Diversity Representation in Art Paid for with Government Funding

WHEREAS the Suquamish people have inhabited much of Kitsap County, and particularly the lands currently incorporated as the City of Poulsbo, since time immemorial; 

WHEREAS the City of Poulsbo initially unveiled designs for art for a roundabout at the intersection of Johnson Rd. and SR 305 that involved three large figures representing Vikings on a wall adjacent to the roundabout without reaching out to the Suquamish Tribe (https://cityofpoulsbo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/SR305-Johnson-Parkway-Art-Plan_WSDOT-Approved.pdf) (https://omwbe.wa.gov/bid-opportunities/call-artists-poulsbo-roundabout-centerpiece);

WHEREAS in response to public outcry, a committee of the Poulsbo City Council proposed a design for the center of the roundabout that was intended to give representation to the Suquamish people without any involvement of said people (https://vimeo.com/498032787);

WHEREAS the second design contained no indigenous art, focusing instead on representing the vine maples which gave rise to the Lushootseed name for the waterfront area (a fact not widely known to non natives) and a boat of some sort in the background that could, though not necessarily would, be interpreted as a tribal canoe;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we, the 23^rd Legislative District Democratic Central Committee, call upon the City of Poulsbo to work with representatives of the Suquamish Tribe to propose a design that would truly represent the tribe in a manner substantially equal to the Norwegian representation;

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we, the 23^rd Legislative District Democratic Central Committee, call upon our legislative representatives to investigate the manner in which designs for art funded by government funds are approved and what, if any, assurances exist that such funds are not expended on designs that focus solely on the dominant ethnic group in an area while ignoring marginalized groups;

THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that that we, the 23^rd Legislative District Democratic Central Committee, call upon our legislative representatives to ensure that measures are put in place to make clear that in the future government funds may not be spent for art projects that represent only the dominant ethnic group in an area while ignoring marginalized groups.

Resolution passed at the 23rd Legislative District Democrat's October 29, 2020 Central Committee Meeting, submitted by Marsha Cutting.

Ensuring a Fair Election Count

WHEREAS we hope for a fair and transparent election with every eligible vote counted and with all current voting laws followed, we also acknowledge that the current president has sought to undermine the upcoming presidential election in many and various ways;

WHEREAS he has been unwilling to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if the results do not favor him;

WHEREAS we believe everyone’s vote counts, no matter race, accent or zip code and we are committed to protect our democracy and run the elections as smoothly as possible;

WHEREAS free and fair elections are a hallmark of democracy; and

WHEREAS the best way to stop a potential coup is to not let it get started,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we, the 23rd Legislative District Democratic Party, call on Washington’s Democratic members of Congress to publicly pledge their commitment to every vote being counted, including not declaring victory or conceding defeat until that has been certified by the auditor’s office and Secretary of State;

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER  RESOLVED that we invite our members and members of the public to pledge to 1) vote, 2) refuse to accept election results until all the votes are counted, and 3) nonviolently take to the streets if a coup is attempted;

THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to Washington’s Democratic  members of Congress, and to other local Democratic Party Organizations in Washington State.

Submitted by Marsha Cutting,

WASHINGTON ANTI-DISCRIMINATION ACT (WADA) - ENDORSEMENT RESOLUTION

Whereas, Initiative 1000 (I-1000) – Washington’s Initiative to the Legislature, was signed by nearly 400,000 voters, voted into law by the Washington State Legislature and came just 1% away from passage by the voters last November; and 

Whereas, I-1000 has been reintroduced as the WASHINGTON ANTI-DISCRIMINATION ACT (WADA), an Initiative to the Washington State Legislature which prohibits age, gender, racial, veteran, disabled and LGBTQIA+ discrimination in public jobs, schools, public health, safety and contracting; and 

Whereas, WADA finds that the COVID-19 pandemic has created a State of Emergency and unmasked Washington’s systemic racism and the discriminatory educational, employment, economic, health & safety disparities which have long plagued seniors, women, persons with disabilities, persons of color, military veterans, the LGBTQIA+ community and other vulnerable communities; and 

Whereas, WADA is America’s only initiative demanding COVID-19 vaccines for all Washingtonians who voluntarily request and consent to vaccinations by prohibiting discrimination in the vaccine’s availability and accessibility based on age, race, gender, sexual orientation, gender equity, disability, citizenship, county, income or employment; and 

Whereas, WADA reflects the 2020 Democratic Party platform by protecting all Washington residents from police and other law enforcement officers’  discriminatory use of deadly force, including but not limited to the chokehold or carotid hold which police used to kill George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN and Manuel Ellis here in Tacoma, WA; and 

Therefore, be it Resolved that the 23^rd Legislative District Democrats endorse WADA as “do sign and vote yes”, to strengthen WA State’s discrimination laws to protect individuals in public health & safety, public education, public employment and public contracting; and 

Therefore, be it Further Resolved, that the 23^rd Legislative District Democrats urge the Kitsap County Democrats and the Washington State Democrats to endorse the WADA signature gathering campaign, sign the WADA petition and vote for WADA’s final passage.

Therefore, be it Finally Resolved, that the 23^rd Legislative District Democrats assign their State Committee members to immediately submit this resolution to the Washington State Democrats for their statewide endorsement at the September 12-13, 2020 Washington State Democratic Central Committee virtual meeting.  

In Support of a Responsible Economic Response to COVID-19

Whereas Washington state is facing twin public health and economic crises due to COVID-19. As of July 2020 the state unemployment rate was 10.2 percent as we head into a double-dip recession,1 and this doesn’t include underemployed Washingtonians or temporary layoffs that may become permanent; and

Whereas more than 1.2 million Washingtonians have applied for unemployment insurance since March,2 and it’s exceedingly clear that neither our national nor our state economic recovery will be V-shaped; and

Whereas everyday people, not corporations or CEOs, are the real job creators who drive the economy, and the economy cannot simply be ordered reopened, and Washington is at risk of becoming trapped in a negative feedback loop of collapsing consumer demand, closing businesses, and lost jobs without economic intervention; and

Whereas Washington is expected to have at least an $8.8 billion revenue shortfall through the 2021-2023 biennium,3 and our state has the most upside-down tax code in the United States, where lowest-income households pay up to six times more of their income in taxes than the wealthiest; and

Whereas austerity budget cuts do not improve unemployment, participation from the private sector, or increased participation in the state’s economy,4 in addition to causing more pain for already-struggling people and families. We know that states that cut their budgets during the Great Recession saw a slower recovery and worse long-term results than states that actually increased spending and investments.5 Instead, increasing investments in critical services and infrastructure injects capital back into struggling economies, creating jobs and driving spending and economic growth.

Therefore be it resolved that the X urge the Washington State Legislature to avoid making cuts to the state budget, which are proven to worsen economic recoveries during recessions, and to instead stimulate growth by protecting and increasing investments in critical services, providing relief for workers, families, and small businesses, and saving Washington’s economy by raising taxes on the wealthiest households and corporations.

Adopted by the X organization July X, 2020

1 August 2020 Economic and Revenue Update, Economic and Revenue Forecast Council, 8/17/20 2 Initial unemployment insurance claims for week of June 21-27, 2020, Washington ESD, 6/18/20 3 ‘Everything is on the table’ as WA stares down a $9B shortfall, Crosscut, 6/17/20
4 Austerity Is Hammering State Economies, Center for American Progress, 6/21/12

5 Ibid.

This resolution was passed unanimously at the July 23, 2020 23rd LD Central Committee Meeting:

MODEL RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT A STATE BANK OWNED BY

AND FOR THE PEOPLE OF WASHINGTON STATE AND A

POSSIBLE INITIATIVE TO THE PEOPLE

WHEREAS, the taxpayers of Washington state have demanded greater accountability and wiser use of the taxes they pay to benefit Washingtonians, not Wall Street; and

WHEREAS, a public depository bank owned by and for the people of Washington State (state bank) could meet those demands by using taxpayer dollars to re-invest in infrastructure, student loans, create jobs, increase access to capital for small businesses, absorb debt capacity, generate new revenue without raising taxes, avert long term debt payments and fees to Wall Street, and keep taxpayers’ dollars in Washington state, working for Washington State; and

WHEREAS, a state bank would streamline and create efficiencies of the State’s numerous existing revolving loan programs and leverage their capacity to work for the people of Washington State while lowering overhead and exercising efficiencies of scale, paying it’s own operating costs, and returning profits back to the state; and

WHEREAS, recent Washington State legislative sessions have exposed a serious lack of resources and bonding capacity to deal with the state’s overwhelming capital needs because of years of bouncing off our Constitutional debt limit, and that resource deficiency exists at all levels of government, which has led the Legislature to consider a publicly owned cooperative depository bank that allows political subdivisions to also participate in; and

WHEREAS, a state bank can grow in capacity to be an unparalleled resource for future generations of Washingtonians; and

WHEREAS, a successful model of public banking is the Bank of North Dakota, which was first established in 1919 and is controlled by the people of North Dakota for the benefit of the people and economy of North Dakota; and

WHEREAS, public banking is a bedrock of social and economic development in most other global economies like Germany, Japan, Brazil, Russia, India, England, and China; and

WHEREAS, one of a public bank’s greatest strengths is that it can invest counter- cyclical to the economy by leveraging our tax dollars and creating credit on it’s books in the form of loans to support needed economic development programs and jobs, and is in fact to only way our state can infuse money into our economy to bridge the economic crisis created by COVID-19; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that (name of your organization) endorses creation of a publicly owned depository State Bank; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that in the event an initiative of the people should become a possibility, (name of your organization) should work with others to co-sponsor and pass such an initiative of the people for the purpose of creating a publicly owned depository state bank; and, be it finally

RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the Governor, House and Senate leadership, Senator Bob Hasegawa, and other civic minded stakeholders for further dissemination to, and education of, the general public. 

Generic State Bank Resolution-060120.pdf

Resolution by Carollynn Zimmers Revised 7-23-2020, Approved at Central Committee Meeting July 23, 2020

The Letter and Resolution are attached and can also be found in the ARCHIVE:

RESOLUTION REGARDING EROSION OF FEDERALISM AND UNDERMINING OF OUR CONSTITUTION

1. WHEREAStheweeks-longprotestsinPortland,OR,stemmingfromcallstoend police brutality and racial injustice, have grabbed the attention of President Trump;

2. WHEREASarmedfederalagentswearingmilitary-styleuniformsandriotgear devoid of specific identifying agency markings were dispatched to Portland, Oregon by the current administration and these armed Federal agents using unmarked vehicles drove around downtown Portland, detained protesters and placed them into the officers’ unmarked vehicles without cause or warrants;

3. WHEREASsendinginfederaltroopstoPortlandhasledtomorechaos,deeper political divisions and concerns that Trump is eroding norms of democracy and the White House is planning to send “hundreds” of federal law enforcement officers to Chicago, Albuquerque, and Kansas City, MO and other cities;

4. WHEREAStherearevalidconcernsamongmanyAmericanswhofearTrump's response to the civil unrest too closely resembles an authoritarian crackdown using the military; and

5. WHEREASlocalandstatepoliceauthoritiesdidnotrequestanyfederal assistance for dealing with local issues and the Constitution clearly states in the 10th Amendment that “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, not prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people”;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Washington State 23rd LD Democrats call upon our federal elected officials - Senator Cantwell, Senator Murray and our Congressional Representative Derek Kilmer – and our state elected officials – Senator Christine Rolfes, Representative Drew Hansen and Representative Sherry Appleton to oppose these actions by the Trump administration. We are demanding that our Members of Congress and our State elected officials make known to all by word and deed that this is an unacceptable trampling of our constitutional rights and our basic freedoms as citizens of the United States.

Resolution proposed by Debbie Hollyer regarding Impeachment. This has not been approved by the 23rd LD Dems Executive Board and would require a motion from the membership.

A Resolution to Direct the Washington Democratic 23rd Legislative District's membership, and it’s Congressional and Legislative Delegation to Publicly State Full Support of the Impeachment Inquiry by the U.S. House of Representatives and to prepare the U.S. Senate to follow suit with their duty to defend the U.S. Constitution         

WHEREAS the United States Constitution. Article II, section 1, clause 8 states the presidential Oath: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States”;

WHEREAS the United States Constitution. Article II, section 4 states,

The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors;

WHEREAS no one, not even a President of the United States, is above the law;

WHEREAS the United States Constitution. Article I, section 2, clause 5 states,

The House of Representatives shall choose their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment;

WHEREASthe United States Constitution. Article I, section 3, clause 6 states,

The U.S. Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two-thirds of the Members present;

WHEREAS on June 13, 2019 the Chair of the Federal Election Commission responded with an unequivocal warning: “Let me make something 100% clear to the American public and anyone running for public office: It is illegal for any person to solicit, accept, or receive anything of value from a foreign national in connection with a U.S. election”  ;

WHEREAS no Quid Pro Quo needed for violation of Campaign Finance Laws.  All that is needed is solicitation to create a basis for Impeachment; https://www.justsecurity.org/66277/the-quid-is-a-crime-no-need-to-prove-pro-quo-in-ukrainegate/

WHEREAS Texts Show Top Envoys used a possible White House visit to pressure Ukraine President to Investigate Bidens;  https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/new-texts-show-pressure-on-ukraine-to-investigate-bidens-70607941552

WHEREAS Mr. Trump publicly suggests Ukraine and China should investigate the Bidens; https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/trump-claims-absolute-right-in-asking-foreign-help-in-corruption-70608453680   

WHEREAS Special Council Robert Mueller did not absolve the president from ‘Obstruction of Justice' but rather left it up to the duty of Congress to pursue;

WHEREAS Mr. Trump’s Presidential abuse of power continues to proliferate. He has repeatedly criticized the whistleblower, sought information about the whistleblower, and called for the whistleblower's sources to be outed;  https://www.justsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Updated-Whistleblower-Letter-1.pdf

WHEREAS Mr. Trump undermines the reputation of the U.S. National Intelligence; stating that FBI Director Christopher Wray is ‘wrong’ in his assertion that such efforts by foreign nationals to interfere in a U.S. election should be reported to the FBI;

WHEREAS Mr. Trump and his administration continue to obstruct depositions and disregard subpoenas called for by the U.S. House Committee Chairs. The Trump administration ordered the U.S. ambassador to the European Union not to appear before house lawmakers for a planned deposition as part of the impeachment inquiry. The White House announced it will not cooperate with the House impeachment inquiry;  (WTFJHT, New York Times / Washington Post / Reuters / NBC News / Associated Press)  

WHEREAS White House counsel made legal arguments that the entire House of Representatives has to vote on this inquiry in order to make it legitimate. “Not true”, stated University of Texas law professor Stephen Vladeck. “Pelosi is breaking with precedent but not rules or the law”;   https://www.npr.org/2019/10/09/768540896/who-sets-the-rules-when-is-it-real-and-other-big-questions-on-impeachment

WHEREAS Mr. Trump continuously flaunts to the American people the unchecked powers of the President that present a direct conflict of interest to holding him accountable for abusing Presidential power. The Federal Trade Commission  (FEC) has the legal authority to enforce campaign finance laws with civil penalties. Civil enforcement actions by the FEC have no “knowledge” requirements and no monetary threshold. However, the FEC is currently without a quorum and, consequently, is unable to initiate investigations and/or enforcement actions. Presumably the President will someday appoint, and the Senate will someday confirm, new FEC commissioners to give the commission a quorum once again.  No Incentive for the president to reconstitute the FEC anytime soon, if ever while in office;  (as reported https://www.justsecurity.org/66277/the-quid-is-a-crime-no-need-to-prove-pro-quo-in-ukrainegate/ )

WHEREAS Mr. Trump is a serial liar. He has been recorded as having lied to the American Public regularly on no less than12,000 instances , to the date of this resolution; https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/08/12/president-trump-has-made-false-or-misleading-claims-over-days/

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Washington State 23rd Legislative District Democrats publicly state support of and together add legitimacy to the Impeachment Inquiry.

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Washington State 23rd Legislative District Democrats will inform ourselves of the magnitude of the obstruction of justice of the Trump Administration and consciously use our personal power to Vote for a change in leadership at all levels to ensure we rewrite the laws that allow the executive branches’ abuse and disregard of the Constitution.

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Washington State 23rd Legislative District Democrats call upon our Representatives Sherry Appleton and Drew Hansen and Senator Christine Rolfes to publicly state their support of the Impeachment Inquiry.

THEREFORE BE IT FURHER RESOLVED that Representative Sherry Appleton and Drew Hansen and Senator Christine Rolfes communicate the importance of their full support of the Impeachment Inquiry to Washington’s U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, and U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer who have already pledged their full support.

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Washington U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer share their full support to respective chamber majority leaders and chairs of respective impeachment committees and to introduce, national legislation that will call upon fundamental constitutional amendments that prevent the current national abuses of the executive branch.

THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that copies of this resolution shall be forwarded to U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, State Representatives Sherry Appleton & Drew Hansen, State Senator Christine Rolfes, and the Washington State Democratic Central Committee to inform them of the 23^rd Legislative District’s resolute position.

Approved:  

This proposed Resolution, by Mike Benefiel, 23rd LD Issues Committee, has been approved for action of the 23rd LD Dems Membership. It will be on the Agenda at our October 24, 2019 meeting.

Resolution to Request the 23rd Legislative District's Congressional Delegation Co-Sponsor the Medicare For All Acts H.R. 1384 and S. 1129

WHEREAS every American deserves affordable and comprehensive healthcare; 

WHEREAS the number of Americans either under-insured or without health insurance now approaches 100 million;

WHEREAS the average annual cost per employee of employer-based health insurance exceeds $20,000 plus deductibles and co-pays which is very expensive for all and not affordable for many Americans;

WHEREAS the Affordable Care Act (ACA) does not control the costs of either employer-based health care premiums or employee medical costs;

WHEREAS neither employer-based health coverage, Medicare, Medicaid, veterans health coverage, nor the ACA exchange provide affordable and comprehensive health care coverage;

WHEREAS the health care industry's annual profits exceed $200 billion;

WHEREAS The Reuters–Ipsos survey found 85 percent of Democrats said they support the policy [Medicare For All] along with 52 percent of Republicans.

WHEREAS the Washington State Democratic Platform states, "Health care is a basic human right. Government should work to improve our overall health, while assuring access to high-quality, affordable care for everyone."

WHEREAS the Medicare For All Act of 2019 (H.R. 1384 and S. 1129) provide for affordable and comprehensive health care coverage for all Americans from birth to death regardless of employment status. 

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Washington State 23rd Legislative District Democrats express support for the Medicare For All Act of 2019 (H.R. 1384 and S. 1129), and calls upon Representative Kilmer to co-sponsor H.R. 1384 and  Senators Murray and Cantwell to co-sponsor S. 1129, and that they work towards the enactment of the Medicare For All Act within the current Congress; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that copies of this resolution shall be forwarded to House Representative Derek Kilmer, Senator Patty Murray and Senator Maria Cantwell.  Also, a copy of this resolution shall also be sent to the Washington State Democratic Central Committee to inform them of our actions.

WHEREAS the third round of renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has concluded, and it is still unclear whether U.S. negotiators are going to demand the removal of the controversial NAFTA provision known as Investor State Dispute Settlement; 

WHEREAS at the heart of these agreements is a process known as Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS); 

WHEREAS ISDS formally prioritizes corporate rights over the rights of sovereign governments to regulate for the public interest, worker safety, and protections against climate change;

WHEREAS using ISDS corporations only need to convince a panel of three corporate lawyers that a law designed to protect public health, job safety, or the environment violates their special NAFTA rights

WHEREAS those corporate-friendly tribunals have the power to levy fines in the millions and billions of dollars against our governments for loss of the corporations’ hypothetical future profits which we, the taxpayers, will ultimately pay;

WHEREAS the threat of fines levied has a chilling impact on the willingness of governments to regulate for the public interest, worker safety and climate change;

WHEREAS workers and communities can’t sue for unfair job practices which have been adversely impacted by these companies;

WHEREAS ISDS makes it easier for big corporations to move jobs to locations where workers are the most exploited and environmental regulations are the weakest; 

WHEREAS ISDS puts democratically enacted public interest laws such as fracking moratoriums, laws regulating oil and gas pipelines, and ‘buy local’ programs in jeopardy both at home and abroad;

WHEREAS ISDS will drive down labor and environmental standards at a time when we need those standards to fight climate change and to encourage sustainable communities;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Washington State Democratic Central Committee (WSDCC) to call upon our federal elected officials - Senator Cantwell, Senator Murray and our Congressional Representatives - to oppose a renegotiated NAFTA (or any future trade deal) if it includes ISDS provisions; and

THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the WSDCC ask our Members of Congress to vote to remove NAFTA 2.0 from the Fast Track Process, if the Trump Administration submits an implementing bill prior to getting changes based on rules that are fair and transparent, and seek to enhance prosperity, stability, freedom and the quality of life.

______________________________________________________

Submitted by the 23^rd Legislative District Democratic Central Committee for consideration at the 27-28 September 2019 WSDCC Meeting in Yakima.

Approved by the 23^rd Legislative District Democratic Central Committee on July 25, 2019.

Approved at the 28 September 2019 WSDCC Meeting in Yakima.

WHEREAS a free exchange of ideas is a foundational cornerstone of our democracy and suppressing speech is an anathema to our Party platform and values; 

WHEREAS the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has a history of allowing non-DNC sponsored debates and has not sanctioned candidates who participated in them; 

WHEREASmaking reasoned, well informed decisions are of the utmost importance in choosing our representatives and most importantly, the President of the United States of America; 

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Washington State Democratic Central Committee (WSDCC) urges the Executive Committee of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to allow, without sanctions, Democratic candidates to participate in any debates as the candidates so choose provided transcripts or recordings of said debates are made available to all Democratic organizations; and 

THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the WSDCC send this resolution to each known candidate for the Democratic nomination for U.S. President in 2020.

Submitted by the 23^rd Legislative District Democratic Central Committee for consideration at the 27-28 September 2019 WSDCC Meeting in Yakima.

Approved by the 23^rd Legislative District Democratic Central Committee on July 25, 2019.

This resolution has not been approved by the Washington State Committee.