The Island County Democrats publish a monthly newsletter, which we are posting here. We believe that the statements made by the leadership of each party is of general public interest.
Message from ICD Chair, Jennifer Haase Morris
We will begin helping high school seniors get registered to vote this fall. My granddaughter will vote in the next Presidential election in 2024, adding her voice in our democracy. Even while the national and state-wide dialogue about important races coming up next year dominate the news cycle, there is an important general election coming up soon in Island County in key races for City Councils, Mayors, School Board members, and the Whidbey Health Board of Commissioners, among many others. The Rise & Run Committee has been hard at work gathering information about candidates in these key nonpartisan races.
The next General Meeting for ICD will be Saturday, September 16th, at 10:00 am. We will share a program with the 10th Legislative District Democrats before our own business meeting to vote on a slate of recommendations for recognizing Preferred candidates in several of those key races across Island County. More information in preparation for that meeting will be shared soon.
Please mark your calendar for Saturday, September 16, 2023. Though these are nonpartisan races, we look forward to educating as many voters as possible about those candidates who most closely reflect our Democratic values. Add your voice to that process.
Message from State Representative, Dave Paul
It’s back-to-school season for many—and there is some great news for working families as the new school year gets started.
- We know that hunger affects learning and health, and far too many children do not have access to healthy meals. HB 1238 will expand access to free breakfast and lunch programs in many schools across our community.
- College affordability is a major concern for most families. Fortunately, our state has a number of programs to help students earn college credit while still in high school. This year, I sponsored HB 1361, which expands funding for Running Start and helps both students and families reduce the costs of college. High school juniors and seniors will now be able to enroll in tuition-free summer Running Start classes at their local community college. This will help students get a head start on college classes—all while completing their high school graduation requirements.
- I also helped pass SB 5048, which eliminated College in the High School program costs. This will allow students to earn college credit without leaving their high school campus. For the first time, this valuable program will be free for students and their families.
And coming soon:
- Starting in the 2024-2025 school year, public schools must provide a minimum of 30 minutes of daily recess for our elementary schoolers. SB 5257 will allow kids to get in their exercise, which is great for learning—and for the health of students.
I’m looking forward to seeing many of you before the next session, and I’m excited to hear your ideas on how to improve our communities.
As always, it’s an honor to serve as your representative.
Dave
Message from State Representative, Clyde Shavers
Dear Friends and Family,
As the summer begins to wind down, I hope everyone is enjoying the sun and outdoors!
As I visit every part of our district, I’ve been meeting one-on-one with community members over coffee. It’s definitely a lot of work and travel, but absolutely worth it – your thoughts and experiences are critical to ensuring that I best represent you!
And in between, I continue to regularly volunteer at Mount Vernon’s Skagit Friendship House community kitchen. It is amazing to be part of the cooking team for Skagit County’s only no-cost meal service to people who are homeless.
Just last week, I returned to Olympia to meet with auditors to expand language access in voting material. This bill is important to ensuring more citizens can participate in our elections, because our democracy is stronger with all of us participating. With thirty-nine counties, there’s definitely more work to be done – and I look forward to introducing this bill during the upcoming legislative session.
I’ve also been meeting with various technology companies (i.e. Microsoft, Google) to collaborate on artificial intelligence regulation. There is no doubt that artificial intelligence will transform every aspect of society by giving us powerful tools that we’ve never imagined. In fact, some predict that the age of artificial intelligence will be as transformative as the Industrial Revolution. As part of the House AI Work Group, I am forging ahead towards smart and healthy policies that make life better for everyone.
Veterans continue to be priority for us. Along with last session’s Purple Star bill which supports military children, we fought for funding of a veteran service officer (VSO) in Island County. VSOs are critical to ensuring our veterans receive the benefits that they deserve. Because of their importance, we will be pushing to ensure that every county in our state has a VSO.
Finally, we aren’t letting up on environmental protection. In a few weeks, I will be heading to Copenhagen to attend “Decarbonizing the Gas Grid: The Role of Renewable Fuels in Denmark’s Path to Carbon Neutrality.” I look forward to introducing our legislative priorities for clean renewable energy: green hydrogen and fusion technology. As chair of the Nuclear Energy Caucus, I will be visiting numerous fusion companies in Puget Sound.
Overall, we have drafted nearly a dozen bills that help our veterans with benefits, farmers with sustainable agriculture, senior citizens with long term care, and much more.
As one of the youngest state representatives, I am always looking to the future – this means envisioning a clean energy, healthy future for our children and taking care of our senior citizens. Politics and public service should always be about creating a better future for all of us!
I continue to meet with constituents one-on-one, and I would love to sit down and chat with you – please reach out!
Always at Your Service,
Clyde
Message from US Representative, Rick Larsen
Last month, I introduced bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration. The legislation maintains American leadership in aviation safety and aerospace innovation, strengthens and diversifies the U.S. aviation workforce, makes groundbreaking investments in sustainability and resiliency, and improves consumer protections and accessibility.
If passed by the Senate, this legislation:
- Protects and Enhances the U.S. Aviation Workforce by tripling workforce grants to the tune of $45 million; and establishing the Willa Brown Aviation Education Program to support recruitment programs in lower-income and underserved communities; and directing the FAA to hire more air traffic controllers.
- Improves Aviation Safety by requiring the FAA to expand airport ground surveillance and regulation for foreign aircraft repair stations.
- Builds Environmental Sustainability through $4 billion in funds for airport improvements; establishing a minimum $150 million funding level for airport noise and environmental programs; expanding lower emissions programs; and the development of plans to transition away from unleaded fuels by 2030.
- Enhances Wildfire Response through FAA coordination with the U.S. Forest Service to use drones in wildfire detection, mitigation, and suppression.
- Strengthens Consumer Protections by requiring airlines to reimburse passengers for lodging and meal costs if their flight is significantly delayed or canceled, and the implementation of plans to prevent mass flight disruptions.
- Makes air travel more accessible and enjoyable through efforts to reduce damage to wheelchairs and mobility aids, requiring airlines to allow passengers to sit with their young children if the seats are available, and travelers coming through Sea-Tac can visit a public park that the FAA has required the airport to develop for aeronautical uses.
The provisions of this legislation will improve travel for everyone from crew, to pilots, to passengers — and a strong aviation workforce means broader economic prosperity.
Rick
News from the Washington State Democratic Party
There will be a meeting of the Washington State Democratic Central Committee on Saturday, Sep 30th, in Spokane, WA. There is much work to be done as we head into a busy election season and look forward to State and National Conventions in 2024. A full wrap up of discussions and outcomes will be shared in a future newsletter.
Additionally, Rep. Rick Larsen announced the launch of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge (CAC) this week.
The annual competition, which runs through Nov. 1, is open to high school and middle school students who live in or attend school in Washington’s 2nd Congressional District.
The Congressional App Challenge is an opportunity for students to create programs or apps for any platform, including desktop/PC, web and mobile, to collaborate, invent and learn coding and computer science skills. Students may compete as individuals or in teams of up to four. Students can only enter the competition once.
“Washington continues to be a leader in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics with more than 260,000 students enrolled in Career and Technical Education statewide,” said Larsen, whose office has participated in the CAC every year since its founding in 2013. “I have seen the creativity of students in classrooms across Northwest Washington firsthand and look forward to seeing that creativity shine through in this year’s submissions.”
Students can sign up to participate and read the full competition rules at http://www.congressionalappchallenge.us/students/. Students have until 9 a.m. on Nov. 1, to register and enter, but CAC organizers recommend students register early to receive extra support and tips. Larsen will announce a district winner in December and invite the winner to the #HouseofCode Capitol Hill Reception in Washington D.C. at a date TBD. Winning apps will be electronically displayed in the U.S. Capitol and on the CAC’s house.gov website.
For more information on the CAC, visit https://www.congressionalappchallenge.us/. Additional questions can be directed to Grace Kurfman in Larsen’s office at Grace.Kurfman@mail.house.gov or 425-252-3188.
– Albert Ondo and Fe Mischo, your State Committee Members
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