News from the Skagit County Democrats

Skagit County Democrats Action Newsletter for March 31, 2025

DEMOCRATIC EVENTS

1. NEW – "Hands Off Our Democracy" Rally, Saturday, Apr 5, 12:00pm – 3:00pm, Skagit County Courthouse, 205 West Kincaid Street, Mount Vernon
"Join Indivisible Skagit to send a fierce roaring message to the Trump/Musk wrecking ball, and our worried community members . . . This is the local Skagit version of a national mass mobilization led by Indivisible, Move On, 50501, Working Families Party, Public Citizen, and hundreds more activist organizations. We will rally in Anacortes, Sedro-Woolley, and Mount Vernon. We will caravan to the Skagit County Courthouse in Mount Vernon for a mass convergence of east county, west county, and central county."

2. NEW – The Fidalgo Democrats meet Tuesday, Apr 8, 7:00pm – 9:00pm, Anacortes Public Library, 1220 10th Street, Anacortes
"Carol Rodin and Dania Jaramillo will be talking about The Foundation for Academic Endeavors (Skagit FAE). They are a nonprofit organization in Skagit County dedicated to breaking down educational barriers for low income Latine children, high school students, families, and future BIPOC educators. Working towards educational achievement and equity is critical for our community. What can we do to help in these challenging times?

In addition, Rosalina Guillen with C2C Community to Community Development will be giving an update on Alfredo “Lelo" Juarez, a farmworker and community activist that was taken into custody by ICE. What is happening in Skagit County and how we can help our fellow community members will be discussed.

There will be time for questions. Coffee and cookies will be served. Barbara Cooper 360-770-3506."

3. The Skagit County Democrats Membership AND Central Committee Meeting will be Saturday, Apr 12, 10:00am, in a HYBRID MEETING – – – via Zoom OR In-Person – C2C Community Center, 224 Stewart Road, Suite 230, Mount Vernon
Zoom attendance requires pre-registration. Click Here for the registration link. The Meeting Agenda will be posted prior to the meeting in accordance with our bylaws.

4. NEW – Legislative Committee Report
Please support our Legislative Committee by emailing our State Senators & Representatives using the "Email your legislators" links and with the Suggested Text (or similar sentiments).

• –SB 5103 – Expediting review of sentences when there exists a pending deportation proceeding
  • SB 5103 is now in the House Community Safety Committee. – ICE has the authority to deport any noncitizens who participate in certain criminal acts, are a threat to public safety, or violate their visa. Deportation is mandatory, no matter how long ago the offense occurred or what rehabilitation has been undertaken. The federal Laken Riley Act (H.R 7511) will exacerbate this process and be catastrophic for our immigrant community. SB 5103 clarifies that an applicant is eligible for a pardon, commutation, or restoration of civil rights without regard to the applicant's immigration status and expedites the process.
  • Email your legislators to support SB 5103
  • • Suggested text: Please support SB 5103 to help assure that individuals who are eligible for pardon are not deported before their cases can be considered.
  • • • EDITOR'S NOTE: While deportation is strictly a FEDERAL issue, individuals who are under State supervision/incarceration may request pardon, commutation, or restoration of civil rights regarding any State charges.
• –HB 1971 – Increasing access to prescription hormone therapy
  • Hormone therapy referred to Senate Ways and Means Committee. – This bill would improve access to prescription hormone therapy for the trans community and women’s health. If passed, this bill would require health plans that cover prescription hormone therapy to reimburse up to a 12-month refill at one time.
  • Email your legislators to support HB1971
  • • Suggested text: Please support HB1971 to make hormone therapy more accessible to all. This is a critical treatment for women and the trans community that will improve health outcomes in Washington State.
• –HB 1106 – Recognizing the tremendous sacrifices made by our military veterans by phasing down the disability rating requirements to ensure more disabled veterans are eligible for property tax relief
  • HB 1106 is being reviewed by Senate Committee on Ways & Means. – This Act would allow for the phasing down of the combined service-connected disability evaluation rating requirements to qualify for property tax relief. If passed, a veteran would be exempt from all or a portion of the amount of excess and regular real property taxes. The phase-down would begin with taxes levied for collection in 2026, with a disability rating of 60% or higher to qualify for property tax relief. In 2027, the disability rating would be 40% or higher, and in 2028, the rating would be 20% or higher.  
  • Email your legislators to support HB 1106
  • • Suggested Text: Please support HB 1106 to phase down the combined service-connected disability evaluation rating requirements to qualify for property tax relief.
• –SB 5490 – Providing parameters for conducting searches of transgender and intersex individuals confined in a local jail in compliance with federal law
  • SB 5490 & companion bill HB 1604 is scheduled for Executive Session in the House Committee on Community Safety. – Please support these bills that will ensure gender diverse inmates are not discriminated against during cavity and/or strip searches. These laws would match the federal law – Federal Prison Rape Elimination Act – as it existed on January 1, 2025. It gives gender diverse individuals access to medical professionals for searches or a choice in the gender of the person doing the search.
  • Email your legislators to support SB 5490
  • • Suggested text: Please support SB 5490 to ensure gender diverse inmates are given the dignity of a choice during cavity and/or strip searches.
• –SB 5123 – Expanding protections for certain students to promote inclusivity in public schools
  • SB 5123 and HB 1855 – Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations. – Sent to House Committee on Appropriations. These bills expand protections to protect inclusivity for marginalized students based on ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, homelessness, immigration status, neurodivergence, and sexual orientation. Through state protections, the legislature ensures equity and justice for every student regardless of federal action or inaction.
  • Email your legislators to support SB 5123
  • • Suggested text: Please support SB 5123 and HB 1855 to expand equity and justice protections for marginalized students in grades K-12.
• –SB 5181 – Amending the parents' rights initiative to bring it into alignment with existing law
  • SB 5181 Scheduled for Executive Session in the House Committee on Education – Scheduled for Executive Session of the House Committee on Education. This bill amends the parents' rights initiative to bring it into alignment with existing law and is declared as an emergency. It expands protections against discrimination in public schools for any marginalized students including: ensuring students have access to their primary language, to have gender and pronouns respected under Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and to receive accommodations for special education services. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of WA state laws and would take effect immediately.
  • Email your legislators to support SB 5181
  • • Suggested text: Please support SB 5181 to ensure parents have access to student records to ensure students are receiving education without discrimination.  

5. Some facts about this year's Legislative Session

• Legislative Body: The 69th Biennial Session
• Start Date: January 13, 2025
• End Date: April 27, 2025
• Session Length: 105 days
• Purpose: To adopt the 2025-27 Operating, Capital, and Transportation budgets
• Click Here for "The Standard’s guide to the 2025 legislative session" (Washington State Standard)

6. Important Information for Candidates!
The Skagit County Democrats Endorsements Committee has begun meeting, and we encourage all prospective candidates to apply for endorsement in order to get access to Votebuilder, campaign contributions, and other Skagit Democrats' resources. For more information, please click the link here. If you have any questions, please contact the Endorsement Committee at endorsements@skagitdemocrats.org.
(Hold till May 28)

7. 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.

• Why is the Federal Reserve independent, and what does that mean in practice?
• Inside arXiv—the Most Transformative Platform in All of Science
• Trump’s Attack on Union Card Check Looks and Smells Like Project 2025
• 5 takeaways from House hearing on NPR, PBS
• Supreme Court upholds federal regulations on ghost gun kits

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COMMUNITY EVENTS

1. NEW – Information about Alfredo "Lelo" Juarez
"On March 25, 2025, Lelo was violently detained by ICE while driving his partner to her workplace. ICE agents broke his car window when Lelo tried to exercise his rights. He is currently detained inside an ICE facility in Tacoma, Washington.

Lelo has been a farmworker and community leader in Washington since he was 12 years old, and has worked tirelessly for immigrant and farmworker rights. He was one of the initial founders of the independent union Familias Unidas por la Justicia (FUJ), where he helped agricultural workers win paid breaks and overtime. As an organizer with Community to Community Development (C2C), he has been involved in multiple campaigns, most recently working on educating the community and legislators about the exploitative H-2A program.

?We believe that ICE may have targeted Lelo for his leadership in standing up for farmworkers and immigrants in his community." Click Here for more information. Click Here for the Seattle Times article.

You can help:

• Email Senator Patty Murray
• Email Senator Maria Cantwell
• Email Congressional Representative Rick Larsen
• Contribute to the Alfredo Juarez Legal Fund

2. NEW – 45 years of Impact: The Story of Chinook, Thursday, Apr 3, 5:30pm – 7:00pm, Swinomish Casino & Lodge, 12885 Casino Drive, Anacortes
"Chinook Enterprises is hosting a very special evening to honor 45 years of building inclusive opportunities, creating community, and changing lives . . . Join us for an inspiring night of stories, celebration, and support for Chinook’s next chapter." Click Here for ticket information.

3. NEW – The 38th Annual Tulip Parade, Saturday, Apr 5, 2:00pm – 3:00pm, downtown La Conner
"Prior to the parade fun, we will have a KidZone . . . The KidZone will be a fun-filled space in the marina parking lot where kids can enjoy games, face painting, and more from 12-1:30PM."

4. The monthly Planned Parenthood rally is Saturday, Apr 5, 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 – The La Conner Community News is up and running
"The charter edition of the paper was published and distributed across La Conner/Swinomish and surrounding areas on Thursday, March 20. The La Conner Community News (LCCN) recently qualified for 501(c)3 status (details in italics, below), so that all donations made to LCCN are now tax-deductible . . . Please Click Here to go to the donation page, where you will find all the info you need to donate online, or by sending a check in the mail." Click Here to subscribe. Click Here to read the piece King 5 News did on the paper.

6. The 2025 Tulip Festival officially began Tuesday, Apr 1
Click Here for Tulip Festival information.

7. Rebuilding the Anti-Nuclear Weapons Movement Together, Friday, Apr 11 & Saturday, Apr 12, 9:00am – 5:00pm daily, Seattle First Baptist Church, 1111 Harvard Avenue, Seattle
"The Washington Against Nuclear Weapons Coalition of which the Skagit group No More Bombs is a coalition member, is hosting a unique two-day conference in Seattle titled Rebuilding the Anti-Nuclear Weapons Movement Together, April 11 and 12.

This conference is a one-of-its kind opportunity to learn about the arms race and Washington State’s role in it. Washington State is incredibly invested in the military and nuclear arms industry and could be a primary target in a nuclear conflict. (Read this KUOW report “The secret world of nukes in Washington state”.) There was once a strong anti-nuke movement here and nation wide. Skagit County became a Nuclear Free Zone in 1985 with 62% of Skagit County voters approving it. And remember the ‘Magic Skagit Music Festival’ that paid to fight a nuclear power plant in Hamilton? We need to rebuild the nuclear disarmament movement during these dangerous times.

One of the conference keynote speakers, Dr. Ira Helfand, is a Nobel Peace Prize winner, founder of Physicians for Social Responsibility, and a founding partner of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, (ICAN), the organization most responsible for the UN International Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, (TPNW). There will be workshops, panel discussions and more.

Conference registration is at: https://tinyurl.com/NoNukePNW." Click Here for additional information.
 

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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 $.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."
 

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