32^nd Legislative District Democratic Organization

6:30

Sign In

7:00

Call To Order

7:01

Pledge of Allegiance

7:02

Land Acknowledgment

7:03

Approve of previous meeting's minutes

7:04

Moment of Silence for Racial Justice

7:05

Remembering John Lewis with Representative John Lovick

7:15

Primary Election Recap with Chris Roberts

7:30

Conversation: In Support of Referendum-90 (and in support of SB 5395)

Approve90WA.org | Safe and Healthy Youth
Beware of the right wing's attempt to confuse you on this one! State Senate Bill 5395, now law, requires public school districts to teach age-appropriate, inclusive sexual health education to K-12 students and excuses students at their parent or guardian’s request. Opponents of the law submitted enough signatures to the Secretary of State’s office, qualifying the referendum for the November ballot to strip students of vital health information—the first statewide ballot measure on sex education in the country.

7:45

Conversation on Voter Registration with Gary McCaig and others

7:50

Conversation with Endorsed Candidates

8:00

PCO Update

8:10

Resolutions

• ✔️ Resolution: “Scrap the Cap” on Social Security payroll deductions [Adopted]
• ✔️ Vote "Approve" on Referendum 90 (SB5395) [Adopted]
• ✔️ Wild Wallace Forest Reconveyance [Adopted]

8:20

New Business

8:25

Good of the Order

8:30

Adjourn

“The hurt of one woman is the hurt of all women — the honor of one woman is the honor of all women. Show honor and esteem for all women! Consider and treat them with deference or courtesy.”
First Nations saying

Zoom Access
Meeting ID: 867 6530 1177
Password: 857244
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+1-253-215-8782 US (Tacoma)

32nd Legislative District Meeting

Wednesday, August 12, 2020, 7:00 PM

Via Zoom & Call-in

32democrats.org • chair@32democrats.org

6:30 PM Sign In

7:00 Call To Order by Alan Charnley, Chair

7:01 Pledge of Allegiance

7:02 Land Acknowledgment

We in the 32nd LD acknowledge that we live and work on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish, Tulalip, and the Puyallup Tribes, and next to their ancestral waters, the Salish Sea. We honor with gratitude this land, water, and the Puyallup, Tulalip, and Duwamish Peoples.

~ Moment of Silence to recognize the departure of

our former PCO and E-Board Member, Jin-ah Kim ~

7:03 Approval of July 8, 2020 Minutes, M/S/C, Approved

7:04 Approval of Agenda, M/S/C, Approved

7:05 Remembering John Lewis with the message below from Representative John Lovick

• Rep. Lovick: Everything John Lewis did, he did it to bring the community together. I met Congressman John Lewis in his office in D.C. and I asked him, how was he able to stand so firm in the face of so much hate? He answered, "I keep walking and you should never be bitter and you should never be angry. Don't let anyone break your spirit." He also said, "We need to be socially kind to each other. And, if you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have a morale obligation to say something and to do something." These are messages that I've been able to use for a long-time. Meeting him that day meant so much for me in my life, and I miss him very much. Thank very much for letting me share these memories. Some of us go to Olympia, but you, here in the LD, do this great work and are the foot soldiers of our democracy, helping us get elected, and letting us know about issues that come up in your neighborhoods.

7:20 Primary Election Recap with Chris Roberts, State Committee Representative

Chris Roberts: There are some good results, and there are some results we should be concerned about. The voter turnout, over 53%, was the highest it's been in recent elections. The other good result is that, at the top of our ticket, most of our candidates have done pretty well.

A down side is in Pierce County, where Representative Kim Schrier might have problems, as she received only 31% of the vote. She received a total 43% when combined with King County but the Democratic vote in the 8th Congressional District vote was under 50%.

Governor Jay Inslee received over 50%. Candidate Lt. Governor, Denny Heck (32nd LD endorsed) is 8 to 10 points ahead of Marko Lillas. Heck is ahead in all counties except for King. In the other races, all of our endorsed candidates at the top of the ticket are doing well except for Gael Tarleton. We need to do a lot of work here.

The other race that needs our attention is with Superintendent of Public Instruction, Chris Reykdal, our endorsed candidate. He is only getting about 40% of the vote. This is a non-partisan race so we need to let people know that Chris Reykdal is the Democrat we are supporting in this race. We have a lot of work to do to make sure he is re-elected.

On the legislative side, in the 42nd LD, Representative Shewmake is under 50% in her race in Whatcom County. In the 10th LD, Representative Paul is under 50% in his race. And, candidate Helen Price Johnson, is behind the appointed senator, also in the 10th.

In the 19th LD, Senator Takko, I'm sorry to report, is ahead with only 44% with the rest of the vote going to two Republicans. And, also in the 19th, Representative Blake, Pos. 2, is similarly down against his challenger.

The Northwest Progressive Institute said that many of the blue districts did well but in districts that are red, the Republicans did even better.

Closer to home in the 5th LD, candidate Ingrid Anderson, a nurse, is ahead of State Senator Mark Mullet. This will probably be the most expensive race in WA State history.

In the 29th LD, Representative Steve Kirby, who opposed same sex marriage when it came up, is only about 100 votes ahead of his Democratic challenger.

In the 32nd LD, our endorsed candidate, Shirley Sutton, made it through to the general election. In Pos. 2, the non-partisan candidate, will advance but our endorsed candidate, Rep. Lauren Davis, is way ahead.

Our job now is to make sure people vote for the right candidates on November 3rd.

7:35 APPROVE Referendum-90 with Matthew Grover, Planned Parenthood Votes NW

Matthew Grover: Our State Legislature passed SB 5395 in the 2020 session, and it was signed into law by Governor Inslee, March 2020. Opponents then gathered enough signatures to refer it to the ballot this November 3rd. We are now working to APPROVE R-90, which is comprehensive sex education.

At its heart, this is about equity throughout our state's education districts. Because there has been no state law requiring sex education to be taught, even though many districts have been able to develop their own curriculum, others have not. Approving R-90 would require all school districts to teach age-appropriate, medically accurate, and inclusive sexual health education. Importantly, all parents and guardians will have the ability to opt their student out. Also, the exact curriculum is not mandated by the state. There are only guidelines of subject areas, therefore local control by individual school districts remain in place. We hope the 32nd LD will support R-90 so that all students, in every zip code, can receive the education they need and deserve.

Q: I've been seeing a lot of Phyllis Schlafley moral type attack ads about sex education. Could you let us know some of the misinformation being used by opponents so we could counter it?

A: Opponents have been spreading a lot of misinformation about what comprehensive sex health includes. Please check out our website, Facebook, Twitter -- Approve90wa.org. We are educating people about what this curriculum will do and the fact that the legislation includes parental opt-outs and local control -- meaning parents will have the opportunity to select a curriculum for their students and then be able to work hand-in-hand with educators on developing it.

Q: Are you going to give scientifically sound information?

A. Yes, definitely. Without comprehensive sex education being taught within our public schools, students and young people are going to sources online, word-of-mouth from friends, and other non-reputable sources. A huge component is making sure it is medically and scientifically accurate.

Q: The criticism I hear the most is that you are teaching 4th-graders sex positions?

A: That is simply not true. Yes, it is one of the lies that opponents of sex ed promote. The focus of the K-5th grade curriculum is on creating a foundation of developing healthy relationships and then waiting until middle school and high school to talk about the sexual health component.

Q: Many conversations focus on the K-3 curriculum, and say this is much to early for sex education?

A: The K-3 curriculum focuses only on social emotional learning. We talk about the characteristics of a friend and knowing, for example, what is appropriate and inappropriate touching so that we can prevent any form of abuse that any young person might experience. So again, the K-5 curriculum is only about developing relationships and focusing on body autonomy.

7:45 Conversation on Voter Registration with Gary McCaig

Gary McCaig: I'm focusing on voter registration for this critical election, November 3rd, 2020. Voter registration efforts have been seriously impeded by the pandemic. I worked with Cindy Black at *Fix Democracy First* to develop a voter registration poster with** QR codes which are squares that can be accessed with a smart phone. It is in several languages to inform English and non-English speakers, how to register to vote. I would like the 32nd LD to approve printing 100 copies of the poster. It will include the 32nd LD identification along with a union bug. The posters I've placed in store windows, so far, have been highly effective in registering voters.

M/S/C, Approved

To obtain posters, contact: gary.mccaig@32democrats.org

League of Women Voters - Voter Registration Links

Help your neighbors and friends register to vote on-line. Forms are available at this website in 15 languages:

https://www.vote411.org/register

8:05 Conversations with Endorsed Candidates

• Shirley Sutton, State House of Representatives, Pos. 1

• Lauren Davis, State House of Representatives, Pos. 2

• Douglass North, King County Superior Court, Pos. 30

8:15 PCO COVID Update, Sally Soriano, for the 32nd PCO Coordinators Group

Sally Soriano: I'm reporting back on our August 4th PCO phone-canvassing effort -- during COVID! Thanks to the many of you who participated. Instead of our usual PCO lit drops at voter's doors, we phoned voters. PCOs were each sent a list of about 90 "strong democrats" or "likely democrats" and their phone numbers -- so the calls were all friendly. We also sent addresses, a map, and a sample script. These lists were compiled from the State Democrats' VoteBuilder database. The downside of the lists, however, was that about 1/3 of the phone numbers were not current. We advised PCOs about this potential. PCOs told voters they could find our 32nd endorsed candidate list at our 32nd LD website -- 32democrats.org. Overall, voters were generally appreciative of these calls.

One PCO recommended that, for the Nov. 3rd General Election, our 32LD should supply each PCO with about 30 printed postcards with our endorsed candidates. Then, when a wrong number is reached, the PCO could either mail the postcard or drop it on the voter's porch. This approach would ensure that all voters on the PCO's precinct list would be contacted. The cost of 30 printed postcards and stamps would be about $20.

Last Saturday (8/8), King County held their monthly PCO meeting, chaired by Anne Udaloy. The 32nd was acknowledged for having highly visible voter registration information on our website and for having over 50% of our PCO positions filled. Two main topics were discussed: First, several legislative districts have started using "text banking" instead of "phone banking" to contact voters. They've found it to be highly successful and will teach all the LDs how to "text bank". Second, we discussed automating the PCO sign-up process given complexities in the current system. Several LD representatives cautioned that this automated system must be based in the LDs. This way, the PCO applicant can be vetted and there can be a discussion about all of the volunteer possibilities in the LD, in addition to PCO duties.

8:25 PCO Appointment - Chris Roberts, SHL-32-0001

Chris Roberts: I recently moved and I look forward to continuing to be a very active PCO.

M/S/C - Approved

8:30 Resolutions

• In Support of Referendum-90 (SB 5395)

Carol McMahon: We've had a presentation tonight on APPROVE R-90, so I'll just go through some of the text of the resolution:

• Whereas, a strong majority of Washingtonians support requiring schools to offer scientifically based, medically accurate, age-appropriate, comprehensive sex education (86% support, 70% “strongly support,” according to Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest); and

• Whereas, SB 5395 would require school districts to adopt or develop, consistent with state standards, comprehensive age-appropriate sexual health education, as defined, for all students, and excuse students if their parents request;

• Therefore, be it resolved that the 32nd Legislative District Democratic Organization urges all voters to vote “Approve” on Referendum 90 (SB 5395) in the November 2020 election.

M/S/C - Approved

• "Scrap the Cap" on Social Security Payroll Deductions

Trudy Bialic: The Social Security payroll deduction issue was the biggest on my mind when I was elected 32nd LD Senior Advocate. Trump and the Republicans are announced that they will defund Social Security if he is re-elected. This resolution would not only stop their action but it would secure Social Security passed the 2035 date when the surplus runs out. Congress has made adjustments to the Social Security Act in the past. The Act started in 1935. In 1983, amendments were made: cutting the Cost of Living increase out and Social Security was made a taxable income. So they have actually cut it by 13% already, for people born after 1960. But now, Social Security is being threatened with absolute defunding. This resolution would eliminate the cap on payroll deductions, so millionaires and billionaires will pay the same tax rate as lower and middle-income families making below $137,000 a year. This current system is arbitrary, it is unfair, and it needs to be fixed. Removing the cap would improve benefits for current retirees and would strengthen benefits for future generations, especially for millennials, who do not have pension plans. This is an essential support and security system for millennials.

Dean Fournier: Having the cap is the antithesis of a graduated income tax. We all pay a flat rate up to $137,000. Trudy put this into the resolution. Scrapping the cap is a leveler and it is important.

M/S/C - Approved

• Wild Wallace Forest Reconveyance

Mary Rollins, 38th LD: Off of Route 2, near Index, Gold Bar and Sultan, there's state land and there is federal land, and in between you have 5,300 acres, called the Wild Wallace. Right now it is being logged by the Department of Natural Resources. We are asking that Wild Wallace be returned to Snohomish County as a park. They are logging right now within 500 feet of Wallace Falls. We want to preserve what's left: https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/wallace-falls

We've talked with three members of the Snohomish County Council and we are talking to the Tribes. We have the support of the Snohomish County Democrats, and the 38th LD and the 1st LD. Residents want a place to hike, not a place to have to look at clear-cutting. We've temporarily named it "Wild Wallace County Park".

M/S/C - Approved

8:55 New Business

-none

9:00 Good of the Order

Carin Chase: I'm coming to you as a 32nd LD State Committee person and as National Delegate to the DNC. The Convention is coming up next week, it is all virtual, and there are many programs. I'll be sending the schedules to our 32nd LD Facebook page. We've been able to meet with Black Lives Matter and we were able to make sure that the National Platform includes a ban on chokeholds. Also, there is wording on an infrastructure bank and language on Native American boarding schools which is now included in the national platform. This is all important work done by our WA State National Delegation.

Gray Petersen: Today is the third anniversary of the passing of a martyr, named Heather Heyer. She was the sole person killed during the car attack in Charlottesville by a neo-Nazi. There's a movie called "Hate in Charlottesville". Her last post on Facebook was "if you're not angry, you're not paying attention." We're doing our best to keep her in our thoughts given what is happening with white supremacy violence in his country.

Gray Petersen: There is going to be a demonstration on Saturday for Black Lives Matter -- see the Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackLivesMatterShoreline/

9:05 Adjourn

Next Meeting, Wednesday, September 9th (2nd Wednesday of the month)

Respectfully submitted,

Sally Soriano, 32nd LD Secretary

sally.soriano@32democrats.org