Message from the Chair
Fellow Democrats,
Worrying international and domestic news. A worsening climate crisis. The Delta variant. Tensions around school openings. The accumulation has taken its collective toll on us all at the start of September. And with the 20th Anniversary of September 11th we can reflect on the progress made by our elected candidates in their representation of the voters who elected them.
A great way to stay positive is to be active in our local politics, as so many of you are. There is still time for action in the 45th – we are SEVEN WEEKS away from the general election on November 2nd – and there is work to be done if you want to be part of the future of electing our endorsed candidates.
Our Help the Candidates page has the needs of our endorsed candidates. These courageous souls want to make a difference; please help them with donations or your time or money – or both! This is the moment when we can make a change in the community we live in by electing candidates that share our values and vision for our community.
A candidate yard sign will speak volumes to your neighbors without you lifting a finger – signs are available and can be delivered to you.
You still have time to join the Redistricting conversation by submitting your own map at www.redistricting.wa.gov and giving testimony at a public meeting (September 20th). Here is an opportunity for you to be part of the conversation on how our legislative districts are mapped out. This only happens every 10 years, so it is a great project to be part of if you have the time and desire.
The WA State Democratic Party has released the VoteBuilder access after their negotiations with the National Democratic Party. These agreements are negotiated every four years. Past rules for data access and usage protocols no longer apply, and the penalties for misuse can be severe. There is a very long explanation associated with this, but the bottom line is we cannot use State Democratic Party assets on a non-Democratic party candidate. The 45th LD can endorse a non-Democratic identified candidate (who aligns with Democratic party values), but they cannot get VoteBuilder access.
And lastly, a few calendar items…
- The September 15th Think & Drink will be a discussion on Police Reform. Roger Goodman will be one of the speakers, along with Enoka Herat from the ACLU at this open discussion event. Please pre-register here.
- Two resolutions will be up for consideration at our next General Meeting on October 6th (via Zoom). “Resolution of Patent Protection and Corporation Recovery of Medical Drugs” was submitted by Carl Schwartz (PCO Sam 45-0536). Carl is a long-time member of the 45th and delivered this resolution via postal mail to me. This will be our sixth Resolution up for membership vote this year – thank you, Carl, for showing the determination and tenacity in getting it to us via the post office! Also for consideration will be the “Resolution Urging Governor Inslee to Sign “Equity Now!” Executive Order.” If any member would like to submit a resolution, instructions are here on our 45th website. Our voices are important and guide our leaders in making change!
In Solidarity,
Linda Jenkins (she/her)
Chair, 45th District Democrats
