July 17, 2018 - General Meeting & Election for Chair
We hope to see you at our July General meeting on July 17th, at 7:00 PM. Our agenda is very full and will include an election to fill the vacancy of the 43rd Democrats Chair position, consideration of PCO appointments, and a discussion around challenges facing the LGBTQ+ community today. We will have a panel of amazing community servants focusing on issues of Homelessness, Healthcare and Sex Trafficking. Together we will learn about challenges faced by some of our most vulnerable neighbors and how we might be able to contribute to making a positive impact in their lives. View the agenda here.
43rd District Democrats: Hump Day: The State of LGBTQIA Rights in Seattle
The 43rd District Democrats are proud to present our special event in honor of Pride Month.
Hump Day: The State of LGBTQIA Rights in Seattle and Beyond in the age of Trump
Join us to hear from elected officials as we discuss the status of rights the LGBTQIA community in the climate of the current administration. After decades of progress and gains for equality, the current administration is swiftly eroding protections and promoting discrimination. Come learn more about how our elected officials are fighting for the LGBTQIA community and what else can be done on the local and state level.
We will be joined by:
Senator Jamie Pedersen
Representative Nicole Macri
Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht
City Council Member Joe McDermott
Tickets are limited; a $15 donation is greatly appreciated.
Please send questions in advance of the event to communications@43rddems.org
We strive to be compliant with the ADA; please let us know if you require accessibility accomodations.
June 2018 General Membership and Endorsements Meeting
43rd District Democrats
June Membership Meeting
June 19, 2018 7 p.m.
This meeting will be live-streamed to our Facebook Page.
Agenda
6:30 p.m. Doors open
7:00 p.m. Call to order and welcome
Approval of agenda and minutes from April meeting
7:10 p.m. Guest speakers
7:20 p.m. 43rd Dems election action update & volunteer drive!
7:30 p.m. Endorsements -- candidates and campaigns to be
considered
8:10 p.m. PCO approvals
- 43-1341 Annabelle Backman (appointed)
- 43-2033 Neil Jaeger (appointed)
- 43-2049 Cassandra Piontek Armstrong (appointed)
- 43-2239 Joshua Newman (acting)
- 43-3776 Emily Myers (appointed)
8:15 p.m. Resolution in support of Affordable Talaris
Resolution in opposition to spending public funds on Safeco Field
Resolution in support of restoring community trust with an unbiased police chief selection process
8:45 p.m. Officer and issue caucus reports
8:55 p.m. Good of the order
9:00 p.m. Adjourn
April 2018 General Membership Meeting
This meeting will be live-streamed to our Facebook Page.
Agenda
6:30 p.m. Doors open
7:00 p.m. Call to order and welcome
Approval of agenda and minutes from March meeting
7:10 p.m. Guest speakers
7:25 p.m. Resolution opposing new fossil fuel infrastructure
Resolution in support of employee head tax
7:45 p.m. Officer and issue caucus reports
8:00 p.m. Program -- Update from Olympia
Session recap with Speaker Frank Chopp, Senator Jamie Pedersen and Representative Nicole Macri
8:55 p.m. Good of the order
9:00 p.m. Adjourn
March 2018 General Membership Meeting
This meeting will be live-streamed to our Facebook Page.
AGENDA
6:30 p.m. Doors open
7:00 p.m. Call to order and welcome
Approval of agenda and minutes from February meeting
7:10 p.m. Guest speakers
7:20 p.m. 2018 43rd District Democrats budget review and approval
7:40 p.m. Resolution regarding King County Democrats Chair
7:55 p.m. Officer reports
8:10 p.m. Program -- Washington Voting Justice Coalition
Updates on recent developments in voter access and rights in Washington
8:55 p.m. Good of the order
9:00 p.m. Adjourn
Official Call: 43rd District Democrats Legislative District Caucus -- March 24
The 43rd District Democrats invite you to join your Democratic neighbors for the 43rd Legislative District Caucus as we come together as a party to elect delegates to the state convention, and pass a platform!
When: Saturday, March 24th, 10 AM – 2 PM (doors open at 9:30 AM)
Where: Kane Hall (University of Washington) Room 210 (4069 Spokane Lane, Seattle, WA 98105)
Who: All voters registered in the 43rd Legislative District who declare themselves to be Democrats are eligible to participate. You can preregister here to save time!
What: This year we will be electing 18 delegates and 9 alternates to the Washington State Democratic Convention in Wenatchee on June 15th – 16th. We will also be amending and passing our proposed platform, which states the values and priorities of our party.
The proposed rules and platform can be found here.
For any questions not listed below, or to request disability accommodations, please email elections@43rddems.org
Frequently Asked Questions:
How do I run for delegate?
Any registered voter in the 43rd Legislative District who declares themselves a Democrat may run for delegate. If you are interested in running for delegate, please fill out this form and bring it with you to the caucus. There will also be copies available to fill out at the caucus site.
Each candidate for delegate will have up to 30 seconds to address the caucus, before we vote by secret ballot. The top 18 vote receivers, adjusted for gender balance, will be elected delegate, the next nine will be elected alternate.
If you are unable to attend the caucus but wish to run, please email a completed form and declaration of your candidacy and party affiliation to chair@43rddems.org. We strongly recommend you send your declaration by March 23rd. Your declaration will be read for up to thirty seconds at the caucus in place of a speech.
Do you need volunteers?
Yes! We would love volunteers to help with counting ballots and signing people in. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact elections@43rddems.org
Is this event free? Can I donate?
It is free to attend the caucus, but there is a recommended donation of $10 to help us cover the high cost of this venue. We are a volunteer run, not-for-profit organization that does not receive funding from the state party or campaigns to host this expensive event. We would appreciate your generous support!
You can also become a member of the 43rd District Democrats for just $25, which will give you voting privileges for the year, including on our endorsements!
I’m busy at 10 AM, can I arrive late?
While we would love for everyone to arrive on time, we will be taking votes until close to 2 PM, and late arrivals can still be credentialed to vote whenever they arrive.
Is proxy voting allowed?
No, per state party rules there is no proxy voting allowed.
Who can attend?
This is an open meeting and all community members may attend. In order to vote, you must be a registered voter in the 43rd Legislative District who declares yourself to be a Democrat.
Platform, Caucuses, and Endorsement Rules - February News from Your 43rd!
It's Time to Prepare Our Platform!
Our next meeting is just around the corner - February 20 - and we have a packed agenda. First, fresh from a retreat on the 10th, your Executive Board will be reporting back briefly on ways we would like to help implement some of your amazing ideas from the breakout sessions at our last meeting.
Following the report, our members (you) will be breaking into issue groups to focus in on topics of interest and provide some preliminary input for our district's platform. This will give us all a chance to collaborate on things we are passionate about and prepare us for our LD caucus when we will pass out district platform. Interested in joining the Platform Committee? Email Noah at elections@43rdDems.org today!
Consider bringing some non-perishable food items to the meeting for the Cherry Street food bank. Please avoid canned goods and other heavy items. Low sodium items are much appreciated.
Our full agenda, with identification of people up for consideration to be PCO, can be found here.
Get an Update From Our Legislators!
Did you miss the 43rd Dems November meeting with our three elected legislators? Here's another chance to hear from and speak with Representative Nicole Macri, Senator Jamie Pedersen, and Speaker of the House Frank Chopp!
Learn more: https://www.facebook.com/events/1826530097645891/
Endorsement Rules
Pursuant to our Bylaws, it's time to adopt Endorsement Rules for 2018! We will consider the draft rules during this meeting, which include some minor changes from last year to clarify balloting requirements. A copy of the draft rules can be found here.
Board Opening
The Vice Chair for Technology position is open, and we will be holding a vote to fill the vacancy this month. Think you might have the qualifications and be interested in the back-end technology of our organization? Reply to this email and let us know, along with questions you may have.
Remember - New Location!
It's 2018, and that means we are holding our monthly membership meetingsat Phinney Neighborhood Association in the Community Hall. PNA's address is 6532 Phinney Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103. We will be in the East/Lower building, which on Dayton Ave N at the intersection with N 67th St.
It's Time to Renew!
Have you renewed your membership, yet? Well, now you can online! Click here, and pick the membership option that works best for you! You can also learn what your contribution goes to support (hint: organizing and monthly educational programming), and click around our new, streamlined website, for the information you need.
January News (NEW MEETING LOCATION!)
We Have Moved!
It's 2018, and that means we are holding our monthly membership meetingsat Phinney Neighborhood Association in the Community Hall. PNA's address is 6532 Phinney Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103. We will be in the East/Lower building, which on Dayton Ave N at the intersection with N 67th St. Check out minutes from our last meeting here, and our agenda here. We will consider one PCO appointment, and one resolution (regarding carbon pricing in Washington). We'll also vote on some specific bylaw amendments, which will be posted to our new website (www.43rdDemocrats.org) by Saturday. New Year, New Website, New Meeting Location (Phinney Neighborhood Association)
Program
Were you able to make it out to our holiday party? Then you may recall we have been seeking member input on what our priorities should be in 2018. Kicking off the New Year, we'll break out into groups to discuss our ideas, and set an agenda for the year.
Mid-Term Caucus Cycle is Starting!
Did you know that we do caucuses and a State Party convention during mid-term years? It's true! And there are steps that must be taken in advance. If you're interested in being on Credentials Committee, Rules Committee, or Platform Committee for the State Democrats' Convention this year, we'll be voting on one rep to each this month!
This is also a time for the 43rd to work on our platform. Interested in serving on our platform committee? Email First Vice Chair Tara Gallagher (vicechair@43rddems.org) today!
Our LD Caucus will be on March 24 (location TBD), and the State Convention will be the weekend of June 16 in Wenatchee.
Board Opening
The Vice Chair for Technology position is open, and we will be holding a vote to fill the vacancy in February. Think you might have the qualifications and be interested in the back-end technology of our organization? Reply to this email and let us know, along with questions you may have.
2018 Membership
We've fielded questions regarding membership for 2018. As you may have seen, we have moved to a new website, and we are making other changes, as well. One of those is how we collect contributions. Once we have online contribution capability, we'll send out an email. Thank you for your ongoing support of our grassroots organization!
Welcome to the New 43rd!
Welcome to the all new 43rd District Democrats' Website! With the closure of the previous PAC, we are regrouping as a grassroots, non-profit organization, and as part of this process, we are going for a new look and new feel for our website.
You'll notice we have streamlined many of our menus. Bylaws & Rules - easy to find. Curious about what we stand for? There's a page for that (Platform & Resolutions). Curious what Democrats represent you on the Port Commission? That's a thing (hint: all five commissioners!)
With this new layout, we hope that you'll find it easier to access the documents and information you need, and with a new contact form, we're easier than ever to get in touch with. Additionally, by moving our platform to Squarespace, your Executive Board is following through on our commitment for a more sustainable organization (seriously: this platform has a user-interface that's much easier to learn than the tech heavy platforms we've used previously).
We're not 100% done with the changeover. We are still updated previously passed resolutions, and porting over historical posts from the prior website. And expect changes in our header and other photos as we collect more high-resolution .jpg files to work with. But we are excited to launch!
Along with our e-blasts, we will keep everyone up to date on meeting dates and agendas right here in the "News and Updates" section. And as a reminder: we are now meeting at the Phinney Neighborhood Association, third Tuesday of each month.
We look forward to a successful 2018, and to working with all of you ensuring that success!
Sincerely,
Your 43rd Executive Board
FAQ on 43rd District Democrats PAC Closure
Originally Published Dec 08 2017
How will the 43rd District Democrats continue to operate?
The 43rd District Democrats have not participated in traditional PAC activities in many years, such as donating money to candidates or running a separate campaign for candidates. The only change for our members is that we will no longer print a sample ballot. We will continue working to elect Democrats up and down the ballot, we will endorse candidates, and members will see very few changes to how we operate.
What is a Political Action Committee (PAC)?
The Public Disclosure Committee outlines that you become a political action committee “when you first have the expectation of receiving contributions or making expenditures in support of, or opposition to, any candidate or any ballot proposition.” Courts have clarified that supporting or opposing candidates must be one of the group’s primary purposes to qualify as a PAC.
Why did the 43rd District Democrats close their PAC?
The executive board determined that continuing to operate a PAC was not in line with the current goals of the organization and that it was too much risk considering that our only PAC activity was printing a sample ballot. It made sense to close.
Why was this decision made by the executive board alone?
This was an emergency situation, and the executive board needed to exercise its implied authority to take actions for the best interests of the organization. Given the pending litigation, executive session needed to be invoked to protect the district.
Why did the 43rd executive board send money to the Washington State Democrats?
When a PAC is closed, the funds that have been collected must be disbursed. There were few options presented to the board by our legal counsel. We felt sending the money to the State Party was most in line with the intention of our donors.
How will members be informed of changes?
We are committed to transparency and openness to our members. We will share what we can, recognizing that other legislative districts are in the midst of pending litigation, which complicates what we are able to share in public. We promise to keep our members up to date as we work through this and we will endeavor to keep our members informed promptly. We will share updates through our website, Facebook page, and by email. We will continue to discuss this issue with our members at our January meeting and we always welcome emails to be sent to our communications team at communications@43rddems.org.