This is a big week for Democrats in Washington – today, June 3rd, we’re officially launching our Summer of Canvass!
Summer of Canvass!
Today, we’re launching our Summer of Canvass! We know that to build our party, we need to talk to more people, year-round. That’s why we’re launching this exciting field organizing effort to build our party and compete in elections in every corner of the state.
Our chair, Tina Podlodowski, recorded a short video explaining the Summer of Canvass. Watch it here:
We’ll connect you with canvassing opportunities in your area so we can listen to voters, identify Democrats, and register people to vote. This is the strategy to build our grassroots party infrastructure in every corner of the state, and it’s long past due – and we need your help to make it happen!
Paris Climate Accord – A Betrayal of Future Generations
Donald Trump has pulled the United States out of the Paris climate accord, leaving us with Syria and Nicaragua as the only three countries not participating in this historic agreement to limit carbon pollution and protect our climate. Trump’s position will poison our environment and forever damage our planet – a betrayal of future generations.
But failure to act on climate at the national level just makes it all the more important that we fight to protect our environment at the state level. Under Gov. Jay Inslee’s leadership, Washington has led the nation in investing in clean energy, put in place a cap on carbon emissions, promoted electric vehicles, and more.
You can read more here about the work Washington is already doing to lead on climate.
To keep this momentum up, we need a Democratic state Senate or we could be dragged down by the Trump Administration. Jinyoung Englund, the Republican running in the special election this year in the 45th LD, openly denies that climate change is a problem we need to address. And Shelly Short, the Republican running in the special election in the 7th LD who is being challenged by Democrat Karen Hardy, led Republican efforts in the state House to block Inslee’s climate agenda.
Winning these special elections is critical to advancing positive climate policy and ensuring that Washington leads the nation and the world in reducing carbon pollution and protecting our environment for generations to come.
Legislative Update
This week the legislature began its second special session – legislators need to pass their budget by July 1st to avoid a state government shutdown and the Republicans’ refusal to negotiate on the full state budget is putting our state at major risk. It’s past time for Republicans to agree with Democrats on a plan to finally fully fund education and pass a budget!
We asked Rep. Laurie Jinkins from Tacoma’s 27th LD to give us an insider’s update on what’s going on in Olympia:
“I know people are frustrated that the legislature is in yet another special session, still working on a final state budget and solutions to our McCleary obligation to fully fund education. I’m frustrated, too. It’s long past time that we pass a budget that does right by students, families, and communities across our state.
With Republicans still control of the Senate, Democrats can’t do the job alone. I don’t expect that everything I or the Democrats want in the budget will end up there, but Republicans refusing to negotiate with us on a state budget is obstruction, plain and simple. And, it’s a dramatically irresponsible approach to government. If we don’t pass a budget by July 1st, state government shuts down, and Republicans dragging their feet only makes it more likely that happens.
We’re not giving up – Democrats are going to keep fighting for a budget that funds our schools, makes sure people get the mental and physical health care they need, and doesn’t pretend to solve the problem with an over-reliance on property taxes. But people need to understand the stakes and the potential consequences of Republicans taking us to the brink of a government shutdown. We need people contacting their legislators – especially people in Republican districts – and calling for Republicans to agree with us on a budget that finally fully funds education and provides Washingtonians with the services and expect and deserve.
I wish we had gotten our work done long ago, but now is the critical time that we put the pressure on and get the Republicans to the table, agreeing with us on a budget. We can’t let them delays us any longer.”
We’re glad to have champions like Rep. Jinkins representing us in Olympia – and if you want to help out, call the legislature at the legislative hotline at 1-800-562-6000. If you’re represented by Democrats, thank them for fighting for a budget that fully funds education, and if you’re in a Republican district, ask they drop the obstruction and join the Democrats in agreeing on a budget that funds our schools, protects the social safety net, and raises fair revenue.
Thank you for reading!
