Message for 8th LDDO PCOs from Chair, John Christenson

8th LD Precinct Committee Officer:

You were elected in the August 2, 2016 Primary as the Democratic Party Precinct Committee Officer (PCO) of your precinct for the 2017-2018 term.  Congratulations!

PCOs here in Washington State are voting members of two local party organizations:  a county and a legislative district organization.  Democratic Party PCOs of the 8th LD belong to the Benton County Democratic Central Committee (BCDCC) and the 8th LD Democratic Organization (8th LDDO).  You can take part in electing 2017-2018 officers for both your local party organizations at a single gathering next week:  BCDCC and 8th LDDO reorganizational meetings will be held on Saturday, January 7 at the Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate Drive, Richland.  The starting time of the BCDCC meeting is 1:30 PM.  The 8th LD meeting will be called to order soon after the BCDCC meeting is concluded, but no earlier than 3:00 PM.

Please plan to attend.  Proposed rules and agenda for the 8th LDDO reorganizational meeting are attached.  Only you and other 8th LD PCOs elected in the August 2, 2016 Primary – a total of 42 persons – will be eligible to vote.

John Christenson, Chair
8th Legislative District Democratic Organization
(509) 783-0282  home

Is Washington State About to Get its Own Bathroom Law?

Washington State's Republican legislators are moving with alacrity and righteous purpose to frame the laws of the State in ways that reflect their long-held views that "political correctness" and other liberal nonsense have gone too far.

Take for example, proposed House Bill 1011: AN ACT Relating to allowing the use of gender-segregated facilities; and amending RCW 49.60.030. There are two proposed amendments on a law regarding the right to be free from discrimination. The first states:

“Nothing in this chapter prohibits a public or private entity from limiting access to a private facility segregated by gender, such as a bathroom, restroom, toilet, shower, locker room, or sauna, to a person if the person is preoperative, nonoperative, or otherwise has genitalia of a different gender from that for which the facility is segregated. Nothing in this chapter grants any right to a person to access a private facility segregated by gender, such as a bathroom, restroom, toilet, shower, locker room, or sauna, of a public or private entity if the person is preoperative, nonoperative, or otherwise has genitalia of a different gender from that for which the facility is segregated.”

The second proposed amendment would require that a parent or guardian assisting a child or disabled adult in a restroom facility be of the sex designated for the facility.

If you're interested in other bills that have been pre-filed for the next session [and you should be], check them out here: http://app.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/prefiled.aspx?year=2017. I particularly recommend those co-sponsored by Brad Klippert, Larry Haler, and Matt "The Secessionist" Shea.

Representative Larry Haler will be having a local event on Monday, January 2, to discuss the upcoming legislative session. It runs from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at his Richland district office located in the CSA Building, 719 Jadwin Ave. Let's attend this townhall, then go out and get drunk [responsibly].

Larry Haler Coffee, January 2

Representative Larry Haler will be having a local event on Monday, January 2, to discuss the upcoming legislative session. It runs from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at his Richland district office located in the CSA Building, 719 Jadwin Ave. Let’s show him that his constituents are not all happy with the bills he is sponsoring.

Homework for those attending Larry’s public coffee discussion is to read up on the bills that have been pre-filed for the next session sponsored by Larry. See bills 1003, 1005, 1011, 1012, 1017, and 1033. Link to the pre-filed bills.

Russian Hacking of the US 2016 Election

Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov

According to an October 2016 article in the Guardian, the Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said that  Moscow had offered US officials an opportunity to hold joint talks on fighting cybercrime.

Now that the U.S. has formally accused Russia of hacking the 2016 Election in an effort to help Donald Trump, the offer appears to be off the table. We’ll have to see.

This is curious. Looked at some stats for the 8th LD blog and saw this:

What does it mean when an itty, bitty blog like ours has the second most hits from Russia?

To study before the Reorganization Meeting on January 7

Please review the agenda and the rules.

8th LD Reorganization Draft Agenda

8th LD Reorganization Draft Rules

County and District Reorganizations

The Bylaws of the Washington State Democratic Party require all County and Legislative District Parties to reorganize in the December or January following an even-year general election. At a Reorganization Meeting, Precinct Committee Officers elected during the most recent primary elect a new Chair, new Vice Chairs, and new State Committee members for the organization. Other officers may be elected and additional party business may be conducted.

The Benton County Democratic Central Committee (BCDCC), and the 8th Legislative District Democratic Organization (8LDDO) will meet at the Richland Public Library beginning at 1:30 on January 7, 2017. The Benton County reorganization meeting will be first. Upon its conclusion, the 8th Legislative District reorganization meeting will convene. 

Elected Precinct Committee Officer (PCO) are strongly encouraged to attend both the County and Legislative District reorganization meetings. This is an especially important meeting for elected PCOs. According to our rules, elected PCOs are the only ones who can vote on the new set of officers that will be elected on the 7th.

Both the BCDCC and the 8LDDO will elect chairs, vice chairs, secretaries, and treasurers. In addition, each organization will elect a state committee man and a state committee woman. These four newly elected State Committee Members will meet in the last weekend of January to reorganize the State Party.

At later regular meetings, the new chairs will appoint committee chairs and membership, subject to support of the body. The committees undertake essential work for the organizations, and are responsible for recommending actions to be taken by the organization as a whole.

The BCDCC has six standing committees:

1. Finance
2. Organization
3. Outreach
4. Candidate Development
5. Voter Registration
6. Platform (added in 2016)

The  8th LD has two standing committees: Fundraising, and Legislative Candidate Search.

Chairs of standing committees are members of the respective organization's Executive Boards. The Executive Boards shall assist the chairs in implementing the programs and policies of the BCDCC and 8th LDDO.

Members interested in taking on these essential duties and responsibilities at the committee level should speak with the chairs, and with other members of the Executive Board.

Finally, the BCDCC and 8th LDDO will reexamine their bylaws, rules, and policies and propose amendments as determined necessary by the body as a whole. This is a crucial step in ensuring your party organization operates in an open, democratic, efficient manner.

Every PCO should take it upon themselves to review these documents and be prepared to propose and/or discuss proposed changes. It is quite likely that our governing rules will be examined as an early priority of the new leadership.

Holiday Party -- Trouble Registering?

Benton County Democratic Central Committe Holiday Party Planners aware that multiple people have had difficulties getting registered online. If you have attempted to register but have not received a confirmation email please notify BCDCC treasurer by sending a note using the following link:
mailto:treasurer@bencodems.org

Is Democracy Strong in Washington State? Not So Much

Every member of Congress from Washington State who ran for reelection in 2016 raised at least eight times more campaign cash than their nearest challenger, writes John Ryan (no relation to the Jack Clancy character you know from the movies) in Seattle's KUOW.org (94.9 FM).

Patty Murray raised $8 million, or 33 times more than her Republican challenger, Chris Vance. Suzan DelBene reeled in 10 times more money than her Republican challenger, Elizabeth Scott. Republican Congressman Dave Reichert raised 23 times more cash than Democrat Jason Ritchie (who dropped out to run for the state Legislature) and 46 times more than challengers, Democrats Santiago Ramos and Alida Skold.

Ryan writes that, "Once in a blue moon, a candidate will win even though they were outspent. But in the past decade... nobody has made it into Congress from Washington state without raking in at least 65% as much cash as their main opponent. So far this year, no challengers are even close."

Washington State isn't unusual in this, unfortunately. According to Ryan, "Nationwide, incumbent candidates for the House of Representatives raised nearly 5 times more money than their challengers between 1998 and 2014, according to the California nonprofit MapLight. The incumbents won re-election 94 percent of the time."

According to the organization, Public Interest Research Groups -- PRIG, 77% of disclosed contributions in 2016's 34 senate races came from donors who lived outside the state they targeted. In the case of swing state races and in the case of spending by external groups in particular, out-of-state money made up a larger share of campaign spending. This applies to both democratic and republican races.

But it's difficult to know just how much outside organizations are spending to influence elections. Political Action Committees -- principally 501(c)(4)s and 501(c)(6)s, -- known euphemistically as "social welfare" organizations, don't have to disclose their donors, thus the term "dark money." Who's buying our elections? Who the hell knows?!

It was widely predicted that SCOTUS decisions on campaign financing, e.g., Citizens United, would result in a wild west of money being thrown at various races throughout the Nation. Unsurprisingly, the 2016 Election was the most expensive ever at $6,917,636,161; well over double what was spent in 2000.

Washington State passed Initiative 735 with 65% of the vote to become the 17th state to urge Congress to amend the US Constitution to overturn the corporate Citizens United and other decisions that opened the anonymous floodgate of corporate and other dark money in elections.

I-735's objective is to get Washington State's congressional delegation to go on record supporting a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United. Passing it is only the first, "small step for mankind." Holding our legislators' feet to the fire will be harder.

Democrats Holiday Party Update

Democrats Holiday Party Update

December 11th, 1:00 PM
Shilo Inn, Richland

Guest Speakers:

Andy Miller
Benton County Prosecutor

Jennifer Goulet
No Hate, Pasco Won't Discriminate Coordinator
Jennifer can be found at the epicenter of the Progressive Movement in the Tri-Cities--you will want to hear about what is happening!
Jennifer's Bio

Entertainment

​John Crigler
​Jazz Pianist

Cost is $30 per person
Please register in advance at http://bencodems.org/contribute/
Make a contribution and put "Holiday Party" in the comments box. List the names of the people for whom you are paying in the comments box as well. If you have questions about payment please call the treasurer at 509 375-0392.

Click here to see the buffet menu

​RSVP's must be received by
Wednesday, December 7

Food and Pet Drive
Please bring non-perishable food for the food bank
--and for our companion animals, too!

Come celebrate the season and connect with your fellow Democrats!

Sponsored by the Benton County Democratic Central Committee
with the Tri-City Democrats

A Day That Will Live in Infamy

On December 7th, "A day that will live in infamy," let's display our American Flags and otherwise honor those who gave their lives, those who served, and those who continue to serve in protecting the freedoms we hold dear.

No matter the results of this election, we love our country, and we will continue to work to protect those hard-won freedoms. We will allow no president or potentate to restrict or diminish them.

December 7th also happens to be the deadline for returning your RSVP regarding our Christmas Party. Please register in advance at http://bencodems.org/contribute/

Holiday Party

December 11th, 1:00 PM

Shilo Inn, Richland

Cost is $30 per person

Please register in advance at http://bencodems.org/contribute/

Make a contribution and put “Holiday Party” in the comments box. List the names of the people for whom you are paying in the comments box as well.

RSVP’s must be received by Wednesday, December 7.

Click here to see the buffet menu

Guest Speakers:

Benton County Prosecutor, Andy Miller

Jennifer Goulet, Coordinator

No Hate, Pasco Won’t Discriminate

Come celebrate the season and connect with your fellow Democrats!