News from the Skagit County Democrats

Skagit County Democrats Action Newsletter for February 19, 2024

DEMOCRATIC EVENTS

1. 40th Legislative District Telephone Town Hall with Senator Lovelett and Representatives Lekanoff and Ramel, Wednesday, Feb 21, 6:30pm – 7:30pm, via 877-229-8493 – once prompted, provide the pin 116359
Submit questions in advance: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5FNB3X2.

2. Janet St. Clair for 10th Legislative District Senate Campaign Kick Off Event, Thursday, Feb 22, 5:00pm – 6:30pm, Coupeville Recreation Hall, 901 Northwest Alexander Street, Coupeville
RSVP to info@janetforsenate.org or via the link HERE.

3. The 39th Legislative District Democrats Executive Board meets, Saturday, Feb 24, 10:00am – 11:00am, via Zoom
Click Here for the Zoom link. Contact the Chair of the 39th LD Democrats at 39lddo@gmail.com with any questions.

4. The 39th Legislative District Democrats General Membership is meeting, Saturday, Feb 24, 11:00am – 12:00pm, via Zoom
Click Here for the Zoom link. Contact the Chair of the 39th LD Democrats at 39lddo@gmail.com with any questions. Special guest State Senator Manka Dhingra will be joining for the membership meeting as well as some folks (possibly Carin Chase and a few others) from the state party to give a presentation on the delegate process.

5. NEW – The 40th Legislative District Democrats will conduct a General Membership Meeting Sunday, Feb 25, 4:00pm via Zoom
Click Here for the Zoom link: Meeting ID: 884 6959 8581; Passcode: 657575.

6. NEW – 10th Legislative District Representative Clyde Shavers will conduct a Community Town Hall, Sunday, Feb 25, 3:00pm – 4:00pm, Maple Center, 204 Douglas Street, La Conner

7. NEW – View the latest Fidalgo Democrats meeting video, "Loving Our Neighbors in a Complex World", presented Tuesday, Feb 6
Click Here for the YouTube link.

8. NEW – Legislative Committee Report for this week
With the State Legislature in session our Legislative Committee is hard at work going through as many bills as possible to make sure we keep you well informed. Please review the following bills and express your support to your elected officials.

HB2114 – Limiting rent increases and other fees for tenants passed the House on a party-line vote of 54 to 43. This bill improves housing stability for tenants.
People across Washington are struggling to pay rent. Hardworking people who work in grocery stores and hospitals are being forced to move farther and farther away from their jobs because they cannot pay rent. Evictions and homelessness are on the rise. Households of color disproportionately bear the impact of rent increases. Family members are forced to move far away from each other to afford rent. For some seniors on fixed incomes, rent increases can make it impossible to stay in their homes.

This important bill is now in the Senate Ways and Means Committee for a hearing on February 22. Please contact your legislators here:

Email your Senator to support HB2114
Recommended Text:
“Please support HB2114 and help keep rental fees and rent in check. Some people have experienced drastic rent increases in recent years that have devastated them financially and hurt their chances of upward mobility. It's time to provide housing stability for tenants.”

Before the hearing on February 22, please sign in Pro here.

SB1241 – To address election official harassment.
If passed, this bill will make harassment of election officials a class C felony, bringing it into line with harassment of police officers and other justice system staff. It will also allow election officers who have been targets of felony harassment to apply for the address confidentiality program.

Email your senator to support SB1241
Recommended text:
Please vote yes on SB1241. Election officials perform a vital function in protecting our democracy. Unfortunately, more and more election officials have reported harassment on the job. We all want to protect rights to free speech and to petition the government, but there is a difference between political activism and personal threats to public servants. Just like police officers don’t deserve to be personally harassed on the job, so should election officers be equally protected from this type of crime.

HB2331 – An act relating to modifying requirements for public school instructional materials and supplemental instructional materials by prohibiting improper exclusions of certain materials, establishing complaint procedures, and promoting culturally and experientially representative materials.

Representative Alex Ramel has stepped up to protect instructional materials in our public schools. This bill has passed the Education Committee and is currently in the Rules Committee to be moved to the full House for a vote.
Brief Summary of Substitute Bill:

• Bars school district boards of directors (school boards) from refusing to approve or prohibiting the use of an educational material on the basis that it relates to or includes the study of the role and contributions of individuals or groups that are part of a protected class as established in public school nondiscrimination provisions.
• Requires recommendations of instructional materials committees to include recommendations for culturally and experientially representative materials.
• Establishes new requirements for written complaints about instructional materials.
• Directs school boards to adopt or revise policies and procedures for reviews and removals of supplemental instructional materials and establishes related requirements.
• Directs the Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop rules and guidelines related to the instructional materials and supplemental instructional materials provisions.

Email your Senator to support HB2331
Recommended Text:
It is deeply important we protect the integrity of our educational system and provide the children of Washington with a good education. Please support HB2331 to help our kids get a good, honest education. It has become increasingly important that we ensure as a state that school districts are not removing educational materials with insidious intent. This bill includes many important protections for the integrity of our schools.

9. NEW – Washington's Presidential Primary
The following is quoted from Shoreline Area News of February 16 (emphasis added by the Editor):

"Voters' pamphlets for the Washington Presidential Primary are arriving in mailboxes around the state. Ballots will be mailed out by February 23, 2024 and should be delivered by February 26. The election deadline is March 12 – all ballots must be received by that date.

The purpose of the primary is for the two political parties – Republicans and Democrats – to pick their candidates. For that reason, voters must declare their party status in order to have their vote counted. For this election only, you will need to check a political party declaration box and sign and date the declaration. Then your vote must be for a candidate in that party.

Because of the lead time needed to print and pamphlets and ballots, our information is already out of date. On the Democrat side, Marianne Williamson dropped out at the beginning of February. A candidate named Dean Phillips is still in the race, along with President Biden. On the Republican side, Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, and Vivek Ramaswamy have dropped out, leaving Nikki Haley and Donald J. Trump.

The voters' pamphlet is online at the Secretary of State's website."

Click Here for information about registering to vote.

Click Here for a Sample Ballot.

Click Here for Presidential Primary Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

Ballot Drop-Box Locations
Boxes open for each election will be listed on the information wrap in your ballot packet. All locations that will be open for an election are open 20 days before Election Day and remain open 24 hours a day until 8:00PM Election Night. Not all boxes will be open for every election. Click Here for a map of locations. (Editor's Note: It is not known at this time which locations will be closed.)

• Anacortes
  • Anacortes Public Library (behind library near drive-up book-drop), 1220 10th Street
  • Skyline Beach Club, 6041 Sands Way
• Bow Edison
  • Fire District 5 Fire Station, 14304 West Bow Hill Road
• Burlington
  • Burlington Parks and Recreation Building, (north side of Fairhaven Ave parking lot), 900 East Fairhaven Street
• Conway
  • Conway Fire Department, 21020 Greenfield Street
• Concrete
  • Skagit Upriver Services, 45770 Main South
• Hamilton
  • Fire District 8/Punkin Center Station, 34041 State Route 20
• La Conner
  • La Conner Library, 614 East Morris Street
• Mount Vernon
  • Mount Vernon Police Department, 1805 Continental Place
  • Skagit County Auditor's Office [Courthouse], (in U-shaped parking lot accessed from 3rd St. near Kincaid), 700 South 2nd Street
• Sauk-Suiattle
  • Last Chance Casino and Bingo, 6020 Mountain Goat Way, Darrington
• Sedro-Woolley
  • Sedro-Woolley Post Office, (in alley between Eastern Ave and Metcalf), 111 Woodworth Street
• Swinomish
  • Social Services Building, 17337 Reservation Road

Below is a timeline of activities for the March 12, Presidential Primary Election

• January 27    Military and Overseas ballots mailed
• February 21    Accessible Voting Unit test – 10:00 AM
• February 21    Domestic ballots mailed
• February 28    Official Logic & Accuracy test – 2:00 PM
• March 4    Deadline to register or update existing registration online and by mail
• March 12    Deadline for in-person registration and voter updates – Closes 8:00 PM
• March 12    Special Election – Closes 8:00 PM           
• March 19    Canvassing Board Meeting, Initial Review – 1:30 PM
• March 22    Special Election Certification – 1:30 PM

10. NEW – Election Observers Needed for Presidential Primary
Election observers will be needed in March, as presidential primary ballots are opened and processed. Shifts are just 1 ½ hours each. Please see the link to the SignUp Genius form below and find a shift that works for you. Simply click on “Sign Up" then scroll to the bottom of the page to click on Save and Continue. You should receive a confirmation email immediately after you complete the form. We will send you observer guidelines in advance of your shift. We really appreciate those who help observe the process and we believe the election staff appreciates you as well. Click Here to access the SignUp Genius form. Click Here to view a copy of the 2024 Observer Guidelines from the Skagit County Auditor's Office.

11. NEW – Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson — Who’s Challenged Obama, Trump & Biden — Makes His Case For Governor
Click Here for a clip of the interview Bob Ferguson had with Forbes Breaking News.

12. NEW – Links of the Week
The Links of the Week provide in-depth pieces and resources the Editor has found to be relevant, insightful, and thorough on important issues of the day.

• Violent crime is dropping fast in the U.S. — even if Americans don't believe it
• Despite a national spike in homelessness, some US regions are finding solutions
• New Estimates Show Just How High U.S. Prescription Drug Prices Are – International Prescription Drug Price Comparisons
• We Should All Respect the Geoduck
• Pattern found in world’s rainforests where 2% of species make up 50% of trees

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COMMUNITY EVENTS

1. February is Black History Month
Skagit Valley College is hosting a number of events and activities for Black History Month. Click Here for a listing. Click Here for the Smithsonian/National Museum of African American History & Culture website. Here's the story behind Black History Month — and why it's celebrated in February (Click Here).

2. NEW – Stuff the Bus Food Drive, Tuesday, Feb 20 – Friday, Feb 23, 8:00am – 4:00pm and Saturday, Feb 24, 11:00am – 2:00pm, Helping Hands Food Bank, 9386 Fruitdale Road, Sedro-Woolley
"Helping Hands and Skagit Transit will be STUFFING THE BUS in the fight against hunger! We invite all of Skagit County to bring non-perishable food donations, diapers, and non-food life essentials . . . Join us on Saturday, February 24th, as the Dick’s Drive-In Food Truck will be at Helping Hands Food Bank! Come tour the Helping Hands facility and enjoy the opportunity to get these classic burgers right here in Sedro-Woolley!

3. NEW – Friends of the Anacortes Library February Book Sale, Saturday, Feb 24, 10:00am – 3:00pm, Anacortes Public Library, 1220 10th Street, Anacortes
"Join us for the Friends of the Anacortes Library February book sale. All proceeds directly benefit the Anacortes Public Library. Bring your own regular sized tote bag and fill it with books, CDs, Audiobooks and DVDs for $7!"

4. NEW – The monthly Planned Parenthood rally is Saturday, Mar 2, 11:00am – 12:00pm, on the sidewalk in front of the Mount Vernon Health Center, 1805 East Division Street, Mount Vernon
Bring your signs, your friends, and your family.

5. NEW – Cook Road BNSF Rail Crossing will be closed to both east and west bound traffic 7:00pm Thursday, Feb 22 through 5:00am Friday, Feb 23 for repairs
The road will be closed to all vehicles, including emergency vehicles. The Detour Route will be via State Route 20, Burlington Boulevard, and Old Highway 99 North for both directions.
 

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. Coffee & Cards, Wednesdays, 10:00am – 12:00pm, Skagit County Democrats Headquarters, 2021 East College Way, Suite 104, Mount Vernon
Coffee and Cards meets on Wednesdays from 10:00am – 12:00pm. This is the group that was previously led by Carol Sullivan and is now led quite capably by Judy Farrar and Judith Chilcote. The group is a way for us to express ourselves about issues of importance to us all.  

We will write messages of encouragement and support to people who are making positive contributions as well as messages of concern and opposition to people who are negatively impacting our world. This includes legislators on the local, state, and federal level as well as CEOs of corporations and other people having a significant impact in our world. We will share ideas for people to write to and issues to address.  

Postcards and stamps will be provided, but we ask that people bring money to cover the cost of the postcard stamps which are currently $.51. Coffee will be provided or bring your own. As Carol always reminded us, “We are stronger together.” Our office is located at 2021 East College Way, Suite 104, Mount Vernon, 360-336-1555."

2. Anacortes Sunday Demonstrations
Progressive folks regularly demonstrate each Sunday, 12:00pm – 1:00pm at the corner of 12th Street and Commercial Avenue in Anacortes. While this is not an official Skagit County Democrats activity, turnout is encouraged.
 

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