Weekly Call To Action - September 11, 2022

Quote of the Week:

This week, President Joe Biden’s administration released an economic blueprint to show how the new laws and policies it has put in place are rebuilding an economy that works for working families. “The blueprint calls for, among other things, empowering workers through unionization and new jobs; restoring the country’s manufacturing base by investing in infrastructure and clean energy; and helping families by lowering costs and expanding access to affordable and high-quality health care, child care, education, housing.” –Heather Cox Richardson, Sept. 9, 2022

---

Campaigns – Get Active:

​Tye Menser and Marilyn Strickland Picnic
When: September 17, 2022 from Noon - 2:00 pm
Where: Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls 
What: Campaign Picnic hosted by Tye Menser and Marilyn Strickland
Action: Tye needs help organizing the picnic! Sign up at Tye Menser’s Volunteer page and join co-founder Lisa O. (I’ll be bar-tending!).


Meet Derek Sanders
When: Saturday September 24, 2022, 2 - 4:00 PM
Where: The brick room at Octapas Cafe 610 Water St. Olympia, WA
What: Beth Doglio, Lisa Parshley & Jim Cooper invite you to meet Derek
Action: RSVP on the Facebook Event
Calendar: For more ways to support our candidates, check out our Candidate Support Calendar


Yard Signs for Patty Murray
Contact Lisa at [email protected] and she will provide an address for pick-up in SE Olympia.


Outdoor Postcard Parties
When: Every Thursday from Aug 25 until Oct 20, from 10:00 A.M. to Noon
Where: RSVP for the Thursday Postcard Parties here. After you sign up, you will be given the address in NE Olympia.
What: The GOTV Writing Team is also hosting outdoor postcard writing parties . 


OI Website: 
Keep up with what is happening with candidates on OI’s Election 2022 resource page which includes the New Candidate Support Calendar. And discover more about OI plans and activities on the website. 

---

Local Actions:

​Replace Two Forest Practices Board Members

Background
Declaration in Support of Reconsideration of Order Denying Recusal 

Please copy the script or change it to make it personal.

You may want to select 'Natural Resources' as the subject when you fill out the contact form.

Action: Contact Governor Inslee to remove the Forest Practices Board members with close ties to Weyerhaeuser. 

Option A: Take this copy/paste action in Take Action Network (TAN) Ask Inslee to Replace 2 Forest Practices Board Members

Option B: Contact Governor Inslee

• Governor Inslee, Phone: 360-902-4111 or Contact Form
  
  

Script: Dear Governor Inslee:
The current Forest Practices Board membership includes a current and a former employee of Weyerhaeuser. Since Weyerhaeuser benefits from logging this is a clear conflict of interest and fairness. See RCW 76.09.030 and the Appearance of Fairness Doctrine of law.
​
I am asking the Governor to remove the Forest Practices Board members with close ties to Weyerhaeuser and logging and replace them with independent members of the general public.

Sincerely,

[NAME] from [CITY], [ZIP]

---

Steps to Proceed Breaching the Lower Snake River Dams

I think for many it has taken a bit of time to assimilate Governor Inslee and Senator Murray’s recommendations following their review of the final report on replacing the services of the Lower Snake River dams.

Their recommendations make the pivotal decision to breach the Lower Snake River dams to prevent extinction and begin recovery of salmon, orca and other critical species. 

Governor Inslee and Senator Murray’s five-page response to the final report is available here.

While their recommendations begin an outline of steps necessary to implement dam breaching the absence of a timeline does not bode well for species threatened with extinction. In the thirteen-month Snake River litigation pause the federal government has made the following commitment “...to produce by no later than December 1, 2022, a schedule of Administration actions and critical milestones that the Administration intends to pursue.” 

A similar commitment is needed for actions necessary by the State of Washington.

Action 1: Please make a comment to Governor Inslee urging him to act in unison with the Biden Administration on breaching the Lower Snake River dams and establish a Washington State specific timeline of actions and milestones to be completed by December 1, 2022 on their comment page or call 360-902-4111, option 2. 

Script: Dear Governor Inslee,
My name is ________ and I live in ____________. Thank you for your decision on proceeding with concrete steps to breach the lower Snake River dams. It is now clear that delay means extinction for salmon and orca, so a state timeline is needed for timely implementation of those steps. I urge you to commit to the same timeline announced by the Biden administration: “to produce by no later than December 1, 2022, a schedule of Administration actions and critical milestones that the Administration intends to pursue” for the actions Washington state needs to take. Thank you for your leadership for recovering our salmon and orca.

Action 2: It is also important to encourage Senator Cantwell to lend her support to this cause. You can contact Senator Cantwell here or call 202-234-3441.

Script: Dear Senator Cantwell,
Please use your leadership to support Tribal Nations, the Biden Administration, Governor Inslee and Senator Murray in securing the critical recovery of salmon, orca, and other species through breaching the lower Snake River dams.

---

​Update on Past Local Action:

In the August 28 CTA was posted an action titled Push Port Commissioners to Hold Public Forum for Citizens to Voice Concerns about Renewal of Log Shipping Lease. Here is an update on that action: 
​
Thanks to all of you who contacted the Port Commissioners asking for a forum to hear public comments about the Weyerhaeuser lease. Commissioner Amy Evans-Harding stated recently in a meeting with three Port of Olympia Action Team (POAT) members that she would favor a work session with a public comment opportunity pertaining to the Weyerhaeuser lease. No date has been made public for that meeting. For those who choose to give a public comment, the POAT team will provide a list of Talking Points which we will make available prior to the meeting. 

---

Federal Actions:

Pass the Bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act

Background: Seattle Times: Senate negotiators push toward same-sex marriage vote this month
 
The right-wing imbalance of power in the Supreme Court has made life difficult for millions of Americans across the country. Just this summer, the Republican-controlled SCOTUS has significantly strengthened gun rights, has made it even harder for the US government to address climate change, and has abolished the federal protections on abortion promised by Roe v. Wade. Based on the opinions by right-wing justices, it seems that Republicans are planning on putting protections on same-sex and interracial marriage next on the chopping block.
 
As a result, a few weeks ago, the House passed (along with 47 Republican House members) the H.R.8404 - Respect for Marriage Act a bipartisan bill that would codify federal protections on same-sex and interracial marriage. The Act is now in the Senate and needs 60 votes to pass; this means that the support of 10 Republican Senators would be required if all 50 Democratic Senators vote to pass the bill.
 
Action: Contact your Senators and urge them to pass the Respect for Marriage Act, and call on them to push their Republican colleagues to do the same! The Senate is planning on voting on the Respect for Marriage Act as soon as next week, so it is important that we do this as soon as possible.
 
Option A: Take this copy/paste action in Take Action Network (TAN) Urge our Senators to pass the bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act!

Option B: Contact your congressperson 

• Senator Patty Murray, Phone: 253-572-3636 or Contact Form 
• Senator Maria Cantwell, Phone: 253-572-2281 or Contact Form 
  • Email both your MOCs at once using Democracy.io. 

 
Script: Hi, my name is ___________ and I am a constituent in Olympia, zip code ________. I am reaching out today in regard to the Respect of Marriage Act, that would codify federal protections on same-sex and interracial marriage, and is currently waiting for a vote in the Senate. The last few months have shown us that Republicans have the power to easily undo the significant social progress of recent years. It is more important now than ever to codify these protections by passing the Respect for Marriage Act. We need 10 Republican senators to join the slim Democratic majority for this passage. I urge you to vote for this bill and to push your Republican colleagues to make the correct decision and do the same. 
 
Thank you.

---

Have You Scheduled These Events?

Drinks and Democracy Every Saturday
OI Co-Founder Lisa Ornstein invites Olympia Indivisible members to her cozy back patio in SE Olympia for a Drinks and Democracy Happy Hour! From 5:30 to 6:30pm, come enjoy a signature house drink on a democratic theme. Non-alcoholic beverages will be on hand as well. Come raise a glass of cheer, catch up with your fellow Indivisiblers, unwind, and build our fellowship. 

Please note that you must be vaccinated and boosted for COVID in order to attend. These events are about spreading good cheer, not germs! 
For details and address, RSVP to [email protected]. 


Action Cafe, Every Monday at noon
Please come to tomorrow's Action Cafe! This weekly Zoom lunch hour gathering is a place to meet, eat, build fellowship and take actions together.
Register HERE. We will send you a Zoom link and tomorrow morning, we'll send you our "menu" with live links for the actions we'll take together. ​

---

​You Might Also Like to Attend:

Meet LD35 Candidates Julianne Gale, Sandy Kaiser, James DeHart and others.
When: Sunday, September 18, 2022, 1 - 3:00 PM
Where: Shelton (Lake Limerick)
What: Request address here Open House/Backyard


Sandy Kaiser for State Representative of LD35
When: Tuesday, Sept. 27th 5:00-7:00 PM
Where: Home of Patti & Robert Bradley
What: Sandy’s win in the primary election shows her strength as a rural Democrat. Join us in supporting her September 27 on beautiful Hammersley Inlet!
Info: Please carpool if possible. For questions and address please contact Callie Lahey at [email protected] or 360-207-5563.
RSVP appreciated but not necessary!


Equity and Health Action Group
When: Wednesday, September 14th at 7:00pm
Where: Join via Zoom, https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88538392608, Meeting ID: 885 3839 2608
What: The Thurston Climate Action Team’s Equity and Health Action Group works with local BIPOC leaders and governments to ensure the just distribution of the benefits of climate protection efforts and to help alleviate the unequal burdens created by climate change. When it comes to health, this group works on educating the public about the effects of climate change on our health and wellbeing. This group aims to support those who are impacted the most by changes in climate.

Presently they are gathering interest before setting a regular time to meet via zoom. For more information contact: Marisa Caughlan at [email protected]. 


Habitat for Humanity Meeting about Boulevard Road Project
When: Wednesday. September 14 from 6-8pm
Where: Olympia Regional Learning Academy’s (ORLA) Learning Center at 2400 15th Ave SE in Olympia.
What: South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity and Artisans Group Architecture and Planning will host a meeting for the public about their vision and next steps for the development at 3900 Boulevard Road.

Earlier this year, the City of Olympia selected Habitat for Humanity as the preferred development partner for its 10-acre property on Boulevard Road. Habitat’s vision is to develop a mix of owner-occupied, affordable townhomes and “senior cottages” with the inclusion of a small neighborhood center/mixed-use building. Approximately 100-130 housing units are anticipated.

This meeting will provide an introduction to the project and an opportunity for the public to ask questions. Habitat will discuss the long-term vision for this project site, background about Habitat homeownership, and the types of housing and environments they aim to provide in partnership with individuals and families. Artisans Group Architecture and Planning will also discuss initial design concepts and the next steps and timelines for the project. City staff will speak to how this project fits into the larger Olympia Housing Action Plan.

---