News from the Skagit County Democrats
Posted on March 2nd, 2025
Skagit County Democrats Action Newsletter for March 3, 2025
DEMOCRATIC EVENTS
1. NEW – A message from Skagit County Democrats Chair, Roger Phillip
"I’m pleased to introduce Anna Cook, a Swinomish Indian Tribal Community member and the newly elected PCO for Padilla Precinct 174. A La Conner High alum with a B.A. in Native American Studies from Evergreen State College, she has worked in Swinomish’s 13 Moons Community Garden and as a Healing Arts teacher at the Didgwalic Wellness Center. She also recently joined the Skagit County Democrats Executive Board as our 40th LD Representative, and we’re thrilled to have her leadership.
Anna has shared a reflection on the 13 Moons Calendar, an Indigenous approach to understanding seasonal change, offering insight into our connection to the land, community, and natural cycles. I encourage you to read her message posted on our website — it’s a meaningful reminder of the values we share as Democrats: community, stewardship, and learning from one another."
2. NEW – Legislative Committee Report
Please support our Legislative Committee by emailing our Senators & Representatives using the "Email your legislators" links and with the Suggested Text (or similar sentiments).
- –SB 5496 – Preserving homeownership options by limiting excessive home buying by certain entities.
- This bill would implement measures to limit large investors’ ability to purchase an excessive number of single family homes. Between 2018 and 2021, the average home price in Washington rose 55 percent. Over that same time period, the share of homes purchased by medium, large, and mega investors rose by 46 percent. This bill aims to free up a larger share of affordable homes for purchase by residents for whom home ownership is presently unattainable. This bill stipulates that a civil penalty will be enforced in the event of violations.
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- Suggested Text: Please vote yes on SB 5496 to support limiting large investors’ ability to purchase an excessive number of single family homes. Washington’s residents are in a housing crisis. Home ownership is increasingly inaccessible for our state’s hardworking residents. Between 2018 and 2021, the average home price in Washington rose 55 percent. Over that same time period, the share of homes purchased by medium, large, and mega investors rose by 46 percent. Help us restrain investors who seek to monopolize the basic human right of housing.
- –SB 5148 – Ensuring comprehensive plans meet housing requirements
- This bill provides oversight to city and county comprehensive plans and ensures that jurisdictions meet existing Growth Management Act (GMA) requirements for affordable and middle income housing. Jurisdictions planning under GMA have the option of submitting their plan to the Department of Commerce for compliance review, but would be required to undergo review if they failed to meet certain requirements. If the jurisdiction is determined to be out of compliance, it would be prohibited from denying affordable or moderate housing under certain circumstances and would not be able to receive certain grants, loans, etc. without first showing progress towards compliance.
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- Comprehensive planning in line with the GMA is essential to maintaining affordable and middle income housing in our local communities. This bill is particularly timely here in Skagit County, where we are in the process of updating our comprehensive plan. Please support this bill so that we can keep our area affordable for our local residents.
3. NEW – Rally and March – We Choose Democracy Not Kings! – Tuesday, Mar 4, 12:00pm – 2:00pm, Edgewater Park, 600 Behrens Millett Road, Mount Vernon
"Join Indivisible Skagit and Indivisible Bellingham to make our choice visible. Trump declares himself king. We choose democracy! Meet at Edgewater Park in Mount Vernon. March to the Skagit County Courthouse."
4. NEW – The Fidalgo Democrats meet THURSDAY, MAR 13, 7:00pm – 9:00pm, Anacortes Public Library, 1220 10th Street, Anacortes
Please note change in the day of the week from the usual Tuesday to Thursday.
"Elsie Cutter the CEO of Island Health is doing a short presentation about the upcoming Anacortes Hospital Levy. Tony Melillo, NW Central Labor Council President and Dean Shelton, NW Labor Council Vice President will be talking about local, state, and national issues and concerns. How are the unions and the labor movement supporting workers? What can we do to help in these challenging times? There will be time for questions. Coffee and cookies will be served. The meeting will be recorded and posted to the YouTube channel. For more information call Barbara Cooper, Chair 360 770-3506."
5. NEW – The 40th Legislative District legislators will participate in a Town Hall, Saturday, Mar 15, 11:00am – 12:00pm, Mount Vernon Library Commons Community Room, 208 Kincaid Street, Mount Vernon
All three of our legislators are signed up for this. "Join us for an engaging conversation about the issues that matter most to our community. We're hosting a town hall where you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions and share your thoughts on state policies, local priorities, and upcoming legislative efforts."
6. NEW – 10th Legislative District Representative Dave Paul will participate in a Town Hall, Saturday, Mar 15, 3:30pm – 4:00pm, Oak Harbor Library, 1000 Southeast Regatta Drive, Oak Harbor
"Please join me for an engaging discussion about the 2025 legislative session and to share the issues that matter most to you. As always, it’s an honor to serve as your state representative." Republican State Senator Ron Muzzal will also be in attendance.
7. NEW – The Washington State Democrats are collecting narratives of the impacts of the Trump administration policies
"WA Dems and our elected Democrats need your help. We are collecting stories of people in Washington impacted by Trump administration policies.
Are you a federal employee who received an email saying you could be offered a buyout or that you were terminated without notice? Do you work at a research institution or non-governmental organization and have had your federal funding yanked away? Was someone in your family denied gender-affirming healthcare? We need your stories.
The best way to persuade people about the horrible impacts of Trump’s chaos is to share real stories from real people in their communities, like Randall’s. If you are interested in sharing your story of the direct impacts of Trump 2.0 on your life, please send an email to press@wa-democrats.org that includes your name, contact information, which Washington community you reside in, the story you would like to share, and permission to share your story with the public. Our Communications Team will be in touch within a few business days after you have reached out to help collect your story.
Senator Cantwell and Murray have also asked for help finding stories like these. Please be sure to note that you want your story told and be as detailed as possible. You can share your stories with our U.S. Senators here:
8. 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.
- 5 facts about the federal workforce that may surprise you
- What is NOAA? Federal weather, climate agency hit with job cuts
- States that impose severe prison sentences accomplish the opposite of what they say they want
- Map reimagines US states by population and it completely changes how we see America
- Millions of "dead" Social Security recipients actually caused by a COBOL coding quirk
COMMUNITY EVENTS
1. NEW – Daylight Saving Time begins 2:00am, Sunday, Mar 9
Turn your clocks ahead 1 hour before going to be Saturday night.
2. NEW – March is the month-long La Conner Daffodil Festival
There are lots of things to see and do!
3. NEW – Mount Vernon Strong is hosting an event Tuesday, Mar 4, 5:00pm – 7:00pm, Skagit Station Community Room , 105 East Kincaid Street, Mount Vernon
"Mount Vernon Strong is pleased to invite you to our event on Tuesday, March 4th. We would like to hear from the Mount Vernon community about their experiences with artificial housing scarcity and car-oriented development, and put together a list of code changes for the City of Mount Vernon to address these issues . . . Our mission as an organization is to advocate for urban development characterized by housing density and availability, pedestrian- and cyclist-oriented streets, and lack of subsidies for car-oriented infrastructure. We are a local chapter of Strong Towns, a nationwide campaign. Learn more about them here."
4. NEW – There is an open comment period regarding the new rule by the Trump administration that bars passport gender identification beyond male or female
The public has until March 17 to respond to a change in how gender is recorded on US Passports. The revised passport application form will request the applicant's biological sex at birth, male “M” or female “F.” There will be no options for trans, non-binary or any other categories of gender identification. Please submit a comment objecting to this attack on gender rights! This link includes the proposed change and the opportunity for comment. Additional information can be found:
- Identity Documents for Trans, Nonbinary, Gender-Nonconforming, and Intersex People (Lamda Legal)
- Passports with 'X' sex markers will be valid until they expire or are renewed, State Department says (NBC News)
- Documents Trans People Should Change Now, How to Do It, And What They Can Change Later – Don’t Freak Out, Get Calm, And Hop To It (The Stranger)
5. Guemes Island Ferry Electronic Ticketing System Launching March 19th
"Skagit County is in the process of transitioning to a new electronic ferry ticketing system, provided by Anchor Operating Systems . . . For more information regarding the new system, please visit the ferry ticketing project page." Click Here for the full press release.
6. Applications Now Open for the 2025 Master Composter Recycler Volunteer Training
"If you are interested in composting and recycling, a sustainable future, and being part of a great community, consider becoming a Certified Skagit County Master Composter Recycler. The certification training, hosted by the Skagit County Solid Waste Division, provides participants with tools and knowledge to share back to the community as official waste reduction educators." Click Here for more information. The final day to apply is Friday, March 21st, 2025.
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 $.56. 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."