23rd ld Democrats News

Good morning fellow Democrats,

This week is one of my favorite times of the political calendar: filing week! We have hundreds of local offices across the state where you – yes, YOU – can make a difference in your community by filing to run. If you’re thinking that you don’t have the money, or time, to run for office – think again! Many local offices are part-time positions, and it’s very likely that there’s something open in your community where no one has even filed for the job yet.

These local races may not cost much to run or require a full-time commitment if you’re elected, but they’re critically important roles. Look no further than how the far-right has weaponized school boards in Florida and other red states to ban books featuring LGBTQ+ characters for an example of why it matters to have principled community leaders in these positions. 

So, how do you file for office? It’s much easier than you might think! First, check this link from the Secretary of State’s office to see what positions are up for election this year in your community. Then, click here to find out if anyone has filed for that position already. If you spot a vacant position that matches your skills or interests, you can file online using this form from the SOS’s official website. Many positions don’t even require a filing fee!

Yesterday, President Biden announced that the federal government will bring additional resources to bear on the homelessness crisis in Seattle – a much-needed infusion of federal money and staff to help bring people inside to safe shelter. The President’s initiative, ALL INside, aims to reduce our country’s unhoused population by 25% in the next two years. This is huge news, as many housing and homelessness experts tie the rise in unhoused people to the defunding of public housing and the Department of Housing and Urban Development under Reagan’s administration, and President Biden’s move to re-engage on this issue marks a dramatic shift from past Republican occupants of the White House.

This week, I’m reminding myself that even when our movement fails to carry the day, we grow stronger by fighting for our values. In South Carolina, where more than a dozen Republican state legislators co-sponsored a bill that would make getting an abortion punishable by the death penalty earlier this year, Republicans passed a bill to ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. 

Why does this give me hope? Because it took literally all week for them to pass this unpopular and unjust policy after Democratic women in the legislature filed more than a thousand amendments to bog down the process. Despite ultimately being unsuccessful in stopping the policy, these courageous women made damn sure their constituents and the entire nation paid attention to this latest assault on pregnant people’s fundamental freedom to control their own bodies. That’s the kind of unrelenting advocacy Democrats bring to the table, and why I’m drawing hope from their example this week. 

Also, if you have family or friends in South Carolina who will be affected by this ban, remind them that our Washington Democrats have passed a law that would protect them from prosecution if they come here to get the essential reproductive care they need.

Railway Safety Act will help protect communities | The Seattle Times

Senator Cantwell is leading a coalition as Chair of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee to bring much-needed safety regulations to the rail industry. The recent derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio grabbed headlines, but train derailments have become more common than the public realizes in recent years after the Trump administration deregulated the industry. 

Pramila Jayapal introduces Medicare for All Act of 2023 | Twitter
This week, Rep. Jayapal joined Senator Sanders in introducing the Medicare for All Act of 2023 to provide universal health care to every American as a fundamental right. Check out the link above to watch her comments at the press conference they held to build momentum for the law! 

Gluesenkamp Perez Introduces Rural Broadband Bill | The Daily Chronicle
Another critically important bill from Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez this week would create more competition and improve broadband access in rural areas. As she told attendees at a recent town hall, broadband access is essential for access to education, telehealth, and so much more in our digital age. We’re proud to have Marie representing Southwest Washington in Congress and are working around the clock to keep her in office!

Keep in touch, stay engaged, and as always, thank you for all you do!

With gratitude, 

Chair Shasti Conrad

Washington State Democratic Party

DONATE

The work we do today wins elections tomorrow. If you're ready to elect Democrats in every race and every place in Washington state, invest in our efforts and make a contribution now. 

Want to support our work year round? Join Blue Washington, our monthly giving program! It is the most effective way to help candidates, volunteers, organizers, activists, and staff because it gives us the certainty we need to scale up our program with confidence. Your monthly investment ensures we can defend our strong legislative majorities, flip key congressional seats from red to blue, and fight for progressive values. Help us lead the way to victories at all levels of government today!

 Paid for by Washington State Democratic Central Committee. Not authorized by any federal candidate or candidate's committee.

Washington State Democrats
PO Box 4027
Seattle, WA 98194
United States

If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please unsubscribe.

Good morning fellow Democrats,

What a couple of weeks we’ve had in Democratic politics here in Washington state! Gov. Inslee announced he’s not running for another term, Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz have announced their campaigns to succeed him as governor, state Senator Patty Kuderer announced her run for Insurance Commissioner, and state Senator Manka Dhingra has kicked off her campaign to succeed AG Ferguson as our state’s top lawyer. With all this change on the horizon, you might be wondering, “What does this mean for the Washington State Democrats?”  

Well, it’s simultaneously a huge deal that doesn’t change much about our day-to-day work. Our mission hasn’t changed: in partnership with Senator Maria Cantwell, we’ll build the same organizing powerhouse of the Coordinated Campaign that has led to double-digit wins for our statewide candidates for the last six years. After all, that’s what flipped two Congressional seats from red to blue, delivered an historic third term for Governor Inslee, and consolidated Democratic control of every statewide executive office for the first time in recent memory. Once the voters choose who will represent our party in the general election, we’ll stand ready to keep the governor’s

seat in Democratic hands regardless of who advances past the primary. 
But at the same time, competitive primaries for so many statewide offices present an incredible opportunity for our state party. While maintaining neutrality throughout the process, we’ll be able to bring in new Democrats to our fold and engage a whole new generation of voters excited by our wealth of inspiring candidates. And although we don’t make endorsements at the state level, each of our local party organizations will weigh in on these compelling races, so there’s never been a better time to get involved locally!

Last Friday marked a day of awareness for the ongoing crisis affecting Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women. To bring more resources and attention to the cases from our state, Senator Cantwell discussed with Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland about how the federal government can aid in investigating and resolving those cases. For more, check out the Senator’s interview with KHQ.

Earlier this week, I flew to DC for the White House’s celebration of AANHPI Heritage Month and drew such inspiration from the diverse leaders from across the country who showed up and showed out for the event. I kept thinking that if I could somehow go back in time and tell the version of myself who cut her teeth as a field organizer on President Obama’s 2008 campaign that the White House would even hold such an event – much less that I’d be an invited guest! – I’m not sure I would have believed it. Our party has come so far in respecting and valuing the diversity of our coalition in just the time that I’ve been working in politics. It's hard to believe sometimes, but it’s a valuable reminder that change is possible within our lifetimes.

Jay Inslee, Washington’s Departing Governor, Sees Greener Pastures Ahead | The New York Times 

Gov. Inslee’s leadership brought us incredible progress on so many issues and kept us safe during the unprecedented crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic. We all owe him a debt of gratitude for making our state a beacon of hope in this divided country, and wish him the best of luck in his next pursuits after leaving the governor’s mansion.

WA Attorney General Bob Ferguson announces campaign for governor | The Seattle Times 

The race to succeed Gov. Inslee is off to a hot start, with AG Ferguson kicking it off last week. You can learn more about his campaign at his website here.

WA lands Commissioner Hilary Franz announces run for governor, vying with AG Ferguson | The Seattle Times 

Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz is also vying to succeed Gov. Inslee, and announced her campaign this week. You can learn more about Hilary’s campaign at her website here.

State Party Updates 

We’re hiring!

In case you haven’t seen, we’re looking to add talent to our incredible state party staff! We’re accepting applications for Executive Director and Communications Director, so let anyone in your network who might be interested know that they are invited to apply before Monday’s deadline! 

Keep in touch, stay engaged, and as always, thank you for all you do!

With gratitude, 

Chair Shasti Conrad

Washington State Democratic Party

DONATE

The work we do today wins elections tomorrow. If you're ready to elect Democrats in every race and every place in Washington state, invest in our efforts and make a contribution now. 

Want to support our work year round? Join Blue Washington, our monthly giving program! It is the most effective way to help candidates, volunteers, organizers, activists, and staff because it gives us the certainty we need to scale up our program with confidence. Your monthly investment ensures we can defend our strong legislative majorities, flip key congressional seats from red to blue, and fight for progressive values. Help us lead the way to victories at all levels of government today!

 Paid for by Washington State Democratic Central Committee. Not authorized by any federal candidate or candidate's committee.

Washington State Democrats
PO Box 4027
Seattle, WA 98194
United States

If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please unsubscribe.

Good morning fellow Democrats,

What a week this has been! The sun is out and our Party is building momentum and making big things happen at every level. President Biden announced his bid for re-election and our Washington Democrats in Olympia wrapped up the legislative session in a whirlwind of good news for our party.

I’ve gone into detail on our policy victories below, but let’s start by taking a moment to thank our legislators for all they accomplished this session. There’s no stronger reminder of why we fight hard every single day to protect and expand our powerful and diverse Democratic majorities and I’m so proud of what we’ve been able to get done for the people of Washington! 

We could never get this done without the efforts of Democrats everywhere in Washington State and I’m committed to working with each and every one of our local party organizations to make sure we’re not leaving a single vote on the table. That’s why I’m hitting the road again today to head down to southwest Washington to speak with the terrific Klickitat County Democrats and the SW Washington Equity Coalition this weekend!

We’re so much stronger when we all come together to support our candidates – and I can’t wait to connect with Democrats in every corner of the state in the weeks and months ahead! 

The legislative session is finally wrapped up, and we have so much to celebrate! Yesterday, Governor Inslee signed a suite of bills to protect access to abortion for every Washingtonian and anyone from a red state who travels here to get essential reproductive health care. 

Earlier this week, he signed the assault weapons ban into law and immediately outlawed new purchases of weapons of war that have no place on our streets. Plus, we passed a balanced budget that invests $3 billion in public schools, $1 billion in our behavioral health care system, and $400 million in the state’s Housing Trust Fund to jumpstart affordable housing projects across the state! 

This weekend, I’m heading down to Vancouver to celebrate the graduation of a new cohort of aspiring community leaders from the Vancouver Community Leadership Institute and I couldn’t be more excited to meet these incredible graduates. Each of them have their own compelling story of transforming the hardship they’ve overcome into inspiration for improving the lives of their friends, families, and communities – a welcome reminder that for every election-denying conspiracy theorist making headlines on cable news, we have a dozen dedicated champions for social justice quietly working every day to make a difference. 

President Biden announced he’s running for re-election!

If you haven’t yet, I strongly encourage you to check out President Biden’s video announcing his campaign for re-election. It’s a compelling reminder of the stakes of this battle for the soul of our nation and how we must dedicate ourselves to giving him the chance to finish the job of protecting our democracy.

Bernie Sanders endorses Biden, rules out 2024 bid of his own | AP News 

With so much at stake, I’m thrilled to see our party united behind the President. Regardless of where you fall on the ideological spectrum within our diverse party, we all understand that keeping President Biden in office is the best path we have to building on the transformative investments in clean energy, American manufacturing, and a sustainable economy that Biden has delivered in his first term.

With assault weapons ban, Washington enters a new era of gun reform | Crosscut 

I’m going to keep these words from Gov. Inslee in mind for the rest of the election cycle, particularly when our work gets tough: “This has been a very long bending of the moral arc of the universe, but it does bend toward justice,” Inslee said. “The victory we are celebrating today, I think ought to be a victory for anyone involved in any long-term cause,” he added. “Keep your head up, keep your heart strong.”

Upcoming Events
May 5th Grassroots Reception: The evening before my first state committee meeting as Chair, we’re hosting a reception for all our Democratic volunteers to come and celebrate our return to in-person work together to elect Democrats across the state! We’ll be hearing from AG Bob Ferguson, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, Senator Rebecca Saldaña, and Latino Caucus Chair Rep. Lilian Ortiz-Self for what will be an inspiring and exciting event! 

Get your ticket here!

State Party Updates
We’re hiring!

In case you haven’t seen, we’re looking to add talent to our incredible state party staff! We’re accepting applications for Executive Director and Communications Director, so let anyone in your network who might be interested know that they are invited to apply! 
Keep in touch, stay engaged, and as always, thank you for all you do!

With gratitude, 

Chair Shasti Conrad

Washington State Democratic Party

DONATE

The work we do today wins elections tomorrow. If you're ready to elect Democrats in every race and every place in Washington state, invest in our efforts and make a contribution now. 

Want to support our work year round? Join Blue Washington, our monthly giving program! It is the most effective way to help candidates, volunteers, organizers, activists, and staff because it gives us the certainty we need to scale up our program with confidence. Your monthly investment ensures we can defend our strong legislative majorities, flip key congressional seats from red to blue, and fight for progressive values. Help us lead the way to victories at all levels of government today!

 Paid for by Washington State Democratic Central Committee. Not authorized by any federal candidate or candidate's committee.

Washington State Democrats
PO Box 4027
Seattle, WA 98194
United States

If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please unsubscribe.

Greetings from the other Washington!

I’m checking in from DC, where I’m meeting with our friends at the DNC ahead of attending an Earth Day celebration hosted by Vice President Harris. In the spirit of the holiday, I want to highlight some of the incredible work on climate change that our Washington Democrats have accomplished recently.

In the state legislature, we’ve passed a new law that will prohibit utilities and landlords from cutting off power or water for people who are behind on their payments when a heat wave strikes. We also saw the first auction for Gov. Inslee’s signature cap-and-invest law take place last month, which brought in $300 million for the state to invest in clean energy and environmental justice projects!

The revenue from the cap-and-invest law also shows that there doesn’t need to be tension between taking action on climate and growing the economy: several of the projects funded by this first round of carbon credits will help train workers to qualify for jobs in the clean energy industry that pay a living wage. I know there’s a lot of bad news out there on this issue, but it’s important to remember that we aremaking progress towards a sustainable future in Washington state!

One final update on the assault weapons ban, which is now finally headed to the Governor’s desk for signature! The House concurred with a minor amendment from the Senate this week, crossing the final "t" and dotting the last "i" before making Washington the tenth state to ban the purchase and sale of military-style rifles. 

In other gun violence prevention news, the Senate has sent a bill to Governor Inslee’s desk that will allow victims of gun violence to hold firearm manufacturers accountable in our state courts. Congress exempted the gun industry from these kinds of lawsuits in federal court years ago, but now families of people who are harmed due to gun violence will finally get their day in court.

Finally, Governor Inslee signed a bill that repeals capital punishment in Washington state! We all know our court system isn’t perfect, and this important reform means that a mistake in a trial court will no longer cost an innocent person their life. 

Even a week later, I find myself reflecting on the warm welcomes I got from all our local Democratic volunteers during my trip through Central and Eastern Washington last week. The passion you all shared with me for improving your communities fills me with hope, and I could not be more excited to be in this work together!

Democratic chair sees big potential in rural, Eastern WA. Can they make Tri-City gains? 

As I told the Tri-City Herald, the path to long-term success in Central and Eastern Washington is delivering the message that Democrats are the ones delivering for working families in every community. Investing in rural infrastructure through the Climate Commitment Act and putting money back in folks’ pockets with the Working Families Tax Credit is exactly what people in those communities need to know Democrats are doing for them, and I know the local volunteers I met with last week will deliver that message!

How Washington plans to spend money from the new carbon-cap law | Crosscut 

Want more details on how the state will spend the $300 million generated by Gov. Inslee’s Climate Commitment Act? Check out this in-depth review by Crosscut!

This WA tax credit could give you free money. If you sign up | The Seattle Times 

A reminder to check your eligibility for the Working Families Tax Credit, and remind your friends and neighbors to do the same! You can see if you qualify for this tax credit by heading to workingfamiliescredit.wa.gov and filling in your information. 

We’re hiring!

In case you haven’t seen, we’re looking to add talent to our incredible state party staff! We’re accepting applications for Executive Director and Communications Director, so let anyone in your network who might be interested know that they are invited to apply! 

Keep in touch, stay engaged, and as always, thank you for all you do!

With gratitude, 

Chair Shasti Conrad

Washington State Democratic Party

DONATE

The work we do today wins elections tomorrow. If you're ready to elect Democrats in every race and every place in Washington state, invest in our efforts and make a contribution now. 

Want to support our work year round? Join Blue Washington, our monthly giving program! It is the most effective way to help candidates, volunteers, organizers, activists, and staff because it gives us the certainty we need to scale up our program with confidence. Your monthly investment ensures we can defend our strong legislative majorities, flip key congressional seats from red to blue, and fight for progressive values. Help us lead the way to victories at all levels of government today!

 Paid for by Washington State Democratic Central Committee. Not authorized by any federal candidate or candidate's committee.

Washington State Democrats
PO Box 4027
Seattle, WA 98194
United States

If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please unsubscribe.

Hello again fellow Democrats!

I’ve just returned from an exciting week of travel across Eastern and Central Washington, with every day this week jam-packed full of meetings and meet-and-greets with our dedicated local party volunteers. I was so grateful for the warm welcome from our LPOs in the Tri-Cities, Walla Walla, Pullman, and Yakima – thank you to all who came to share their passion for staying engaged in this work and contributed their ideas for how we can boost rural organizing!

For the many of you who I couldn’t meet, here’s the message I gave all our Eastern Washington volunteers: I’m in this for the long haul. We might not flip every seat in this cycle, or even the next one, but I have the utmost confidence that our person-to-person organizing work is already laying the foundation for the long-term gains we need to compete in every single legislative district.

Look no further than the 3rd Congressional District for an example of how that dedication pays dividends when you might least expect it. After four years of taking the fight to Jaime Herrera-Beutler, our volunteers in Southwest Washington were ready to capitalize on the GOP’s disarray when election denier Joe Kent bested JHB in the primary. Their organizing work pushed Marie Gluesenkamp Perez to victory, and helped Democrats come within a razor’s edge of keeping control of the House of Representatives.

Now, we’ve got to double down on that neighbor-to-neighbor organizing work to protect all the gains we’ve made in the last six years and I couldn’t be more excited to be in this work with all of you! 

HUGE news out of Olympia this week: the assault weapons ban passed the Senate and is now headed to Gov. Inslee’s desk for his signature! I know that the time it takes to make progress on these tough issues can be depressing, so I want to take a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come on gun violence prevention since 2016.

Back then, Washington ranked #1 in the country for NRA spending. That’s right, the gun lobby spent more money here than anywhere else in the nation. That year, Republicans in the Senate blocked the passage of a bill to allow concerned family members to get an extreme risk protection order (ERPO) to temporarily remove guns from the possession of someone who they believed could be a threat to themselves or others. 

Now, we’ve not only passed that law, but we’ve also mandated universal background checks, established training requirements and waiting periods for gun purchases, allowed victims of gun violence to hold firearm manufacturers accountable in court, and are on track to ban assault weapons altogether. 

None of that could have happened without the organizing work we have done in the last six years to elect champions of public safety to the state legislature, so take a moment this morning to reflect on the progress you made possible.

In Tennessee, Democrats have shown that we will not let the GOP strangle our democracy. Both of the state representatives who were expelled from the Tennessee state legislature have regained their seats after their local governments re-appointed them to their seats after the GOP’s unprecedented move to remove them from office. If you need an extra dose of hope with your morning coffee, take a minute to watch this speech from Rep. Justin Jones to take strength from his resolve to keep fighting for common sense gun laws.

Justin Pearson reinstated: Memphis sends expelled Black lawmaker back to Tennessee House days after GOP lawmakers ousted him - ABC7 Chicago 

Rep. Justin Jones spoke to his constituents after getting re-appointed to the Tennessee House by the Shelby County Board of Commissioners. A reminder that local elections matter!

Amid post-Roe landscape, WA lawmakers pass abortion ‘shield law’ | The Seattle Times 

The Senate passed Rep. Drew Hansen’s Shield Law that protects people from other states seeking abortions or gender-affirming care from prosecution in their home state. As long as the Supreme Court continues to divide this country into red and blue states by rolling back personal freedoms like the right to an abortion, Washington Democrats will do our part to make sure anyone who seeks care here can do so safely.

Fed grant funding to help West Canal, Yakima River | Columbia Basin Herald 

While this might not have made front-page news, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention this significant investment that Senator Cantwell secured to renovate the Columbia Basin Project’s West Canal. These kinds of investments in the necessary infrastructure for both farmers and our salmon populations are what Democrats deliver for our rural communities, and Senator Cantwell’s leadership made sure the communities I just returned from meeting with will get the millions of federal dollars they need to preserve our way of life. 

Keep in touch, stay engaged, and as always, thank you for all you do!

With gratitude, 

Chair Shasti Conrad

Washington State Democratic Party

DONATE

The work we do today wins elections tomorrow. If you're ready to elect Democrats in every race and every place in Washington state, invest in our efforts and make a contribution now. 

Want to support our work year round? Join Blue Washington, our monthly giving program! It is the most effective way to help candidates, volunteers, organizers, activists, and staff because it gives us the certainty we need to scale up our program with confidence. Your monthly investment ensures we can defend our strong legislative majorities, flip key congressional seats from red to blue, and fight for progressive values. Help us lead the way to victories at all levels of government today!

 Paid for by Washington State Democratic Central Committee. Not authorized by any federal candidate or candidate's committee.

Washington State Democrats
PO Box 4027
Seattle, WA 98194
United States

If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please unsubscribe.

Good morning fellow Democrats,

At the end of what has been a heavy week, I’m reflecting on several moments that keep me committed to the the work we all do: without politicizing the very real human tragedies we’ve witnessed, the recent school shooting in Nashville and gun violence right here in Washington that resulted in 23-year-old Elijah Lewis’s death are stark reminders that changing public policy can actually save lives.

And although we can’t end every crisis overnight, I’m drawing strength and resilience from the real progress Washington Democrats at every level of government are making to create a safer world for all of us. 

As I’ve been traveling around the state to meet with our local Democratic volunteers in every corner of Washington, I’ve been struck by the resolve, determination, and hope people have that a better world is within our reach. At its core, our person-to-person organizing work is the expression of that hope: we each have something to offer that helps advance our community toward the vision we all share of a just and equitable world where everyone can thrive.

If I haven’t been to your neck of the woods yet, you won’t have to wait too long! Next week, I’m hitting the road to meet with our local volunteers in Central and Eastern Washington, so if you’re in the Tri-Cities, Walla Walla, Pullman, or Yakima and want to connect, send me an email!

In the state legislature, the Democratic majorities you helped protect last year are set to pass a ban on assault weapons that will help keep kids safe in their classrooms and prevent mass shootings. The measure has already passed the House, and will soon be before the full Senate floor for a vote to send the measure to Gov. Inslee’s desk. 

Our Washington Democrats have also continued to advance the shield law for patients seeking reproductive and gender-affirming care I highlighted in this newsletter two weeks ago. That bill is even more important now that Idaho has become the first state in the country to criminalize interstate travel to get an abortion. 

This week, the Midwest gave us quite a few victories to cheer for! Led by an incredible organizing effort from the Wisconsin Dems, Wisconsin got a major win by electing a progressive judge to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Judge Janet Protasiewicz is a strong advocate for reproductive rights and beat a truly horrific Republican! 

In Chicago, they elected an awesome new mayor, Brandon Johnson, who was backed by the teachers’ unions and offered a reprieve from messaging overly focused on crime. And in Michigan, Governor Gretchen Whitmer overturned a 1921 ban of abortion, a week after repealing the right to work laws that had been in place for years! Good things are happening across this country because of year-round organizing efforts! 

Liberals gain control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court for the first time in 15 years 

Our fellow state party organizers in Wisconsin notched an incredibly important win this week after Janet Protasiewicz’s victory secured a Democratic majority that can now strike down abortion bans, end gerrymandering, and protect the integrity of the 2024 presidential election. 

Applications open to join Congresswoman Kim Schrier at Democracy Summer!

If you’re a high school or college student (or know one) interested in getting trained to help defend our democracy, you have until April 14th to apply to Congresswoman Schrier’s Democracy Summer program. Aspiring student organizers from across the 8th Congressional District will join together for this informative and engaging program that will teach you all you need to know about registering voters and turning out your neighbors!

WA stockpiles abortion pills ahead of federal court ruling | The Seattle Times 

Ahead of a right-wing judge’s possible ruling in a Texas lawsuit brought by anti-abortion activists, Gov. Inslee has secured a four-year supply of mifepristone to ensure Washingtonians continue to have access to the medication. At the same time, AG Ferguson is fighting back against the lawsuit with one of his own that would compel the FDA to make it easier to access medication abortion. 

Rep. Joel McEntire OK’d Twitter Account in His Name Calling People ‘Loser,’ ‘Pathetic’

Finally, a quick shout-out to the 26th LD Democrats for lifting up the alert they received from a 19th LD constituent about Rep. McEntire’s appalling use of social media. Honestly, I know I shouldn’t be surprised by a lack of common decency from any Republican elected official at this point, but I really thought there’d be a better explanation for this behavior in 2023 than “blame the intern.” If you see anything like this from your local GOP, be sure to flag it for us!

Keep in touch, stay engaged, and as always, thank you for all you do!

With gratitude, 

Chair Shasti Conrad

Washington State Democratic Party

DONATE

The work we do today wins elections tomorrow. If you're ready to elect Democrats in every race and every place in Washington state, invest in our efforts and make a contribution now. 

Want to support our work year round? Join Blue Washington, our monthly giving program! It is the most effective way to help candidates, volunteers, organizers, activists, and staff because it gives us the certainty we need to scale up our program with confidence. Your monthly investment ensures we can defend our strong legislative majorities, flip key congressional seats from red to blue, and fight for progressive values. Help us lead the way to victories at all levels of government today!

 Paid for by Washington State Democratic Central Committee. Not authorized by any federal candidate or candidate's committee.

Washington State Democrats
PO Box 4027
Seattle, WA 98194
United States

If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please unsubscribe.

Hello Democrats and happy Friday!

I wanted to start today’s newsletter with a shout out to both the State House and Senate for putting forward budget proposals that truly work for the people of WA State! You can see more details on the proposed budget here, and more changes are expected before the Governor’s office signs it into law, but it looks like we can anticipate many transformative and positive investments, including:

• Hundreds of millions in proposed allocations for public schools - including massive expansion for special education budgets and free breakfast for students in need. 
• Well deserved raises for state employees, with a focus on essential workers, like home care providers and employees of assisted living facilities – who tend to make less than other healthcare professionals and are more likely to be women of color. 
• Increased investment in childcare, affordable housing, and clean energy projects – just to name a few!

Please join me in thanking our Democratic legislators for passing policy and building budgets rooted in a commitment to care for the people all throughout Washington State and to making their lives better. It’s a proud day to be a Washington Democrat and I look forward to providing a full accounting of our accomplishments when the legislative session wraps up next month! 

In addition, I’m so excited to announce that I will be hitting the road on April 10th for a weeklong tour of Central and Eastern Washington. I’m so excited to connect with local Democrats from Yakima to Walla Walla, Pullman and everywhere in between! Because let’s face it, we can only reach our full potential as a State Party when we all come together to organize, build critical infrastructure, and elect Democrats everywhere in Washington! 

We’re working hard to make sure I have the chance to connect with local parties all across Washington and I look forward to attending a meeting in your neck of the woods soon!

WA's $70B budget proposals boost state worker raises, special ed

Democratic lawmakers will work with Gov. Jay Inslee's office to negotiate a final agreement before the legislative session ends.

Gov. Jay Inslee visits Grant County, talks future of clean energy in eastern WA

Governor Jay Inslee is in Moses lake Tuesday afternoon, speaking with leaders on various clean energy topics ranging from hydrogen-powered aircraft to the booming tech industry and new businesses coming to eastern Washington.

Sales tax exemption for seniors’ meals passes WA House 

WA House Bill 1431, sponsored by Rep. Joe Timmons, provides sales tax relief for residents of senior living communities when it comes to meals. 

Michigan Democrats Rise, and Try to Turn a Battleground Blue

With a strong governor, a Legislature passing a raft of liberal measures and a looming early presidential primary, Democrats are testing the promise and pitfalls of complete control of the state.

Keep in touch, stay engaged, and as always, thank you for all you do!

With gratitude, 

Chair Shasti Conrad

Washington State Democratic Party

DONATE

The work we do today wins elections tomorrow. If you're ready to elect Democrats in every race and every place in Washington state, invest in our efforts and make a contribution now. 

Want to support our work year round? Join Blue Washington, our monthly giving program! It is the most effective way to help candidates, volunteers, organizers, activists, and staff because it gives us the certainty we need to scale up our program with confidence. Your monthly investment ensures we can defend our strong legislative majorities, flip key congressional seats from red to blue, and fight for progressive values. Help us lead the way to victories at all levels of government today!

Paid for by Washington State Democratic Central Committee. Not authorized by any federal candidate or candidate's committee.

Washington State Democrats
PO Box 4027
Seattle, WA 98194
United States

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Hello Democrats,

It’s been a terrific week traveling across the state! This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the 95th annual Pacific County Crab Feed. It is the longest running political event in our state! It was so great to meet with committed Democrats and awesome elected officials to compare notes on strategy and priorities for this election cycle. Thanks so much to the Pacific County Dems for hosting!

Such a great time with the Pacific County Dems!

Thanks as well to the Thurston County Democratic Women for inviting me to speak at their meeting! It was fabulous to speak to such an inspiring room of folks, and I was so grateful to join one of my faves, Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland on the bill.

I’ll be traveling nearly everywhere in Washington State in the coming weeks and months and I hope to be able to join a meeting near you. Thanks again so much to all the great Democrats working around the clock - you’re the engine that keeps our Party going and we appreciate all you do so much! 

Last but not least, I wanted to share an inspiring letter I received just last night from President Biden himself:

The letter may be addressed to me, but the message contained within is meant for every Democrat in Washington - “if we come together as a nation, there is nothing we can’t accomplish.” I am proud to lead the best State Party in the country - and I look forward to working with each and every one of you to build on our past success and lead Washington toward an even brighter future. 

There’s so much great legislation moving forward in Olympia that I can’t even begin to list it all here - but I wanted to give a special shoutout to HB-1469 which passed through the House just a few days ago. In essence, it is a “shield law” to protect those from out of state who seek reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare in Washington. Congratulations and thank you to our Democratic legislators who are fighting hard to ensure everyone has safe, effective health care! 

I also want to give quick kudos  to SB-5082 for passing through the House State Government Committee and moving on to the House Rules Committee. This is a critical step toward finally abolishing conservative gadfly and “anti-tax” crusader Tim Eyman’s useless and misleading “Advisory Votes” and creating more open, transparent policy that works better for each and every Washingtonian! 

Please join me in thanking our powerful and diverse Democratic majorities for all the terrific work they are doing on your and my behalf!

A New Voice for Winning Back Lost Democratic Voters

To court rural and working-class voters who had supported a Republican in the district since 2011, she had to speak to them in a way that her party’s left wing usually does not — to acknowledge their economic fears, their sense of being left out of the political conversation, their disdain for ideological posturing from both sides of the spectrum.

Senator Murray Announces Nearly $25 Million in Funding to Reduce Wildfire Risk Across Washington State

Senator Patty Murray announced nearly $25 million to fund 14 projects all across Washington state to work towards reducing wildfire risks. 

U.S. Congresswoman Kim Schrier helps serves lunch at senior nutrition program

U.S. Rep. Kim Schrier, D-WA 8th District, visited Cle Elum on Monday, March 20.

Rep. Rick Larsen discusses priorities of homeless veterans with VA Secretary 

Rep. Rick Larsen joined the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affair, Denis McDonough, Dr. Thomas Bundt, Executive Director of the VA Puget Sound Health Care System, and regional stakeholders to discuss efforts to assist and house homeless veterans in Washington State.

Keep in touch, stay engaged, and as always, thank you for all you do!

With gratitude, 

Chair Shasti Conrad

Washington State Democratic Party

DONATE

The work we do today wins elections tomorrow. If you're ready to elect Democrats in every race and every place in Washington state, invest in our efforts and make a contribution now. 

Want to support our work year round? Join Blue Washington, our monthly giving program! It is the most effective way to help candidates, volunteers, organizers, activists, and staff because it gives us the certainty we need to scale up our program with confidence. Your monthly investment ensures we can defend our strong legislative majorities, flip key congressional seats from red to blue, and fight for progressive values. Help us lead the way to victories at all levels of government today!

Paid for by Washington State Democratic Central Committee. Not authorized by any federal candidate or candidate's committee.

Washington State Democrats
PO Box 4027
Seattle, WA 98194
United States

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Hello Democrats,

Happy Spring! The sun is out, flowers are in bloom, and our legislators are reminding us every day why it’s good to be a Democrat. We’ve made concrete progress on an issue that is particularly important to me and so many in our Party - reducing gun violence through common-sense safety legislation. 

Just last week the WA House passed HB 1143 - a lifesaving bill promoting responsible gun ownership by requiring safety training and a 10-day waiting period for the purchase of all firearms - and HB 1240 - banning the sale of assault rifles here in Washington.

And we’re not just making progress on the state level - on Tuesday, President Biden announced an Executive Order to make our communities safer by mandating the following:

• Increase the number of background checks conducted before firearm sales, moving the U.S. as close to universal background checks as possible without additional legislation
• Keep more guns out of dangerous hands by increasing the effective use of “red flag” laws
• Strengthen efforts to hold the gun industry accountable
• Accelerate law enforcement efforts to identify and apprehend shooters

Please join me in thanking the President and his team for working hard to keep people across the country safe! 

It has never been clearer that Democrats are the only major Party to recognize the critical threat that unfettered and irresponsible access to firearms poses for our communities and particularly the lives of our children. I am so proud that the work we did to elect Democrats means we now have the power to put meaningful protections in place against the devastation that these weapons can cause. This only happened because we showed up and worked hard to build power on a state and national level - and with stakes this high we can’t afford to yield a single inch. 

Thank you for standing with us in the struggle to build a better, safer state and country. 

Biden Issues Executive Order to Strengthen Background Checks for Guns

President Biden announced steps designed to improve enforcement of existing gun laws during a trip to Monterey Park, Calif., the site of a mass shooting in January.

Rep. Derek Kilmer to issue new bill pushing Congress to incorporate data and evidence into policymaking

The bill would establish a commission and convene experts to review, analyze, and make recommendations to Congress in an effort to better incorporate federal data and evidence-based policymaking throughout the legislative process.

Schrier leads caucus Farm Bill task force

Eighth District U.S. Rep. Kim Schrier is chairing a caucus task force on the upcoming national Farm Bill.

Rifle ban, housing bills and more advance in the WA Legislature

At the midpoint of the 2023 legislative session, these are the winners and losers so far.

Keep in touch, stay engaged, and as always, thank you for all you do!

With gratitude, 

Chair Shasti Conrad

Washington State Democratic Party

DONATE

The work we do today wins elections tomorrow. If you're ready to elect Democrats in every race and every place in Washington state, invest in our efforts and make a contribution now. 

Want to support our work year round? Join Blue Washington, our monthly giving program! It is the most effective way to help candidates, volunteers, organizers, activists, and staff because it gives us the certainty we need to scale up our program with confidence. Your monthly investment ensures we can defend our strong legislative majorities, flip key congressional seats from red to blue, and fight for progressive values. Help us lead the way to victories at all levels of government today!

Paid for by Washington State Democratic Central Committee. Not authorized by any federal candidate or candidate's committee.

Washington State Democrats
PO Box 4027
Seattle, WA 98194
United States

If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please unsubscribe.