Weekly Actions
Members of Congress
(202) 224-2621 | Email (202) 224-3441 | Email | (202) 225-6311 | Email (202) 225-7761 | Email (202) 225-8901 | Email |
For the Week of March 18, 2024
⭐ It was great to see you all at our Group Meeting on Saturday. We heard information on how you can have an impact on the next election by becoming a Precinct Committee Officer (PCO) and talked about what passed in the legislative session. You can find all the information that was shared, video recording, slides and resources on our Meeting Notes document.
⭐ ESHB 1589 is sitting on the Governor’s desk waiting for his signature. This bill is about ensuring that PSE will take appropriate action to transition gas customers to electric heat, and as a company, quickly move away from the gas business (not just make a lot of claims). The bill that will accomplish it got passed, but a bad amendment got stuck onto it at the last minute, and Gov Inslee can veto that amendment. Please take this action asking Governor Inslee to strike that amendment and sign the bill.
⭐ If you’re still fuming about the Alabama Supreme Court Ruling about IVF treatment and the hypocrisy of the Republicans scrambling to claim they support IVF, Indivisible National has a campaign going to raise funds for billboards to call those Republican Legislators out. Donate HERE.
Here are your 2 actions this week.
✊ Action 1 – Protect Redmond’s Plymouth Permanent Supportive Housing
From Futurewise
The City of Redmond has approved a permanent supportive housing project run by Plymouth Housing in downtown Redmond. Opposition groups have been organizing, putting out yard signs, and sending action alerts to agitate for Redmond to undo their recent progress. The Mayor pursued a land transfer to Plymouth Housing and salvaged state and local funding for the project. We need to keep support strong until the land transfer is officially completed (this could be mid-April or later). We want to balance opposition with positive voices.
We are encouraging our members to share support for this affordable housing development at the upcoming City Council meeting on Tuesday, March 19th. Here is an “action alert” document with information, suggested talking points, and background for those that are interested in sharing your voice or engaging others to speak up. Feel free to share the attached resource in advance of Tuesday (3/19).
What if you can’t make it on Tuesday? In addition to March 19th, there will also be important advocacy opportunities at Council meetings on April 2nd and April 16th.
- Let Brady Nordstrom from Futurewise (brady@futurewise.org) know if you, or someone in your network, is planning on testifying at any of the next three meetings (3/19, 4/2, and 4/16). In particular, we believe that the Council meetings on March 19th and April 16th will be important touchpoints.
✊ Action 2 – Learn about People First Redistricting
If you are concerned with fair representation in Washington state, we invite you to join WIN for a People First Redistricting presentation on Saturday, April 6th – 10:30 am-12 pm on Zoom.
Washington State may not be gerrymandered in the traditional sense, but the actions of the 2021 Redistricting Commission prove that Washington’s maps are a bi-partisan gerrymander that does NOT fairly serve the people of Washington.
The Soto Palmer v Hobbs Federal lawsuit declared a Yakima Valley district (LD15) discriminatory towards Latino voters. Redrawing this district may force the redrawing of 12 additional legislative districts in central Washington. The State has deferred to the courts to draw the maps. The new maps must be finalized by March 25th.
Learn more about how comprehensive changes to the redistricting process will help us avoid this hidden bi-partisan gerrymandering in the future and assure communities have the best chance to elect the representative of their choosing.
Here are two articles from ProPublica to give some background on how partisan politics affected our redistricting process:
Republicans Hatched a Secret Assault on the Voting Rights Act in Washington State
And
The Failed Promise of Independent Election Mapmaking
Register to join us for a Zoom presentation on Saturday, April 6th from 10:30am – 12pm, including Q&A, about better redistricting for better representation.
Calendar of Events
- Tues Mar 19, 4:30-5:30 pm (PDT) – Why Schools Became Political Battlegrounds & How Moms are Fighting Back – Webinar with Red Wine & Blue
- Tues Mar 19, 6-8 pm – Sustainable Bellevue Town Hall, Crossroads Community Center, 16000 NE 10th St, Bellevue. Register to attend.
- Tue Mar 19, 3-4 pm (PDT) – Postcarding Orientation with Environment Voter Project, for familiarizing yourself with the process. Zoom. Register to attend.
- Thu, March 21, 4:30-5:30 pm (PDT) – AMA: Myths vs. Facts About Gender Affirming Care – Webinar with Red Wine & Blue.
- Thu Mar 21, 11:15 am-12:45 pm – Empowering Women Who Power the Economy, online at King County TV link or in person at King County Chinook Building, Rooms 121/123 (401 5th Ave, Seattle, WA).
- Fri Mar 22, 9 am – 2 pm – NAMI Eastside’s annual Youth Mental Health Conference in Redmond, Together Center, 16305 NE 87th St, Suite 110, Redmond. Registration required.
- Sat Mar 23, 11 am -1 pm – 41st LD in-person Town Hall, location tbd.
- Thur Mar 28, 6-7 pm – Heat Pump Webinar offered by the Energy Smart Eastside campaign. Zoom. Register to attend.
Save the Date:
- Tue Apr 2, 5 pm – Fear & Loathing on the Way to Leveling the Playing Field– How to preserve Medicare. Register to attend.
- Sat Apr 6, 10:30 am-12 pm People First Redistricting Reform: Better Redistricting for Better Representation. Presented by Washington Indivisible Network. Register to attend.
- Sat Apr 20, 10:30 am-12 pm – Understanding and Mitigating the Impact of Implicit Bias and Stereotype. Workshop by Washington Indivisible Network. Register to attend.
- Sat Apr 27, 10:30 am-12 pm – Intersections of Identity and Racial Privilege. Workshop by Washington Indivisible Network. Register to attend.
- Sat Apr 27, the new East Link Starter Line will finally roll through the Eastside, and provide local service every 10 minutes.
- Sat May 4, 10:30 am-12 pm – Racial Microaggressions: What are they and why are they harmful? Workshop by Washington Indivisible Network. Register to attend.
Recorded events to check out:
- Check out the latest Indivisible Podcast:
- Wrapping Up the 2024 Legislative Session w/ Senator Manka Dhingra Audio: Apple Podcast | SoundCloud Video: Facebook | YouTube
- WA Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove Audio: Apple Podcast | SoundCloud Video: Facebook | YouTube
- Previous Indivisible Podcasts via Apple, Soundcloud, YouTube and Facebook
- All past Washington Indivisible Podcasts – youtube.com/WashingtonIndivisibleNetwork
… and More:
- Donate to Indivisible Eastside through ActBlue.
- Sign up for Take Action Network to organize and track your Activism.
- Check out the Indivisible Eastside logo wear store at www.cafepress.com/IndivisibleEastside.
- Email hello@IndivisibleEastside.com with ideas for the newsletter, questions about how to become involved, and ideas for long-term projects you’d like to be involved in.
- Forward this email to a friend!
Resources:
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- Take Action Network – easy ways to interact with state legislature
- Washington State Indivisible Podcast
- Washington Indivisible Network YouTube Channel
- https://bit.ly/RunForSchoolBoardGuideWA
- https://bit.ly/RunForSchoolBoardAddendum
- https://bit.ly/RunForSchoolBoardGuideBlurb
- Indivisible Eastside Resources
- Indivisible Eastside Postcards to Voters Campaigns
- Washington State District Finder – Congressional and Legislative districts
- myreps.datamade.us – local and county districts
- US Senate Calendar , US House Of Representatives Calendar