News from the Skagit County Democrats

Skagit County Democrats Action Newsletter for April 21, 2025

DEMOCRATIC EVENTS

1. NEW – Skagit County Hospital District 2 (Island Health) special election ballots are due Tuesday, Apr 22
Click Here for drop-box locations. Click Here for the Skagit County Auditor's webpage.

2. The 39th Legislative District Democrats General Membership Bi-Monthly Hybrid Meeting is Saturday, Apr 26, 11:00am, Stanwood Library, 9701 271st Street Northwest, Stanwood, or via Zoom
Click Here to register to attend via Zoom. Click Here for the agenda.

3. NEW – Candidate Filing Week is May 5 – 9
This is the week all candidates for the 2025 General Election will officially file their declarations of candidacy. There are many local positions to be filled. They range from municipal and school board positions to fire district commissioners. Click Here to see a listing of the scheduled races. Click Here for candidate filing information including how to file, filing fees, forms, deadlines, etc.

4. 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.

5. NEW – Legislative Committee Report
As the 2025 Legislative session nears the end, we wanted to thank everyone who joined the effort and contacted their representatives to support these priority bills this year. Many of the bills we supported have successfully passed both houses and are in the final stretch of becoming law. Others will take more work and we look forward to renewing our efforts to support those causes next year.

We wanted to take this time to celebrate the success of the following bills that we supported this year, many of which were sponsored by our own representatives. Thanks again to everyone who helped make this happen!

• –Enacted Law
  • HB 1174 – Concerning court interpreters. Sponsored by Deb Lekanoff
• –Passed the Legislature
  • HB 1875 – Allowing the use of paid sick leave to prepare for or participate in certain immigration proceedings. Sponsored by Alex Ramel and Dave Paul
  • HB 1971 – Increasing access to prescription hormone therapy. Sponsored by Alex Ramel
• –In the final stretch (passed both houses and on the way to becoming law)
  • HB 1217 – Improving housing stability for tenants subject to the residential landlord-tenant act and the manufactured/mobile home landlord-tenant act by limiting rent and fee increases, requiring notice of rent and fee increases, limiting fees and deposits, establishing a landlord resource center and associated services, authorizing tenant lease termination, creating parity between lease types, and providing for attorney general enforcement. Sponsored by Alex Ramel and Deb Lekanoff
  • SB 5077 – Concerning expansion of voter registration services by government agencies
  • SB 5148 – Ensuring compliance with the housing element requirements of the growth management act
  • HB 1232 – Concerning health inspections private detention facilities. Sponsored by Alex Ramel
  • 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. Sponsored by Clyde Shavers
  • SB 5181 – Amending the parents' rights initiative to bring it into alignment with existing law
  • HB 1102 – Increasing support and services for veterans. Sponsored by Clyde Shavers
  • SB 5284 – Improving Washington's solid waste management outcomes. Sponsored by Liz Lovelett
  • HB 1163 – Enhancing requirements relating to the purchase, transfer, and possession of firearms

Editor's Note: Our thanks to the Legislative Committee for their hard work and diligence throughout this Legislative Session!


6. This year's Gala, themed "Rooted in Democracy, Growing for Tomorrow," will be held on Saturday, June 7th at the Swinomish Casino.
"Planning is well underway, and we are currently seeking volunteers to assist with collecting auction items and sponsorships. The Gala Committee holds hybrid meetings every Wednesday at 5:30 PM.

If you're interested in joining the committee or if you have an item you would like to donate for the silent auction, please contact Isaac Cavazos, our Gala Committee Chair, at galatix@skagitdemocrats.org.

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.

• Europeans Reveal Shocking Current Events Americans Are Missing
• Required to Move Your Social Security Account Sign In to Login.gov? Here's How
• This Ancient Disease Has Reappeared In The U.S., And Scientists Still Don't Know Why
• Lebanon’s president says he seeks to disarm Hezbollah this year
• DuckDuckGo's new AI Search offers a crucial advantage over Google
• Corrosion problem knocks most Amtrak Cascades trains out of service

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COMMUNITY EVENTS

1. NEW – PFLAG Skagit – Queer Prom: A Night Under The Big Top, Saturday, Apr 26, 6:00pm – 10:00pm, White Branches, 100 East Montgomery Street, Suite 210, Mount Vernon
Click Here for ticket information. There are a few tickets left.

2. NEW – Concrete Mountain Festival, Friday, Saturday, & Sunday, Apr 25 – 27, Concrete Theatre, 45920 Main Street, Concrete
Click Here for a listing of presentations.

3. NEW – Earth Day Celebrations
Earth Day is Tuesday, Apr 22 – It was first celebrated on that date in 1970.

• –Earth Day website – Click Here for the Wikipedia page.
• –Anacortes – "Earth Day in Anacortes spans the entire weekend of April 25th and 26th in 2025! Come downtown and take part in two days of joy, beauty, and education as we honor and celebrate our natural environment. The event kicks off on Friday, April 25th, with the Luminary Light Parade on Commercial Avenue at 8:00pm. On Saturday the 26th, activity booths will be set up at 4:00pm near the intersection of Commercial and 4th Street. The Procession of the Species and the Sustainable Fashion Show will take place between 4:00 and 6:00pm. All activities are free and everyone is welcome!"
• –Mount Vernon – Saturday, April 26, 9:00am – 1:00pm, Edgewater Park, 600 Behrens Millett Road, Mount Vernon – "Enjoy live animal presentations featuring reptiles and raptors, explore booths from environmental groups, and help restore the riparian habitat with Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group. Don't miss the ivy pulling contest- longest vine wins a prize!"
• –Mount Vernon Library Commons – HKP Architects Presents Women of Carbon at the Mount Vernon Library Commons for Earth Day. "Join HKP Architects for a screening of Basia & Leonard Myszynski’s powerful documentary, “Women of Carbon,” followed by a live panel discussion from local leading women in the industry about their experiences, challenges, and why they love the work they do." Click Here for more information.
• –Skagit Valley Food Coop, Tuesday, Apr 22, 7:00am – 9:00pm, Skagit Valley Food Co-op,202 South 1st Street, Mount Vernon – Get a free tree. "Every year, the Co-op celebrates Earth Day with a Free Tree giveaway. Come get a free tree from Bellingham-based Fourth Corner Nurseries! We know you want to plant an entire forest, but one tree per customer, please."
• –Washington State Parks – Earth Day, April 22, is one of the 12 days a year when a Discover Pass is not required to park on any land managed by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (Parks), or the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)

4. NEW – The monthly Planned Parenthood rally is Saturday, [May 3, 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. 2025 Tulip Festival Information
Click Here for Tulip Festival information. As Tulip Traffic continues, please drive with caution and patience!

6. NEW – Skagit County to Accept Glass for Recycling at All Transfer Stations
Glass will again be accepted for recycling at Skagit County Transfer Stations starting Friday, April 18, 2025. Glass recycling had been paused for eight months because a regional glass bottle manufacturing facility in Seattle closed, which meant there was no local manufacturer to purchase our recycled glass. A second regional glass recycler in Seattle has since found new markets out of state to sell the glass so they are now able to accept glass from Skagit County. Click Here for more information.

7. Skagit County Seeks Applicants for Housing Authority of Skagit County Board
"Residents of Skagit County interested in serving on the HASC Board are encouraged to apply . . . " Letters of interest are due "no later than Friday, April 25, 2025 at 4:30 p.m." Click Here for the full announcement and requirements.

8. UPDATED – 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 Cascadia Daily News article of Apr 19, "Northwest farmworker activist gets court hearing date; still detained in ICE facility".

You can help:

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

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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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