Quote of the Week: “The strength and power of despotism consists wholly in the fear of resistance.” – Thomas Paine Get Out on the Streets:  Want the scoop on upcoming rallies, marches, and related events? Visit OI’s Rallies, Marches, Town Halls and Boycotts webpage! Legislative Actions: Get Ready for the 2026 State Legislative Session  The WA State Legislative Session begins Monday, January 12. The Washington Indivisible Legislative Action(WILA) team has been preparing and we're ready to bring easy actions via Take Action Network (TAN) that will show your legislators your support for great bills and opposition to bad bills. Action: Take a few housekeeping steps and get ready to join others around the state. Federal Actions: Stop Loss of Health Care Services at VA  Background: The Veterans Administration just announced plans to eliminate 35,000 unfilled jobs, including positions for primary care doctors and nurses, mental health care providers and social workers. The VA claims these jobs are no longer necessary — mostly due to “the end of the COVID era” and other “costly distractions” such as:
The new cuts follow an initial plan to lay off roughly 80,000 employees, about 15% of the VA’s workforce, and the firing in 2025 of 30,000 employees in a massive reorganization. President Trump says he wants more veterans to seek health care outside the VA, apparently by making sure the VA can’t help them. Democrats have responded with a letter to VA Secretary Doug Collins, signed by thirty-eight US senators led by our Senator Patty Murray and Connecticut’s Richard Blumenthal, challenging the planned cuts. And Senators Bill Cassidy and Mazie Hirono’s bill S.787, which establishes a Veterans Health Care Policy Advisory Board, just passed the Senate and has moved over to the House for a vote. Action 1:
Script: The VA is planning to eliminate 35,000 unfilled jobs. Trump has announced he wants more veterans to seek privatized health care services. I urge you to join the December 19, 2025, letter to VA Secretary Doug Collins requesting evidence for the imposition of these cuts; and to continue to support a VA advisory commission under S. 787. Our veterans must have a VA staffed in accordance with their needs. Action 2:
Protect Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest from "Thinning"  Source: From our friends at Indivisible Bellingham Actions Team Background: Sierra Club The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is proposing a massive, forest-wide thinning of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (MBSNF) impacting 36,000 acres over 30 years, and stretching from the Canadian border to Mt. Rainier National Park. This project threatens recreation, wildlife, local businesses, clean air and water, while increasing the likelihood of forest fires. The Sierra Club is asking people to send the Forest Service their formal comments to stop this project—at least until a thorough environmental impact statement has been completed. Follow the links below to put your comments on record, as well as to learn more about the ramifications of this “thinning” project. NOTE: comments must be submitted before January 12, 2026 in order to be taken into account! Action: 1 Click here to go to the U.S. Forest Service’s webpage on this project. 2 Fill out your personal information. 3 Either copy and paste Sierra Club messaging from this Google doc or–better yet–simply consult the information provided to understand the full impact of the “thinning” of MBSNF, and then 4 Write your comment and add your own personal story regarding these forested lands. This will make your comment more impactful 5 Click the “I’m not a robot button” and then “Submit.” WA State Legislative Advocacy: Support Increasing Representation and Voter Participation  A bill to increase representation and voter participation in Washington state will be up for consideration in the 2026 Washington State Legislative session, which begins on January 12. HB 2210 (the Voting Options, Implementation, Compliance, Education and Standards Act– or WA Voices Act) sets up the procedures for how Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) will be implemented across the state. The State Supreme Court ruled that RCV is a remedy for non-compliance with the Federal Voting Rights Act. HB 2210 builds on last year's bill HB 1448. While the core policy remains the same, this bill includes: a strong intent section and emergency clause. These additions respond to serious concerns surrounding the pending U.S. Supreme Court case Louisiana v. Callais, which could significantly impact the constitutionality of Section 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act. Depending on the Court’s ruling, election systems down to the local level may be affected nationwide. Certainly, future challenges to the VRA are likely. As noted in HB 2210, Washington must respond and pass this "act relating to protecting local representation by strengthening and securing fair elections in local governments." Action: Please contact your legislator(s) and ask them to co-sponsor this bill. Local Actions: Civic Engagement Office Hours!  Image Source: Olympia Timberland Library We’re just three weeks away from the beginning of the Washington legislature’s short (60-day) session. The state provides many digital tools to track bills and participate in the public debate, but things will move fast, and the better we know the ins and outs, the better we can advocate for legislation that embodies our values. Join the Office of the Secretary of State for Civic Engagement Office Hours, a nonpartisan initiative to support civic participation and demystify the legislative process in our state. Action: Come to this free workshop When: January 9, 4-5:30pm (and every 2nd and 4th Friday following until March 13) Where: Olympia Timberland Library, 313 8th Ave SE, Olympia Have You Scheduled These Events? Weekly Olympia Indivisible Gatherings  Caffeinated and Activated Coffee Connection Join us Saturday, January 10 at 10am for coffee at the Soul Café in downtown Olympia (300 5th Ave. SW). Karen Ray will present what’s happening on the OI Membership Team. We’re excited to meet you. Action Cafe Mondays at Noon. A Zoom lunchtime gathering where folks meet, make new friends, and take actions together. Sign up to be on the Action Cafe email list. More Resources for Your Activism:
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