. Gain the best insights on engaging with your precinct chair and more on Tuesday.
Then on Thursday, March 16 at 6pm ET, Calculating Your Vote Goal will get you your most important campaign number.
The fundamental goal of any campaign is getting more votes than your opponent. But how do you get this number, and how do you use it to strategize your money and time effectively?
These questions and more will be answered on Thursday as our expert trainer walks you through the process of finding and using your vote goal.
Finally on Friday, March 17, How to Build and Use Your Campaign Plan begins at 1pm ET.
So you’ve decided to run, now what? Making a plan will serve as your map to the finish line on Election Day.
Take the various aspects of your campaign and put them all in one place. It’s okay if your plan changes as the cycle moves along – it’s all part of the process!
And later on in March, we’re hosting another NDTC Expert Q&A: Making Big Plans (Women’s History Month Edition)
We’re bringing together yet another amazing panel of Democratic experts and strategists to talk all things planning!
You’ll be able to learn from our panelists’ own experiences, plus you’ll have a chance to ask your own questions and learn from fellow 2023 candidates, staff, and local leaders.
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.
| Ag and Rural Caucus Cascade Renewable Transmission Carol Loughlin 6:30 pm Thursday 16 March https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83419676203?pwd=NUo0NVVYOHU4Ky91RTYxa1Q0cjdXQT09 |
Elegant and Creative
Folks in the Tri-Cities think that Ice Harbor dam is theirs…that the power generated by its turbines stays in Pasco. They judge, contrarily, that electricity from the proposed wind project in the Horse Heaven Hills will go directly to Seattle.
Neither idea really works. What is true is that power moves. It may energize an Amazon warehouse in direct line of sight of a wind turbine, or it may light up a hospital in south Los Angeles. It moves through cables and substations. Right now, power supply and power demand are pretty much in balance.
Move the time dial ahead, though, and we see a pinch point between east and west. Fossil fuel generators in Centralia, Chehalis, and Satsop – all west of the Cascades – are going away. Vehicles are moving to Chevy Bolts and Tesla’s, most of which are driving west of the Cascades. Building codes are moving to electrical heat pumps, replacing natural gas in homes in Seattle. On the other hand, data centers and logistic hubs locate in Arlington and Pasco.
Demand for electricity is growing mostly west of the Cascades; generation is exploding east of the Cascades.
We live in a regional economy and energy needs to move – through a grid.
The problem is that this grid needs to join east and west; it needs to cross through the Cascades. Cascade Renewable Transmission has an ingenious idea that uses an existing route through the Cascades. It just happens to be a river, the Columbia River.
A friend in the energy industry calls the idea “elegant and creative.” Judge for yourself. Join us to indulge your curiosity, wonderment, and your doubts.
Don
14 March 2023
A Sleeper issue?
Is our PNW power grid a sleeper issue? Yes, and no. The “yes” is that solar and wind headlines are about homeowners upset by seeing windmills on the horizon, about solar farms built on “disturbed” ground (i.e., farmland), about fencing out elk migration routes, about the life cycle of turbine blades, about how many jobs are created and much tax money will come to the county, about local authorities being overruled by bureaucrats in Olympia, and about rural Washington subsidizing Puget Sound elites. To mention a few items.
The “no” is that the grid is often the driver behind the headlines. The grid is the power lines and towers that link generators and consumers, the rights of way that carve their way round the PNW, and the web of contracts, fees, and compliance rules between the monopolies who own the physical lines and the wind and solar developers who need access to their power customers.
Sure, wind velocities, sun, and cheap real estate are important. So is ready access to the big power lines. The Horse Heaven project advertises that
Renewable power projects utilize existing electrical infrastructure more wisely to reduce customer energy costs, minimize the need to build new large transmission lines throughout the region, and deliver energy to end customers in the near term instead of waiting for 10–15-years for transmission projects to be built in order to bring power from far away generation.
Enter the Cascade Renewable Transmission project. It is not enough to hook up the Horse Heaven project to a power line that goes down the hill to the Tri-Cities. The real customers are over the Cascades in the Puget Sound. The Cascades are the bottleneck. “Waiting 10-15 years for transmission project to be built” is wishful thinking. Unless you think really outside the box. And that is what Cascade Renewable Transmission (CRT) is.
This is not a sleeper issue. Maybe off your radar but not for long. The CRT proposal is bold – and important. Open your imagination, formulate your questions and join us for a presentation and discussion.
Don
22 February 2023
Copyright © 2022 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 Caucus March Schedule 6:30 pm Thursday 2 March Better Practices roundtable County Corps update Adam Bernbaum https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81582823697?pwd=V1FaVlV3Ly8xTHFBTTZZM1VxblVjQT09 |
County Corps
Game on?
Just a reminder that Thursday evening Adam Bernbaum will update us on the County Corps project, the proposal for rural counties and the state party jointly to hire organizers. The idea is to build organizational capacity at the county level to move the Democratic dial on sub-LD races. If we can elect county commissioners, we contribute votes to our LD candidates and our state-wide races.
Adam will update us how the governing side of the concept is developing – you will let him know what county parties need.
We rural Democrats readily share our grievances with the arrogance of outsiders parachuting into our communities and preaching what they just learned in campaign school. Well, it may be our turn. The County Corps puts pressure on us county parties to make good on our brave talk that we know our communities and what works and what does not. The County Corps gives us county party ownership of organizing in our own neighborhoods. Can we move from whining to performing?
Adam will be able to report, too, whether County Corps has legs, whether he is finding encouragement. It may be that the pieces and parts will not come together. If you think the County Corps is worth investment, let Adam know.
In “Better Practices” you are the expert. Feel free to share, or to sit back and listen and learn.
Don
27 February 2023
| Ag and Rural Caucus March Schedule 6:30 pm Thursday 16 March Policy Series Cascade Renewable Transmission Carol Loughlin https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83419676203?pwd=NUo0NVVYOHU4Ky91RTYxa1Q0cjdXQT09 |
Our Better Practices roundtable is on the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm.. Use the link above for 2023.
Our Policy Series is on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm. Use the link above for 2023.
Copyright © 2022 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
Hey there – We’re marching right into March! But first, check out the last of our February trainings on building your political career plan.
Hiring for Political Campaigns
Tuesday, February 28 at 1pm ET
We’re in the thick of the building phase of the cycle. That means assembling an all-star team and knowing the needs of your campaign.
On Tuesday, get a broad overview of the many roles that can be hired on a campaign, plus strategies for bringing in some of the amazing talent out there.
[THIS WEEK] So You Want to Run for Office: Women’s History Month Event with EMILY’s List
Thursday, March 2 at 1pm ET
Are you a woman interested in running for office? Thursday’s training was specifically designed with you in mind.
We’ll focus on all the broad strokes of kicking off a campaign. Additionally, we’ll address the unique challenges and considerations that women may face on the trail.
We’re grateful to have the support during this training from the amazing folks at EMILY’s List! As the largest political organization dedicated to electing pro-choice, progressive women to office, we are thrilled to partner with them in the effort to ensure we’re building an inclusive bench for Democratic women everywhere.
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.
TODAY: Democracy Happy Hour @ 5 pm PT –
Conspiracy Theories & Their Impact on Democracy w/ Civic Listening Corps
Democracy Happy Hour March 1 @ 5 pm PT!
Grab a drink and come hear about the latest democracy news, ongoing efforts to fix democracy, and actions you can take at our weekly Democracy Happy Hour, Wednesdays @ 5 pm PT.
Today's topic for March 1, 2023: Addressing Conspiracy Theories That Impact Democracy w/ John Schmidt & Myra Miranda of Civic Listening Corps
Civic Listening Corps (CLC): The CLC is a volunteer network of individuals trained to monitor for and critically evaluate misinformation on diverse topics central to our civic life, including our democracy, public health, and the environment. The Civic Listening Corps is a civic engagement program created by the Algorithmic Transparency Institute (ATI).
John Schmidt: John is the Engagement Coordinator for the Civic Listening Corps. He facilitates all of our volunteer events including guided listening shifts, training, and other opportunities for volunteers to combat misinformation.
Myra Miranda: Myra is the Partnerships Manager at ATI. She is responsible for identifying, cultivating, and managing external relationships with partners that seek to engage in misinformation efforts that impact their work. As part of the Civic Listening Corps, Myra is responsible for recruiting and onboarding civil society organizations to incorporate their staff and volunteers into the program.
Upcoming Topics:
- Mar 8th – Civics Learning Week: How Civics Can Save Democracy
- Mar 15th – Democracy by Lottery: Letting Everyday People Decide with Nick Coccoma
Follow Us!
Fix Democracy First
1402 3rd Ave Ste 500
Seattle, Washington 98101
(206) 552-3287
info@fixdemocracyfirst.org
Benton County Democratic Central Committee
General Meeting
February 23, 2023
6:30pm
Red Lion Inn
Nomad Dining Room
1101 N Columbia Center Blvd
Kennewick
and on ZOOM
When joining the meeting via ZOOM, please type your name and your role in the chat. If you are a PCO, please type your precinct number by your name. If you are an officer or committee chair, please include that information. If none of those apply to you, please type guest, and we’re glad you’re joining us!
Agenda
General Meeting, February 23, 6:00pm
- Call to Order
- Adopt Agenda
- Approval of January Minutes
- Secretary’s Report (Amy) – 3 minutes
- Treasurer’s Report (Liz) – 5 minutes
- Chair’s Report (Jason) – 3 minutes
- 1st VC Report (Misty) – 3 minutes
- 2nd VC Report (Allison) – 3 minutes
- Organizing Committee (Galen) – 5 minutes
- Elections Committee (Justin) – 5 minutes
- State Committee Member 1 (Justin) – 5 minutes
- State Committee Member 2 (Sabastian) – 5 minutes
- Resolutions (Kitty) – 5 minutes
- 8th LD (Jake) – 5 minutes
- 15th LD – 5 minutes
- 16th LD (Jeffrey) – 5 minutes
- New Business
- RSD Recall
- 4th CD Meeting Report
- Norm and Shirley Miller Dinner
- Good of the Order – 10 minutes
SPECIAL EXTENDED BADGER FORUM
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23 | 12 to 2PM
SPECIAL BADGER FORUM:
Addressing Homelessness
Andrew Porter • Rufus Friday • Jonathan Mallahan
What do we really know about homelessness in our community? It’s easy to look around and say “Well, it’s not as bad as Seattle.” Or Spokane. Or Olympia.
Or is it?
Look carefully and you’ll find people living on the street in every part of our community. You’ll see them sleeping in doorways in the hope of catching a little warmth from under the door or at least being sheltered from the elements. Look a bit harder and you’ll find people making a home deep in the brush at Columbia Park or other spots along the rivers. Out of sight, out of mind?
Ask a school counselor or a teacher how many of their students are living in their cars. With or without a parent.
How long until we see a highly visible homeless encampment like the ones next to Seattle freeways or Camp Hope in Spokane?
The Badger Club’s Special Forum: Addressing Homelessness on Thursday, February 23 will ask that question and many more of a panel of experts, including former Tri-City Herald Publisher Rufus Friday, who is now Executive Director of a large homeless shelter in Lexington, Kentucky. We will also hear from Chris Patterson, the former HUD administrator who now heads Spokane’s effort to provide services and facilities for those who are homeless.
The first segment of the forum will give us a look at the numbers: Dr. Patrick Jones who heads the Eastern Washington University team that produces the website BentonFranklinTrends.org. United Way President LoAnn Ayers will also bring her insight to the discussion.
Following that will be a panel of local shelter leaders who will give us insight into the more personal site of homelessness: Jonathan Mallahan, Chief Housing Officer for Catholic Charities Eastern Washington will update the status of the new low-barrier housing project in Pasco; rounding out the panel will be Union Gospel Mission’s Andrew Porter; and Angie Pacheco, Executive Director of Domestic Violence Services.
This Special Badger Forum will begin at 12 Noon and last until about 2 PM, followed by Table Talk, the open-mic half-hour after each forum.
SAVE THE DATE:
Thursday, March 23, 12 Noon to 1 PM. BADGER FORUM: Extremists in Our Midst. Register Here
Thursday, April 13, 12 Noon BADGER FORUM: An Insider’s Look at the New Congress Register
Thursday, April 27, 12 Noon BADGER FORUM: All Aboard Washington (passenger rail) Register
TODAY: Democracy Happy Hour @ 5 pm PT –
Alaska for Better Elections: Impact of New Reforms with Jason Grenn
Democracy Happy Hour February 22 @ 5 pm PT!
Grab a drink and come hear about the latest democracy news, ongoing efforts to fix democracy, and actions you can take at our weekly Democracy Happy Hour, Wednesdays @ 5 pm PT.
Today's topic for February 22, 2023: Alaska for Better Elections: Impact of New Reforms with Jason Grenn
After a citizen’s initiative was approved by voters, Alaska’s election system changed in 2022 to give voters more choice, more voice, and more power. Learn more about the new top four open primary and ranked choice voting system, how it impacted the political environment in Alaska, and what happens next for these reforms.
Our guest speaker this week, Jason Grenn, who was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, is the former Executive Director for Alaskans for Better Elections, an election reform advocacy non-profit. He also recently served as an independent State Representative in the Alaska State House where he passed legislation focused on legislative ethics reform and championed economic development for Alaska.
Upcoming Topics:
- Mar 1st – Conspiracy Theories & Their Impact on Democracy
- Mar 8th – Civics Learning Week: How Civics Can Save Democracy
- Mar 15th – Democracy by Lottery: Letting Everyday People Decide with Nick Coccoma
Follow Us!
Fix Democracy First
1402 3rd Ave Ste 500
Seattle, Washington 98101
(206) 552-3287
info@fixdemocracyfirst.org
Call to meeting February 27th, and a preview of things to come.
Thank you to everyone who was able to attend our social meeting Feb 6th. I look forward to seeing you all, and hopefully many more, at our regular business meeting Feb 27th @ 6PM (with a potluck in person at 5:30 at 402 S 3rd St in Yakima.)
A few things to consider, as we start moving into the next phase of our growth as an organization:
- We need to be reaching out to local organizations so that our members can be fully engaged in our surrounding communities. If you know of local organizations that are out there doing good, please pass along contact information so that we can add their events to our calendar, coordinate attendance of our members at their meetings, and boost their signal to the larger community.
- We need to get back into the habit of doing community service. Remember things like self-care packages for the homeless, community rummage sales, and pancake breakfasts? A lot of work got lost in the era of COVID, but as we move past that time, we can get back into doing these great things for our community.
- The time to begin recruiting candidates and fundraising for the next election is now. We are already seeing Republicans, both nationally and locally, fundraising and strategizing for the next 4 years.
- We have committees that need to be staffed! If you are interested in fundraising, events, PCO/Leadership, candidate recruitment and support, volunteers or communications, there is a role for you in the central leadership of our organization. You may assume that there is someone else more motivated and qualified: as humans, we often feel like imposters when we are called on to serve. But if you’re reading this, this message is for YOU! Your support is needed to make us the most effective that we can be.
- Our work on racial equity and social justice is just beginning- and becoming more active as an organization is the first step!
I’m so excited for everything that is to come this year, and hope you will be a big part of it!
~Lindsey
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Wednesday, February 15th and Thursday, February 16th: Community event: One America Phone Bank to support SB5109 (Unemployment insurance for undocumented workers) (LINK)
Monday February 20th: Community event- PLANNED PARENTHOOD LOBBYING DAY- contact linkees@gmail.com for details
Friday, February 24th: Community event- Prayers for Ukraine- Millennium Plaza @5pm
Monday, February 27th: 6:00 Business Meeting (In person and Zoom)
Potluck at 5:30 in person, before the meeting. (Zoom Link)
Monday, March 6th: 6:00 Social Hour for Social Justice (bring a treat or appetizer to share)
Monday, March 27th: 6:00 Business meeting (in person and Zoom)
Potluck at 5:30 in person, before the meeting
Don’t forget- we can’t keep the doors open and the lights on without your help. Please donate if you can.
Our mailing address is: Yakima County Democrats 402 S 3rd St Yakima, WA 98901-2834
Ag and Rural Caucus
Wahkiakum School District 200 v State of Washington
Brent Freeman, Superintendent
6:30 pm Thursday 16 February
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83419676203?pwd=NUo0NVVYOHU4Ky91RTYxa1Q0cjdXQT09
| School finance dull? School bond thresholds make you yawn? Well, you have not yet met Brent and Jim. They bring passion to school issues that most of us gloss over. After all, they are talking about children – our children. Forget the notion that school issues are nerdy and best left to dry administrators. These are our issues and Brent and Jim bring an engagement that should make you proud. To beat the late-winter doldrums, join us tomorrow (Thursday) evening. Expect to want to know where you can sign up. And about school bond thresholds, check the Wenatchee World. Don 15 February 2023 |
| Jim Kwalkowski joins Brent Freeman in our briefing on rural school finance. Jim is recently retired superintendent from Davenport and heads up the Rural Education Center. Jim will put Wahkiakum’s argument in the context of rural school districts across the state. Jim and Brent are an exceptional team. Don 8 February 2023 |
The Wahkiakum School District is suing the State of Washington to make good on its “paramount duty” to fund education by paying for the schools in which students are taught.
This is a story about the heroics of a rural community in Washington; it is a story about the inequities of school finance; it is a story about the State of Washington making good on its constitution; it is story about having or not having political representation; this is story about winners and losers, about rich and poor; this is a story about how equality defeats equity; this is a story about our children.
Wahkiakum School District v. State of Washington is all this.
Our guest on the 16th is the hero of our story, Brent Freeman, Wahkiakum Superintendent, who will deny it. Brent will lay out the School District’s case and how Wahkiakum is speaking for all rural school districts and their communities.
Don
5 February 2023
| Legacy news items: Surprising turn in buffers for salmon: Third time is the charm for riparian habitat bills: https://www.capitalpress.com/opinion/columns/commentary-third-time-is-the-charm-for-riparian- habitat-bills/article_265af72a-a28a-11ed-9bae-bb530d7bdf46.html Clean Fuels: Proposed biomethane plant in Sunnyside could bring benefits, but environmental advocates have concerns: https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/lower_valley/proposed-biomethane-plant-in-sunnyside-could-bring-benefits-but-environmental-advocates-have-concerns/article_bbe50342-88b5-11ed-b511-1354c0a89051.html Renewable siting: Horse Heaven Wind Project: https://www.efsec.wa.gov/energy-facilities/horse-heaven-wind-project [note comment section] Gun control: Federal appeals court strikes down domestic violence gun law: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2023/02/04/federal-appeals-court-strikes-down-domestic-violence-gun-law/ |
| Prospective sources: Re issues coming up Electric Grid NORTHWEST STATES NEED TO BUILD NEW POWER LINES, FAST: https://www.sightline.org/2022/10/13/northwest-states-need-to-build-new-power-lines-fast/ By 2050, Washington might need to buy energy from other states: https://crosscut.com/politics/2023/02/2050-washington-might-need-buy-energy-other-states? Introducing Cascade Renewable Transmission: https://www.cascaderenewable.com/ Child care: Cost of child care in Washington among the highest in the country: https://www.kxly.com/cost-of-child-care-in-washington-among-the-highest-in-the-country/ |
Copyright © 2022 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
Call to Regular Meeting Feb. 16
February Regular Meeting Details
5:30 p.m. social, 6 p.m. start
Thursday, February 16
Go Bowl Pasco
2799 W Lewis St.
January minutes here.
Fellow Democrats, good morning.
Before we get into our coming meeting, please note the changed location. The library has a program for a month that overlaps with our meeting time, so we’re headed to Go Bowl for February only. Go Bowl has food for purchase, so we will not feature a potluck this time.
This month’s meeting features a proposal to pay for upgraded service to our restored website, which you can find (for now) here. Now that we have control of the website again, the Communication Committee will be working to spruce it up. (Your chance to give us suggestions!)
We continue to seek members to join committees for recruitment, training and communication. If you have not received an email after offering to join, please let us know.
The meeting is open to the public, and fellow Tri-City Democrats are encouraged to attend.
As always, please consider setting up a monthly dues payment through our ActBlue donation account.
We’ll see you there!
— Your FCDCC Executive Board
Our mailing address is:
P.O. Box 2621 Pasco WA 99302
TODAY: Democracy Happy Hour @ 5 pm PT –
UFighting Political Gridlock: How States Shape Our Nation And Our Lives w/ David Toscano
Democracy Happy Hour February 15 @ 5 pm PT!
Grab a drink and come hear about the latest democracy news, ongoing efforts to fix democracy, and actions you can take at our weekly Democracy Happy Hour, Wednesdays @ 5 pm PT.
Today's topic for February 15, 2023: Fighting Political Gridlock: How States Shape Our Nation And Our Lives with David Toscano
David J. Toscano served 14 years (2006-20) in the Virginia House of Delegates representing the 57th District. He is the author of, Fighting Political Gridlock: How States Shape Our Nation And Our Lives. David writes and comments upon state issues, both in Virginia and around the nation, through his blog, “Why States Matter”, articles, and books.
Upcoming Topics:
- Feb 22nd – Alaska for Better Elections: Impact of Their New Reforms w/ Jason Grenn
- Mar 1st – Conspiracy Theories & Their Impact on Democracy
Follow Us!
Fix Democracy First
1402 3rd Ave Ste 500
Seattle, Washington 98101
(206) 552-3287
info@fixdemocracyfirst.org
Hey there – Have you ever considered running for office, but aren’t quite sure where to start? Do you want to join the over 380 NDTC-trained candidates that won their races in 2022?
NDTC is here to help you make that decision and to equip you with tools and deliverables from this point to Election Day.
That’s why we’re ensuring Democrats like you have access to our 30-Day Challenge, a month-long commitment to taking those first steps.
Get started before March 15 in order to maximize your success!
On each day of this challenge, NDTC will send you one course or task that provides you with the knowledge and best practices in launching and building your campaign.
By the end of these 30 days, you’ll walk away with strategy and training, from building your messaging plan to drafting your fundraising list. February and early March is the best window of time to get involved.
Sign-up and take the first step before March 15 and begin your 30-Day Challenge!
Optimizing Your Resume for Campaign Jobs
Monday, February 13 at 1pm ET
It’s always a good idea to sharpen your resume, whether you’re looking for jobs actively or considering a change at some point down the road.
Tomorrow, join expert trainer Blessitt Bryant as they walk you through the best practices of resume writing; it’s a skill in and of itself!
Launching Your Political Career Through Networking
Tuesday, February 14 at 1pm ET
Some might say a certain holiday on February 14 is about networking…(no? Just us?)
Regardless, networking is an essential skill in politics. Tuesday’s training will give you action steps you can take to build your own personal networks. These networks are great ways to learn something new, meet someone working in your field and more.
Learn about digital and in-person networking on Tuesday!
[BLACK HISTORY MONTH EDITION] NDTC Expert Q&A: Empowering Your Job Search
Tuesday, February 16 at 1pm ET
As a part of our Black History Month programming, we’re gearing our NDTC Expert Q&A towards Black job seekers looking to break into politics or level up their careers.
Our three panelists will discuss their own experiences being on the job market as a Black candidate, as well as strategies to combat imposter syndrome, negotiating your salary, and perfecting that resume!
—The NDTC Live Training Team
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.
WA Democracy Legislative Newsletter – February 13, 2023
Washington State Democracy Legislation & *Action Needed*
We encourage you to contact your local legislators in support of bil*9ls listed below, as well as other legislation you support. You can find your local legislators HERE.
CALENDAR NOTE: Friday, February 17th is the last day for bills to pass out of their respective policy committee. If bills are not voted out of these committee by Friday, they will not be moving forward this session, but will have an opportunity to be heard again in the 2024 session.
*Please note things move quickly during the legislative session, and some of the info shared may change. Please check each bill page for the latest information.
Current Legislation & Action Needed This Week:
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Supports Media Literacy:
SB 5102 – Concerning school library information and technology programs
Status & Hearings:
- Public hearing held in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education on Jan 23rd. You can view the public hearing HERE.
- Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education on Feb 6th. Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. (View 1st Substitute) (Majority Report). And refer to Senate Ways & Means.
- Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means on Feb 14th at 4:00 PM. (Committee Materials)
- Bill Summary: Ensures ALL students in ALL districts have access to a school library information technology program with a trained, certified teacher-librarian. Addresses issues such as media literacy, intellectual freedom, e-book licensing, and levy passage requirements. The rise of misinformation and disinformation available through the internet necessitates comprehensive instruction by a qualified teacher-librarian in information literacy, digital citizenship, and media literacy for all K-12 students.
*ACTION NEEDED for SB 5102*
Sign in PRO HERE before the public hearing on Feb 14th
*Sign in by 3 pm on Feb 14th, at least one hour before the hearing.
Please also register your support for SB 5102 HERE
SB 5626 – Expanding and enhancing media literacy and digital citizenship in K-12 education.
Status & Hearings:
- Public hearing held in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education on Feb 6th. You can view the public hearing HERE.
- Scheduled for executive session in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education on Feb 13th at 1:30 PM. (Committee Materials)
- Bill Summary: Relates to expanding and enhancing media literacy and digital citizenship in K-12 education. Requires the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to establish a program for the purpose of expanding the capability of school districts to integrate media literacy and digital citizenship into given subject areas through teacher support.
Please register your support for SB 5626 HERE
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Enhancing Automatic Voter Registration (2 bills):
SB 5112 – Updating processes related to voter registration.
Status & Hearings:
- Public hearing held in the Senate Committee on State Government & Elections on Jan 10th. You can view the public hearing HERE.
- Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on State Government & Elections on Jan 13th. Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. Referred to Senate Transportation committee.
- Public hearing held in the Senate Transportation Committee on Jan 30th. You can view the public hearing HERE.
- Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Transportation on Feb 2nd. Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass.
- Placed on second reading by Rules Committee. Headed to the Senate Floor for a possible vote.
*ACTION NEEDED for SB 5112*
Contact Senators to vote YES on SB 5112!
Please also register your support for SB 5112 HERE
HB 1229 (Companion bill to SB 5112)– Updating processes related to voter registration.
Status & Hearings:
- Public hearing held in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations on Feb 7th. You can view the public hearing HERE.
- Scheduled for executive session in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations at on Feb 15th at 1:30 PM. (Committee Materials)
Bill Summary: The improved system would automatically register voters who provide a document proving their US citizenship during visits to DMV. They will then receive a notice by mail giving them the opportunity to opt out.
Please register your support for HB 1229 HERE
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Campaign Contributions by Controlled Entities (2 bills):
SB 5207– Concerning campaign contributions by controlled entities
Status & Hearings:
- Public hearing held in the Senate Committee on State Government & Elections on Jan 24th. You can view the public hearing HERE
- Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on State Government & Elections on Jan 27th. Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. (View 1st Substitute) (Majority Report). Minority; do not pass. (Minority Report). Minority; without recommendation. (Minority Report)
- Placed on second reading by Rules Committee. Headed to the Senate Floor for a possible vote.
Bill Summary:
- Requires aggregation of campaign contributions made by an individual person with contributions made by any entities directed or controlled by that individual to determine whether contribution limits are reached.
- This includes any entities majority-owned by that person that do not act independently when making contribution decisions.
- Requires that limited liability corporations (LLCs) that are not classified as corporations under the federal tax code (a) be in business for at least one year and (b) file a declaration with the
- Public Disclosure Commission that the LLC was not solely created for the purposes of making campaign contributions before making a campaign contribution in Washington.
*ACTION NEEDED for SB 5207*
Contact Senators to vote YES on SB 5207!
Please also register your support for SB 5207 HERE
HB 1426 (Companion bill to SB 5207) – Concerning campaign contributions by controlled entities
Status & Hearings:
- Public hearing held in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations on Jan 27th. You can view the public hearing HERE.
- Executive action taken in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations on Feb 1st. Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. (View 1st Substitute) (Majority Report). Minority; do not pass. (Minority Report)
- Referred to House Rules Committee for review.
Please register your support for HB 1426 HERE
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Enhancing Voting Rights Act (2 bills):
SB 5047 – WA Voting Rights Act Enhancements
Status & Hearings:
- Public hearing held in the Senate Committee on State Government & Elections on Jan 20th. You can view the public hearing HERE.
- Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on State Government & Elections on Jan 27th. (Committee Materials). Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. (View 1st Substitute) (Majority Report). Minority; do not pass. (Minority Report)
- Passed to Senate Rules Committee for second reading.
Bill Summary:
- Provides that persons or organizations who file a notice of intent to challenge an election system under the Washington Voting Rights Act (WVRA) may recover costs incurred in conducting the necessary research, if the notice causes the political subdivision to adopt a remedy that is approved by the court.
- Grants standing to organizations to challenge election systems under the WVRA on behalf of their members.
- Permits counties to increase the number of county commissioners to prevent a violation of the WVRA against members of an Indian tribe.
- Makes several language changes to other aspects of the WVRA.
*ACTION NEEDED for SB 5047*
Contact members of Senate Rules Committee to place SB 5047 on second reading so it can move to the Senate floor for a vote!
Please register your support for SB 5047 HERE
HB 1048 (Companion bill to SB 5047) – WA Voting Rights Act Enhancements
Status & Hearings:
- Public haring held in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations on Jan 13th. You can view the public hearing HERE.
- Executive action taken in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations on Jan 20th. Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. (View 1st Substitute) Minority; do not pass.
- Referred to House Rules Committee to review.
Please register your support for HB 1048 HERE
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Improving Access for Jail Voting:
HB 1174 – Improving access and removing barriers to jail-based voting.
Status & Hearings:
- Public hearing held in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations on Jan 13th. You can view the public hearing HERE.
- Executive action taken in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations on Jan 31st. Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. (View 1st Substitute) (Majority Report). Minority; do not pass. (Minority Report)
- Referred to House Appropriations Committee. Awaiting fiscal note.
Bill Summary: Establishes standards for staff in jails and county elections administrators to improve education and ballot access for people incarcerated in local county jails.
*ACTION NEEDED for HB 1174*
Contact members of House Appropriations Committee and ask for a public hearing for HB 1174!
Please register your support for HB 1174 HERE
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Abolishing Advisory Votes (2 bills):
SB 5082 – Encouraging electoral participation and making ballots more meaningful by abolishing advisory votes.
Status & Hearings: PASSED the Senate! Vote tally: yeas, 30; nays, 18; absent, 0; excused, 1. (View 1st Engrossed) (View Roll Calls). This bill will now move to the House State Government & Tribal Relations Committee for a public hearing.
Bill Summary: Repeals the requirement that advisory votes for tax increase legislation appear on the ballot and voters’ pamphlet.
Please register your support for SB 5082 HERE
HB 1158 (Companion bill to SB 5082)– Encouraging electoral participation and making ballots more meaningful by abolishing advisory votes.
Status & Hearings: The Senate bill will be moving forward instead of the House version.
- No action taken in executive session in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations on Jan 18th.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Updating Online Voter Registration (2 bills):
SB 5208 – Updating the process for online voter registration by allowing voter applicants to provide the last four digits of social security number for authentication.
Status & Hearings: PASSED the Senate! Vote tally: yeas, 29; nays, 18; absent, 0; excused, 2. (View Roll Calls) This bill will now move to the House State Government & Tribal Relations Committee for a public hearing.
Bill Summary: This would update our online voter registration to allow people to register with their Social Security Number and a submitted signature, expanding access to people without Washington driver’s licenses.
Please register your support for SB 5208 HERE
HB 1443 (Companion bill to SB 5208) – Updating the process for online voter registration by allowing voter applicants to provide the last four digits of social security number for authentication.
Status & Hearings:
- Public hearing held in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations on Jan 27th. You can view the public hearing HERE.
- Executive action taken in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations on Feb 7th. Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. (View 1st Substitute) (Majority Report)Minority; without recommendation. (Minority Report). Referred to Rules 2 Review.
Please register your support for HB 1443 HERE
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Call for Constitutional Amendment to Address Money in Elections:
SJM 8002 – Calls on Congress to exercise its authority under Article V of the United States Constitution to regulate money spent on elections.
Status & Hearings:
- Public hearing held in the Senate Committee on State Government & Elections on Feb 10. You can view the public hearing HERE.
- Scheduled for executive session in the Senate Committee on State Government & Elections on Feb 17th at 8:00 AM. (Committee Materials)
- Bill Summary: Similar to Initiative 735, that passed in 2016 with 63% of the vote, calls on Congress to pass a Constitutional Amendment and send to the states for ratification, the following:
- The ability to that establish corporations and other legal entities are not actual persons under the law and should be treated differently, especially when it comes elections.
- That the spending of money in elections is NOT a form of free speech.
- That money in elections should be regulated for candidate campaigns and ballot measures, on both a local and national level.
- That prompt disclosure of campaigns contributions is vital for public trust.
Please register your support for SJM 8002 HERE
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Public Financing of Elections for Legislative Races
HB 1755– Establishing the democracy voucher program for contributions to state legislative candidates.
Status & Hearings: At this point it is looking like this bill will not be scheduled for a public hearing, so unlikely to move forward this session.
Bill Summary: Creates a democracy voucher program (similar to Seattle’s Democracy Voucher Program) to publicly finance legislative political campaigns. The program would provide Washington state residents four $25 vouchers that can be pledged to eligible candidates running for state legislative district offices. It allows eligible WA residents to participate in local government by supporting campaigns and/or running for office themselves.
Please register your support for HB 1755 HERE
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Ranked Choice Voting for Presidential Primaries
HB 1592 – Concerning ranked choice voting in the presidential primary
Status & Hearings: At this point it is looking like this bill will not be scheduled for a public hearing, so unlikely to move forward this session.
Bill Summary: Allows the presidential primary to be conducted using ranked choice voting, unless a party has fielded two or fewer candidates, in which case the presidential primary for that party shall be conducted in substantially the same manner as a state primary under this title.
Please register your support for HB 1592 HERE
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Donate to support our democracy efforts.
We can’t do this work without you!
Follow Us!
Fix Democracy First
1402 3rd Ave Ste 500
Seattle, Washington 98101
(206) 552-3287
info@fixdemocracyfirst.org
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
ACTION ALERT for SJM 8002!
Please sign in PRO before Friday, Feb 10 @ 7 am.
Calls for Constitutional Amendment to Address Money in Elections
SJM 8002 – Calling on Congress to exercise its authority under Article V of the United States Constitution to regulate money spent on elections.
Status & Hearings:
• Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on State Government & Elections on Feb 10 at 8:00 AM. (Committee Materials) You can view the public hearing HERE.
• Bill Summary: Calls on Congress to pass a Constitutional Amendment and send to the states for ratification, the following:
- The ability to that establish corporations and other legal entities are not actual persons under the law and should be treated differently, especially when it comes elections.
- That the spending of money in elections is NOT a form of free speech.
- That money in elections should be regulated for candidate campaigns and ballot measures, on both a local and national level.
- That prompt disclosure of campaigns contributions is vital for public trust.
The language of this memorial is similar to Initiative 735, passed by the people of Washington in 2016 with 63% of the vote, and in all 10 Congressional districts!
*ACTION NEEDED for SJM 8002*
Sign in PRO HERE before the public hearing Feb 10th
*Sign in by 7 am on Feb 10th, at least one hour before the hearing.
Please also register your support for SJM 8002 HERE
Support our democracy efforts by making a donation to Fix Democracy First today. We can’t do this work without you!
Follow Us!
Fix Democracy First
1402 3rd Ave Ste 500
Seattle, Washington 98101
(206) 552-3287
info@fixdemocracyfirst.org
Social Gathering
Greetings, everyone! We’ve reserved the private room at Round Table Pizza on Leslie in Richland for our meeting at 6pm on Friday the 10th. The group will be ordering some pizzas to share, but you’re on your own for drinks or salad bar.
As a reminder, we do have elections ongoing. Carl Baker is running to stay on as President and John O’Brien is running to stay on as Treasurer. Everyone receiving this email is eligible to vote, as our membership structure is very informal. We may organize a quick election session at the meeting so that we have a formal set of minutes to submit to the bank so we can secure an account.
This will be a social event, much like last month. Look for our programs to resume in March.
thanks, everyone!
— carl
NEXT WEEK!
Democracy Lobby Week 2023 – February 6-10, 2023
Attend this year’s Democracy Lobby Week 2023, jointly sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Washington and Fix Democracy First. This event will be held online February 6-10, 2023.
It’s going to be a busy and exciting legislative session! Lots of important legislation will be introduced and voted on, so here’s a way to get in on the action, and make your voice heard, including the chance to meet online with your state representatives and senators.
Planned sessions include hearing about current legislation, learning from issue experts, getting lobbying tips on how to talk to your legislators, and opportunities to speak with your own legislators.
Our goal is to facilitate your participation in our Washington State government, and to give you the tools you need to work effectively with your legislators.
Preliminary schedule:
Monday, Feb 6, 2023
• 10:00 – 11:00 am – Special ACT Program – How a bill becomes a law
Monday, Feb 6, 2023 – Main program
• 5:00 – 8:00 pm – Main Program
- * Welcome & Opening Comments
- Bill Info & Talking Points Review
- Democracy: Elections, Voting & Money in Politics
- Social & Economic Policy: Health Care, Housing/Homelessness & Transportation
- Environmental: Climate, Energy, Growth, Forests, Waters & Solid Waste
- Hear from Washington Legislature Leaders
- Democracy Lobby Week Program Preview
- How to Lobby Your Legislators – Followed by Q & A
Tuesday, February 7th
• 5:00 – 7:30 pm – Two Crises: Climate Change and Housing (Break at 6:00)
Wednesday, February 8th
• 5:00 pm – People Powered Elections: Expanding Democracy Vouchers Statewide
• 6:30 pm – Multi-member Districts: Using Proportional Ranked Choice Voting for Better Representation
Thursday, February 9th
• 5:00 pm – Be Bold: Creating a People-Focused Redistricting Commission
• 6:30 pm – Different Roles & Models in Healthcare: Reducing Gaps & Improving Health Outcomes
Friday, February 10th
• 6:00-7:00 pm – Closing Program
Important Notes:
- All events will be recorded (except for legislator meetings). If you are not sure you can make it to one or more of the events, please register anyway, as all registrants will receive links to all events.
- The registration fee is $5 per person. All proceeds from these fees and any additional donations will go to defray the costs of this event. Though if you are not able to pay the fee, please contact cindy@fixdemocracyfirst.org. No one will be turned away for their inability to pay.
Follow Us!
Fix Democracy First
1402 3rd Ave Ste 500
Seattle, Washington 98101
(206) 552-3287
info@fixdemocracyfirst.org
Hey — We’re not just celebrating Black History Month at NDTC, we’re focused on doing our part to center Black voices in our live training programs all month long.
This month’s special Black History Month edition of our NDTC Expert Q&A is focused on just that: Empowering Your Job Search.
This panel program will feature three Black Democratic strategists to discuss job-seeking in the political sphere as a Black job candidate: Nashville School Board Member Cheryl D. Mayes, Texas Democratic Party Executive Director Jamarr Brown, and Managing Director of Communications for Memphis Public Schools Jasmine Worles!
Get your questions answered directly from our panel on Thursday, February 16, moderated by NDTC Staff Academy Associate Director Jemila Mitchell! RSVP using the button below:
It’s incredibly important, and central to our mission, to build the bench for future generations of Democrats – in whatever role they take.
But what exactly does that mean?
It means drawing upon the expertise and diversity of experiences each and every person brings to the table, especially as a job candidate. For Black job seekers in Democratic spaces, it can be especially challenging to make your way into networks and organizations because of institutional racism in politics.
At NDTC, we believe it’s vital that those who may have been volunteers or never worked in politics have the same access to the tools and expertise as seasoned veterans.
So let our experts help you navigate the world of political jobs with confidence.
—The NDTC Live Training Team
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.
Here are some ways you can take action.
- Tue, Feb 7 @ 1pm
So You Want to Run for Office: Black History Month Edition with the Collective PAC › - Wed, Feb 8 @ 1pm
What is a Democratic Precinct Chair? › - Wed, Feb 8 @ 6pm
NDTC & the New Hampshire Democratic Party: How to Build and Use Your Campaign Plan › - Thu, Feb 9 @ 1pm
Finding a Job in Democratic Politics › - Thu, Feb 9 @ 6pm
NDTC & New Hampshire Democratic Party: How to Build Your Political Campaign Communications Plan › - Mon, Feb 13 @ 1pm
Optimizing Your Resume for Campaign Jobs ›
All times Eastern
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.
Hello fellow Democrats! This is Lindsey Keesling, newly elected chair of the YCDCC. I had been working on a letter introducing myself as your chairperson and Chelsea Dimas as vice-chair, but the unfolding events in Memphis have made what would have been a celebratory message seem trite.
The reality is, there is a lot of work that needs to be done. The chasm in the democratic party as a whole that was revealed during the Clinton vs. Sanders primary, the way in which the Trump presidency hamstrung political will for almost everything but retaliatory action, and COVID sidelining many activists and organizations have left the national Democratic party reeling.
Despite many hard won victories of the last two years, there’s still an ongoing conversation about what our party can and should do. It’s no surprise that many people younger than myself feel nothing but pure cynicism about politics, as we grew up in an environment where serving the public seemed like the last thing on everyone’s minds, and in recent history the real suffering of our communities has taken a backseat to political tribalism.
Here in Yakima county and the surrounding areas, we’ve seen that national conversation distorted and enhanced, as if we were looking through a fish-eye lens. I am proud to step into the work that was begun by people who came before me, but I also am well aware that I am stepping into leadership of an organization that has lost the power of a unified voice.
I do understand the feelings of the many people who have asked how our organization will respond to the killing of Tyre Nichols. I identify strongly with the desire to shout on a street corner and to feel that solidarity with other protestors. But, I’ve also learned a lot in my time as an activist and community servant, and I know that protest by itself can at times do more harm than good. I am especially keenly aware of this as a white woman: I’ve both seen, and understood, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s criticism of white moderates. It is important to follow the lead of the people most affected by the system. We need to act in partnership with the organizations and people already pushing for justice, to be a signal boost for them and not a distraction.
Our next regular meeting is February 27th, and between now and then I was hoping to organize a social meeting. Instead, I would like to open that meeting up to a discussion of the racial tensions in our county and what we as an organization can do to pursue an active justice and a real peace.
I believe that we can work together, with other stakeholders and local organizations, to make a difference for the people of our communities. I believe in the strength, resilience, creativity and resourcefulness of the people here. I believe if we make a coordinated effort, the work we start won’t end when the protests inevitably do.
I look forward to seeing many of you February 6th, for an informal social gathering and conversation about racial equity in Yakima and the surrounding areas. I also hope to see you at our regularly scheduled meeting, February 27th, for some good work.
Upcoming Events
February 6th: 6:00pm-7:00pm Social Hour for Social Change (bring a snack to share)
February 27th: 6:00pm-7:00pm Regular Meeting (potluck at 5:30 in person)
As always, we need your support to keep our office open and to fund our programs. We are entirely funded by donations from our local community.
Thank you to all our supporters!
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Lindsey Keesling
Chair, Yakima County Democrats
Our mailing address is: Yakima County Democrats 402 S 3rd St Yakima, WA 98901-2834
Benton County Democratic Central Committee
Executive Board Meeting
February 6, 2023
Endive Eatery
4001 Kennedy Road Ste 16, West Richland, WA, United States, Washington
6:30 PM
Agenda: Executive Board, February 6, 2022
- Call to Order
- Adopt Agenda
- Approval of January Minutes
- Secretary’s Report
- Treasurer’s Report
- Chair’s Report
- 1st VC Report
- 2nd VC Report
- State Committee Member 1 & 2
- Unfinished Business
- Communications Chair
- Labor Chair
- New Business
- Norm Miller Dinner
- Good of the Order
- Adjourn
Ag and Rural Caucus
Better Practices Series
06:30 pm Thursday 02 February 2023
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81582823697?pwd=V1FaVlV3Ly8xTHFBTTZZM1VxblVjQT09
Better Practices
Teresa Purcell
Welcome to our new “Better Practices” series. Each month we will host a colleague to talk about their constituency, what has worked for them, what has fizzled, and what they are planning in the future. We will then open the conversation up to your thoughts and reactions.
“Better Practices” means that each of our territories is a little different with different histories, and that there is no one “best” practices handbook.
Teresa Purcell, ARC’s Vice Chair-West, kicks off our series this Thursday. Teresa has worked with the DNC to develop its Rural Strong initiative and will brief us. She will share lessons from her personal organizing experience from her terroir in southwest Washington. We are all local but her inspiration touches us all.
Your voice is the engine of this series. You are invited to share your experiences. You are special.
Don
29 January 2023
Copyright © 2022 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
TODAY: Democracy Happy Hour @ 5 pm PT –
Utilizing Coalitions to Reform Democracy
Democracy Happy Hour February 1 @ 5 pm PT!
Grab a drink and come hear about the latest democracy news, ongoing efforts to fix democracy, and actions you can take at our weekly Democracy Happy Hour, Wednesdays @ 5 pm PT.
Today's topic for February 1, 2023: Media Literacy w/ Lesley James, Media Literacy & Digital Citizenship Program Supervisor, WA Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Upcoming Topics:
- Feb 8th – CANCELLED: We will instead host the following two presentations for Democracy Lobby Week 2023 – Register to join HERE
- 5:00 pm – People Powered Elections: Expanding Democracy Vouchers Statewide
- 6:30 pm – Multi-member Districts: Using Proportional Ranked Choice Voting for Better Representation
- Feb 15th – Fighting Political Gridlock: How States Shape Our Nation And Our Lives w/ David Toscano
- Feb 22nd – Alaska for Better Elections: Impact of Their New Reforms w/ Jason Grenn
- Mar 1st – Conspiracy Theories & Their Impact on Democracy
*****************
Please submit any questions to: cindy@fixdemocracyfirst.org.
Join us for
Democracy Lobby Week 2023 – February 6-10, 2023
Attend this year’s Democracy Lobby Week 2023, jointly sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Washington and Fix Democracy First. This event will be held online February 6-10, 2023.
It’s going to be a busy and exciting legislative session! Lots of important legislation will be introduced and voted on, so here’s a way to get in on the action, and make your voice heard, including the chance to meet online with your state representatives and senators.
Planned sessions include hearing about current legislation, learning from issue experts, getting lobbying tips on how to talk to your legislators, and opportunities to speak with your own legislators.
Our goal is to facilitate your participation in our Washington State government, and to give you the tools you need to work effectively with your legislators.
Preliminary schedule:
Monday, Feb 6, 2023
• 10:00 – 11:00 am – Special ACT Program – How a bill becomes a law
Monday, Feb 6, 2023 – Main program
• 5:00 – 8:00 pm – Main Program – Program will include bill info and talking points, hearing from legislators, lobbying tips, and Q&A.
Tuesday, February 7th
• 5:00 – 7:30 pm – Two Crises: Climate Change and Housing (Break at 6:00)
Wednesday, February 8th
• 5:00 pm – People Powered Elections: Expanding Democracy Vouchers Statewide
• 6:30 pm – Multi-member Districts: Using Proportional Ranked Choice Voting for Better Representation
Thursday, February 9th
• 5:00 pm – Be Bold: Creating a People-Focused Redistricting Commission
• 6:30 pm – Different Roles & Models in Healthcare: Reducing Gaps & Improving Health Outcomes
Friday, February 10th
• 6:00-7:00 pm – Closing Program
Important Note: All events will be recorded (except for legislator meetings). If you are not sure you can make it to one or more of the events, please register anyway, as all registrants will receive links to all events.
Follow Us!
Fix Democracy First
1402 3rd Ave Ste 500
Seattle, Washington 98101
(206) 552-3287
info@fixdemocracyfirst.org
League of Women Voters of Benton & Franklin Counties, Washington offers civics education resources and presentations for teachers. Come meet #LWV at Teacher Open House on February 1 5:00-7:00 pm at the REACH. This free event is sponsored by #Bechtel.
Register at https://visitthereach.us/event/teacher-open-house/
Support the League We're able to continue our mission of empowering voters and defending democracy because of support from folks like you. Show your support by donating to the League of Women Voters of Washington right now!
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. The League of Women Voters of Washington 1511 Third Ave, Suite 900 Seattle, WA 98101 United States
Greetings,
The Benton County Canvassing Board will be meeting at various times during the February 14, 2023 Special Election cycle. This is to advise you of the current ballot processing schedule and canvassing board meetings for this election.
Commencing Monday, January 30, 2023 the following processes may occur daily, depending on the level of ballots returned on a day-to-day basis.
- Drop boxes emptied
- Signature verification
- Prepping ballots for scanning
- Scanning of ballots
- Ballot adjudication/resolution
- February 23– Pre-Certification processes begin for the February Special Election @ 9 am
- February 24 – Certification of the February Special Election @ 9am
The processing schedule may be modified from time to time depending on the number of ballots received on a daily basis.
All election processes will take place at our new location. The Benton County Voting Center is now located at 2618 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Richland.
During the course of processing, no persons except those employed and authorized by the county auditor may touch any ballot, ballot container, or vote tallying system. We also ask that no photos be taken without the approval of the Election Manager.
To determine which processes are being conducted on a given day, we advise that observers contact our office directly.
Please let me know if you should have any questions.
If you wish to volunteer to be an observer for the February Special Election, please contact our Communications Chair, Durga Victorine
Amanda Hatfield Elections Manager Benton County Auditor | Elections Division 2618 N. Columbia Center Blvd. | Richland, WA 99352 (509) 736-3085 ext. 5639 Email: amanda.hatfield@co.benton.wa.us www.bentonauditor.com
Here are some ways you can take action.
- Fri, Jan 27 @ 1pm
Recruiting Candidates for Political Office › - Tue, Feb 7 @ 1pm
So You Want to Run for Office: Black History Month Edition with the Collective PAC › - Wed, Feb 8 @ 1pm
What is a Democratic Precinct Chair? › - Wed, Feb 8 @ 6pm
NDTC & the New Hampshire Democratic Party: How to Build and Use Your Campaign Plan › - Thu, Feb 9 @ 1pm
Finding a Job in Democratic Politics › - Thu, Feb 9 @ 6pm
NDTC & New Hampshire Democratic Party: How to Build Your Political Campaign Communications Plan ›
All times Eastern
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.
Benton County Democratic Central Committee
General Meeting
January 26
6:00 PM at Round Table Pizza,
Clearwater Ave
and on ZOOM
When joining the meeting via ZOOM, please type your name and your role in the chat. If you are a PCO, please type your precinct number by your name. If you are an officer or committee chair, please include that information. If none of those apply to you, please type guest, and we’re glad you’re joining us!
Agenda
General Meeting, January 26, 6:00pm
• Call to Order
• Adopt Agenda
• Approval of November Minutes
• Approval of Reorganization Minutes
• Secretary’s Report (Amy) – 3 minutes
• Treasurer’s Report (Liz) – 5 minutes
• Chair’s Report (Jason) – 3 minutes
• 1st VC Report (Misty) – 3 minutes
• 2nd VC Report (Allison) – 3 minutes
• Organizing Committee (Galen) – 5 minutes
• Elections Committee (Justin) – 5 minutes
• State Committee Member 1 (Justin) – 5 minutes
• State Committee Member 2 (Sabastian) – 5 minutes
• Resolutions (Kitty) – 5 minutes
• Events & Tri-City Dems (Carl) – 7 minutes
• 8th LD (Jake) – 5 minutes
• 15th LD – 5 minutes
• 16th LD (Jeffrey) – 5 minutes
• New Business
• School District levy support – 5 minutes
• Statement of support for Horse Heaven Clean Energy Center
construction – 15 minutes
• Vote to adopt
• Good of the Order – 10 minutes
Good Morning,
Well…..we will have almost a county wide February Election coming up so I wanted to reach out to each of you coordinators (please let me know if you are no longer the coordinator for your party) and give you first few dates for training and our Official L&A test.
Mandatory Observer Training – January 12th 3:00pm (please keep in mind that any observers you have for your group must come to the training in order to be part of the program)
UPDATE! Official Logic and Accuracy Test – Wednesday January 26th at 11:00am. Due to this election only being School District’s the State will not be involved. It will just be our internal Logic and Accuracy test.
I am currently working on updating observer materials for 2023 and creating a guide for all observers. I have attached the coordinator guidelines if you are still going to be the coordinator for your group. If so, please complete and return back to me at your earliest convenience.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
If you wish to volunteer to be an observer for the February Special Election, please contact our Communications Chair, Durga Victorine
Amanda Hatfield Elections Manager Benton County Auditor | Elections Division 2618 N. Columbia Center Blvd. | Richland, WA 99352 (509) 736-3085 ext. 5639 Email: amanda.hatfield@co.benton.wa.us www.bentonauditor.com
Climate on Tap
Our popular Climate Science on Tap series is back! Drink beer with friends while listening to an expert speak on climate change. But now it has a broader scope to include climate solutions and policies as well as science.
The State of Energy in the State of Washington
Dr. James Conca
6-8 pm Wednesday January 25
Round Table Pizza, 1769 Leslie Rd, Richland
Energy technology communicator James Conca will address the challenge of fully decarbonizing and expanding electricity production in Washington State to meet the requirements of the Clean Energy Transformation Act, the increasing state population and the electrification of home heating and transportation.
The Northwest Power Pool considers an outage risk of <5% to be safe, but they warn that Washington State faces a 26% probability of an outage from insufficient generation to meet an increased load by 2025. The state exports electricity now, but it anticipates that by 2050 Washington will become a net importer, when 43% of its electricity comes from multiple states such as Montana and Wyoming, even as those states close their coal plants as well and will also have to turn to other states to meet their needs.
Unfortunately, most decarbonization scenarios expect wind to eventually dominate all new energy builds in the Western U.S., an endpoint that invites rolling blackouts and grid failure as back-up generation does not exist. Without new gas plants, pumped hydro and small modular nuclear reactors will be necessary for load-following, or buffering the intermittency of large amounts of wind and solar. Can we achieve a reliable mix in time to avoid grid collapse and still address the worst effects of climate change?
Dr. James Conca has worked on nuclear and energy issues for 40 years at NASA, WSU, NMSU, Los Alamos National Laboratory, PNNL and LLNL. Conca has been an advisor to DOE, EPA, state and federal regulatory agencies, and industry. He was a Science Contributor to Forbes on energy and nuclear issues for 10 years. Conca obtained a Ph.D. in Geochemistry from the Caltech in 1985, an MS in Planetary Science in 1981, and a BSc in Geology and Biochemistry from Brown University in 1979.
Copyright © 2023 Tri-Cities Chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby, All rights reserved.
You are on this list because you are registered with Citizens Climate Lobby, by registering a citizensclimatelobby.org, signing up at an outreach event, or preparing a comment form to Representative Newhouse
Our mailing address is:
Tri-Cities Chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby
300 Columbia Point Dr Unit H131
Richland, WA 99352-4384
TODAY: Democracy Happy Hour @ 5 pm PT –
Utilizing Coalitions to Reform Democracy
Democracy Happy Hour January 25 @ 5 pm PT!
Grab a drink and come hear about the latest democracy news, ongoing efforts to fix democracy, and actions you can take at our weekly Democracy Happy Hour, Wednesdays @ 5 pm PT.
Today's topic for January 25, 2023: Utilizing Coalitions to Reform Democracy
Upcoming Topics:
- Feb 1st – Media Literacy w/ Lesley James, Media Literacy & Digital Citizenship Program Supervisor, WA Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
- Feb 8th – CANCELLED: We will instead host the following two presentations for Democracy Lobby Week 2023 – Register to join HERE
- 5:00 pm – People Powered Elections: Expanding Democracy Vouchers Statewide
- 6:30 pm – Multi-member Districts: Using Proportional Ranked Choice Voting for Better Representation
*****************
Please submit any questions to: cindy@fixdemocracyfirst.org.
Join us for
Democracy Lobby Week 2023 – February 6-10, 2023
Attend this year’s Democracy Lobby Week 2023, jointly sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Washington and Fix Democracy First. This event will be held online February 6-10, 2023.
It’s going to be a busy and exciting legislative session! Lots of important legislation will be introduced and voted on, so here’s a way to get in on the action, and make your voice heard, including the chance to meet online with your state representatives and senators.
Planned sessions include hearing about current legislation, learning from issue experts, getting lobbying tips on how to talk to your legislators, and opportunities to speak with your own legislators.
Our goal is to facilitate your participation in our Washington State government, and to give you the tools you need to work effectively with your legislators.
Preliminary schedule:
Monday, Feb. 6, 2023: Main program
- Updates and talking points on current legislation and issues for the legislative session
- Hear directly from a panel of legislators, both Republicans and Democrats
- “How to Lobby,” presented by the LWWA Lobby Team, including contacting legislators, following the progress of bills, developing talking points, and Q&A session
Tuesday – Thursday, Feb. 7 – Feb. 9
- Virtual meetings with your legislators during the day plus evening programs on topics such as proportional representation & ranked choice voting, campaign finance reform, climate, health, and more.
Friday, February 10
- Wrap-up. Evening Celebration – Share Suggestions & Feedback
Important Note: All events will be recorded (except for legislator meetings). If you are not sure you can make it to one or more of the events, please register anyway, as all registrants will receive links to all events.
FAQ:
How will virtual legislative meetings work?
During Lobby Week, members will have the opportunity to meet with their legislators to discuss upcoming legislation. Meetings with legislators will be scheduled by a local Legislative District Meeting Coordinator based on legislative districts. Most meetings with legislators will be during the day on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, although some meetings may be scheduled at other times. Legislative District Meeting Coordinators will provide Zoom links and other information as needed.
How much does it cost to attend?
The registration fee is $5 per person. All proceeds from these fees and any additional donations will go to defray the costs of this event. Any surplus fees and donations will be split equally between the League of Women Voters of Washington and Fix Democracy First to support our important advocacy work.
Follow Us!
Fix Democracy First
1402 3rd Ave Ste 500
Seattle, Washington 98101
(206) 552-3287
info@fixdemocracyfirst.org
These upcoming trainings are about making a plan and recruitment.
Whether you’re involved with your local party or are thinking of running yourself, next week’s trainings will cover the ins and outs of setting up your own wins in 2023…without (pass) interferences!
Setting Up Your Local Democratic Party’s Structure
Monday, January 23 at 1pm ET
New year, new structure!
Learn the ins and outs of an effective organizational structure to suit the needs of your local party.
This training will go over how to organize committees, decide on leadership, plus ways to delegate various responsibilities. Don’t miss it!
Non-Electoral Organizing for Your Local Democratic Party
Tuesday, January 24 at 1pm ET
Election Day is exciting no doubt, but local parties can truly shine even when there’s not a huge upcoming election.
Learn how to work together within your local Democratic infrastructure to execute plans and support campaigns. Our trainer will walk you through developing local campaigns, and of course, seeing them to fruition.
Identifying Strong Candidates to Run for Office
Thursday, January 26 at 1pm ET
Just as much as we need stellar candidates to run, we need amazing people who can find and recruit those folks!
Local party leaders, don’t miss out on this opportunity to hear and use the best practices in identifying candidates who could run in your community.
Recruiting Candidates for Political Office
Friday, January 27 at 1pm ET
We all know people we’re confident would make great elected leaders.
But how can we take the leap towards persuading them to actually run?
Friday’s training will cover proven strategies in recruiting folks to commit to running, from explaining the positives of running for office to identifying means of support for those individuals. Don’t miss out!
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.
Ag and Rural Caucus
Summary of Session
Thank you to everyone who joined Thursday conversation about firearms.
We took up 1) HB 1178: repeal of state preemption of gun control, to allow cities and counties to legislate more stringent control of firearms in their jurisdictions, 2) HB 1240: making illegal to manufacture or sell assault weapons (including semi-automatic pistols); and 3) HB 1143/1144: requiring a permit and/or firearm training to purchase a firearm in Washington.
HB 1188: The temperature of the meeting was “tepid” regarding repeal of state preemption. Most agreed that it would be complicated and ultimately ineffective. People were more comfortable with the idea after learning that the proposal would allow cities only to adopt more restrictive regulation – it would not allow cities and counties to relax gun regulation below current law.
HB 1240: We supported an assault weapon ban, pure and simple. Even knowing that 1) assault weapons are already tightly regulated by the state, 2) high-capacity magazines are illegal in Washington, 3) assault weapons are distinctive primarily for semi-automatic firing, 4) assault weapons account for only four percent or so of deaths by firearms, and 5) manufacturers and buyers would quickly find workarounds – we felt important to underline that killing of innocent children in school shootings has to stop. While assault weapons may kill fewer people than simpler pistols, assaults weapons account for an overwhelming share of deaths by mass shooters. We need to make a statement.
We talked about how to message our support for the proposed ban. In some ways, generating emotive support for banning assault weapons is easier than supporting legalistic regulation like requiring permits, but we had especial concern for our candidates answering hostile questions about their support for banning weapons protected by the Second Amendment. Several volunteers are working on the message. Thank you.
HB 1144: We were enthusiastic about the idea of fire arm training but also cautious about the content. Some training is very effective, other less so. We spent less time on questions around HB 1143 requiring a gun owner permit and registration in addition to a background check.
I brought up the issue of gun control in December to be prepared to react intelligently to proposals in the 2023 legislature. The content of our conversation has shown me that ARC members are invested in effective control of weapons. We want more. I will try to help move us from reaction to advocacy.
Stop the killing.
An approach
If we indeed want to be effective advocates we need to assess where we are. And where we are is that we have something like 400,000,000 firearms in this country. We are not going to disarm America.
About 40-45 percent of Americans own guns. Most Americans have guns or think it is OK.
Gun ownership is stable but 15-20 million more guns are sold each year. People who own guns buy more guns. One study has three percent of Americans owning 50 percent of the weapons. Rabid gun owners are a minority.
And where we are is that most people owning guns do not shoot people. They are hunters shooting deer and elk, men and women seeking personal security in the big city, sportspeople aiming at paper targets, and farmers scaring off coyotes.
It is this group that we want to split off from the Second Amendment Absolutists. We can label them Traditionalists. Absolutists label any regulation of firearms as violating their Second Amendment; Traditionalists see themselves as responsible and concede that no constitutional right is absolute.
Traditionalists are our potential allies in stopping the killing. We tend to lump Traditionalists with the Absolutists but we lose when we do. We lose because we give ground on personal security issues.
We can agree with Traditionalists that crimes committed with firearms should be aggressively prosecuted but reject the racist overtones that often accompany “get tough” arguments. We can agree with Traditionalists that we need law enforcement but add that it is community – families – that make the difference in personal security. We can even sign on to increased funding for law enforcement if it means taking urban police officers out of their armored vehicles and putting them on the neighborhood streets. We can agree with the Traditionalists that “people kill people” and then bus with them to Olympia to lobby for lots more dollars for mental health. And while driving we can agree to rigorous enforcement of red flag laws (extreme risk protection orders allowing individuals to petition the court to remove temporarily the firearms of a person judged a risk to self or others).
An approach that splits off the Traditionalists is also one that takes off the agenda a couple of our favored ideas. I have been intrigued by the idea of requiring gun owners to purchase insurance for their weapons. The City of San Jose is trying this. This is probably a distraction. It is simply an anti-gun measure. It does not move us further to stopping the killing. The same might be said for making the firearm manufacturers liable for the damage their products cause. It is tempting but pushes away allies. We need to recruit weapon manufacturers to be partners, out of their self-interest. They can lead a movement to make gun ownership respectable, and give them a leg up on their less responsible competitors. This means that we concede living with guns to stop the killing. Possible?
I am arguing for a goal of stopping the killing. We will need allies. And we may need to temper our discomfort with the idea of guns to earn the allies we need.
I appreciate that changing our language about guns is not the kind of advocacy that many of you expect. I ask you to re-consider. I know that seeking allies among gun owners is not popular.
Nick Ashmore, senior aide to Tom Foley, years ago told me that good politics was winning without leaving blood on the floor. This is what I am proposing, maybe because it is the only way we can win.
Don
23 January 2023
Gun Control Bills
The table is set. At least four “gun control” bills have been introduced in the Legislature.
HB 1143: (18 co-sponsors); requires permit and training
HB 1144: (17 co-sponsors); requires training certificate
HB 1178: (15 co-sponsors); repeal state preemption to allow local governments adopt more restrictive regulation of firearms
HB 1240: (26 co-sponsors); prohibit manufacture or sale of “assault rifles”
House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee held its first public hearing yesterday, 17 January. I very much encourage you to view the hearing.
HB 1143 and 1144 are similar except that the latter does not require a permit in advance of purchase.
Opposition centers on the registry of permit holders (“unconstitutional”) created by 1143, and the purchaser’s expense for the required firearm training required by both.
| Representative Walsh (LD 19) in the hearing makes much of the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision from June, 2022. Since Heller and McDonald, the Courts of Appeals have developed a “two-step” framework for analyzing Second Amendment challenges that combines history with means-end scrutiny. The Court rejects that two-part approach as having one step too many (emphasis added). “Means-end scrutiny” here means questioning a permit applicant’s reasons for carrying a firearm. The overturned New York law required the applicant to have a good reason over and above his/her right to a firearm: An individual who wants to carry a firearm outside his home may obtain an unrestricted license to “have and carry” a concealed “pistol or revolver” if he can prove that “proper cause exists” for doing so. The Bruen decision is written by Justice Thomas. It is an example of “original intent” thinking. Take a look. A more familiar theme is that advocates are “weak on crime”. The solution is, instead, to tighten the penal system. |
HB 1178 repeals Washington’s state preemption of gun regulation. Local governments can make more restrictive regulation. My reading, however, is that local governments are still required to observe minimum state requirements (see below).
HB 1240 bans assault rifles. Its language preempts the usual complaint that the category of “assault” rifle is fiction, by providing detailed language about the targeted firearms.
Status Quo Ante
Washington bans “bump stocks” (which enables semi-automatic weapons to fire automatically), ghost weapons, and high-capacity magazines, and imposes exceptional regulations on purchase:
No dealer may deliver a semiautomatic assault rifle to the purchaser until: (1) the purchaser provides proof they have completed a recognized firearm safety training program within the last five years; (2) the dealer is notified by the chief of police or sheriff that the purchaser is eligible to possess a firearm and the purchase is approved; and (3) 10 business days have elapsed since the purchase application or, in the case of a transfer, 10 business days have elapsed from the date a background check was initiated. • The purchaser of a semiautomatic assault rifle must be personally known to the dealer or present clear evidence of his or her identity. • Subject to various exceptions, a person under 21 years of age may not purchase a semiautomatic assault rifle, and no person may sell or transfer a semiautomatic assault rifle to a person under 21 years of age
Assault weapons in Washington are regulated by prohibiting the sale of magazines holding more than 10 cartridges. The ammunition is similar to that used in hunting rifles like the 30-06 for hunting. The distinctive feature of assault weapons is that they are semi-automatic.
Assault rifles get our attention because they are disproportionately used in “mass murders” where six or more people are killed. Assault weapons make up about five percent of private firearms in this country (20,000,000 out of 400,000,000 total). They account for about four percent of gun deaths, but about two-thirds of deaths from “mass murder”.
Opponents claim banning assault weapons is glory seeking by urban liberals. They correctly point out that handguns – not assault rifles – account for sixty percent of gun deaths (with nearly forty percent not identified). Opponents claim that it is hypocritical to ban assault rifles when handguns kill more people.: Regardless of the definition being used, fatalities in mass shooting incidents in the U.S. account for a small fraction of all gun murders that occur nationwide each year.
Opponents also note, again correctly, that banning assault rifles does not address suicide deaths by firearm, more than half (54%) of all deaths by firearm and about half (53%) of all suicides. The recurring theme is that people are the problem, not the gun.
Finally, Steve Starr alerted me to gun homicides in rural communities: From 2016 to 2020, 13 of the 20 U.S. counties with the most gun homicides per capita were rural: 80 percent of these 20 counties are in states that received an “F” grade for their weak gun laws, according to Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence
Join us tomorrow evening to talk about firearms, deaths by firearms, and gun control.
Don
18 January 2023
Potpourri: Elections, State Meeting, Guns
Thursday we will do a mix of things.
First, we will do reorganization. I will turn the meeting over to a neutral party who will then announce that no one other than the current office holders were nominated to run for 2023-2025 office. This means that I will return as chair, Teresa Purcell as Vice Chair – West, Robert Schutte as Vice-Chair East, Claus Joens as Secretary, and Marty Gilmore as Treasurer. (Robert and I wrote candidate statements. Follow the links.)
We have good geographic spread: Walla Walla County, Cowlitz County, Pend O’Reille, Whatcom, and Jefferson. We have the corners covered. We are short on the middle but we have really strong CD 4 participation in the Policy Committee.
I encourage everyone to participate in our various meetings and programs. ARC proceedings thrive because they are open.
Second, we will anticipate State Party reorganization with announcements and field questions from new state committee people about what to expect. I will share plans for ARC in Olympia (ARC caucus meeting; social event).
Third, we will return to talking about fire arm regulation – gun control. We will talk about guns but not act. We need to address this third-rail of rural politics because it is on the state’s agenda. We did not put it on the state’s agenda but there is no better place than ARC to talk about guns.
We owe it our rural candidates to make sense of the facts about guns in Washington and about proposals coming from our urban colleagues.
I received a handful of excellent responses to my December invitation to comment. Thank you. Our ARC members cover the range of positions, including the middle of not knowing quite what we should do.
To set the stage boundaries, I direct you to the Alliance for Gun Responsibility for the new agenda, and to Senator Phil Fortunato’s (LD 31-Auburn) GOP response.
See you Thursday.
Don
16 January 2023
Copyright © 2022 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
Dear Eastern Washington Friends,
The 2023 Eastern Washington Legislative Conference, co-sponsored by FAN and led by our Eastern Washington partners, will be from 8:30am to 3pm on Saturday, January 21, at Spokane Valley United Methodist Church and online. Rev. Gen Heywood, pastor of Veradale United Church of Christ and convener of Faith Leaders and Leaders of Conscience, will be the keynote speaker addressing the theme Caring for Our Common Earth Now and Forever.
There will be plenary sessions including Legislative Briefings by Advocates in Olympia, Housing Is a Human Right, and Indigenous Voices on Environmental Justice, as well as workshops on welcoming refugees, racial justice, food security, and faithful advocacy. The legislative briefings will be presented by FAN Policy Engagement Ddirector Kristin Ang, Donna Christensen of the Washington State Catholic Conference, and Jessica Zimmerle of Earth Ministry/Interfaith Power and Light.
Don’t miss this great opportunity to engage in this year’s legislative process with your fellow faithful advocates. Go to this web page for more information and to register. Download a copy of the flyer and share in your community.
In solidarity,
Elise
Elise DeGooyer | Executive Director
FAITH ACTION NETWORK
www.FANWA.org
206-625-9790
Faith Action Network 3720 Airport Way S Seattle, WA 98134 United States
ARC Reorganization 6:30 pm Thursday 19 January https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84093446627?pwd=VFJ3N2p3RUhRRUNFRDhYKzlTa01sQT09 Meeting ID: 840 9344 6627 Passcode: 148588
We have no program this month. This month is for family. And next month is housekeeping. Just maybe we will get space at the state meeting in Olympia at the end of January and have a program.
For purposes of wrapping up this year, glance through our annual report:
Ag and Rural Caucus Annual Report: 2022
Elected officers for 2022 are Chair: Don Schwerin; Vice Chairs: Teresa Purcell and Robert Schutte; Secretary: Claus Joens; Treasurer: Marty Gilmore.
The purpose of the Ag and Rural Caucus is:
ARC shall identify existing problems and common goals as they relate to the agricultural and rural communities of Washington State. ARC shall join together in common cause through education, [and] lobbying … to advance and protect our rural and agricultural communities so vital to Washington State.
Programming:
ARC hosted on-line issue briefings:
January: Quarterly Meeting
February: Odessa Aquifer…not just irrigation water
March: Not just wolves…Forest Management in NE Washington
April: Ag labor: H2A and Immigration
May: The Methow Valley: Tradeoffs in Managing Rural Growth
June: Water Rights Adjudication: The Yakima and the Nooksack
July: Chehalis River Basin: Dams and Habitat
August: Courtney Flatt: Natural Resource Journalism
September: Thriving Children and Youth: Determinism, Causation and Probability
October: Quarterly Meeting
November: Rural Hospitals. Essential. Viable?
Advocacy:
The chair testified on HB 1838 Lorraine Loomis Act (con), HB 1871 Moratorium on Energy Siting (other), and SB 5426 State Wealth Tax (pro), and supported HB 2136 Washington State Rural Commission.
Governance:
The ARC executive board/policy committee met monthly with ex officio status extended to the chairs of the Small Business Caucus, Hispanic Caucus, Native American Caucus, Progressive Caucus, and the Rural Committee. Five experts were appointed to the Executive Board/Policy Committee.
ARC endorsed no candidates and made no campaign contributions in 2022. (The chair in a private capacity taped a video in support of CD 4 candidate Doug White.)
ARC made no expenditures and collected no dues, and ended the year with $3,056.98 bank balance.
Don
16 December 2022
What’s going on with WA gun legislation?: Request for Ideas
Joseph Sullivan in Crosscut Weekly this morning wrote a piece, “What’s going on with WA gun legislation?” He sketches the 2023 Policy Agenda for the Alliance for Gun Responsibility.
The Alliance’s agenda includes familiar ideas such as restricting access to semi-automatic weapons and less current proposals like holding gun manufacturers accountable for “harms caused by the industry”. (Follow the links for detail.)
One proposal comes close to home. The Alliance favors local authority over firearm regulation. “And the advocacy organization is also pushing for a bill to remove a state preemption of gun laws that prohibits local governments – like the city of Seattle – from imposing their own restrictions” (Sullivan).
ARC is touchy about state preemption and local control. We routinely rail against the clueless disrespect Puget Sound colleagues show us rural folk and our peculiar take on natural resource issues. At the same time, we really appreciate our colleagues’ help in pushing progressive ideas where we need help educating our neighbors. The Greater Idaho movement scares us. We need the policy innovation, cultural stimulus, and dollars afforded us by our Puget Sound colleagues.
So, what do you think about gun control? Please respond with your ideas about what we should do about escalating gun violence. What about local control over private firearms?
Don
18 December 2022
News on Legacy issues
Selected news items relating to issues ARC has presented.
Harold Miller, who presented to our Rural Hospitals: Essential. Viable, sent me an NYT article reporting on a small hospital just south of McCall in Idaho. He knows the reporter and is quoted in the article. If you recall, Shane McQuire, our other speaker, rejected in passing the idea of converting Dayton General to a “rural emergency hospital” to save money. It turns out now that small rural hospitals are facing the choice of downgrading their services and getting a $300k per month subsidy, or continuing to serve their rural communities and running a continual risk of financial insolvency.
A Rural Hospital’s Excruciating Choice: $3.2 Million a Year or Inpatient Care?
ARC was critical of the Clean Fuels bill when it was presented. How do you make diesel “clean”? The answer was that Washington would create a biofuels industry to meet the demand for non-fossil fuels. We were skeptical. This article is about a biomethane plant in Sunnyside:
Sunnyside OKs agreement to build biomethane plant at port
Yakima County and EFSEC have been going back and forth on fast-track approval of two solar developments in the Black Rock Canyon along Highway 24. This article is a sample.
Yakima County solar moratorium eclipsed by state council
Just so we do not forget, the wolf-cattle conflict is unabated in Stevens and Ferry Counties and the wolf issue has widened to include grizzly reintroduction in the North Cascades and to a spring season on bears to rebuild the deer and elk herds. The Wildlife Commission met recently in Clarkston. They had a lot on their plate.
Washington wildlife commission toils to get through its slate amid pointed input from public
Housekeeping…Reorg and Meet up
Our reorganization meeting will be virtual at 6:30 pm Thursday 19 January.
Who can vote? Virtually anyone. A member is:
Any resident of Washington who supports the purpose of the ARC and agrees to be publicly identified as a Democrat. Members must identify themselves to the Secretary to ensure that they receive correspondence from the ARC and can be confirmed as eligible voters.
You are a member and voter if you have received this mailing.
Who can run for office? Again, virtually anyone. We do separate our vice-chairs between east and west and by gender. Current officer holders, and ARC Bylaws, are on the website: arcwashdems.wordpress.com.
County chairs do have a little privilege as members of the Policy Committee. As you complete your county reorg’s please forward me your chair’s name and email, even if there has not been a change. Chairs, of course, can delegate their ARC participation.
Please, too, forward this email to anyone you may think interested in ARC and urge them to send their contact information to Claus Joens, joenscabin@gmail.com, ARC Secretary, and copy me.
We will elect chair, two vice chairs, secretary, and treasurer. Officers are not required to hold local county office. Ronn Wright (w7eryron@gmail.com will act as elections coordinator. Please indicate your interest in running to him by 31 December, and include a persuasive statement to be circulated to the membership.
Other business:
We will meet socially in person at the State Central Committee Meeting in Olympia. Tentatively, we will meet Friday evening 27 January at 5 pm in the hotel restaurant. At least a handful of us will be in town and we would like to meet up. More later.
Don
8 December 2022
Copyright © 2022 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
ARC Reorganization 6:30 pm Thursday 19 Jauary https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84093446627?pwd=VFJ3N2p3RUhRRUNFRDhYKzlTa01sQT09 Meeting ID: 840 9344 6627 Passcode: 148588
Gun Control Bills
The table is set. At least four “gun control” bills have been introduced in the Legislature.
HB 1143: (18 co-sponsors); requires permit and training
HB 1144: (17 co-sponsors); requires training certificate
HB 1178: (15 co-sponsors); repeal state preemption to allow local governments adopt more restrictive regulation of firearms
HB 1240: (26 co-sponsors); prohibit manufacture or sale of “assault rifles”
House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee held its first public hearing yesterday, 17 January. I very much encourage you to view the hearing.
HB 1143 and 1144 are similar except that the latter does not require a permit in advance of purchase.
Opposition centers on the registry of permit holders (“unconstitutional”) created by 1143, and the purchaser’s expense for the required firearm training required by both.
| Representative Walsh (LD 19) in the hearing makes much of the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision from June, 2022. Since Heller and McDonald, the Courts of Appeals have developed a “two-step” framework for analyzing Second Amendment challenges that combines history with means-end scrutiny. The Court rejects that two-part approach as having one step too many (emphasis added). “Means-end scrutiny” here means questioning a permit applicant’s reasons for carrying a firearm. The overturned New York law required the applicant to have a good reason over and above his/her right to a firearm: An individual who wants to carry a firearm outside his home may obtain an unrestricted license to “have and carry” a concealed “pistol or revolver” if he can prove that “proper cause exists” for doing so. The Bruen decision is written by Justice Thomas. It is an example of “original intent” thinking. Take a look. A more familiar theme is that advocates are “weak on crime”. The solution is, instead, to tighten the penal system. |
HB 1178 repeals Washington’s state preemption of gun regulation. Local governments can make more restrictive regulation. My reading, however, is that local governments are still required to observe minimum state requirements (see below).
HB 1240 bans assault rifles. Its language preempts the usual complaint that the category of “assault” rifle is fiction, by providing detailed language about the targeted firearms.
Status Quo Ante
Washington bans “bump stocks” (which enables semi-automatic weapons to fire automatically), ghost weapons, and high-capacity magazines, and imposes exceptional regulations on purchase:
No dealer may deliver a semiautomatic assault rifle to the purchaser until: (1) the purchaser provides proof they have completed a recognized firearm safety training program within the last five years; (2) the dealer is notified by the chief of police or sheriff that the purchaser is eligible to possess a firearm and the purchase is approved; and (3) 10 business days have elapsed since the purchase application or, in the case of a transfer, 10 business days have elapsed from the date a background check was initiated. • The purchaser of a semiautomatic assault rifle must be personally known to the dealer or present clear evidence of his or her identity. • Subject to various exceptions, a person under 21 years of age may not purchase a semiautomatic assault rifle, and no person may sell or transfer a semiautomatic assault rifle to a person under 21 years of age
Assault weapons in Washington are regulated by prohibiting the sale of magazines holding more than 10 cartridges. The ammunition is similar to that used in hunting rifles like the 30-06 for hunting. The distinctive feature of assault weapons is that they are semi-automatic.
Assault rifles get our attention because they are disproportionately used in “mass murders” where six or more people are killed. Assault weapons make up about five percent of private firearms in this country (20,000,000 out of 400,000,000 total). They account for about four percent of gun deaths, but about two-thirds of deaths from “mass murder”.
Opponents claim banning assault weapons is glory seeking by urban liberals. They correctly point out that handguns – not assault rifles – account for sixty percent of gun deaths (with nearly forty percent not identified). Opponents claim that it is hypocritical to ban assault rifles when handguns kill more people.: Regardless of the definition being used, fatalities in mass shooting incidents in the U.S. account for a small fraction of all gun murders that occur nationwide each year.
Opponents also note, again correctly, that banning assault rifles does not address suicide deaths by firearm, more than half (54%) of all deaths by firearm and about half (53%) of all suicides. The recurring theme is that people are the problem, not the gun.
Finally, Steve Starr alerted me to gun homicides in rural communities: From 2016 to 2020, 13 of the 20 U.S. counties with the most gun homicides per capita were rural: 80 percent of these 20 counties are in states that received an “F” grade for their weak gun laws, according to Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence
Join us tomorrow evening to talk about firearms, deaths by firearms, and gun control.
Don
18 January 2023
Potpourri: Elections, State Meeting, Guns
Thursday we will do a mix of things.
First, we will do reorganization. I will turn the meeting over to a neutral party who will then announce that no one other than the current office holders were nominated to run for 2023-2025 office. This means that I will return as chair, Teresa Purcell as Vice Chair – West, Robert Schutte as Vice-Chair East, Claus Joens as Secretary, and Marty Gilmore as Treasurer. (Robert and I wrote candidate statements. Follow the links.)
We have good geographic spread: Walla Walla County, Cowlitz County, Pend O’Reille, Whatcom, and Jefferson. We have the corners covered. We are short on the middle but we have really strong CD 4 participation in the Policy Committee.
I encourage everyone to participate in our various meetings and programs. ARC proceedings thrive because they are open.
Second, we will anticipate State Party reorganization with announcements and field questions from new state committee people about what to expect. I will share plans for ARC in Olympia (ARC caucus meeting; social event).
Third, we will return to talking about fire arm regulation – gun control. We will talk about guns but not act. We need to address this third-rail of rural politics because it is on the state’s agenda. We did not put it on the state’s agenda but there is no better place than ARC to talk about guns.
We owe it our rural candidates to make sense of the facts about guns in Washington and about proposals coming from our urban colleagues.
I received a handful of excellent responses to my December invitation to comment. Thank you. Our ARC members cover the range of positions, including the middle of not knowing quite what we should do.
To set the stage boundaries, I direct you to the Alliance for Gun Responsibility for the new agenda, and to Senator Phil Fortunato’s (LD 31-Auburn) GOP response.
See you Thursday.
Don
16 January 2023
Housekeeping…Reorg and Meet up
Our reorganization meeting will be virtual at 6:30 pm Thursday 19 January.
Who can vote? Virtually anyone. A member is:
Any resident of Washington who supports the purpose of the ARC and agrees to be publicly identified as a Democrat. Members must identify themselves to the Secretary to ensure that they receive correspondence from the ARC and can be confirmed as eligible voters.
You are a member and voter if you have received this mailing.
Who can run for office? Again, virtually anyone. We do separate our vice-chairs between east and west and by gender. Current officer holders, and ARC Bylaws, are on the website: arcwashdems.wordpress.com.
County chairs do have a little privilege as members of the Policy Committee. As you complete your county reorg’s please forward me your chair’s name and email, even if there has not been a change. Chairs, of course, can delegate their ARC participation.
Please, too, forward this email to anyone you may think interested in ARC and urge them to send their contact information to Claus Joens, joenscabin@gmail.com, ARC Secretary, and copy me.
We will elect chair, two vice chairs, secretary, and treasurer. Officers are not required to hold local county office. Ronn Wright (w7eryron@gmail.com will act as elections coordinator. Please indicate your interest in running to him by 31 December, and include a persuasive statement to be circulated to the membership.
Other business:
We will meet socially in person at the State Central Committee Meeting in Olympia. Tentatively, we will meet Friday evening 27 January at 5 pm in the hotel restaurant. At least a handful of us will be in town and we would like to meet up. More later.
Don
8 December 2022
Copyright © 2022 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
Benton County Democratic Central Committee
Executive Board Meeting
January 19, 2023
Azteca Mexican Restaurant, 6505 West Canal Dr, Kennewick.
6:30 PM
Agenda
- Call to Order
- Adopt Agenda
- Approval of November Minutes
- Secretary’s Report (Amy)
- Treasurer’s Report & Communications ( Liz )
- Chair’s Report (Jason)
- 1st VC Report (Misty)
- 2nd VC Report (Allison)
- Organizing Committee (Galen)
- Elections Committee (Justin)
- State Committee Member 1 (Justin)
- State Committee Member 2 (Sabastian)
- Resolutions (Kitty)
- Labor (Open)
- Events & Tri-City Dems (Carl)
- 8th LD (Jake)
- 15th LD
- 16th LD (Jeffrey)
- Unfinished Business
- New Business
- Ensure we have positions filled
- Ensure PCO’s receive communication and training
- Open positions:
- Labor & Commerce Committee
- Communications Committee
- Horse Heaven Hills Clean Energy Center statement – shall we share it with our support?
- Empower Allison to speak with Shasti Conrad and during State meeting on our behalf, concerns to be identified.
- Hardcopy communication for those in our community who aren’t served well by electronic communication
- Good of the Order
- Adjourn
And whatever comes up in the meantime.
Call to Regular Meeting Jan. 19
January Regular Meeting Details
5:30 p.m. social, 6 p.m. start
Thursday, January 19
Downtown Pasco library
1320 W Hopkins St.
Fellow Democrats, good afternoon.
This month’s meeting features an election for State Committee Member Position 2 and an overview of some of our strategic plan and budget for the next two years. We will present on upcoming races, recruitment of candidates and volunteers, and the other nuts and bolts of successful campaigns (including money!).
We need you here to give us feedback! We’re also looking for people to join committees for recruitment, training and communication.
The meeting is open to the public, and fellow Tri-City Democrats are encouraged to attend.
As always, please consider setting up a monthly dues payment through our ActBlue donation account.
This is a potluck meeting, so feel free to bring whatever dish you wish to share.
We’ll see you there!
— Your FCDCC Executive Board
Our mailing address is:
P.O. Box 2621 Pasco WA 99302
BADGER FORUM THURSDAY, MARCH 23 | Noon to 1 PM
Around the World in 412 Days
With former Pasco Mayor Matt Watkins
Former Pasco Mayor Matt Watkins took some time off to discover the world after 16 years on the City Council. His “discoveries” included Covid in Southeast Asia, war in Eastern Europe, and walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
He called it a “sabbatical” with friends and family. Some think he’s retired. He insists he’s not. He said, “I need to travel to become a better world citizen….so that I might become a better U.S. citizen.”
Following those that inspired him including Ernest Hemingway, Anthony Bourdain, various modern YouTube travelers, and a smattering of Don Quixote–he embarked on a three-year journey first landing in Singapore on New Years Eve 2020. The following morning as he was eating at a Michelin Star rated food stall in Chinatown, he read the news headline that changed our world forever, “Novel Virus Discovered in China”
Matt will share his discoveries with the Columbia Basin Badger Club at Noon on Thursday, January 19, 2023 immediately following the Club’s Annual Membership Meeting.
ANNUAL MEETING The Badger Club’s Annual Meeting will begin a half-hour before the Forum, at 11:30 AM. The Forum with Matt Watkins will begin on time at 12 Noon, but non-members are welcome to join at any time. Registration is the same for both sessions.
SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, February 23, 12 Noon to 2 PM The Columbia Basin Badger Club is hosting a Special Extended Forum Addressing Homelessness. Presenters will include former Tri-City Herald Publisher Rufus Friday, United Way president LoAnn Ayers, and Chris Patterson, who heads a new homelessness initiative in Spokane. It is free to attend, but registration is required
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP and FORUM THURSDAY, JANUARY 19 | 11:30 AM
We hope you’ve found Badger Forums to be enlightening, engaging, and even entertaining. Please consider this your personal invitation to attend our Annual Membership Meeting on January 19 beginning at 11:30 AM. The agenda will include a report on the club’s finances, a recap of programs over the past year, and a peek into future forum topics.
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS With thanks to the Nominating Committee, I’m honored to report that Jean Ryckman, Felix Vargas, and Allan Brettman have accepted nomination to first terms. Mark Brault, who has served as our treasurer for several years, has been nominated to return to the board after being term-limited in 2022. Bev Johnson-Torelli and Ed Frost have agreed to be nominated for second three-year terms. Here is a link to bios of the 2023 Nominees.
There are provisions in our Bylaws for additional or self-nominations. These must be emailed to our Secretary, Bernie Saffell, by January 12. If there are no additional nominations, a unanimous ballot will be cast at the annual meeting. The Board elects its own officers at the next regular meeting.
Please be sure to attend the Badger Forum: Around the World in 412 Days, the story of former Pasco Mayor Matt Watkins’ solo travels from Southeast Asia to Spain and to the Polish border with Ukraine after the Russian invasion. Please register HERE for the Annual Meeting and Forum.
I’m looking forward to our annual report to you, our members, on January 19. If you have questions or suggestions, please reach out by email.
Yours for civil discourse,
Kirk
Kirk F. Williamson, president
SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, February 23, 12 Noon to 2 PM The Columbia Basin Badger Club is hosting a Special Extended Forum Addressing Homelessness. Presenters will include former Tri-City Herald Publisher Rufus Friday, United Way president LoAnn Ayers, and Chris Patterson, who heads a new homelessness initiative in Spokane. It is free to attend, but registration is required.
ANNUAL MEETING SCHEDULED
January 19, 2023: 11:30 AM The Agenda will include election of Directors along with a report to the Membership on the club’s finances, programs, and plans for the future. The Badger Forum at Noon will be “Around the World in 412 Days, with former Pasco Mayor Matt Watkins. Register Here
COMING UP
February 23, 2023 A Special 90 minute Badger Forum on Homelessness in the Tri-Cities, including a presentation by former Tri-City Herald Publisher Rufus Friday, who now heads a homelessness program in Lexington, Kentucky. Register Here
March 2023 (Date tbd) Extremists in Our Midst
Hey there — We’re two weeks into 2023 and bringing you another week of live trainings on the topics your campaigns and local parties need now!
First up on Thursday, January 19 at 1pm: NDTC Expert Q&A: Back to Basics.
NDTC Expert Q&As are designed with you in mind. That is, we want to get your burning questions answered. Join NDTC’s very own Kelly Dietrich and three Democratic experts in their fields as they review the fundamentals of campaigning. From developing a plan to outlining fundraising goals, this is the perfect on-ramp for your 2023 campaigns.
Then on later that evening at 6pm ET, join us for So You Want to Run for Office.
Running for office is better with a team. That’s why we’re teaming up with our partners at Run for Something to bring you an amazing So You Want to Run for Office training!
Our expert trainer will walk you through everything you need to make this big decision, from laying out a game plan to sharing the news with your network.
Finally, don’t miss What is a Democratic Precinct Chair? on Friday, January 20 at 1pm ET.
Local leaders are the backbone of non-electoral organizing. 2023 is going to be a big year for local Democratic parties across the country, and a precinct chair is a key member of that infrastructure!
Learn how to engage your local precinct chair, and how they can be a key ally in ensuring Democrats can reach voters well ahead of Election Day.
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.
We hit capacity so quickly on this event that we had to open up more spots for folks to join. If you missed the opportunity to register the first time, sign up now to lock in a spot for this exciting conversation! We can’t wait to see you there!
Indivisibles,
We’re excited to invite you to Race Class Fusion: Creating a Broader “We” on Wednesday, January 18 at 8pm ET/5pm PT, a virtual conversation with UC-Berkeley constitutional law professor Ian Haney López to discuss his new book Merge Left: Fusing Race and Class, Winning Elections, and Saving America.
Whether it’s book bans, “Don’t Say Gay” bills, or fearmongering about immigration, our opposition uses culture wars as a direct attack on working class solidarity. In recent years we’ve seen how effectively right-wing lawmakers, advocacy groups, and media machines have conspired and organized to use Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a smokescreen to misinform, sow division, and divert focus from the real problems at hand.
The race-class-gender approach is a messaging framework that allows us to call out the strategies the right uses to divide us, so we can build power across those lines of difference and fight back. In this conversation, we will explore the limitations of how the left has historically called out racism and how we can use the race-class-gender approach to provide a roadmap for building a cross-racial progressive movement, winning elections, and saving our democracy.
Register to secure your spot ASAP!!
We encourage you to read Merge Left prior to the discussion, but never fear — if you’re short on time, we’ve provided a menu of options to familiarize yourself with López’s work including podcasts, TV interviews, and a Medium article in this resource list: Reading/Resource List.
We look forward to you joining us for the conversation with Professor López on Wednesday, January 18 at 8pm ET/5pm PT.
In solidarity,
Indivisible Team
Indivisible Project is a locally-led, people-powered movement of thousands of local groups in red, blue, and purple states, and in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Our mission is to power and lift up a grassroots movement of local groups to defeat the Trump agenda, elect progressive leaders, and realize bold progressive policies.
Grassroots donations, not foundations or large gifts, are our single largest source of funding. That means we’re accountable to, and fueled by, Indivisibles on the ground. Chip in $7 to keep fueling our movement.
To give by mail, send a check to Indivisible Action, PO Box 43135, Washington, DC 20010.
Contributions to Indivisible Action are not tax-deductible.
Democracy Happy Hour @ 5 pm PT –
The Influence of Fossil Fuel Lobbyists w/ James Browning from Global Energy Monitor
Democracy Happy Hour January 18 @ 5 pm PT!
Grab a drink and come hear about the latest democracy news, ongoing efforts to fix democracy, and actions you can take at our weekly Democracy Happy Hour, Wednesdays @ 5 pm PT.
Today's topic for January 18, 2023: The Influence of Fossil Fuel Lobbyists w/ James Browning from Global Energy Monitor
Upcoming Topics:
- Jan 25th – Utilizing Coalitions to Reform Democracy
- Feb 1st – Media Literacy w/ Lesley James, Media Literacy & Digital Citizenship Program Supervisor, WA Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
- Feb 8th – CANCELLED: Democracy Lobby Week presentations held instead
*****************
Please submit any questions to: cindy@fixdemocracyfirst.org.
Join us for
Democracy Lobby Week 2023 – February 6-10, 2023
Attend this year’s Democracy Lobby Week 2023, jointly sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Washington and Fix Democracy First. This event will be held online February 6-10, 2023.
It’s going to be a busy and exciting legislative session! Lots of important legislation will be introduced and voted on, so here’s a way to get in on the action, and make your voice heard, including the chance to meet online with your state representatives and senators.
Planned sessions include hearing about current legislation, learning from issue experts, getting lobbying tips on how to talk to your legislators, and opportunities to speak with your own legislators.
Our goal is to facilitate your participation in our Washington State government, and to give you the tools you need to work effectively with your legislators.
Preliminary schedule:
Monday, Feb. 6, 2023: Main program
- Updates and talking points on current legislation and issues for the legislative session
- Hear directly from a panel of legislators, both Republicans and Democrats
- “How to Lobby,” presented by the LWWA Lobby Team, including contacting legislators, following the progress of bills, developing talking points, and Q&A session
Tuesday – Thursday, Feb. 7 – Feb. 9
- Virtual meetings with your legislators during the day plus evening programs on topics such as proportional representation & ranked choice voting, campaign finance reform, climate, health, and more.
Friday, February 10
- Wrap-up. Evening Celebration – Share Suggestions & Feedback
Important Note: All events will be recorded (except for legislator meetings). If you are not sure you can make it to one or more of the events, please register anyway, as all registrants will receive links to all events.
FAQ:
How will virtual legislative meetings work?
During Lobby Week, members will have the opportunity to meet with their legislators to discuss upcoming legislation. Meetings with legislators will be scheduled by a local Legislative District Meeting Coordinator based on legislative districts. Most meetings with legislators will be during the day on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, although some meetings may be scheduled at other times. Legislative District Meeting Coordinators will provide Zoom links and other information as needed.
How much does it cost to attend?
The registration fee is $5 per person. All proceeds from these fees and any additional donations will go to defray the costs of this event. Any surplus fees and donations will be split equally between the League of Women Voters of Washington and Fix Democracy First to support our important advocacy work.
Follow Us!
Fix Democracy First
1402 3rd Ave Ste 500
Seattle, Washington 98101
(206) 552-3287
info@fixdemocracyfirst.org
TODAY: Democracy Happy Hour @ 5 pm PT –
Democracy Legislation in 2023: What Can We Expect?
Democracy Happy Hour January 11 @ 5 pm PT!
Grab a drink and come hear about the latest democracy news, ongoing efforts to fix democracy, and actions you can take at our weekly Democracy Happy Hour, Wednesdays @ 5 pm PT.
Today's topic for January 11, 2023: Democracy Legislation in 2023: What Can We Expect?
Upcoming Topics:
- Jan 18 – The Influence of Fossil Fuel Lobbyists w/ James Browning from Global Energy Monitor
- Jan 25th – Utilizing Coalitions to Reform Democracy
- Feb 1st – Media Literacy w/ Lesley James, Media Literacy & Digital Citizenship Program Supervisor, WA Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
*****************
Please submit any questions to: cindy@fixdemocracyfirst.org.
Join us for
Democracy Lobby Week 2023 – February 6-10, 2023
Attend this year’s Democracy Lobby Week 2023, jointly sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Washington and Fix Democracy First. This event will be held online February 6-10, 2023.
It’s going to be a busy and exciting legislative session! Lots of important legislation will be introduced and voted on, so here’s a way to get in on the action, and make your voice heard, including the chance to meet online with your state representatives and senators.
Planned sessions include hearing about current legislation, learning from issue experts, getting lobbying tips on how to talk to your legislators, and opportunities to speak with your own legislators.
Our goal is to facilitate your participation in our Washington State government, and to give you the tools you need to work effectively with your legislators.
Preliminary schedule:
Monday, Feb. 6, 2023: Main program
- Updates and talking points on current legislation and issues for the legislative session
- Hear directly from a panel of legislators, both Republicans and Democrats
- “How to Lobby,” presented by the LWWA Lobby Team, including contacting legislators, following the progress of bills, developing talking points, and Q&A session
Tuesday – Thursday, Feb. 7 – Feb. 9
- Virtual meetings with your legislators during the day plus evening programs on topics such as proportional representation & ranked choice voting, campaign finance reform, climate, health, and more.
Friday, February 10
- Wrap-up. Evening Celebration – Share Suggestions & Feedback
Important Note: All events will be recorded (except for legislator meetings). If you are not sure you can make it to one or more of the events, please register anyway, as all registrants will receive links to all events.
FAQ:
How will virtual legislative meetings work?
During Lobby Week, members will have the opportunity to meet with their legislators to discuss upcoming legislation. Meetings with legislators will be scheduled by a local Legislative District Meeting Coordinator based on legislative districts. Most meetings with legislators will be during the day on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, although some meetings may be scheduled at other times. Legislative District Meeting Coordinators will provide Zoom links and other information as needed.
How much does it cost to attend?
The registration fee is $5 per person. All proceeds from these fees and any additional donations will go to defray the costs of this event. Any surplus fees and donations will be split equally between the League of Women Voters of Washington and Fix Democracy First to support our important advocacy work.
Follow Us!
Fix Democracy First
1402 3rd Ave Ste 500
Seattle, Washington 98101
(206) 552-3287
info@fixdemocracyfirst.org
Indivisibles,
It’s here! Our 2023 guide, Indivisible: A Practical Guide to Defeating MAGA (PDF).
If you haven’t been with us for a guide launch before, welcome!!! This whole movement started with a team of former congressional staffers writing a guide on navigating a Trump presidency back in 2016. Since then, we have continued to put out guides for every new Congress, updating the state of play and consolidating tactics for the new year in one place. This year is no different.
The 2023 guide will break down the stakes, go over our game plan, explain the framing for both Democrats and Republicans, and bring together big-picture tactics for how we want to activate in the new session.
Without further ado:
The state of play
We are entering the new year in a complicated but optimistic position. On one hand, we defied historical expectations by expanding our majority in the Senate, passed definitive legislation like the Respect for Marriage and Inflation Reduction Acts, and showed MAGA extremists that we will not sit idly by and allow their brand of repugnant fanaticism to become the norm.
But, we also lost the House by fewer than 7,000 votes across the five races that decided control. In losing the Democratic trifecta, we essentially lost any hope of passing progressive legislation like codifying Roe.
There is so much to cheer about the work that was done to get to this point. What was supposed to be a “red wave” turned out to be less than a trickle. That success is due to the work of Indivisibles and activists across the country to stay engaged, on message, and aligned toward a collective goal.
As we move into a new Congress, it’s time to shift our focus and tactics for a new era.
What the future holds
The stakes: We face the dual threat of a MAGA landslide and another possible attempt at a Trumpist coup in 2024. MAGA Republicans will try to achieve this by controlling the narrative as they sabotage the Biden administration and the economy while using racism and tribalism to attempt to harden their political coalition. Indivisible’s top priorities are winning electorally in 2024, so we can get back to delivering on our agenda.
The Game Plan: We don’t back down from a fight, and we know the formula to win. Fundamentally we need two things:
- To continue to make Republican politicians pay an electoral price for their unpopular extremism locally. That means getting them on-record about their most unpopular positions, making sure everyone knows how out-of-touch they are, and ensuring the entire MAGA brand is toxic.
- An even stronger, more broadly appealing Democratic party that can win and maintain majorities. That means setting our expectations for Democrats right away, and consistently pushing them to fight against the MAGA agenda and for a popular Democratic agenda.
How do we execute that plan?
We must present a broadly appealing Democratic identity that voters feel reflected by, one that makes it easier for Democrats to accomplish big wins when they have majorities.
Work as a team
Challenge the powers that benefit from the status quo
Boldly pursue a popular agenda
Simultaneously, we must shine more light on GOP extremism, which we know is both dangerous and unpopular.
Republicans will take away our reproductive freedoms and right to vote
Republicans will prioritize corporate greed over the needs of the people
Republicans will, once again, attempt a coup in 2024 if the results don’t go their way
If we stick to what is popular and what is right, we will build a platform that can stand up to any extremist attempts to subvert our democracy in 2024 — because that is what we are facing. Though we minimized Republican gains this cycle, we are still looking at a potential MAGA blowout leading to full GOP control of Congress and the White House.
If we learned anything from the midterms, it is that a progressive coalition is wildly effective. At the beginning of 2022, we were all but counted out; by the end of 2022, we had expanded our Senate majority and passed popular, impactful legislation for the American people. We had a plan. We executed that plan. We won.
Ready to get started?
Now we have an opportunity to build on that momentum as we prepare for the 2024 election cycle. To build, we must first have a plan.
Once you’ve read the guide, here are some next steps to begin anew:
- Register for the Deep Dive on the New Guide: Our 2023 Indivisible Guide Launch Call on Thursday, January 12 at 8pm ET/5pm PT. On this call, we’ll break down the main focuses of the guide, walk through activation strategies for 2023, and reconvene in this new year to redouble our efforts.
- Share the new guide with at least one friend. One of our focuses this year will be growing the network: The more people we have activated and on message, the stronger we will be. Share with a friend, a coworker, or an acquaintance, and let’s make sure we have our largest network of grassroots activists ever heading into 2024.
Our guide release is always a moment of beautiful anticipation. We don’t know about you, but we love the feelings that accompany a new Congress. A new session means new opportunities to engage, whether it’s supporting our progressive allies as they hold the line against MAGA extremists or using laughtivism to point out the dangerous absurdity of MAGA priorities, votes, and policies.
Most of all, we are excited for the opportunity to regroup and re-engage with Indivisibles all across the country. We may help provide tools and tactics, but you drive this movement. And it’s only through your passion and your ideas that we continue to win.
In solidarity,
Indivisible Team
Indivisible Project is a locally-led, people-powered movement of thousands of local groups in red, blue, and purple states, and in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Our mission is to power and lift up a grassroots movement of local groups to defeat the Trump agenda, elect progressive leaders, and realize bold progressive policies.
Grassroots donations, not foundations or large gifts, are our single largest source of funding. That means we’re accountable to, and fueled by, Indivisibles on the ground. Chip in $7 to keep fueling our movement.
To give by mail, send a check to Indivisible Action, PO Box 43135, Washington, DC 20010.
Contributions to Indivisible Action are not tax-deductible.
Benton County Democratic Central Committee
and 8th LD Democratic Central Committee
Reorganization Meetings
January 8, 2023
1:00 PM at the Richland Public Library
Call to Meeting
The 8th LD Democratic Central Committee and the Benton County Democratic Central Committee are having their biennial reorganization meetings at the Richland Public Library on January 8 at 1:00 PM.
At these meetings, both bodies will be electing officers for the 2023-2024 term. All positions are open to any Democrat who resides in the respective jurisdictions, 8th Legislative District and Benton County. The voting body consists of the Precinct Committee Officers who were either elected in the August 2022 Primary or who ran for that office but were unopposed.
If you volunteered for any of the local campaigns last year and want to continue the work of building the bench and staff resources for the next round of elections, please consider serving in your local party organization. We are looking for Chairs, Vice-chairs, State Committee representatives, Secretaries, and Treasurers.
Do you feel like you’re a blue dot in a red sea? Do you wish to have influence in how your local party organization is run? Do you want to influence what the Washington State Democratic party does? Please consider serving.
The 8th LD meeting will be first and will start at 1:00 PM. Most of the Benton County Democratic elected Precinct Committee Officers reside in the 8th Legislative District and will be the voting body in this meeting. The PCOs residing in the 16th LD will not participate until the Benton County meeting convenes after the 8th LD concludes. (We will also have 8th LD PCOs present who reside in Franklin County. These folks will be free to leave when the 8th LD meeting is done.)
Since this is an in-person meeting, it would be good thing to use one of your home COVID tests in the morning before the meeting.
The rules and agendas for both meetings are similar.
The first election in each meeting will be the new Chair. When the new Chair is elected, that person will preside over the rest of the respective meeting.
See the Benton County Agenda below.
Benton County Democratic Central Committee
Reorganization Meeting
January 8, 2023
1:00 PM at the Richland Public Library
2023-2024 BCDCC Reorganization Meeting Proposed Agenda
Call to order (after 8th LD reorg meeting, or 2PM, whichever is later)
Each Precinct Committee Officer (PCO) elected in the August 2022 Washington State Primary election for the 2023-2024 term shall have signed in and provided their First Name, Last Name, and Precinct Number.
Call to Order by Temporary Chair
Flag Salute and Ancestral Land recognition (Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla)
Appointment of Temporary Secretary
Roll Call of Voting Members
Adoption of the Agenda†
Overview of Election Process
Review of the Rules
Adoption of the Rules
Election of Initial Officers†
Chair
Vice Chair
State Committee Members
Election of Additional Officers†
Treasurer
Secretary
Second Vice Chair
Affirmation of Organizational Governance Documents†
Bylaws
Policy Guide
Rules
Optional Appointment of Additional PCOs
Appointed PCOs (PCOs appointed in the precinct in which they reside)
Acting PCOs (PCO appointed in a precinct in which they do not reside)
Announcement of next meeting date
Good of the Order
Adjournment
†Only elected PCOs may vote
ARC Policy Committee 6:30 pm Thursday 5 January https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81582823697?pwd=V1FaVlV3Ly8xTHFBTTZZM1VxblVjQT09
Doug White, CD 4 candidate in 2022, mailed this note this morning and gave me permission to reprint. (Follow the link for the photos.) Doug writes about “balancing the narrative”, about the message. It is important context to Adam’s proposal about county-level organizing. Doug will try to join us Thursday evening.
Don
Rural Democrats are the Key to this Nation’s Future
Doug White
During my campaign thousands of people volunteered and a million dollars was raised and spent. This is a cycle that continues to repeat itself. It has been thirty years since a Democrat was elected in CD4, which is 15 cycles and approximately $7.5M spent on races we had low to no chance of winning. We cannot keep doing the same thing over and over and expect a different outcome. I do not have all the answers and there are people with much deeper experience than me, but I do have a solid background in complex problem solving and I paid close attention during my campaign.
It is clear to me that the biggest obstacle to future democratic success in Central and Eastern Washington is balancing the narrative. Currently republican messaging is dominant. We may be strong and passionate democrats but our voice is not heard and is not respected enough by the media to ask for comment or opinion. This is due in large part to our lack of visibility and representation. In Central Washington Senator Murray’s name occasionally appears in newspaper articles, but it is only Newhouse that is asked for comment or to write an op ed. This lack of balance is what keeps us skewed to the right. Until we raise the level of democratic messaging and presence to be on par with republicans our best efforts will continue to disappoint.
My campaign conducted a poll and when presented with Dem vs Republican the vote was about 65/35 but when Newhouse’s platform was presented to participants alongside mine the voting was virtually 50/50. Just one presentation of the democratic platform was sufficient to convert a significant number of voters.
What does this tell us? It tells us that our belief that Gen Z and Immigrants will save us by voting Democrat is unlikely. People vote what they know and without a democratic balance in messaging and confidence in the strength of the democratic party they will vote republican.
What do we know? We know that the cancer that is destroying our democracy gains its greatest strength in rural America. Anti LGBT, Trans, Immigration, CRT and pro abortion pro guns and Christian Nationalism. We know that local and state governments are playing a larger role in our lives. School boards, health districts and state legislatures backed by the Supreme Court are rewriting the values of this country that we have fought so hard to gain. We know that the Democrats strategy of focusing on urban areas is insufficient to stem the spread of this cancer. Our increasingly slim margins for winning elections and the electoral college put our future at risk. The new voters and the “correction” needed to move this country in the right direction must come from rural America. Where else could it come from?
What we can do. Band together to increase our strength and have a clear long term strategy with well articulated goals. I was told that my campaign was the first to unify the Democratic organizations in Central Washington. This came as a surprise to me because as a district our goals are common. Working as passionate Democrats on a local level we are good, but working as a larger group we have power and influence. We are fortunate to have Senator Murray represent us, but if we had asked as an entire district for her to make a campaign stop in Central Washington, she would have done it. But as it happened she did not. We have high, and well deserved, expectations and we can influence the media, candidate selection, bend the ear of our elected officials and representative organizations such as WA Dem, DNC and DCCC and so much more. The fate of this country lies in rural America; we feed the nation, provide its energy and are its source of hope.
With the greatest respect,
Doug
Let’s Get Serious – Build County Parties: A Proposal
You are invited to ARC’s Policy Committee Meeting on Thursday, 5 January at 6:30 pm
.
Adam Bernbaum, (chair of LD 35, mostly Mason County) will introduce his proposal to begin the long process of building rural party capacity. The goal is to reverse the “vicious cycle” of defeat, disillusion, and disability. He wants us to build local parties, contest county elections, and contribute votes to state-wide Democrats.
Rural Democrats are trying out ideas and tuning local tactics. Ron Wright in Wahkiakum County had success with a targeted outreach that proved the margin in his local elections. Glenn Rudolph in Kittitas County has tuned tactics to engage folks in his tough neighborhood. Steve Starr in Grant County is turning the corner on building the party and making Democrats a part of his community. Kathie Schutte in Pend O’Reille County is adapting ideas from Glenn and Steve to reach her neighbors, and Robert is demonstrating how non-party Indivisibles can open doors to new people and ideas. Karen Keleman and Bill Miller mentor us all in how to sustain local parties
.
There are two recurring themes: 1) These innovations are all tuned to local conditions, and 2) people are tired…people are burned out.
Adam’s proposal reinforces the theme of local adaptation, and brings resources to build local parties to ease the burden on the few individuals. Capable parties can sustain programs while leaders transition.
Adam brings commitment to the importance of rural Democrats, and confidence in finding the resources necessary for their long-term success.
Read Adam’s proposal, give it a thought, and bring your ideas to the meeting Thursday.
Don
30 December 2022
Proposal: Fund long-term rural organizers
Problem
Democrats are losing ground across rural Washington. Only four of our state’s thirty rural counties elected a Democratic County Commissioner in 2022. Among rural legislative districts, only the 24th LD consistently elects Democrats. Democrats cannot compete in most rural elections across the state no matter how capable our candidates, or well-funded our campaigns.
Implication
This state-of-affairs may elicit a cynical analysis: If Democrats can hold strong majorities in the state legislature and among our congressional delegation without winning in rural areas, and if rural areas are so far behind that no efforts could flip these races anyway, why bother?
If you color a map of Washington State by party control of county commissions, you will see an ocean of red extending eastward from the shores of the I-5 corridor. These Republican controlled counties are responsible for public health, public safety, environmental protection, economic development, elections, and many other government functions. If we are indifferent to these government bodies, we abandon a huge swath of our forests, plains, rivers, mountains, small towns, and the people who live in these places, to policies which are anathema to Democratic values.
Democrats care about these people and these places because we fight for just causes without regard for political expediency. But there are also good political reasons to contest rural races. Our party has been remarkably successful at winning local, state, and federal races in the I-5 corridor—we should not take our legislative majority for granted—however the remaining Republican controlled political bodies in Washington State are in rural areas. That is where we must focus if we want to expand our party’s influence and implement our party’s policies. Additionally, Republican gains in urban areas nationwide this cycle remind us that broadening the races we can contest is an important hedge against structural changes which jeopardize our current majority.
Challenge
So, what can be done? Democrats face a vicious cycle. The Democratic brand is unpopular in rural areas. Consistent losses drain the energy from volunteers and deny young leaders opportunity for local advancement. Without incumbency, rural Democrats fail to retain institutional knowledge—we run more first-time candidates, have to rebuild our volunteer and fundraising networks from scratch, and have fewer opportunities for mentorship. Our county parties wither as inconsistent community engagement demoralizes prospective volunteers. Without county office incumbents or strong local party engagement with the community, we struggle to produce a backbench for commissioner and legislative district races with experience and name recognition. Absent successful candidates or access to mainstream institutions, we grow isolated from public discourse and our brand weakens further. These dynamics compound with each loss.
Rebuilding the Democratic party’s brand and volunteer networks in rural areas requires persistent engagement with rural communities by local Democrats. Intermittently engaging during campaigns and focusing on up-ballot races fails to pull prospective volunteers into the party. It also prevents us from speaking to voters and volunteers in language that is rooted in the issues which are most salient, which often differ across communities. Fluency in that language can only come from strong, engaged local parties.
Proposal
To resolve these issues, we must do the following: 1.) fund long-term rural organizers who; 2.) will coordinate with county parties to; 3.) support candidates for county-level office and build local party organizational capacity. This effort should be at least partially funded by the state party, if not run through the state party. Funding signals to potential donors that we are partners, not competitors, with the state Democrats. Regardless the management structure, we should also develop a fundraising apparatus as rural Democrats to support our rural organizers, and to strengthen our local rural parties.
Adam Bernbaum
30 December 2022
Copyright © 2022 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
Wednesday: Democracy Happy Hour @ 5 pm PT
January 6th: Two Years Later & Committee Report Review
PLUS: We are keeping our fundraiser offering special gifts with donation open for one more
Democracy Happy Hour January 04 @ 5 pm PT!
Grab a drink and come hear about the latest democracy news, ongoing efforts to fix democracy, and actions you can take at our weekly Democracy Happy Hour, Wednesdays @ 5 pm PT.
Today's topic for January 4, 2023: January 6th: Two Years Later & Committee Report Review PLUS: We are keeping our fundraiser offering special gifts with donation open for one more
Upcoming Topics:
- Jan 4 – January 6th: Two Years Later
- Jan 11 – Democracy Legislation in 2023: What Can We Expect?
- Jan 18 – The Influence of Fossil Fuel Lobbyists w/ James Browning from Global Energy Monitor
- Jan 25th – Utilizing Coalitions to Reform Democracy
- Feb 1st – Media Literacy w/ Lesley James, Media Literacy & Digital Citizenship Program Supervisor, WA Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
*****************
Please submit any questions to: cindy@fixdemocracyfirst.org.
Call to Special Meeting Dec. 15
Masks urged for Dec. 15 Meeting
December Reorganization Special Meeting Details 5:30 p.m. social, 6 p.m. start Thursday, December 15 Downtown Pasco library 1320 W Hopkins St. November minutes available here.
Fellow Democrats,
Good morning to everyone on this snowy Monday.
This month’s special meeting has only one topic to address — reorganization. This includes electing new officers and modifying our organization’s bylaws as desired.
Health hospital officials in Washington are urging indoor masking amid high numbers of influenza and RSV, as well as creeping COVID rates.In light of this recommendation, we encourage our members to come to Thursday’s meeting wearing a mask. We’ll have extras, in case someone forgets and would like one.
Thank you for your understanding, as we all try to get through reorg and into the holiday season without snagging an illness!
The meeting is open to the public, and fellow Democrats are encouraged to attend. Any Franklin County resident can run for an officer position, which includes chair, vice chair and state committee representatives 1 and 2. Any change to the bylaws can be suggested, but must conform with state party rules and requires a vote.
Only precinct committee officers elected in the 2022 election cycle are able to vote for officers and bylaws changes. We have eight such PCOs; you can find a list of them by going here and typing “Democratic” in the Race field.
As always, please consider setting up a monthly dues payment through our ActBlue donation account.
This is a potluck meeting, so feel free to bring whatever dish you wish to share.
We’ll see you there!
— Your FCDCC Executive Board
Our mailing address is:
P.O. Box 2621 Pasco WA 99302
Wednesday: Democracy Happy Hour @ 5 pm PT
Is the US a Republic, Democracy or Both?
Democracy Happy Hour December 14 @ 5 pm PT!
Grab a drink and come hear about the latest democracy news, ongoing efforts to fix democracy, and actions you can take at our weekly Democracy Happy Hour, Wednesdays @ 5 pm PT.
Today's topic for December 14, 2022: Is the US a Republic, Democracy or Both?
Upcoming Topics in November:
- Dec 21 – NO Democracy Happy Hour this week – Holiday Break
- Dec 28 – NO Democracy Happy Hour this week – Holiday Break
- Jan 4 – January 6th: Two Years Later
- Jan 11 – Democracy Legislation in 2023: What Can We Expect?
- Jan 18 – The Influence of Fossil Fuel Lobbyists w/ James Browning from Global Energy Monitor
*****************
Please submit any questions to: cindy@fixdemocracyfirst.org.
BADGER FORUM THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8 | 12 to 1PM
Should Washington State Adopt Ranked-Choice Voting?
FairVote Washington
University of Washington
Is Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV) a better way to tap into the broader will of the people and improve the function in our civic affairs? RCV made several appearances in this election cycle. Various jurisdictions around the country have adopted RCV—from mayoral races in New York to congressional seats in Alaska.
Proponents argue that RCV makes democracy more functional by encouraging moderate candidates who would have to appeal beyond the party’s extreme base. Opponents often say RCV is costly, confusing and undemocratic, that a candidate who initially led voting with a plurality (say 43%) might not be the ultimate winner.
This is how FairVote Washington describes the process, “All of the first-choice votes are counted. If one candidate gets more than half the votes, they win – just like in any other election. However, if no candidate gets more than half of the first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. If your candidate was eliminated, your ballot goes to your next choice! That elimination process repeats until a candidate has majority of the votes.”
To explore this question more deeply, the Badger Club will present two speakers: Lisa Ayrault, Director of FairVote Washington, who will explain the format and rationale behind the RCV proposal to be introduced in the upcoming legislative session. Mark A. Smith, University of Washington political science professor, will provide research and perspective on both sides of the issue.
ANNUAL MEETING SCHEDULED
January 19, 2023: 11:30 AM The Agenda will include election of Directors along with a report to the Membership on the club’s finances, programs, and plans for the future. The Badger Forum at Noon will be “Around the World in 412 Days, with former Pasco Mayor Matt Watkins. Register Here
COMING UP
(Registration is not yet open)
February 23, 2023 A Special 90 minute Badger Forum on Homelessness in the Tri-Cities, including a presentation by former Tri-City Herald Publisher Rufus Friday, who now heads a homelessness program in Lexington, Kentucky.
March 2023 (Date tbd) Extremists in Our Midst
Wednesday: Democracy Happy Hour @ 5 pm PT
Moore v Harper: Opening Arguments
Democracy Happy Hour December 7 @ 5 pm PT!
Grab a drink and come hear about the latest democracy news, ongoing efforts to fix democracy, and actions you can take at our weekly Democracy Happy Hour, Wednesdays @ 5 pm PT.
Today's topic for December 70, 2022: Moore v Harper: Opening Arguments
Upcoming Topics in November:
- Dec 14 – Is the US a Republic, Democracy or Both?
- Dec 21 – NO Democracy Happy Hour this week – Holiday Break
- Dec 28 – NO Democracy Happy Hour this week – Holiday Break
*****************
Please submit any questions to: cindy@fixdemocracyfirst.org.
Artists Communicating Climate Change: Nelda Swiggett’s Jazz Quintet is Coming to Town
Richland WA: Climate change is fundamentally a science and technology problem, but the arts can drive the human response. Nelda Swiggett, a Seattle-area pianist, singer, and composer, created her multimedia jazz piece “The Alaska Suite: a story of beauty, loss and hope” to evoke a response from your heart.
“The Alaska Suite” features a five-piece chamber jazz ensemble performing Swiggett’s original music. But “The Alaska Suite” is not just a concert. The piece engages the power of artistic expression—live music, spoken words, images, poetry and audience participation—to connect audience members deeply and emotionally to the scientific realities of climate change. Swiggett’s artistic goal is to present a story of hope that leaves audiences inspired to take action.
Audience response speaks to Swiggett’s success at achieving her goal: “… spliced with a dialogue about climate science and solutions. It touches the emotional edges of our understanding and invites action from a deeper place.” —Louise S., concertgoer
“… wonderfully inspiring…. The content was informative without being
preachy; the music was magical….” — Gail M., concertgoer
Experience “The Alaska Suite.” Swiggett and her quintet will be performing “The Alaska Suite” on Saturday December 3 at Shalom United Church of Christ, 505 McMurray Street, Richland. Doors open at 6:30 pm for the 7:00 to 8:30 pm performance. Tickets are $15.
As transportation is the primary contributor to climate changing pollution in Washington state, this concert is raising funds to get more Columbia Basin College students on bicycles, the most efficient form of transportation. Proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Wheelhouse Community Bike Shop, which trains students of all ages to refurbish, repair, maintain and safely ride bicycles. Students earn bicycles and gear by completing their training and refurbishing two bikes under the guidance of Wheelhouse volunteer trainers. Each $150 in ticket sales will pay for the cost of a bike, helmet, lock, pump, and lights. Wheelhouse volunteers will be available at the event to answer questions and display a refurbished bike.
This concert is part of a tour to Yakima (7:30 pm Friday) and Ellensburg (6:30 pm Sunday) too.
Richland tickets available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-alaska-suite-a-story-of-beauty-loss-and-hope-tickets-434745584747.
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/events/431173352434425.
Yakima tickets at https://theseasonsyakima.com/events/partnership-events/nelda-swiggett-quintet-alaska-suite.
Ellensburg tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-alaska-suite-a-story-of-beauty-loss-and-hope-tickets-427471126647.
Learn more about “The Alaska Suite” available at http://alaskasuite.com.
The Wheelhouse Earn-A-Bike program is described at https://wheelhouse.bike/earn-a-bike/.
Contacts: Nelda Swiggett, Nelda Swiggett Quintet, nswiggett@gmail.com
Steve Ghan, 509-308-9023, steven.ghan@gmail.com
Benton County Democratic Central Committee
Executive Board
November 14, 2022
7:00 PM on ZOOM
When joining the meeting, please type your name and your role in the chat. If you are a PCO, please type your precinct number by your name. If you are an officer or committee chair, please include that information. If none of those apply to you, please type guest, and we’re glad you’re joining us!
Benton County Democratic Central Committee
Executive Board
November 14, 2022
7:00 PM on ZOOM
Agenda
Flag Salute
Call to Order
Appoint Temporary Secretary
Adopt Agenda
Approval of October Minutes
Secretary’s Report (Open)
Treasurer’s Report & Communications (Durga)
Chair’s Report (Regina)
- Discussion of a Letter to the State Party Chair
- Election Results
- Biennial Reorganization
1st VC Report (Regina)
2nd VC Report (John)
Organizing Committee (open)
Elections Committee (Justin)
State Committee Member 1 (Regina)
State Committee Member 2 (Sabastian)
Resolutions (Kitty)
Labor (Open)
Events & Tri-City Dems (Carl)
8th LD (Chris)
15th LD
16th LD (Everett)
Unfinished Business
New Business
- Letter to State Party Chair
Good of the Order
Adjourn
And whatever comes up in the meantime.
Wednesday: Democracy Happy Hour @ 5 pm PT
Share your favorite democracy themed book or documentary
Democracy Happy Hour November 30 @ 5 pm PT!
Grab a drink and come hear about the latest democracy news, ongoing efforts to fix democracy, and actions you can take at our weekly Democracy Happy Hour, Wednesdays @ 5 pm PT.
Today's topic for November 30, 2022: Share your favorite democracy themed book or documentary
Upcoming Topics in November:
- Dec 7 – Moore v Harper: Opening Arguments
- Dec 14 – Is the US a Republic, Democracy or Both?
- Dec 21 – NO Democracy Happy Hour this week – Holiday Break
- Dec 28 – NO Democracy Happy Hour this week – Holiday Break
*****************
Please submit any questions to: cindy@fixdemocracyfirst.org.
Giving Tuesday is almost here…
Support democracy & receive some great gifts, too!
Giving Tuesday is almost here…
Giving Tuesday 2022 is November 29th. This year please support our work to strengthen democracy, and also receive some special gifts with your donation! It’s our way to say thank you for supporting our efforts for democracy.
We have two ways to give…
Donations to Fix Democracy First Education Fund, our 501(c)(3) civic education and outreach organization, supports all our civic outreach and public education programs including, our Democracy Happy Hours, our youth outreach program YO VOTE!, and Women in Office Now, which offers free training to women running for office. All donations to FDFEF are tax deductible.
Donations to Fix Democracy First, our 501(c)(4) advocacy organization, supports our work to expand and strengthen democracy through various reforms, including public funding of elections, getting big money out of politics, expanding access to voting, eliminating gerrymandering, and alternative voting systems like ranked choice voting and proportional representation. Donations to FDF are not tax deductible.
We can’t do this work without you!
Follow Us!
Fix Democracy First
1402 3rd Ave Ste 500
Seattle, Washington 98101
(206) 552-3287
info@fixdemocracyfirst.org
Registration Now Open Online!
We are delighted to announce that registration is now open for our first hybrid Annual Dinner celebration Pathways of Solidarity on Sunday November 20 (program begins at 5:30pm)!
Register online at bit.ly/FANDinner2022.
Please register by October 31 for your best chance for attending in person in Renton or Spokane, or put together a watch party for joining the celebration online.
Would you like to be a sponsor? See the details on our event page.
Be in the room where it happens and VOLUNTEER to make the evening special! Email FAN@fanwa.org.
We look forward to welcoming you November 20!
FAN Staff & Governing Board
FAITH ACTION NETWORK
www.FANWA.org
206-625-9790
Hello Faith Advocates!
We look forward to gathering with you at our upcoming South-Central Regional Cluster Gathering this Sunday, November 13, at 2:30 pm, in person at Shalom United Church of Christ at 505 McMurray Street in Richland, and also on line. For those in the Yakima area, you also have the option of joining a watch party at Wesley United Methodist Church at 14 N 48th Avenue in Yakima.
Please register here your intention to attend this gathering, including letting us know if you will be attending in person or on line. Everyone who registers will receive an emailed link to join on line. This email will come from Anderson@FANWA.Org.
Cluster gatherings are designed for learning from each other about what is happening in and around our region while also working together to develop ways that FAN can help us respond to issues collectively and powerfully.
We hope to see you Sunday. Until then, stay well and well loved!
See you soon,
Eric
Eric Don Anderson, M. Div.
South Central WA Regional Organizer, he/him/his
FAITH ACTION NETWORK
www.FANWA.org
509.492.2216
Private insurance and Rural Hospital risk
Harold Miller judges that of Washington’s 39 rural hospitals, 13 are at risk of closing, one of which may be facing immediate closure. Harold heads up a national center that “facilitates improvements in healthcare payment and delivery systems.” Harold joins Shane McQuire, Columbia County Health System, Thursday evening to help us understand the complicated finances of rural hospitals.
These “complicated finances” are not just Medicaid reimbursement calculations. Harold points also to private insurance payment rules.
Join the discussion.
Don
15 November 2022
Rural Hospitals. Essential. Viable? Thursday 17 November 6:30 pm https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84093446627?pwd=VFJ3N2p3RUhRRUNFRDhYKzlTa01sQT09 Meeting ID: 840 9344 6627 Passcode: 148588
Shane McGuire
CEO
Columbia County Health System
Rural Hospitals. Essential. Viable?
Economic Driver
We started looking at rural hospitals from the selfish position of saving our lives, and those of our families. A less urgent but maybe no less selfish view is that health care is big business. And we in rural areas need the employment and property taxes.
Recall, too, that several months ago we talked about “gateway” communities and the unwanted housing, water and environment, and cost-of-living effects that come with being attractive communities. The Methow was our test case but the same holds for Omak, Chelan Leavenworth, Cle Elum, and Dayton, too.
We recognize the downsides of Puget Sound residents moving east to work remotely and recreate locally. We acknowledge, though, that they bring not only pressure on scarce housing but also purchasing power, tax revenues and innovative ideas. They bring dollars and culture.
Health care access is part of responsible planning for populations shifts, for folks moving into our communities. Access to good health care is a major factor for both young families with kids going to our schools and retirees converting their house equity to investment in our downtowns.
If “selfish” means planning for our own welfare, then we all should know about, care about, and do something about making our rural health care viable.
Join Shane McGuire in talking through these issues. Shane enjoys widespread respect in southeast Washington and has graciously agreed to help us understand what makes small hospitals work.
Don
13 November 2022
Rural Hospitals. Essential. Viable?
Who pays what?
Some years ago, ARC heard from Providence that their estimates of how the Affordable Care Act would work were thrown off by the greater than expected proportion of their patients that were on Medicaid. The expansion of Medicaid had the intended effect of increasing the number of previously uninsured residents who were seeking health care.
The statement then was that Medicaid paid less than private insurers. A current study of small rural hospitals turns that on its head. Private insurers short small rural hospitals relative to Medicaid and Medicare. What are the facts?
This quickly drops us down into the rabbit hole of health care finance. One shaky handhold is Critical Access Hospital (CAH) designation. (Here is what they are. And here is who they are in Washington.) It turns out that CAH’s are compensated differently than Sole Community Hospitals, for example. CAH status buys you compensation based on your cost of service. No other classification gets this privilege. Most hospitals are paid under Prospective Payment Systems – “pre-determined, fixed discharge payment”.
If CAH status is so good, then, why is there such a variation in payment? If Dayton’s 60 percent “weighted cost to charge” is good, then what about Pomeroy’s 553 percent? What does this mean?
| FINAL CRITICAL ACCESS HOSPITAL (CAH) | |||
| WEIGHTED COST TO CHARGE (WCC) RATES | |||
| INPATIENT | OUTPATIENT | ||
| WCC | WCC | ||
| Cascade Medical Center | 92.88% | 48.29% | |
| Columbia Basin Hospital | 155.03% | 68.40% | |
| Coulee Medical Center | 77.70% | 55.86% | |
| Dayton General Hospital | 59.70% | 46.20% | |
| East Adams Rural Hospital | 73.31% | 56.79% | |
| Ferry County Memorial Hospital | 125.46% | 36.35% | |
| Forks Community Hospital | 57.91% | 39.68% | |
| Garfield County Memorial Hospital | 553.75% | 139.84% | |
| Jefferson Healthcare Hospital | 70.58% | 42.22% | |
| Kittitas Valley Healthcare | 66.14% | 41.31% | |
| Klickitat Valley Hospital | 130.02% | 50.56% | |
| Lake Chelan Community Hospital | 47.31% | 56.49% | |
| Lincoln Hospital | 102.80% | 71.33% | |
| Lourdes Medical Center | 23.60% | 21.10% | |
| Mason General Hospital | 43.03% | 31.79% | |
| Mid-Valley Hospital | 72.62% | 47.63% | |
| Morton General Hospital | 83.89% | 54.67% | |
| Newport Community Hospital | 75.37% | 54.10% | |
| North Valley Hospital | 95.55% | 56.20% | |
| Ocean Beach Hospital | 107.28% | 54.89% | |
| Odessa Memorial Healthcare Center | 199.39% | 107.98% | |
| Othello Community Hospital | 61.12% | 42.59% | |
| PeaceHealth United General Medical Center | 38.77% | 29.01% | |
| Prosser Memorial Hospital Medical Center | 41.57% | 28.72% | |
| Providence Mount Carmel Hospital | 65.10% | 40.53% | |
| Providence St. Joseph’s Hospital | 100.02% | 49.06% | |
| Pullman Regional Hospital | 78.76% | 44.73% | |
| Quincy Valley Medical Center | 433.39% | 74.33% | |
| Skyline Hospital | 84.51% | 73.16% | |
| Snoqualmie Valley Hospital | 85.63% | 80.87% | |
| St. Elizabeth Hospital | 26.46% | 17.63% | |
| Summit Pacific Medical Center | 54.43% | 36.62% | |
| Sunnyside Community Hospital | 33.16% | 21.44% | |
| Three Rivers Hospital | 102.36% | 73.57% | |
| Tri-State Memorial Hospital | 43.84% | 39.48% | |
| Whidbey General Hospital | 73.20% | 30.00% | |
| Whitman Hospital & Medical Center | 62.22% | 56.80% | |
| Willapa Harbor Hospital | 102.47% | 57.93% |
Let’s ask Shane McGuire on the 17th, but don’t expect an easy route out of the rabbit hole.
Don
7 November 2022
Rural Hospitals. Essential. Viable?
It is commonplace that rural hospitals are important. Common, that is, until it is your father has a cardiac arrest at the Thanksgiving table, your wife wakes up in the middle of the night gasping for air, or your son catches his hand in the baler’s power take-off, working alone on the other side of the farm. Then your local hospital becomes essential.
Will your hospital be there for the next curve life throws at your family?
Is your rural hospital viable? The cost structure is simple enough: physicians, nurses, support staff, supplies…the lights. That is where the simplicity stops. What is the denominator? A rural hospital does not know from day to day who is going to present as an outpatient, inpatient.
The bigger complication is payment for services. What do you get paid for a patient? And who decides?
Join Shane McGuire, CEO of Columbia County Health System (Dayton), to get a feel for the ins and outs of managing a rural hospital.
Don
29 October 2022
Legacy News
The Lower Snake River dam system moves grain from the Palouse and the Camas Prairie to Portland. Replacing this capacity is a difficult issue. Solutionary Rail, an advocacy group, has done an exceptional job of mapping rail alternatives to the barges.
Watch the slide show.
Read the Introduction pages 1-9
The Odessa Groundwater Replacement Project is widening irrigation mainlines to deliver increased quantities of Columbia River water to replace the groundwater extraction from the Odessa aquifer. A problem, though, is finding funds to replace the existing bridges.
The Methow Valley continues to attract population growth.
One of ARC's longest standing issue is the wolf-cattle issue in northeast Washington. It does not stop. The 9th Circuit takes up wolf management
Copyright © 2022 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
Call to Meeting Nov. 17
November General Business Meeting Details 5:30 social hour w/guests, 6 p.m. start Thursday, October 20 Downtown Pasco library 1320 W Hopkins St. October minutes available here.
Fellow Democrats,
Please take a moment today, Veteran’s Day, to honor veterans for their service to our country.
This upcoming meeting is our last regular meeting of the year. We are going over the recent election and what we can learn from it, what our reorganization meeting in December is going to look like, and some involvement opportunities for everyone to consider.
This month’s meeting also features our ongoing series, “Why I am a Democrat.” This is where anyone can speak to the body about why they consider themselves a Democrat.
As part of our efforts for 2023 and 2024, please consider setting up a monthly dues payment through our ActBlue donation account.
This is a potluck meeting, so feel free to bring whatever dish you wish to share.
We’ll see you there!
— Your FCDCC Executive Board
Our mailing address is:
P.O. Box 2621 Pasco WA 99302
Wednesday: Democracy Happy Hour @ 5 pm PT
Creating an Inter-Movement “Generative Change” Community to Save & Strengthen Our Democratic Republic with Walter Roberts & Caleb Christen
Democracy Happy Hour November 16 @ 5 pm PT!
Grab a drink and come hear about the latest democracy news, ongoing efforts to fix democracy, and actions you can take at our weekly Democracy Happy Hour, Wednesdays @ 5 pm PT.
Today's topic for November 16, 2022: Creating an Inter-Movement "Generative Change" Community to Save & Strengthen Our Democratic Republic with Walter Roberts & Caleb Christen
Upcoming Topics in November:
- Nov 23 – NO Democracy Happy Hour this week – Holiday Break
- Nov 30 – Share your favorite democracy themed book or documentary
- Nov 30 – Share your favorite democracy themed book or documentary
- Dec 7 – Moore v Harper: Opening Arguments
- Dec 14 – Is the US a Republic, Democracy or Both?
- Dec 21 – NO Democracy Happy Hour this week – Holiday Break
- Dec 28 – NO Democracy Happy Hour this week – Holiday Break
*****************
Please submit any questions to: cindy@fixdemocracyfirst.org.
Benton County Democratic Central Committee
Executive Board
November 14, 2022
7:00 PM on ZOOM
When joining the meeting, please type your name and your role in the chat. If you are a PCO, please type your precinct number by your name. If you are an officer or committee chair, please include that information. If none of those apply to you, please type guest, and we’re glad you’re joining us!
Benton County Democratic Central Committee
Executive Board
November 14, 2022
7:00 PM on ZOOM
Agenda
Flag Salute
Call to Order
Appoint Temporary Secretary
Adopt Agenda
Approval of October Minutes
Secretary’s Report (Open)
Treasurer’s Report & Communications (Durga)
Chair’s Report (Regina)
- Discussion of a Letter to the State Party Chair
- Election Results
- Biennial Reorganization
1st VC Report (Regina)
2nd VC Report (John)
Organizing Committee (open)
Elections Committee (Justin)
State Committee Member 1 (Regina)
State Committee Member 2 (Sabastian)
Resolutions (Kitty)
Labor (Open)
Events & Tri-City Dems (Carl)
8th LD (Chris)
15th LD
16th LD (Everett)
Unfinished Business
New Business
- Letter to State Party Chair
Good of the Order
Adjourn
And whatever comes up in the meantime.
See the Web Log for information about older past events