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23rd ld Democrats News

  • 28 Jan 2022 3:07 PM | Douglass MacKenzie


    Hello Democrats! We are in the midst of our final preparations for tomorrow’s State Committee meeting and I’m so excited to talk with all our State Committee members about what we’ve been up to and our big plans for 2022! From our Coordinated Campaign to our Convention in June (in Tacoma this year!) there’s a lot coming up for our local party organizations to work on and engage in. Make sure you’re fired up and ready to go, because we are all counting on every Washington State Democrat doing their part this year!

    Local Parties Getting Active - You all know that our local parties are the grassroots of this entire organization, and we count on you to lay the groundwork we need to win – now and in the future. It’s your year-round work starting NOW that sets us up in a position to be successful in the General Election nine months from now. 

    We’ve got four important projects that we want our local party organizations to get started on right away: 

    Early Endorsements - Don’t wait to endorse our great Democratic incumbents, like Sen. Patty Murray. These early endorsements help build the groundwork for our organizing and voter contact around these candidates. It’s especially important for legislative candidates and folks in smaller districts, who don’t represent as many areas and who really want to be able to get their Democratic Party endorsements in their voter guide statements. The voter guide statements for both the primary and general elections are due in the middle of May and if your party waits until later than that to endorse, you won’t be able to be included in the voter guide statement! That’s a big problem for our parties and for the candidates we support - make sure you have scheduled at least one early endorsement opportunity in April or sooner. 

    For example, I want to give a shout out to the local Democratic Party organizations that HAVE already endorsed Sen. Patty Murray!38th LD Democrats, Grant County Democrats, Chelan County Democrats, Douglas County Democrats, Franklin County Democrats, and the WA Democrats Native American Caucus all took early action to endorse her re-election. Get your LPO on this list next!

    PCOs Can (and should) Start Doorbelling - For PCOs, the time to walk or call the voters in your precincts is NOW so that we can get that data back into Votebuilder ASAP. The data PCOs collect in the first quarter of this year is essential to the voter targeting every Democratic candidate will be able to do in the primary election and for the rest of the year. If needed, our Coordinated Campaign staff can help set PCOs up with a phone or canvass list, an appropriate script for their precinct, and either a listening or ID canvass - just ask us at organizing@wa-democrats.org.

    Local Volunteer Teams - Join a local volunteer team! Our state party field organizers are already working to set up local volunteer teams and scheduling voter contact events with those teams. Search for events near you and sign up for your first shift of the year at https://www.wa-democrats.org/organizingevents/.

    If you don't see an event near you to sign up for, invite three friends to join you in starting a new volunteer group, and let us know at organizing@wa-democrats.org. We'll work with you to set up a schedule and provide a script, lists, and training!

    Lobby the Legislature - Get involved in the legislative session and contact your legislators about a bill or bills that you support from our Democratic platform! You can get the email address for the legislators in your district from this page, or you can call the legislative hotline at 1-800-562-6000 (TTY for Hearing Impaired 800.833.6388) to leave them a message. The hotline staff will also fulfill requests for bills and other legislative documents and can answer questions about meeting times and places, and the legislative process. They’re open for calls from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday during the legislative session.  

    Some bills I’m interested in (and you should be too):

    • SB 5182, to repeal Tim Eyman’s wasteful, meaningless advisory votes on each year’s ballot. These are just propaganda to voters each year with no legal impact except to waste room on the ballot and time and money at our elections offices who have to count them.

    This one is particularly important because we need to make sure all our Democrats are behind this bill so it can move forward. It wasn’t brought up for a floor vote last year, and we need to make sure our Democratic leaders know that this bill has strong support from the Democratic grassroots and that we expect to see this brought up for consideration. 

    Also take a look at:


    • SB 5078, banning high capacity magazines for guns. I don’t think civilians need guns with magazines that have more than 17 rounds of ammunition in them. Let’s make our communities safer from gun violence!

    • HB 1782, to expand opportunities for affordable housing in our cities. Let’s face it, we have an affordable housing crisis in this state, and we need to build more homes that younger people and folks working lower-wage jobs can actually afford! Right now we’re pushing folks out into sprawl with longer commutes and worse environmental consequences. We need to build affordable housing in our cities, and this bill will help make that possible.

    Otherwise, find a bill that matches your biggest concerns and our Democratic platform, and pick up the phone and call your legislators!

    School Levies on the Ballot - Many school districts across Washington state have levies on the ballot right now! For most of these, their election day is Tuesday, February 8th. Make sure you’ve double-checked your mail for a ballot! These levies provide critical funding for school district services and are so important for making sure we can support our teachers and school staff during these very challenging times. Check for your ballot and if you’re in a district running a levy right now, make a plan to get your ballot returned in a dropbox or postmarked in the mail by Tuesday February 8th!

    Legislative Session Calendar Update - Next Thursday, February 3rd, is the deadline for bills to get a vote in their policy committee and pass to be considered further. Except for bills relating to the budget, a bill that doesn’t pass committee by that deadline is considered “dead” for the year. The clock is ticking and advocates need to be tracking their bills closely to make sure their top priorities have already passed out of committee or are scheduled for a vote next week. Both the House and Senate have begun floor action on some bills as well, so we’re starting to see legislation move back and forth between the chambers and towards the governor’s desk for signature!

    The dates and the deadlines coming up are:

    • Last day for bills to pass policy committee in their chamber of origin - February 3

    • Last day for bills to pass fiscal committee in their chamber of origin - February 7

    • Last day for bills to pass the floor in their chamber of origin - February 15

    • Last day for bills to pass policy committee in the opposite chamber - February 24

    • Last day for bills to pass fiscal committee in the opposite chamber - February 28

    • Last day for bills to pass the floor in the opposite chamber - March 4

    • Last day of session - March 10

    All these deadlines will be important for determining what legislation will pass or fail, and the days leading up to those deadlines will be crucial times for advocates to push for action on their bills. 

    As with last year, every legislative committee will be offering remote testimony options. You have the option of testifying live via video conference or phone, submitting written comments, and/or just noting for the record whether you are for or against a bill. Here are some of the “rules of the road” you should be aware of, if testifying live remotely:

    • Registering to testify does not guarantee you a chance to speak or speak at a specific time.

    • The committee chair may limit public testimony (for example, one minute per testifier) due to time constraints. Be prepared to testify at any point during the hearing.

    • Maintain proper committee protocol, which includes waiting to be acknowledged by the committee chair before speaking, ensuring testimony and any objects appearing in the background of video feeds are respectful and professional, and following rules for testimony established by the chair.

    For those reasons, it’s a good idea to always combine your live testimony plan with written remarks that you can email to committee members and to the legislators from your own district, in case you aren’t able to deliver your full, planned testimony. 

    Here are some key links to help with remote testimony participation during the 2022 Legislative Session:

    State Committee Meeting Tomorrow - Our January meeting of the Washington Democratic Central Committee is tomorrow morning - the action gets started at 9:00 a.m. Our state committee members will be working on issues like resolutions, the state convention, and more. Folks who aren’t on the committee canwatch on our Youtube stream here!

    With that, I need to wrap up my remarks for tomorrow and get some rest tonight, because we’ve got a big day tomorrow! Talk to our state committee members then, and see more of you on the Youtube stream! Thank you!

    With gratitude, 


    Tina Podlodowski


  • 22 Jan 2022 9:21 PM | Douglass MacKenzie

    Hello Democrats!

    One Year Into Biden’s Presidency - President Biden and Vice President Harris took office one year ago this Thursday amid several crises and promised to move quickly to deliver results for working families. That’s just what they’ve done.

    In just one year, Democrats have:

    • Got Shots in Arms & Saved Lives: The President set up a historic vaccination program that resulted in more than 200 million Americans getting fully vaccinated this year – almost 75% of all adults. Millions of teenagers and children are now vaccinated, and tens of millions of Americans are getting booster shots. The President closed the racial equity gap in COVID vaccinations among adults. And, about 96% of schools have re-opened their buildings and welcomed students back to learn in their classrooms. All these steps have and continue to save countless lives. 

    • Got People Back to Work: President Biden has spurred the fastest economic growth in decades and added 6.4 million jobs - the most ever recorded in one year. Weekly unemployment claims are at their lowest level since 1969. Economic growth is the strongest it’s been in two generations – and for the first time in 20 years, the U.S. economy has grown faster than China’s.

    • Passed Laws to Create Jobs & Rebuild Crumbling Infrastructure: President Biden got the American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed -- the most impactful legislative agenda ever for a first-year president. The American Rescue Plan led to what experts estimate will be the lowest child poverty rate on record. The unemployment rate is down to 3.9% – two years faster than projected. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will create jobs, provide clean drinking water, upgrade our roads, airports, and rail, and is a critical, first step towards a clean energy future.

    In spite of unprecedented crises and opposition from Republicans, the President and Congressional Democrats got an enormous amount done for the American people during the historic first year of the Biden Administration.

    Some facts on the record firsts of Biden’s Presidency so far:

    • Jobs: President Biden’s first year was the greatest year of job creation in American history, with more than 6 million jobs created.

    • Unemployment Rate: The unemployment rate dropped from 6.2% when Biden took office to 3.9% – the biggest single year drop in American history.

    • Unemployment Claims: The average number of Americans filing for unemployment every week has been at its lowest level since 1969. When the President took office, over 18 million were receiving unemployment benefits; today only 2 million are — also the biggest single year drop in history.

    • Economic Legislation Passed: Most significant economic impact of any first-year president.

    • Child Poverty: Experts estimate the US reached its lowest child poverty rate ever in 2021.

    • Expanded Access to Health Care: Nearly five million Americans have newly gained health insurance coverage.

    • Reduced Hunger: The number of households reporting that they sometimes or often did not have enough to eat dropped by 32%.

    • Judges Confirmed: More judges confirmed to lower federal courts than any president since President Kennedy.

    • Judges That Reflect Our Nation: More Black women appointed to the US Court of Appeals than any president -- even over 8 years -- in history.

    • Cabinet: First majority non-white Cabinet in history, with most women in the Cabinet, including first female Treasury Secretary, first LGBTQ+ and Native American Cabinet officials, and first female Director of National Intelligence.

    • Climate Investments: Largest investments ever in climate resilience, the power grid, and electric vehicle chargers.

    • Clean Water: Largest investment and national, bipartisan plan to get safe and clean drinking water to all Americans.

    • Cleaner Cars: Strongest vehicle emissions standards ever, saving drivers money at the pump and reducing pollution.

    • Wind: First-ever approvals of large-scale, offshore wind projects.

    • Personnel: Most diverse Administration in history – most women, people of color, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+, first-generation American, and first-generation college graduates.

    We all know there’s a lot left to be done. But we also need to celebrate the huge accomplishments we’ve achieved so far! We need to make sure that voters know what Democrats have delivered going into the midterm elections. Please help spread these accomplishments to your friends, networks, and social media. Don’t let people around you gripe about how “Biden isn’t doing anything” - if you hear or see folks saying that, let them know the truth! The first year of Biden’s presidency delivered major progressive policy, and I’m confident that we’ll see more action and even more progressive wins in his second year. 

    The Truth About the Board of Health - You might have heard about the right-wing conspiracies surrounding Washington’s Board of Health that led conservative protesters to rally at the Board’s meeting and to even make threats to some of its members. Apparently, some extreme conservatives were claiming that the Board was going to kidnap unvaccinated people and lock them up in quarantine. I’m sure none of you will be surprised to find out that this was completely untrue - yet another example of COVID misinformation raised by Republicans. 

    What’s interesting is that a UW expert at the Center for an Informed Public talked with MyNorthwest news about how this wasn’t just naturally spread, but was intentionally and strategically amplified by actual Republican candidates, including several running for Congress: 

    University of Washington’s Dr. Kate Starbird — an expert on misinformation and the co-founder of the Center for an Informed Public — spoke to CNN this week to describe the mechanics of a process she says is designed to instill fear and panic with claims that are then “strategically amplified.”

    “I think people are afraid because they’ve been stirred up to be afraid, and these kinds of things can take root,” She detailed. “Then people — cable news hosts and others — are opportunistically amplifying these things to feed their financial models,” she detailed.

    The claims related to the Washington State Board of Health were widely circulated around social media, and later received signal boosts from Republican Congressional candidates Joe Kent, Jesse Jensen, and Doug Basler, among others. But as it turns out, the Board of Health meeting in question wasn’t about COVID-19 at all. Rather, it was to discuss edits to outdated language in state laws originally written to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

    That’s part of what Starbird says has been a common tactic in past years.

    “This is something we’ve seen over and over again, and we know that conspiracy theories and rumors are often built off of old building blocks,” she detailed, citing past unproven conspiracy theories about FEMA planning to use major disasters as an impetus to imprison people in camps.

    One of the Republicans spreading these conspiracies was Jesse Jensen, running against Rep. Kim Schrier in the 8th Congressional District. As the Seattle Times reported:

    Jesse Jensen, a Republican challenging U.S. Rep. Kim Schrier, D-Sammamish, in the 8th Congressional District, fired off a press release condemning the health board’s “Gestapo tactics to come into your home and detain you and your family.”

    Jensen wants very badly for voters to think of him as a “moderate” so he can win in this swing district, but here he is sending out a press release with completely false misinformation comparing the Board of Health to the Nazi Gestapo? This is completely unacceptable. 

    The problem with misinformation and conspiracy in the Republican Party is that it’s not just at their fringes. This is not just an issue with a few on the far-right; this is a central theme of their entire party at this point. Lying to spread fear and confusion among the base has been a part of the conservative strategy for decades, of course, but the degree to which it’s been taken over the mainstream of their party is now unprecedented. We Democrats MUST take a stand for truth and not let this go unchallenged. We must fight and win. 

    Voting Rights and the Filibuster - Like all of you, I was disappointed that the Senate vote to change filibuster rules and allow a fair, up-or-down vote on the Freedom to Vote: John R Lewis Act failed, 48 to 52. Voting rights is so important - it is one of those issues where it is better to fight and lose than not fight at all. That’s whyI’m glad that the issue was brought to the floor, even though it did not get enough votes. I thank our Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell for pushing to get this vote as far as it did. 

    First, like all of you, I’m angry at the conservative Democrats Manchin (WV) and Sinema (AZ) for joining Republicans on this vote on the filibuster rules. But Manchin and Sinema are not the only two people who voted the wrong way on this. Let’s not forget that every single Republican in the Senate voted against this, too. As Jonathan Weisman put it in the New York Times:

    The remarkable vitriol being trained by Democratic activists on two members of their own party has largely given Republicans a pass for blocking the bill and standing by new state laws designed to limit access to the ballot box and empower partisan actors to administer elections and count votes.

    To win in 2022, Democrats must reconstitute the anti-Trump majority who delivered the House, Senate, and White House two years ago. The best way to do that is to remind people of the crisis that originally sparked us into action has not receded. It has grown. We have to make this election a choice between Democrats and MAGA Republicans. We can’t do that if we keep the spotlight on Manchin and Sinema, no matter how much they frustrate us.

    Second, this just makes it all the more important that we elect good people to our election administration positions across Washington. That means retaining our new Democratic Secretary of State Steve Hobbs and supporting folks for county auditor positions who will run our elections fairly and freely. Republicans across the country are running candidates for election jobs who might help support a coup like Donald Trump attempted in 2020. We can’t let them win – here or anywhere. We have to beat their attempts to pass anti-voting bills in state legislatures. Protecting the right to vote starts at the local and state level, and I’m committed to doing our part here in Washington. 

    Blue Washington Special Offer - Our organizers are working hard around the clock to ensure that every single Democrat statewide turns out to vote this November, but they need your help. Our Coordinated Campaign needs to hire more organizers and we are currently facing a $3M budget gap. We truly cannot do this without you, which is why I wanted to remind you about joining our recurring donor programBlue Washington. By becoming a recurring donor, you will be supporting every single Democratic candidate in our state, driving progressive voter turnout, and ensuring we maintain our blue majority! 

    OurBlue Washington program specifically helps us build our organizing team and fund the resources they need to fight voter suppression and turn out every single Democrat. The more resources we have, the more we can accomplish!

    What better way to watch President Biden’s updates at his State of the Union this year than with a cup of Joe! So get your coffee in style with our new mug! Those who sign up with a donation of at least $10 monthly will receive this limited edition “Organizing Works” coffee mug with a message to remind us why Democrats win: 

    Sign up todayby clicking below! The earlier we can start organizing, the more we will be able to accomplish. Will you invest in a more progressive future for Washington?

    COVID Tests - If you haven’t yet, sign up to get four free COVID tests from the federal government through USPS here! https://www.covidtests.gov Or, you can call 800-232-0233 or TTY 888-720-7489 to order them over the phone. In addition to the federal option, the state of Washington is also sending out free tests through https://sayyeshometest.org Both are super convenient to sign up, so let’s get these tests out to everyone ASAP!

    And last, but not least, next Saturday, January 29th, is our state committee meeting! Our state committee members will be working on issues like resolutions, the state convention, and more - folks can watch on our Youtube stream here!

    Thanks for reading and for your support as always.

    With gratitude, 

    Tina Podlodowski

  • 14 Jan 2022 5:34 PM | Douglass MacKenzie


    Image

    Dear Activist,

    The Washington State Legislature is back in session this week and it’s time to remind them that the work of balancing our tax code has just started.

    Send an email to your representatives now asking them to keep at it.  By signing this email you’ll ask them to support ways to make our tax system more fair, like:

    • taxing billionaires who aren’t paying what they owe, like the rest of us (HB 1406), and
    • making the inheritance tax more equitable (HB 1465). 

    Last year, we came together and demanded that lawmakers ask the wealthiest Washingtonians to pay their share, like the rest of us. And we won!

    Lawmakers made major investments in childcare and early education with a modest capital gains tax on the ultra-wealthy, which was an important step in balancing our upside-down tax code. 

    We aren't stopping now!

    Send Your Email No

     

    Treasure Mackley

    Be sure to tell them more about WHY you care and personalize your email.

    Then join us throughout the legislative session as we raise our voices in support of a wealth tax for billionaires and a bill making the inheritance tax more equitable.  

    Let’s go!

    Treasure Mackley, Executive Director

    Facebook LinkedIn Twitter

    Invest In Washington Now
    603 Stewart St Ste 819 Seattle, WA 98101

     

  • 14 Jan 2022 5:26 PM | Douglass MacKenzie


    Hello Democrats and happy Friday! 

    Voting Rights - Voting rights is the huge issue of this week. This coming Monday is MLK Day, and this day honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. must motivate all of us to engage on one of the great missions of his life - protecting the right to vote. It’s also the wish of the King Family that we stand resolute and do everything in our power to elevate every voice and every vote.

    This week, in Atlanta, GA, the President and Vice President forcefully defended the fundamental right to vote and called on Congress to stand on the right side of history by passing voting rights laws that prevent voter suppression, ensure full access to voting by mail, expand access to drop-boxes, and more. 

    The Freedom to Vote Act takes on election subversion to protect nonpartisan election officials from intimidation and interference; activists from the Civil Rights Movement knew that these officials could help or harm efforts to eliminate voting rights discrimination and this influence remains true today The bill would also get dark money out of politics and create fairer district maps by ending partisan gerrymandering, a tactic deployed relentlessly during the Jim Crow Era to disenfranchise Black voters. Meanwhile, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act restores the strength of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, another legacy of Dr. King’s leadership, and allows the Justice Department to stop discriminatory laws before they go into effect. 

    Both acts have now been combined into one omnibus bill, known as the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act. This bill includes important proposals to combat voter suppression and election sabotage as well as provide new public disclosures of money spent to influence elections. 

    Senate Republicans have blocked these bills – and oppose even debating them. That’s why President Biden made it clear that he supports changing the Senate rules to prevent a minority of Senators from blocking action on voting rights. If the Senate can change the rules so Donald Trump can block Obama’s Supreme Court nomination and seat his own conservative Justices, we should be able to change them to protect the heart and soul of our democracy. I’m glad to say that our own Sen. Patty Murray also is loudly and proudly standing up to pass these bills, along with the rest of our exceptional delegation.

    At consequential moments, history presents a choice. Lawmakers have a choice to make on which side of history they stand on. Do they want to be on the side of Dr. King? Or George Wallace? Do they want to be on the side of John Lewis? Or Bull Connor? Protecting the constitutionally-protected right to vote is a sacred responsibility – and Republicans who want to stand in the way of this are going to be judged by history.

    And let’s be clear - this is not a vague or theoretical issue. The right to vote is actively and intentionally under attack. Republican legislatures across the country are passing laws like prohibiting volunteers from giving water to folks waiting in line to vote and closing DMVs in communities of color so that eligible voters face even more obstacles to get the new forms of ID Republicans are requiring at the polls. Here in Washington State, GOP legislators have proposed ending universal vote-by-mail and continue to question the integrity of our elections. These challenges are real, and they are happening now. 

    This Monday on MLK Day, if you have the day off work, I hope you’ll take some time to engage on this issue. Contact your elected officials, talk with some friends to make sure they both know about voter suppression AND that they are registered to vote, if eligible. Write a social media post – find something to do to help move this issue forward. Call our Senator Patty Murray's office at 202-224-2621 and thank her for stepping up to help lead the Senate towards action on these critical bills! Access to the ballot is the foundation of our democracy, and we can’t let the progress earned by the sacrifice of leaders like Dr. King be taken away by vote-suppressing politicians. 

    State of the State - The legislative session kicked off this week, and Governor Jay Inslee gave his State of the State Address about his agenda for the 2022 session. He talked about the importance of combating climate change, ending homelessness, and more, with an emphasis on the urgency of addressing these issues NOW and not kicking the can down the road. I can’t agree more - voters expect and deserve action! You can read Inslee’s address here or watch it on TVW

    COVID & Hospitals - This week, Governor Inslee also took action to help support Washington hospitals, as many have been struggling due to COVID. More and more COVID cases are coming in and many hospitals don’t have the beds and staff to match, leading to non-emergency procedures being canceled and continuing stress and burnout on our hard working doctors, nurses, and healthcare staff. Inslee’s order activates the National Guard to work in hospitals and COVID testing sites in some of the hardest-hit areas of Washington. I hope that this surge in personnel is able to help alleviate the pressure on our medical system as we get through the worst of the post-holiday and omicron COVID rise. 

    So many of us are experiencing this in our own families - just this week my 92 year old mom was turned away from hospitalization because there wasn’t a bed for her, and needed specialists who could not be accessed for care. This is NOT the fault of medical and support personnel - this is about a lack of personal responsibility and care for the community when it comes to vaccinations and the simple act of masking.

    I ALSO want to remind everyone how irresponsible the WA GOP leaders have been on COVID. Remember when their Senate Republican Leader John Braun told the Columbian newspaper that it wouldn’t be a bad thing if more people got COVID?

    It sure seems like a bad thing to me - for so many reasons.

    Or how House Republican Leader J.T. Wilcox said that hospital capacity concerns never pan out here?


    Our hospitals are in crisis! How out of touch can you be? With more than 1M cases in our state, and more than 10,000 dead, this is the height of callousness, ignorance, and loyalty to a dying ideology over care for the people they are supposed to serve.

    If people like Braun and Wilcox were running Washington state, it would be a disaster, with countless more deaths, more people sick, and more pain and misery. I’m so glad that we have Inslee’s leadership through this pandemic. 

    Blue Washington Special Offer - Our organizers are working hard around the clock to ensure that every single Democrat statewide turns out to vote this November, but they need your help. Our Coordinated Campaign needs to hire more organizers and we are currently facing a $3M budget gap. We truly cannot do this without you, which is why I wanted to remind you about joining our recurring donor program Blue Washington. By becoming a recurring donor, you will be supporting every single Democratic candidate in our state, driving progressive voter turnout, and ensuring we maintain our blue majority! 

    Our Blue Washington program specifically helps us build our organizing team and fund the resources they need to fight voter suppression and turn out every single Democrat. The more resources we have, the more we can accomplish!

    What better way to watch President Biden’s updates at his State of the Union this year than with a cup of Joe! So get your coffee in style with our new mug! Those who sign up with a donation of at least $10 monthly will receive this limited edition “Organizing Works” coffee mug with a message to remind us why Democrats win: 

    Sign up today by clicking below! The earlier we can start organizing, the more we will be able to accomplish. Will you invest in a more progressive future for Washington?

    Campaign Finance Update - This week had news on the campaign finance front - candidates running for state office had to file their C4 reports for December, and many federal candidates reported their fundraising for the fourth quarter of 2021. On the federal level, I’m thrilled and not at all surprised that Sen. Patty Murray was able to announce strong grassroots support for her campaign - she outraised her Republican opponent, with an average online donation of $25.77 this quarter and more than 17,000 contributions in the fourth quarter alone, with contributors from every county in Washington state. That support shows that the Democratic base, together with our networks, are engaged in this race and enthusiastic to support Sen. Murray, which is exactly the kind of energy we need going into these midterm elections. 

    On the state level, I was interested to see “independent” Secretary of State candidate Julie Anderson’s C4 report on her campaign’s spending. Anderson has filed against Democrat Steve Hobbs - our first Democratic Secretary of State in nearly 60 years.

    For this “independent,” the staff whom she’s hiring seem to make clear how she’s leaning politically - her campaign treasurer is Jason Michaud, who works for conservative candidates across Washington, including House Republican Minority Leader Rep. J.T. Wilcox. And for her PR campaign, she hired a Republican communications operative named Bobbi Cussins, who used to work for the state House Republican Caucus in the legislature and for conservative advocacy groups like the Association of Washington Business. Doesn’t sound too “independent” to me! 

    Consider getting early endorsements from your local party organizations for both Senator Murray and Secretary Hobbs, as we will need EVERY Democratic vote to help them to victory.

    DNC LGBTQ listening sessions - The DNC's Coalitions Team will be hosting a number of listening sessions in late January/early February to hear directly from LGBTQ leaders across the country about how we can better support and engage LGBTQ communities in every state. We would love to have good Washington representation! These listening sessions will be facilitated by the DNC Coalitions Team and the goal is to better understand how they can support and engage with LGBTQ communities across the country.

    I think this is a great opportunity to provide feedback to the DNC Coalitions Team, but we need to send them names for consideration by next Tuesday, January 18th. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, reply to this email with your name and contact information, and we can pass it along to the DNC!

    One last FYI - make sure folks are watching out for our next state committee meeting coming up Saturday, January 29th. I’m looking forward to connecting with all our state committee members on the important work we have ahead of us and getting the ball rolling on a big election year! We will have a few special guests join us for the meeting as well, and you’ll be able to stream it live on Youtube to watch! You won’t want to miss it! 

    Thank you so much for your support as always! Stay healthy and safe!

    With gratitude, 


    Tina Podlodowski

  • 11 Jan 2022 10:08 AM | Douglass MacKenzie


    Hello Democrats! I hope 2022 has been a good new year for you so far and that you and your loved ones have been safe and healthy! We have a lot to catch up on already, and with the legislative session starting next Monday, we’ll have 60 days of important state-level politics, policy, and action coming at you. Let’s start with this week’s news!

    Anniversary of the January 6th Insurrection - There has been so much press around the anniversary of the January 6th insurrection attempt by Donald Trump and his radical GOP  allies, so I won’t overly belabor the discussion here. However, this isn’t something to brush off. We absolutely must remember that January 6th, 2021, was one of the darkest days in our democracy’s history, as we witnessed our nation’s own Republican leaders incite a violent siege on our Capitol. We can never forget that violent attack against American democracy, the fear we felt for every member of our Congressional delegation, Capitol staff, and Capitol police, and – importantly – how we got to that point, starting with Trump's electoral loss in 2020.

    And since January 6th, 2021, Republicans across Washington and the country have continued to promote disinformation and undermine faith in our elections. They’ve sown distrust, then used that distrust as an excuse to roll back voting rights in states, cover up responsibility for their role in promoting right-wing political violence, keep their supporters engaged and enraged, and expose Americans – from election administrators to school superintendents – to death threats and violence.

    We are not immune in Washington State at all - GOP legislators Robert Sutherland, Vicki Kraft and Brad Klippert continue to promote their party’s lies, and try to pass legislation that undermines the vote here in the Evergreen State: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/three-wa-republican-legislators-used-taxpayer-money-to-attend-mike-lindells-election-conspiracy-conference/

    GOP leaders like J.T. Wilcox and John Braun just shrug at such blatant lies and anti-government actions coming from within their party, and turn away. We can’t tolerate the insidious attacks on democracy taking place across the aisle. 

    The claims about the 2020 election are far from the first example of conservative misinformation and surely won’t be the last. We cannot let our guard down against these attempts to sow division, confusion, and hate. It’s critical that we all call out those responsible for the lies and manipulations that led to this extremism and its manifestation in an attack on the Capitol, so that nothing like the January 6th insurrection attempt can ever happen again in this country.

    Two links I want to share with you - first, I thought that President Biden and Vice President Harris spoke very well about the importance of this anniversary and their perspectives on it. You can watch President Biden and Vice President Harris’ remarks here:

    And secondly, a story from last February, where our own Sen. Patty Murray told the story of her own narrow escape from a violent mob inside the Capitol:

    We have to remember this. We have to take it seriously, and we have to recognize that Republicans are still at work to undermine our elections and spread disinformation. Our very democracy remains at stake in 2022.

    That’s why we’ve kicked off our 2022 Coordinated Campaign and we need all of you as a part of the team NOW to build towards winning this November. We’ve got organizers on the ground, with more to come. We need to connect our organizers with activists like you, who are ready to step up and build our party, get Democrats motivated, and lay the groundwork we need to get out the vote and win in these midterms and beyond. Click here to get connected with our organizers and our local Neighborhood Teams all across Washington state.  We need your help early for this massively important year. 

    Legislative Session & What You Need To Know - Next Monday, January 10th, the 60-day “short” state legislative session begins for 2022. We’ll go on to talk more about some of the important issues the legislature will be considering this year, but wanted to start with some of the groundwork information we all need to know about the session, the schedule, and how to get involved. 

    First, the key dates and the deadlines that bills have to move forward by to stay alive:

    • Start of session - January 10, 2022

    • Last day for bills to pass policy committee in their house of origin - February 3, 2022

    • Last day for bills to pass fiscal committee in their house of origin - February 7, 2022

    • Last day for bills to pass the floor in their house of origin - February 15, 2022

    • Last day for bills to pass policy committee in the opposite house - February 24, 2022

    • Last day for bills to pass fiscal committee in the opposite house - February 28, 2022

    • Last day for bills to pass the floor in the opposite house - March 4, 2022

    • Last day of session - March 10, 2022

    All these deadlines will be important for determining what legislation will pass or fail, and the days leading up to those deadlines will be crucial times for advocates to push for action on their bills. 

    As with last year, every legislative committee will be offering remote testimony options. You have the option of testifying live via video conference or phone, submitting written comments, and/or just noting for the record whether you are for or against a bill. Here are some of the “rules of the road” you should be aware of, if testifying live remotely:

    • Registering to testify does not guarantee you a chance to speak or speak at specific times.

    • The committee chair may limit public testimony (for example, one minute per testifier) due to time constraints. Be prepared to testify at any point during the hearing.

    • Maintain proper committee protocol, which includes waiting to be acknowledged by the committee chair before speaking, ensuring testimony and any objects appearing in the background of video feeds are respectful and professional, and following rules for testimony established by the chair.

    For those reasons, it’s a good idea to always combine your live testimony plan with written remarks that you can email to committee members and to the legislators from your own district, in case you aren’t able to deliver your full, planned testimony. 

    Here are some key links to help with remote testimony participation during the 2022 Legislative Session:

    Bills to Watch - The legislature considers hundreds of bills every year, and we won’t attempt to summarize them all or cover every issue here. Members of our state party advocacy committee are the point people for identifying key bills that relate to our party’s platform and tracking their progress - you can reach them by emailing here. But each week throughout the session, I want to touch on a few bills that I’m particularly interested in, and update you on what’s going on with them. 

    One bill I have my eye on is SB 5182, Sen. Patty Kuderer’s bill to repeal Tim Eyman’s silly “advisory votes” - more like push polls on the ballot each year that mean nothing, waste taxpayer money, take up valuable space on the ballot, and give propaganda opportunities to anti-government conservatives. These anti-tax political messages with incredibly biased language have no place on our ballot, and many of them are on bills only tangentially even related to tax issues. In 2019, an earlier version of this bill actually passed the Senate on a bipartisan basis, with three Republicans in favor, because even they recognized it was silly to waste money on these meaningless votes. I’d love to see this bill come back and for us to get these push polls off our ballots. It needs action in the House - please contact your state representatives and urge them to vote for this bill.

    And with redistricting in recent political history, I’m closely tracking Sen. Rebecca Saldaña’s SB 5597, a bill to strengthen the Washington Voting Rights Act when it comes to “cracking” and “packing” communities of color in districts. It sets up better tests for identifying violations of the VRA, helps collect more data and reporting from state and local governments, and establishes a preclearance process for evaluation of proposed political boundaries. These are key steps for helping ensure we have districts that were drawn in a non-discriminatory way. 

    We’ll continue this series next week with some additional bills I’ve got my eye on, and updates on any of the major actions happening in the first week of session!

    COVID Update - I think you’ve all seen how COVID cases are skyrocketing over the past few weeks, and how hospitalizations are rising quickly as well. The Washington State Medical Association, the group representing Washington’s doctors, sent a letter to Gov. Inslee yesterday about how our medical system is now in a state of crisis. 

    I’m glad that our leaders are doing what they can to help keep us safe. Gov. Inslee announced this week that Washington state will begin distributing millions of at-home coronavirus tests and masks and will expand vaccination clinics to help more folks get convenient access to vaccines and booster shots. 

    I also want to thank our new Democratic Secretary of State Steve Hobbs for taking a big step for the safety of his office’s employees. His predecessor, Republican Kim Wyman, was the only statewide office that did not impose a vaccine requirement for their workers. Thankfully, reversing that step was one of the first things Secretary Hobbs did in office, and SOS employees are already speaking out to say thanks. Having Democrats in office makes a difference!

    Democrats Deliver - Federal Ban on Surprise Medical Bills - We need to make sure that Washington voters hear about the great things that our leaders are delivering on. One such policy went into effect just this week: a federal ban on surprise medical bills for out-of-network care, with our own Senator Patty Murray leading the charge here.

    For too long, countless patients have been surprised by exorbitant bills for care they thought was covered by their insurance. Now that the No Surprises Act is in full effect, that all ends. If you get health coverage through your employer or have an individual health insurance plan, these new rules will:

    • Ban surprise bills for emergency services, even if you get them out-of-network and without approval beforehand.

    • Ban out-of-network cost-sharing (like out-of-network coinsurance or copayments) for all emergency and some non-emergency services. You can’t be charged more than in-network cost-sharing for these services.

    • Ban out-of-network charges and balance bills for supplemental care (like anesthesiology or radiology) by out-of-network providers who work at an in-network facility.

    This can all sound complex, but the bottom line is that folks will be protected from big out-of-pocket medical costs that can come as a surprise for people who didn’t do anything wrong. These are the sort of things that we need our leaders to continue doing - and for us to be telling our friends and networks about. 

    People need to know that our Democratic leaders are making good things happen, and we need to support our leaders like Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Kim Schrier in the 2022 midterm elections to keep it up!

    Did I mention that we’ve got our Coordinated Campaign officially up and running and we need you getting involved early? We know that year-round organizing and voter contact is better than just waiting until October when voters are being swarmed with TV ads and mailers. Click here to connect with our organizers and Neighborhood Teams across Washington! 

    Thanks for reading as always!


    With gratitude, 


    Tina Podlodowski 

  • 31 Dec 2021 8:37 PM | Douglass MacKenzie


    Hello Democrats! While our office is closed this week, I wanted to take this Friday as an opportunity to share some thoughts on the past year and the coming one. 

    As the first year of Joe Biden’s presidency wraps up, I’m still impressed at what our elected Democrats have been able to deliver. Back in March, Democrats in Congress passed the American Rescue Plan, which provided the public health funding needed to get us all vaccinated and the support for schools so that we could get kids back in classrooms. This fall, they passed an infrastructure bill that creates jobs, invests in our roads, bridges, and public transportation, and provides a big step forward towards combating climate change. These are big, important pieces of legislation, and we shouldn’t forget that! While I want Congress to continue pushing to pass the Build Back Better bill, paid family leave, voting rights protections, and more, I also want to recognize and celebrate what’s already been accomplished. This has been a big year for our Democrats in Congress and President Biden! 

    I also want to recognize Gov. Jay Inslee and our Democratic state legislators. Gov. Inslee’s leadership has been sterling throughout the pandemic, with a powerful response to COVID that has literally saved – and will continue to save – thousands of lives. If it was up to the Republicans and Washington state was run like Ron DeSantis runs Florida, it would have been a disaster. But beyond the pandemic, legislative Democrats passed an incredible agenda of major policy reforms last session. From a capital gains tax so the rich start to pay their fair share, to much-needed reforms to policing and law enforcement, to some of the strongest clean energy legislation of any state in the country, 2021 was a fantastic session for advancing our progressive agenda. We should be so proud of the work that our state Democratic leaders are doing for us. 

    And I want to spotlight the countless Democrats across Washington who took the bold and brave step of running for office in our local elections this year. Running for office is scary and difficult, and I want to thank everyone who stepped up with a vision to make their community better – whether they won or lost. With our Rooted To Win program, we were able to highlight important local candidates across the state. Many candidates won – including Democrats in Spokane and Vancouver – despite being massively outspent by their conservative opposition. Local Democrats were able to flip extreme, conservative QAnon city councils in cities like Sequim and SeaTac. I was so glad that a number of Democrats - many of them people of color - were able to run and win all over the state. While we have to be concerned about national trends for the midterm elections next year, these local races give me hope. Democrats across Washington were able to run and win in 2021, and I plan for us to do the same in 2022. 

    2022 Democrats Delivered v2.png

    What’s the plan for next year? Another Coordinated Campaign to get out the vote for our Democratic ticket! In my time as chair, we’ve gotten to run two very different Coordinated Campaigns. In 2018, we were able to run a “normal” campaign, focused on doorbelling and volunteer events. As you know, 2020 had to look very different. With phone and text banking, digital organizing, and virtual events, we were able to re-elect Gov. Jay Inslee and Rep. Kim Schrier, take the State Treasurer’s office back from Republicans, and win important legislative races. While we don't know what COVID will look like in 2022, I think we’d all still prefer a 2022 Coordinated Campaign that looks more like 2018 than 2020, though. 

    None of us know what next year will look like and what the safe ways to campaign will be at different points in time. What I can commit to you is that we’ll do everything we can to campaign and win safely across Washington. We’ll have organizers doing everything possible to activate our volunteers and get out the Democratic vote. We know the Republican base will be motivated by their misinformation and Fox News, and we’ll need a strong Democratic turnout to overcome and to beat them. I know that with your help and support, we can run that campaign, tell the stories of the big successes for Washington’s working families that Democrats have passed, and win across the state. It’ll be hard work, but I’m up for it, and I know you all are too.

    Thanks for reading and for spending your year with us. I look forward to another great year together. 


    With gratitude, 


    Tina Podlodowski


  • 10 Dec 2021 5:26 PM | Douglass MacKenzie

    Hello Democrats!

    Our 2022 Coordinated Kickoff Last Night - We had a fantastic turnout from all around the state last night for our 2022 Coordinated Campaign kickoff. We were joined live by special guests like Senator Patty Murray and our new Democratic Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, and we heard from Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and several of the terrific and  hardworking Rooted To Win candidates who ran for local office this year! Thanks Hugo Garcia, Danny Herrera, Sarah Perry, and Zack Zappone!

    We all know how high the stakes are going into the 2022 midterm elections (visions of 2010 and 2014 in my head - ugh), but our speakers were a great reminder of the role that we all have in winning races. From steering the ship in Washington D.C. to knocking on doors in your local district, ALL Democrats have a part to play in making sure we can win next year. We’re counting on some folks, like our members of Congress, to pass great legislation that we can all campaign on. For other folks, that might be making a monthly contribution, or organizing your friends and neighbors to get out the vote. But we ALL have a responsibility to step up and get involved - so make sure you’re ready to do your part. Our great Rise and Organize efforts begin after the new year - and I’m looking forward to seeing you in person as I travel around the state! Got a great event or kickoff coming up? Make sure Anna knows so we can be there - anna@wa-democrats.org

    If you weren’t able to attend last night but you’re still able to make a contribution to help get organizers on the ground, we’d be so grateful to have your support! You can contribute online here! And, you can watch Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal’s terrific speech here!

    WATCH CONGRESSWOMAN JAYAPAL’S 2022 KICKOFF VIDEO HERE

    If you’re able to make a monthly contribution to support our 2022 organizing work, consider becoming a recurring donor with Blue Washington! Plus, the next 6 people to sign up for Blue Washington will get a “Proud Washington Democrat” beanie to help keep your head warm this winter! Consistent monthly support helps us scale up our program and hire organizers with confidence, and we’d love to have you on board for 2022!

    Off to the Association of Democratic Chairs (ASDC) Meeting  - Next week I’ll be in Charleston, South Carolina, for the meeting of the ASDC with our Vice-Chair David Green and Coordinated Campaign Director Diane Bedwell. The ASDC does great work to help our state Democratic chairs and parties support each other, learn from each other, network, and make our party stronger in all 50 states! Both Diane and I will be leading training sessions about  what we do in Washington while there - thank YOU for being a part of our work, work that serves as “best practices” around the nation.

    I’ll be holding live social media conversations with other State Party Chairs and ASDC and DNC staffers while in Charleston about what’s happening in their states and how they are getting ready to win in 2022. Who do you want to hear from? Remember, Democrats can succeed no matter where we are, whether that’s in cities or rural areas, on the coasts or in the Midwest, in swing districts or in places where we’ve got a lot of party building to do. I’m so excited to bring you the best of our best - let me know!

    Keep your eyes on our social media for videos of these chats as the week goes on, and on my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds. (Did you follow me? If not, go to Twitter and Instagram right now - @tinapo) Next Friday, I’ll plan to share links so you can see some of the amazing democrats from across the country that we’re talking to and learning from!

    Thank You to Kerri Ebanks - This week, we’re saying goodbye to our Digital Director, Kerri Ebanks, who has decided to take her talents back to her Southern roots, and be closer to family during these turbulent times. For more than two years, Kerri has been a vital member of our team, and we will all miss her tremendously. Here’s a message she wanted to share with you: 

    I am never really one to say goodbye, so this message is more of a "see you later." Working with the Washington State Democrats has been one of the best opportunities of my life. I am so glad that you all chose me. I appreciate the knowledge and insight that you all bring to our events and meetings, serving as a constant reminder that this work means much more than what happens at my desk. Because of you, I've learned a lot about what it means to elect Democrats that will work for the people, and I appreciate each of you for embracing me and my talents.

    With gratitude, 

    Kerri

    I know every local campaign, party, and organizer who has benefitted from Kerri’s excellent digital expertise joins me in thanking her for her service to our party and wishing her the very best for the future! And be sure to visit her in NOLA!

    Honoring Sen. George Fleming - Former state Senator George Fleming passed away earlier this week, and we want to take a moment to recognize his accomplishments. Sen. Fleming represented the 37th Legislative District from 1968-1990. The second Black Senator ever elected in Washington and the first to chair the Senate Democratic Caucus, Sen. Fleming was a tireless advocate for the underrepresented. Among his many accomplishments were the creation of the Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises and the Housing Finance Commission, both of which still serve Washingtonians. Fleming led legislative efforts to create a state holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Junior, and mentored activists and candidates who have themselves become leaders for Washington state, including Gary Locke, Ron Sims, and Bruce Harrell.

    I am glad to see that Rep. John Lovick was overwhelmingly nominated by the 44th Legislative District PCOs to replace our new Democratic Secretary of State Steve Hobbs in the Senate. Rep. Lovick is a devoted public servant and would be the third Black man to serve in the Senate, standing on George Fleming’s shoulders. We are still waiting for the Snohomish County Council to finalize the appointments in the 44th, but I'm thrilled that our party is putting forth a strong Black legislator for this seat to carry on George’s legacy. 

    Memorial for Jack Arends - I know many of you knew Jack Arends, who passed away this July. Jack made international news last year as one of our state electors for Joe Biden, when he gave a powerful speech on the legislative floor about his terminal illness and his responsibility to cast that electoral vote with the time he still had with us. We are so glad and thankful that he was able to do that before he passed on. A memorial service for Jack will be held next Tuesday over Zoom, on the anniversary of his electoral college vote - details in the image below:

    Thanks to everyone for reading and supporting the party, and on to 2022! 

    With gratitude, 

    Tina Podlodowski

  • 3 Dec 2021 7:06 PM | Douglass MacKenzie


    Hello Democrats! As the end of 2021 approaches, now all eyes are on 2022 and the all-important midterm elections. Action is already heating up! 

    Big Redistricting News - This morning, the State Supreme Court released an order in the redistricting case declining their authority to draw new maps for our legislative and Congressional districts, and accepting the final map proposal agreed to last month by the bipartisan Redistricting Commission shortly after their deadline. This is huge news for determining our political landscape for the next decade.

    The Court didn’t weigh in on the maps other than whether they met the deadline, saying “The court has not evaluated and does not render any opinion on the plan’s compliance with any statutory and constitutional requirements other than the November 15 deadline.” 

    In other words, the Court ruled that the maps met the requirement as to whether they were turned in “on time.” As to the content or quality of the maps, the Court was silent, and we expect there may be lawsuits on that point from a variety of groups.

    There has been a great deal of controversy over whether these maps complied with the Voting Rights Act and Washington state law, and that would likely be the basis of any suits. With all the twists and turns this process has taken, I’m not sure anything would be a surprise anymore. But at this point, we should prepare for 2022 under the assumption that these are the maps until the next Census.

    You can see the Redistricting Commission’s Congressional map here and their legislative map here. They have zoomable maps so you can see where you’ll be under these maps and how your district is changing. Make sure you check these out! And remember, all legislative district candidates for 2022 must live in their districts as detailed on these maps.

    Also, the legislature can make minor changes to the maps, but changes require a two-thirds vote to do so. As a result,any changes are usually small and not to the advantage of one party or the other. We’ll also get information out to legislative district parties about reorganization as this process continues. But with this big news! Now it’s on to 2022 campaigning!

    Congressional Map:


    Legislative Map:


    Legislative map zoomed in on Central Puget Sound:

    2022 Republicans for Office - We had several new candidates declare for office this week - many of them Republicans. 

    In the 8th Congressional District, Republican King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn declared against our own Rep. Kim Schrier, joining 2020 GOP 8th Congressional District candidate Jesse Jensen and 2020 GOP Attorney General candidate Matt Larkin in the race. We’ll see if all three actually file come May but, regardless of which Republican comes out of the primary, we’ll need to work hard and support Dr. Kim Schrier! Dunn made no secret of his “allegiances” on the first day of his campaign, saying he wouldn’t have voted to impeach Donald Trump after the January 6th insurrection attempt; he is another far-right Republican begging for Trump-allied PAC bucks, and we’re going to have to make sure voters know that. 

    In the 3rd Congressional District, ultra-conservative Republican state Representative Vicki Kraft of the 18th LD declared that she’d be joining the primary to challenge Republican Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler. GOPer Joe Kent is a super-conservative challenger already running against Herrera Beutler - he had been endorsed by Donald Trump and had Congressman Matt Gaetz come to the district to campaign with him. Looks like those two will battle it out for the far-right. Still, Kraft is one of the most conservative members of the state legislature, so we’ll see what happens between the two of them. 

    In the Secretary of State race, GOP state Senator Keith Wagoner of the 39th LD announced a challenge to our new Democratic Secretary of State Steve Hobbs. Wagoner, of course, has no elections management experience to speak of, and has been a reliably conservative vote throughout his time in the legislature. He voted AGAINST the WA Voting Rights Act, AGAINST same-day voter registration, AGAINST campaign finance transparency, and so much more that’s necessary for fair and free elections. We’ll see who else declares for this seat, but we need to make sure to hold this position for Democrats in this critical special election!

    On our side, in the 42nd Legislative District, our Democratic state Rep. Sharon Shewmake is stepping up to run against the repugnant Republican Sen. Doug Ericksen. Ericksen is an absolutely terrible senator, known forworking as a lobbyist for the Cambodian dictatorship instead of on behalf of his constituents,skipping votes to work for Donald Trump,skipping votes (again) to go to El Salvador, andtaking so many free meals from oil company lobbyists that they literally had to change the law to address his behavior. He’s one of the strongest opponents of environmental protections in the entire legislature! He won re-election in 2018 by just 46 votes -- one of the closest legislative races in state history. This race is one to watch in 2022. 

    We’re also hearing rumblings about Republican legislative challengers in some of our South King County swing legislative districts like the 30th and 47th - it’s critical that we hold these districts, so make sure folks are ready to support our Democrats in these LDs!

    So with candidates coming forward, action is heating up! We all need to be ready to give our all in 2022 and overcome the typical challenges of a midterm election in order to win across Washington. Which brings me to...

    Our Coordinated Kickoff Fundraiser - I wanted to remind you all about our Coordinated Campaign Kickoff Fundraiser coming up next Thursday, December 9th! We know 2022 is going to be a big year, and it’s critical that we have all of your support to run the very best campaigns we can to win across Washington. Our Coordinated Campaign is proven to be a lean and effective voter contact machine - we’ve been nationally recognized for effective and innovative programs, while having a far smaller budget than other state parties like Wisconsin and Ohio - but we can’t count on big national support to make this all possible. We need Washingtonians to step up to make sure we can fund the campaign work we need to win in 2022. 

    Senator Patty Murray is joining the event program as our live keynote speaker – rounding out a bill that includes Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, several of our great 2021 Rooted to Win candidates, and our new Democratic Secretary of State, Steve Hobbs! 

    In recognition of all you do for our Party, we would like to invite you to attend the event at a reduced rate! Please follow this link to purchase a discounted, $25 ticket!

    https://act.myngp.com/Forms/8454807271058179840

    We hope you can make it!

    Sen. Patty Murray and Veterans’ Legislation - President Biden signed four pieces of legislation into law this week that are truly good for Washington state's veterans. They'll create real economic opportunity for when active-duty service members return home, make college more affordable for veterans and their families, help ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs works for all veterans, and help get veteran moms the care they need.

    Legislation like the Hire Veterans Health Heroes Act, the Colonel John M. McHugh Tuition Fairness for Survivors Act, and the Protecting Moms Who Served Act are the sort of policies that we need our Members of Congress to be passing so our veterans get the support they need -- and deserve -- after their service to our country. I’m very glad that our Democratic Congress was able to move these bills through - you can read more about these bills here

    Supreme Court on Roe v Wade - This week, the US Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a Mississippi abortion case that threatens to overturn the legal right to an abortion established by Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Making predictions during these appearances is always tricky, but the Court's conservative Justices seemed to signal that they were prepared to throw out decades of precedent and overturn Roe altogether. And judging from the loaded lines of questioning pursued by the Court's archconservatives, things do not look good.

    Justice Amy Coney Barrett seemed to suggest that abortion wasn't necessary because people can give their children up for adoption. Justice Brett Kavanaugh deemed the potential overruling of Roe v. Wade a return to "neutrality," comparing it to some of the most celebrated cases in the court's history, including those establishing marriage equality, racial equality, and Miranda rights.

    The Court's progressive Justices did warn, forcefully, that overturning Roe would permanently damage the Court's reputation as a nonpartisan institution but the conservative Justices seemed unfazed by this.

    Justice Sonia Sotomayor led an expert line of questioning, exposing the consequences that repealing Roe would have, describing how the Supreme Court has supported a woman’s right to abortion for decades, and how legally ungrounded a repeal would be. While she dismantled the right wing’s arguments, we know that the GOP is less concerned about truth and what’s right, and more concerned with exercising whatever power they have, however they can. 

    This was pretty shocking stuff to watch. I don’t know how long the Court will take to come to a decision (it appears that the ruling is most likely to be announced in June 2022) but the conservative majority put in place by Donald Trump and Senator Mitch McConnell is not encouraging. We need to hold the Democratic Senate this year to ensure that President Biden is able to continue to fill court appointments with his nominees. Republicans in Washington’s own legislature have already introduced bills to ban abortion - even in cases of rape. This is going to be a major issue in next year’s elections. 

    That’s what we’ve got for this week - happy Friday!

    With gratitude, 


    Tina Podlodowski


  • 30 Nov 2021 6:49 PM | Douglass MacKenzie

    Hi all,

    I hope this finds you and your family looking forward to an enjoyable weekend full of good company and food . Traditionally, it is a time where we reflect upon our lives, what has gone well in our day-to-day living and how fortune has smiled upon us. Certainly, we can view the past year for the 23rd Legislative District (LD) the same way. To that end, I am thankful for:

    **The 136 members of our LD.

    Dues from members provide the funds from which we are able to make good-sized financial contributions to our endorsed candidates. Our members also support our candidates individually with both financial contributions and their time in volunteering for their campaigns. Thanks to these efforts we had a very successful results in our local campaigns: Bainbridge Island City Council members Joe Deets, Brenda Fantroy-Johnson and Clarence Moriwaki and Bremerton Mayor Greg Wheeler and City Council member Jennifer Chamberlin won their races.

    **That our LD helped lead the way in getting support for, and passage of, a Washington State Democratic Central Committee (WSDCC) resolution on orca and salmon recovery which includes the removal of the Snake River dams.

    Our very own Kathy Canderle, State Committee Member (SCM) and member of the WSDCC Resolutions Committee, was the point person for our LD. As Marc Sullivan of Save Our Wild Salmon and the Sierra Club stated, "It's worth mentioning that the original initiative for this resolution did not come from SOS or the Sierra Club. The 23rd LD Democrats and the state Democrats' Environment and Climate Caucus had each already drafted a resolution for submittal to the state party when we first contacted them. We've provided some support in herding the resolutions along, but this was organic, bubbling up from the Democratic base."

    **That Bainbridge Island will likely stay within the 23rd LD when the redistricting is finished.

    Our other SCM, Ted Jones, served on the WSDCC’s committee on redistricting. He was assigned to review the map proposed by Redistricting Commissioner April Sims. This meant examining the demographics of the areas and how the proposed map aligned with the Commission’s concerns: protecting fair and effective representation, maintaining and creating communities of interest, respecting Tribal sovereignty and the government-to-government relationship with Tribal partners and centering and engaging communities that have been historically underrepresented. Ted learned how to manipulate the mapping tool and created a power point to explain the process. His work was lauded by Ed Martinez, co-chair of the WSDCC Redistricting committee. The proposal to remove Bainbridge Island from the 23rd was panned by virtually everyone and people shared that opinion with the Redistricting Commission either through testimony or emails.

    **That our Precinct Committee Officers (PCOs) are active and  involved and our past chairs have been replaced by an equally dynamic duo.

    Our former PCO chairs, Debbie Hollyer and Carollynn Zimmers, did a tremendous job all year keeping our PCOs informed and active on issues concerning our LD as they arose through weekly and monthly meetings. Debbie was also instrumental in organizing the appointment process for the recently vacated positions of County Sheriff and County Clerk. She insured that as many people as possible were involved in developing the candidate questions and other information needed by the resident PCOs who would be choosing and rank ordering the top three people for the county commissioners to consider. People commented positively on how well done it was. Laurie Kadet and Cam Keeble have taken over with support from Carollynn as needed.

    **That our Events committee did an amazing job with our annual Salmon Dinner and Auction despite the pandemic.

    Chaired by Erin Phillips and Ginny Bell, the event raised more than the live auction held two years ago! That $25,000+ will provide a good basis for us as we get into the 2022 election cycle where keeping our Democrats in office will be paramount.

    **That our LD is ably supported by folks whose ongoing work enables the LD to function:

    Our Communications committee led by Doug MacKenzie and Colleen Hogan Taylor for getting out the 23rd messages and event/meeting invites all year long;

    Our Treasurer, Hallette Salazar, who keeps us kosher with the PDC and makes sure we have the funds available for the work we do;

    Our Secretary, Chris Cancailosi, whose minutes remind us what we need to do;

    The Executive Board who provides the necessary support and advice to direct the LD work.

    I am thankful for all the work our LD members do – as it is said, I couldn’t have done it without you!

    Be safe and have a great Thanksgiving!

    Val

  • 20 Nov 2021 3:31 PM | Douglass MacKenzie

    Hello Democrats! The 2021 election may be over but it’s been another busy week in state and federal politics. Things just don’t slow down, and I appreciate that our Democratic leaders are continuing to push hard to deliver big wins for our party and the people of our state. Here’s the news: 

    Update On Redistricting - Since I emailed you Tuesday afternoon about the status of the Redistricting Commission and their work, there have been new developments. While the Commission did not pass maps before their Monday night deadline, on Tuesday evening they presented Congressional and legislative map proposals that were what they intended to pass. You can see those map proposals on the Commission website here. At a press conference yesterday, all four Commissioners -- both Democrats and both Republicans -- endorsed the maps. 

    In addition to the Commission website, you can see their proposed maps in Dave’s Redistricting software:

    CDs: https://davesredistricting.org/maps#viewmap::3e5ef4a0-0acc-4615-82d5-9867bf46aa83

    LDs: https://davesredistricting.org/maps#viewmap::4d870853-f977-4de1-80d8-b28dddd77c5c

    Since the Commission did not pass their maps in time, despite the hard work and dedication of our Democratic Commissioners and their staff, the jurisdiction for drawing the new district boundaries goes to the Washington Supreme Court. There is a lot we don’t know about how the Court will conduct the process. Again, the maps and process are in the hands of the Washington Supreme Court and out of the control of the caucus appointees now. 

    There has been additional speculation that the maps may not reflect the required minority/majority districts required under the Voting Rights Act. I suspect this will be a focus moving forward. You can read one analysis of that issue here:

    https://latino.ucla.edu/research/washington-state-redistricting/

    As of this writing, the Court has asked for a sworn declaration from the non-voting Commission Chair detailing the actions and votes of both November 15th (deadline day) and November 16th (the day after). I suspect the answers will determine much of the process the Court takes - but again, that’s only speculation. Here is that order:

    https://www.courts.wa.gov/content/publicUpload/Supreme%20Court%20Orders/Supreme%20Court%20Order%20No%2025700B675%20111821.pdf

    We understand that the Court is putting together a website for sharing information and communicating what steps they might be taking - more on that when the site is live. 

    You can read some of the news coverage of this week in redistricting here: 

    https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/washingtons-redistricting-failure-what-went-wrong-and-what-happens-now/

    https://www.heraldnet.com/news/state-redistricting-panel-urges-high-court-to-look-at-its-maps/

    https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/nov/19/after-chaotic-final-meeting-monday-redistricting-c/

    https://southseattleemerald.com/2021/11/17/state-supreme-court-to-draw-redistricting-lines-after-commission-misses-deadline/

    The Washington State Republican Party has already sent out email blasts asking their supporters to spam the email accounts of the Supreme Court Justices with messages; I’m skeptical that this sort of thing is helpful to their “cause” and, frankly, appalled that they would do this. We still don’t know anything about what kind of process the Court is going to undertake and I would strongly encourage our local party organizations not to do anything rash and hurried that could be counterproductive. Don’t be like the Republicans are, here:

     This is obviously hugely important for the politics of our entire state. Please trust that we will keep folks updated on how to productively engage, as we did during the Commission’s process throughout this summer and fall. Let’s be thoughtful and strategic, rather than haphazardly rushing into anything. 

    I want to sincerely thank our Democratic Commissioners and their staff for their hard work throughout this process, and everyone who weighed in and engaged. Kara Briggs and Ed Martinez co-chaired our Redistricting Committee; they did a tremendous job of getting folks to testify before the Commission and submit letters and emails. We had fantastic shows of public engagement at all of the Commission’s public testimony meetings. Thanks to Kara and Ed, all of the members of our state party Redistricting Committee, and to everyone who testified or wrote in. 

    Build Back Better Passes The House - In tremendous news, the Build Back Better Act passed the House early this morning! This is a monumental step to once again deliver for the middle class. No thanks to a single Republican in the House, the Build Back Better Act will lower costs for working families, create good-paying jobs, and cut taxes — all without adding a cent to the debt. These investments are exactly what Americans voted for when they took to the polls to elect President Biden, and the United States Senate should move quickly to get President Biden’s Build Back Better Act across the finish line.

    The Build Back Better Act will deliver for Washington by:

    • Cutting taxes for working families: This bill will extend the expanded Child Tax Credit increases of up to $300 per month, per child, and provide a tax cut of up to $1,500 for 358,300 low-wage workers in Washington.
    • Lowering health care costs: Closing the Medicaid coverage gap to help millions of Americans gain health insurance, extend the American Rescue Plan’s health insurance premium reductions for those who buy coverage on their own through 2025, and help older Americans access affordable hearing care by expanding Medicare.
    • Lowering child care & family care costs: This legislation will provide access to child care for 470,000 young children per year from families earning under 2.5 times the Washington median income, ensuring these families pay no more than 7% of their income on high-quality child care. It will also expand access to free, high-quality preschool to more than 181,000 additional 3- and 4-year-olds per year and increase the quality of preschool for children who are already enrolled.
    • Making the largest investment to combat the climate crisis in history: This bill will cut pollution, reduce energy costs, and create good-paying jobs with a transformational investment to ensure America leads the clean energy economy.

    You can read more details about the BBB bill and its benefits for Washington state in our state-specific fact sheet here. Thank you so much to our Democratic members of the House of Representatives - Suzan Delbene, Rick Larsen, Derek Kilmer, Pramila Jayapal, Kim Schrier, Adam Smith, and Marilyn Strickland - for moving this major legislation through the House!

    Coordinated Campaign Kickoff Event 12/9 - We sent around a save-the-date earlier, but I wanted to get you all the details on our Coordinated Campaign Kickoff Event coming up on December 9th!

    We are pleased to invite you to hear from great Democratic leaders, including our soon-to-be WA Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, a selection of our terrific 2021 Rooted to Win candidates, and more great speakers to be announced!We hope you will come together with folks from all over Washington State to get fired up and plot the course for an even more successful 2022. Here are the full details:

     

     

    Thursday December 9th

    4:30pm: Sponsor Reception

    5:15pm: Main Event

     

    RSVP Online Here

    Zoom Details Provided Following RSVP

     

    $50 – Silver Ticket – Admission to Main Event

    $100 – Gold Ticket – Admission to Main Event and Sponsor Reception

    Please join us for a celebration of victories won and victories to come! You can RSVP online here – and Joe Barden (joebarden@wa-democrats.org) can always help with questions!

    Swearing-in Our New Secretary of State - Next Monday, our new Democratic Secretary of State Steve Hobbs will be sworn in, and I’m so excited to congratulate him on this appointment. Politically, it’s a huge development that no statewide Republican elected officials will remain on the West Coast. But this also is a chance to make sure that we have an SoS who’s a strong supporter of voting rights and access to the ballot - not someone who had to be pulled and dragged in that direction. I know (soon-to-be) Secretary Hobbs is going to do a wonderful job in this role. 

    In an interview with Crosscut, even outgoing Republican Secretary Kim Wyman said about Hobbs, “I think he's going to be fair and make sure that he's representing everyone.”

    I don’t know what Republican is going to run for this seat, but given how their party has sued over non-existent fraud, undermined faith in our elections again and again, and pushed legislation to repeal universal vote-by-mail and make it harder for people to vote, I have to imagine whoever makes it through their primary will not be a fair leader dedicated to defending democracy. It is SO IMPORTANT that we hold this seat, and it’s going to take a lot of hard work to do it. 

    A Challenger for Doug Ericksen - I was happy to see our state Representative Sharon Shewmake in the 42nd Legislative District announce this morning that she’d be running against GOP Sen. Doug Ericksen this year! Ericksen is an absolutely terrible senator, known for working as a lobbyist for the Cambodian dictatorship instead of on behalf of his constituents, skipping votes to work for Donald Trump, skipping votes (again) to go to El Salvador, and taking so many free meals from oil company lobbyists that they literally had to change the law to address his behavior. He won re-election in 2018 by just 46 votes -- one of the closest legislative races in state history. This race is one to watch in 2022. 

    Advocacy Committee’s Legislative Priorities Survey - It’s that time of year again! With the Washington State Legislature’s 2022 session quickly approaching, the state party Advocacy Committee is getting ready to advocate for the issues that YOU care about. Please take three minutes to fill out this survey to let the committee know what legislative priorities are important to you as they finalize our 2022 Legislative Priorities (and if you’re interested in the 2021 Priorities, they’re on our website here)! 

    That’s what I’m looking at this week! I am excited to see what comes next in redistricting, and for our Rooted To Win candidates to have their victories certified as the election process comes to a formal close. I’m thrilled about the action on BBB, and I know our Senator Patty Murray will be hard at work to deliver big on this for us in the Senate. Here’s to another big week of news!

    With gratitude, 

    Tina Podlodowski


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