By Mary Coltrane, 1st Vice President, LWV of Washington 

The LWVUS 2022 convention occurs this year in Denver and virtually Thursday, June 23 through Sunday, June 26, with the plenary session beginning Friday, June 24. The national convention is the LWVUS equivalent to a local League annual meeting or a state League convention. They deal with budget, bylaws, and programs—the nuts and bolts of all League work. The LWVUS convention occurs every other year at the same time as the LWV of Washington’s state council, which this year is June 10-12; the national League council occurs the same year as our state convention.  

The national convention is always exciting. This year it will be a hybrid—virtual and live—it will be interesting to see this! If you’re wondering how programs work at the LWVUS, you will find out at the national convention, as a delegate or as an observer, virtual or in-person. Delegates bring back this information to share with others in their League.  

You can track developments via the League Update (Leaders’ Update) newsletter, so be sure to sign up for this important information. The League Update is sent out every other Thursday afternoon. Here is an excerpt from the April 7 League Update. 

The LWVUS board is recommending the read option of the Campaign for Making Democracy Work as a LWV Program for 2022–2024. More than 300 Leagues participated in the LWVUS program planning process, and 100% of Leagues voted that the LWVUS should continue prioritizing the Campaign for Making Democracy Work in the next biennium. Leagues had the opportunity to indicate if there was another position or policy that the LWVUS should work on. Staff will use those recommendations to shape the watchdog issues for the LWVUS to respond if issues come up related to those topics. The Program Planning Committee will host a webinar on May 5 at 4 p.m. ET (registration details to follow) to explain in more detail the proposed program, including recommended concurrences as well as other concurrences and requests for studies being put forward by Leagues. A new platform has been created for the LWVUS and Leagues proposing studies and concurrences to post information on their proposals and for all League members to review and engage in discussion. For questions, email us at progplan@lwv.org.  

The LWVUS continues to update information, so make sure you’re in the loop by signing up for the League Update. 

The LWV of Washington 2022 Council, is scheduled for June 10-12, 2022, in Everett, Washington. With the theme “Reconnect, Restore, Renew,” it will be packed with League experts to help you be more effective serving your community. Here’s a roundup of what we have prepared so far along with useful information for attending 

Speakers Scheduled  

Three sessions with guest speakers include a Friday dive into the research we’ve done about the LWVWA. Francis Benjamin, Ph.D., a Washington State University researcher for the League, will report on the findings of the in-depth, all-member survey that examined characteristics about our members, their interests, their motivations, and the perception of nonpartisanship. We will learn if there are differences depending on which side of the mountains you live and your age group. With this as a background, we’ll focus on interests, programs, and services that would be useful to local Leagues.  

Nick Lovrich, co-editor of the book Outside Looking In: Lobbyists’ Views on Civil Discourse in U.S. State Legislatures, is the scheduled speaker for the Saturday box lunch program, where we’ll hear about the Washington State Legislature from the unique perspective of its staff, lobbyists, and legislators. Lovrich will share important insights about civil discourse that may impact your thinking about term limits. 

Jessica Rohloff will be the dinner speaker for Saturday evening. As secretary of the national LWV Board of Directors she will share insights about the League’s Transformation Journey, which aligns with the state’s strategic plan. There are changes being recommended at the national convention (such as, how do you feel about “pay what you can dues”?) that you’ll want to hear about.  

We’ll share more about other speakers in upcoming newsletters. Everyone who has heard these guests speak has come away rejuvenated with enthusiasm for League work. Join us.   

COVID Protocols to Keep You Safe at the Council 

We hope to see everyone at this year’s LWVWA Council. This will be the first time in two years that we’ll be meeting in person—and we’re ready! We’ll have masks, vaccine cards, social distancing (six seated at tables designed for 10), and an air filtration system bringing in fresh outside air through frequently changed filters. And it will be almost summer! Here’s how the COVID protocols will work: 

• Proof of vaccine will be required at check-in. 

• Masks will be required. We will be seated in a ballroom twice the size we need with six people at tables usually designed for eight to 10.  

• There will be room to spread out during the box lunches and the pizza party. 

• Individual preferences about social distancing will be indicated with a red, yellow, or blue dot you will place on your name tag when you arrive. 

The priority is protection for our members, and of course to Reconnect, Restore and Renew!  

For information and to register, as well as to sign up your League to have a table to share all of your good programs and resources. 

Questions?  Contact Linda Benson or Jayne Freitag. 

Slate for 2022-2023 LWVWA Board Announced

By Nominating Committee, LWV of Washington 

It was decided at the LWVWA 2021 Convention that staggered terms for the LWVWA Board would start in 2022, and the Board would determine who among the newly elected Board members would have a one-year term for 2021-22. Those Board members scheduled for one-year terms 2021-22 were presented at the LWVWA Board Meeting in September 2021 by a Staggered Terms Committee comprised of Board members. According to the minutes of the September 2021 Board meeting, the Staggered Terms Committee “reviewed the requirements of the bylaws change at the convention that formed the basis of the committee’s recommendations. The new bylaws require that the 1st VP, (c)(4) Treasurer, and four Board directors be elected at the council.”  

The Staggered Terms Committee recommended that three of the Board members, continuing from the previous Board (2019-2021), serve one-year terms in 2021-22 and then run for reelection in 2022. There is an additional director’s position that was vacant in 2021-22 due to a resignation after the 2021 Convention, making a total of four director positions on the projected slate with the 1st VP and (c)(4) Treasurer.  

The Nominating Committee was responsible for establishing a new process for its work, as now it would be seeking candidates yearly from the membership. In 2022, that involved finding candidates for 1st VP, Treasurer, and four directors. We conducted an outreach program to League Members to both explain why the LWVWA Nominating Committee would be asking for nominations every year going forward and to seek nominations for the slate at the 2022 LWVWA Council.  

The outreach program included: 

• Articles in the Voter and TMIL 

• Attending local League board meetings 

• Attending Seattle-King County unit meetings 

• Hosting two meet-and-greet Zoom sessions 

• Sending emails 

In the end, we had many more candidates than positions. This is great for the LWVWA, as each candidate was highly skilled with varied experience, skills, and talents. 

The Nominating Committee is pleased to present the slate for the 2022 LWVWA Council. The slate will be presented at the council on Friday afternoon, with nominations from the floor immediately following, per the LWVWA Bylaws. According to the Council Committee, the election will take place during lunch on Saturday. 

2022-2024 Board Nominees  

1st Vice President: Mary Coltrane, LWV of Seattle-King County 

(c)(4) Treasurer: Dee Ann Kline, LWV of Mason County 

Director: Liz Bander, LWV of Seattle-King County 

Director: Susan Daniel, LWV of Kitsap County 

Director: Miriam Kerzner, LWV of Benton-Franklin Counties 

Director: Shelley Kneip, LWV of Thurston County 

Presented by the 2021-2023 Nominating Committee: Shelley Jones (Chair), Amanda Clark, Mary Coltrane, Beth Pellicciotti, and Kathy Sakahara. 

Getting to Everett: How About a LWV Amtrack Train?  

The following are several alternatives to driving to Everett, Washington, from Vancouver, Spokane, and Seattle: 

Vancouver, WA, to Everett with stops along the way: 

• Amtrak Cascades: Download the current train schedule or search online.  
• Sounder Seattle to Everett: Download the current schedule.  

Spokane to Everett with stops along the way 

• Spokane to Everett via Amtrak: Check the Amtrak schedule. 
• Spokane to Everett via Greyhound: Check the Greyhound website. 

Seattle to Everett Bus 512: Access the schedule online.  

Seattle to Everett via Greyhound: Check the Greyhound website.  

Council Workshop: How to Do Civics Education (Using a DEI Lens) 

In this workshop, you will receive information and materials about: 

• How to connect with schools 

• Ways to work with youth groups 

• The LWVWA civic textbooks—and what’s next 

• Civics education for adults 

Council Workshop: Tools for Engaging Members 

This workshop will focus on membership engagement and how adults learn best. The workshop goals include: 

• Gaining an understanding of how we remember information and become motivated to act. 

• Learning how to use experiential tools to “hook in" volunteers and unengaged members. 

• Receiving resources to revitalize longtime members and inspire new members. 

This will be an interactive workshop with time for small group discussion and sharing. We learn by experiencing and sharing with others. You will be given resources, examples, and time to process. You will leave with tools to design your local programs for engagement and action that inspire new volunteers and members for leadership succession. 

For more information about the 2022 LWV of Washington Council and to register for the 2022 LWVWA Council. 

Volunteer to Help Out at the Council 

The LWVWA is seeking volunteers to assist at the 2022 council. Volunteering is not limited to League members—anyone can help out at the council, including partners of League members. You can easily sign up through the LWV of Snohomish County website. On the Volunteering Opportunities page, click the View More arrow on the left side (beneath Upcoming Opportunities) to expand the list of available volunteer slots and view the number of volunteers required and the number assigned for each day and time slot. Then click Volunteer Yourself at the top, enter your information on the I Want to Volunteer page, and pick a time when you are available. Club Express then sends automatic reminders. 

By Cynthia Stewart, Transportation Issue Chair, LWV of Washington 

Every year since 1970, Earth Day has been celebrated on April 22. This year, the theme is “Invest in Our Planet.” Never has it been more critical that we do so. Rising temperatures, droughts, massive storms, floods, diminishing glaciers, wildfires, and more have demonstrated that the Earth as we know it is changing rapidly; we must act now, and we must act decisively. 

Recent state investments in our planet have included the following major actions: 

• A shift in transportation priorities, since transportation is the biggest single greenhouse gas emission (GHG) generator in Washington; these include emphasis on electrification and increasing transit and active transportation opportunities. 

• Adoption of the Climate Commitment Act, which directs a variety of programs to guide implementation in achieving new emission standards. 

• Changes in building standards to reduce GHG emissions, since buildings contribute 20% of GHG releases in Washington. 

• New energy efficiency standards for appliances and methane reduction strategies. 

Local Leagues are investing in our planet as well.  For example: 

• The Bellingham-Whatcom County League hosted a program “It’s Our Earth, Let’s Save It” in honor of the 52nd Earth Day that included discussions of climate legislative successes and the problem with plastics. 

• The Snohomish County League continues its work to preserve and expand tree canopies. 

• The Tacoma-Pierce County League is focusing on comprehensive plans and how climate mitigation, transit, and other necessary changes are incorporated into the 2024 updates. 

• The Spokane Area League is sponsoring Regenerative Agriculture 101 to introduce the concept and practice of regenerative agriculture, solutions to mitigate environmental issues such as soil degradation, erosion, drought, and carbon sequestration. 

• The Thurston County League has worked for several years on climate issues and has held public forums on a water study to determine how the quantity and quality of water in their county can best be protected. 

Many say that it takes big systems, rather than individual actions, to change the direction of our environment and the changing climate. However, if we don’t act individually to force the big system changes and model the behaviors that we want to see, the system change just won’t happen—at least, not fast enough. 

So how can you, as a League member, invest in our planet? Here are some ideas: 

• Read the King County Earth Day 2022 web page for many suggestions. 

• Check out your local Conservation District and join one of its activities. 

• Take a look at the Washington State Active Transportation Plan for resources on bicycling and walking. 

• Take an action as recommended by Earth Day 2022 sponsors. There are more than a dozen advocacy, community, and individual action suggestions. 

• Vow to ride the bus as often as possible instead of driving. 

Thank you for whatever you choose to do! 

The LWV of Thurston County is presenting a Civics Education Fair on Saturday, April 23 at the Washington state Capitol from 1-3 p.m. The purpose of this event is twofold: One is to put copies of the League’s civics textbooks into the hands of students and teachers who attend the event. The second is to have kids and adults explore the Capitol building and its surrounding grounds. By holding the fair at the Capitol, the number one tourist destination in Olympia, the League hopes to create more excitement about the study of civics. 

Some of Saturday's activities include: 

• Capitol campus scavenger hunt for younger attendees. 

• Self tours of the Capitol, which can take place at anytime. Official tours of the Capitol led by the visitors center will be at 1:30 and 2:30. Only on the official tours will some areas of the Capitol, such as the Reception Room, be open to the public. There will also be a special landscape and tree tour of the west Capitol campus that was designed by the Olmsted Brothers. These tours will take place at 1:20 and 2:20 p.m. 

• Displays of opportunities available for students to become more engaged in how government works, such as the page program, the Legislative Youth Advisory Council, interning in the legislature (a paid position for college students), and the Legislative Scholar program for teachers. 

• Highlighting the League's Voter Services program, Future Voters, and the work the League has done to engage high school students in voter registration. 

The Thurston County League worked with Jennifer Jackson, the event coordinator at the state capitol, and Leo O’Leary, the civics education director for the Washington State House. The League also submitted a request to the lieutenant governor’s office for assistance with information on the Legislative Youth Advisory Council.   

We are inviting other local Leagues to join Thurston, Mason, Kitsap, Pierce, and the new unit in Lewis County to encourage participation. Thurston County received a grant from the state’s education fund to provide books and posters to distribute to students and teachers who attend. 

This is an opportunity for the League to interact with the public on a positive issue and to encourage our youth to become more aware of The State We’re In: Washington. 

VOTE411 Toolkit 

The landscape of elections is going to be significantly different this cycle because of changes in election laws. Therefore, we have created a VOTE411 toolkit to help Leagues bridge the gap between voters and what they need to cast informed ballots. In this toolkit you will find different resources to help support your League’s voter education efforts. The toolkit includes information on uploading voter guides to VOTE411 and promotional materials for the platform. VOTE411.org is our greatest tool to connect voters to information they need. 

Convention Registration, Program Planning, and Awards 

Registration for the LWVUS 2022 Convention and hotel reservations are open! The 2022 LWVUS Convention will be June 23-June 27 in Denver, Colorado, and online. This is our first hybrid convention, and we are excited to see League faces both in-person and online. Register for the 2022 LWVUS Convention today. 

Program Planning forms have been submitted and Leagues may want to review the program planning process as we head into the convention. You can listen to recordings of two program planning webinars: Program Planning 101 and Program Planning 102. Leagues that want to promote related items, including concurrences and studies, can send materials to cdavis@lwv.org with a CC to progplan@lwv.org. You can also view the concurrences (you do not need to join the group to view the documents, but if you wish to participate in any discussion, join the LWVUS 2022 Convention Program Planning group page. 

It is also time to nominate your League for a Powering Democracy Award that will be presented at the convention. The 2022 Convention Awards will offer separate subcategories for state and local Leagues. All winners will receive a cash prize from the LWVUS in recognition of their exemplary work over the past biennium. Check out the award categories and nominate your League for an award. 

Planning for the League Day of Action to Thank Election Heroes 

While the LWVUS has taken a brief hiatus from its regular field calls outlining actions and state of play for federal legislation, that doesn’t mean the work has slowed down. In lieu of a League field call this month, we will be joining with partners from our Declaration for American Democracy coalition to host a movement call on Sunday, March 20 at 5 p.m. PT to discuss a day of action being held on Tuesday, April 12 to “Thank Your Election Heroes.” Register to join the call. 
 
We know that elections are the backbone of our democracy and election workers are essential workers—like nurses, grocery store workers, letter carriers, firefighters. Without them, our democracy would not function. During the deadly pandemic, election workers put their lives on the line to do their jobs, allowing us to cast our votes safely and securely. Then they worked overtime to count every vote so that our voices could be heard. Despite all of this, in some places they are facing extreme pressure. We know elections workers are under attack in many places, and recently a member of the Houston League in Texas who serves as an elections official was forced to resign. Read the LWV of Houston’s statement. April 12 is our opportunity to shine a light on the work they do and thank them. Taking action can look a number of ways and in whatever ways make most sense for each locality. 

During the movement call, we will hear from activists and elections officials about this important work and discuss how you can help support elections officials (or help hold them accountable) in your locality on April 12. I know many of you serve as election workers, and this is a day to also support and celebrate the work you do. We will be providing toolkits to support events and we look forward to seeing you on March 20! Register to join the call and learn how to take action! 

In Case You Missed It 

Women’s History Month Panel: Thank you to everyone who joined the LWVUS’s Women's History Month panel. If you missed the panel, you can watch the recording. Or catch the Top Moments from Our Panel. 

Read how the United States has shifted away from pro-voter legislation. 

Read a letter from the LWVUS and partners asking the Office of Management and Budget to revise its standards for federal data on race and ethnicity. This will be critical to ensuring that the U.S. Census Bureau can fulfill its mission to produce full, fair, and accurate data on the population and the economy. 

Read stories from Women’s History Month about women who have made a difference in their communities. 

• Black Women Who Define(d) the Voting Rights Movement 

• How Native American Women Inspired the Suffrage Movement 

• One League member's Hispanic and Latinx Heroes 

• The Women of Bloody Sunday 

The LWV of Washington is a partner with Washington Nonprofits, an organization devoted to educating all sizes and missions of nonprofits. As a partner organization, we receive reduced registration fees on programs, including the 2022 Washington State Nonprofit Conference, which is scheduled for Wednesday-Friday, May 18-20, 2022, and which will be held online. The theme is “Discovering a New Way,” about looking ahead with openness to the nonprofit learning spaces that await. The Nonprofit Conference will have more than 40 diverse speakers and 24 concurrent workshop options, and is an opportunity for nonprofits across the state to learn, network, and grow together. 

You can check out the conference at the agenda for more information. Some workshops that caught our eye include:  

• Transforming Disruption to Impact: Stories of Rethinking Volunteer Engagement Amid Challenges 

• DEI Advocacy Skills: How Emerging Leaders Advocate for Change 

• Equity Outcomes Begin with Language: Are You Creating Lasting Change or Throwing Around “Feel Good” Buzzwords? 

If 10 LWV members want to register, we can get a reduced rate in addition to our regular discount (contact Lunell Haught for the member discount code). Early-bird pricing of $125 is available until March 21, and if you’re interested in attending, contact Lunell Haught before then. Washington Nonprofits is also offering scholarships. 

Central Washington Conference for the Greater Good 

In addition to the state Nonprofit Conference, for those in the center of the state, the Central Washington Nonprofit Network is presenting its 2022 Deconstructed Conference for the Greater Good both online and in-person, which will be spread out from April through June. Keynote speakers will present “big ideas that inspire” in April, followed by community conversations, workshops, and peer conversations in May, and ending with a celebration and connection in June. The in-person events will be held in various locations in central Washington. The conference is $80 for an all-access pass. For complete information and to register, visit the Central Washington Nonprofit Network website. 

By Mary Coltrane, Voter Services Chair, LWV of Washington 

The state League’s Voter Services Committee is presenting a pair of workshops related to empty-chair debates. Leagues across our state organize forums and debates every year. Sometimes there are challenges getting candidates in front of the voters. Join us on April 2 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. to hear from LWVUS Programs and Outreach Director Maggie Bush; TVW Vice President of Programming Mike Bay; and two representatives from the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC), Executive Director Peter Lavallee and PDC Customer Service and Outreach Director Chip Beatty. They will help us to better understand the environment we’re operating in when we organize debates.  

There will be a follow-up workshop on April 23, also from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Here you will have the opportunity to discuss strategies for working with candidates, the public, and the media so that your forums and debates are the best they can be.  

Register for the forums. 

I hope to see you there! 

By the News Study Committee, LWV of Washington

As they begin the task of writing their report, members of the LWVWA committee studying the impact of the decline of local and regional newspapers in Washington state note that at last count they had interviewed 32 elected officials, scholars, civic and public health leaders, journalists, and researchers. They have also reviewed more than 400 articles, ranging from formal academic studies to newspaper accounts and podcast transcripts.  

“We’ve had some great interviews with people across the state, from editors of small-town weeklies to federal- and state-level elected officials,” said Dee Anne Finken of the Clark County League, who chairs the committee with Kittitas County League President Delores Irwin. “People have been very interested in sharing their insights with the group because they believe local and regional news operations are important to the health of our democracy.” 

Before the committee completes the research for its initial submission, its members expect to complete a few more interviews, including with Senator Maria Cantwell, who has sponsored a key piece of legislation to support local news operations. 

The committee is specifically studying newspapers because studies show the bulk of local news that television, radio, and other venues report originates with local newspapers. Finken said the committee is working to look at the situation in Washington state and how the decline of local and regional news operations impacts civic engagement, political participation, partisanship, and public health and government oversight, including oversight of publicly financed projects. “There have been a number of national studies that draw some direct links to these developments, all of which impact our communities.”  

The situation in Washington state isn’t as dire as it is in many states in terms of newspaper closures. "We have only one county where no newspaper is published, compared to other states, where upwards of a handful of counties have no publication to call their own,” Finken said. “Still, Washington has been hit hard in terms of staff cutbacks and layoffs, and newspapers that have been dramatically reduced in quality and size.” 

The project will also report on responses to the reduction in news operations, including an uptick in nonprofits, community outreach efforts, and legislation. 

“We’ve had good interest in our study,” Finken said, noting that committee members have presented brief overviews of their study work to two local Leagues this year. The committee will submit its report to the reading committee June 1 and plans to make a presentation about its findings at the LWVWA state council in Everett in June. 

Reading committee members include Lucy Copass of the LWV of Whatcom County, Carolyn Maddux of the LWV of Mason County, Karen Raymond of the LWV of Kittitas County, Beth Erickson formerly of the LWV of Clark County, and Judie Stanton of the LWV of Clark County, who is also the committee chair. 

You have your vaccination card and mask in hand as you walk into a beautiful hotel, the Delta Hotels-Marriott in Everett, Washington. Fellow League members from all over Washington state are perusing local League table displays of current projects, books and brochures, and perhaps silent auction baskets.   

At the council, delegates from your local League (you may be one) will vote on new state Board members and discuss the upcoming LWVUS 2022 National Convention issues as well as reconnect, restore, and renew themselves.  

Friday, June 10 at 1 p.m. starts the formal council with panels and roundtable discussions with local League leaders (and those who want to be). There will be talk of challenges, working sessions on strategies to achieve the League goals of continuing to network the organization (instead of a pyramid), making an impact on our members and our communities, and sharing how Leagues are navigating these times.  

Saturday, June 11 highlights include: 

• Nonpartisanship: What makes it so? What about empty-chair debates? Forums? 

• Diversity, equity and inclusion: What works for my League? 

• Civics education: What can I do? 

• How do some Leagues energize new and long-term members?  

• Environment: What is the League doing? How can I be involved? 

• Legislative advocacy: What happened this year? What’s next? 

• Speaker Nick Lovrich, co-editor of Outside Looking In: Lobbyists’ Views on Civil Discourse in U.S. State Legislatures. 

• Speaker Jessica Rohloff (LWVUS Board member and Washington liaison) will give a full report on what’s happening at the national level, particularly as it affects local Leagues. 

Sunday, June 12 is the Board of Directors’ election/retirement, a wrap-up to identify actions to take going forward. For the election, each local league and member-at-large unit is allocated one delegate for its first through 15 voting members, and one delegate for every 25 additional voting members. Just like at the convention, 30 delegates make a quorum (see the bylaws for more details).  

This will be the first time we have been able to meet in person for two years, and we’re ready! We’ll have masks, vaccine cards, social distancing (six seated at tables designed for 10), and an air-filtration system bringing in fresh outside air through frequently changed filters. And it will be summer! Come see what our neighbors in Snohomish and Skagit Counties love about where they live. 

Registration for the council is $125 (early bird) and includes a Friday pizza party, Saturday lunch and dinner, and beverage breaks Saturday and Sunday. Registration covers your food while the LWVWA Education Fund is paying for the space, tech, and other essentials. Early-bird registration closes at midnight on May 14; after May 15 the cost will be $150. 

More specifics (such as transportation, schedule, and how the election will be handled) will be published as we get closer to the council.

Register Now

By Susan Fleming, Lobby Team Chair, LWV of Washington 

The Washington legislative session gaveled to a close last week on March 10. One apt description of this session likened it to a fire hose! So many bills, so much action, so many hearings—with so much accomplished. Major directions were set, money was allocated. Some of the bigger challenges addressed include housing, transportation, growth management, and climate change. You can read many of the details about the legislation the LWV of Washington supported (and opposed) in the last Legislative Newsletter of the season, published this week. 

This is not a 90-day-per-year job. Now that we’re in the off-season, there is plenty of work to do to prepare for the 2023 session, which will be a “long session” of 120 days. There is the usual administrative “stuff,” of course, and a bit of a break until next year. Did you know that many policy bills are introduced multiple times to the legislature before they finally become law? And that only a small percentage of the bills that are introduced are passed into law? Making change requires a long-term commitment. 

Our Lobby Team members work throughout the year to stay in the loop on bills being proposed, and perhaps even influencing them. Our work on legislation is anchored in our positions and principles, which are described in our Program in Action. They guide us in acting on selected governmental issues and is one of our purposes as an organization. The work is exciting, demanding, and most interesting. Please do contact us if you’d like to learn more. We would love to talk with you! 

Lobby Team members deserve huge congratulations for the work they did as well as the results they achieved this session. Our Lobby Team was engaged 24/7 during the 90-day session. Here is some of what our issue chairs and advocates were up to—you can find more detail in the Legislative Newsletter and on the Issue webpages. 

Social and Economic Policy Issue Team 

• Kim Abbey, Healthcare Issue Chair: Supportive housing for persons recovering from health care problems, including behavioral; preserving the ability to access abortion care. 

• Stoney Bird, Public Bank Advocate: Establishing a public bank. 

• Susan Fleming, Lobby Team Chair: Police accountability measures.  

• Cynthia Stewart, Revenue and Tax Policy Issue Chair: Tax changes and exemptions regarding the provision of affordable housing.  

• Cynthia Stewart, Housing and Homelessness Issue Chair: Supportive housing for those with disabilities, financial help with housing for victims of domestic violence, and funding for building affordable housing. 

Democracy Issue Team 

• Catherine Ahl, K-12 Education Issue Chair: Providing more physical, emotional, and social support within schools as well as interpreters for individualized education program meetings. 

• Cindy Madigan, Money in Politics Issue Chair: Fiscal impact of ballot measures; advisory votes. 

• Alison McCaffree, Redistricting and Census Issue Chair: Promoting comprehensive redistricting reform. 

• Carol Sullivan, Elections Advocate: Eliminating “open carry” of firearms into government meetings, enabling citizens to more easily participate on state boards and commissions, and voting in county jails. 

Environment Issue Team 

• Sherri Dysart, Forests Issue Chair: Conserve and restore kelp forests and eel grass meadows on our shores and promote coastline restoration. 

• Martin Gibbins, Climate and Energy Issue Chair: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions, clarify the Climate Commitment Act of 2021, and require a risk assessment of our power supplies. 

• Phyllis Farrell, Environment Advocate 

• Raelene Gold, Rivers and Treaties Advocate: Ensure financial responsibility for oil spills and improve spill prevention, support treaty-reserved fishing rights and state-tribal cooperation on the management of fish and resources. 

• Ann Murphy, Waste Management Advocate 

• Cynthia Stewart, Growth Management Issue Chair: Improve the state’s climate response through updates to our comprehensive planning framework and authorize tribes to participate in local growth management planning processes.  

• Cynthia Stewart, Transportation Issue Chair: Loans and grants for broadband infrastructure and additional revenue sources for regional transit areas. 

Additionally, our Issue Chairs were actively engaged in budgeting discussions. 

New Advocates: Jody Disney, Mary Lynne Courtney, Janet Hedgepath 

Contract Lobbyist: Nancy Sapiro, who provided excellent strategy advice  

Board Members: Joan Lawson, Julie Sarkissian, Susan Fleming 

Legislative Newsletter: Carolyn Stewart and Amy Peloff, editors, implemented a new methodology and format for the Legislative Newsletter.