ISLAND COUNTY: July 2025 ICD Newsletter
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
Do you remember when it felt possible to focus on just one issue? When you could dig in, learn all the facts, join a group of like-minded folks, and know that someone else was out there working just as hard on the other causes you care about?
Those days feel long gone.
Now…we have 5calls.org that features nearly 50 issues and we need to call our legislators every single day just to keep up with the concerns that are coming at us at an alarming pace!
It’s overwhelming. And yet, we know we can’t afford to look away.
What has your attention right now?
What’s keeping you up at night? (Besides the jet noise.) What do you feel most compelled to stand up for, or to protect?
It’s hard to know where to concentrate our efforts at protecting democracy, working to reverse the damaging impacts of policies and decisions already made by the current Administration, and ensuring that we are putting systems in place within our communities to support those who will be most impacted by significant budget cuts.
Will you please take a few minutes to complete this Concerned Citizens survey? We are also offering those who visit our booths at our county fairs over the last week of July and first week of August the opportunity to provide their feedback.
We’ve narrowed down the list to 12 current issues at the national level — a tough task in a time when every headline feels like a five-alarm fire. But your input will help us focus, organize, and act with clarity. Because even when everything feels urgent, your voice still makes a difference.
Let me know what matters most to you.
Together, we’ll keep showing up for our freedom, our families, and our future.
Message from Island County Commissioner, Janet St Clair
Dear Friends,
Today I had the privilege to meet with the WhidbeyHealth Board of Commissioners and leadership from the hospital. I began by expressing my appreciation for the Board and leadership in not only recovering from the fiscal crisis, but in stabilizing the system, also improving the continuum of care and contributing to filling strategic needs such as their investments in behavioral health.
We discussed the challenges facing rural hospitals and the healthcare system in our community and our country. While we touched on the efforts to address the funding paradigms of Tricare and Medicare, two of the largest government payors, we obviously spent the majority of our time together discussing the changes to the Medicaid program. Zachary Heffron, Senator Cantwell’s legislative liaison, joined us to answer questions on these federal policies.
We noted the strangulation effect of increasing eligibility requirements that will not only decrease coverage for many individuals, but also discussed the additional cost burden to hospitals, and government, in the administrative efforts necessary to verify eligibility every six months, not annually as well as new employment requirements, and elimination of retroactive approvals. WhidbeyHealth staff shared the likely challenges as those patients, who by law cannot be denied care (thankfully), will then become charity care costing our hospital tens of thousands of dollars annually. These costs, of course, become the responsibility of local ratepayers in our public hospital district.
We also discussed the cascading impact of changes to Medicaid, as hospital closures will increase across the state, limiting care especially in rural areas and pushing those patients to seek care further and further away, adding to the burden of hospitals in other parts of the State. In addition, Medicaid cuts threaten higher level care such as trauma centers, NICU’s, and specialty care, creating competition for increasingly scarce resources.
We talked about strategies to go forward, including my work on Tri-Care payment reform, backfilling investments for the social determinants of health to prevent higher utilization of our health resources, and most importantly, that we tell our stories together to work toward a future where we can reverse these disastrous policies and mitigate the current consequences. You can also help. One hospital Commissioner asked that our residents “use it or lose it” by supporting our only critical access hospital by choosing care on island when possible. I hope we all recognize that we are part of a greater system of care and that we need to stand together for the health and wellbeing of our communities.
Thanks for listening. Be well.
Janet
Janet St. Clair, Island County Commissioner
Message from State Representative, Dave Paul
Friends,
One of the best parts of serving as your representative is getting to connect with constituents across our district and hear what issues matter the most. Here’s a quick update on my work since the Legislative Session ended in April.
It’s clear that the path to good-paying careers is through education and job training. As Chair of the House Postsecondary Education and Workforce Committee, I’ve prioritized making sure that young people and those already in the workforce have access to quality apprenticeship and workforce training programs. In May, I participated in a terrific roundtable to discuss ways to increase collaboration and get young people hands-on skills training. I also had the opportunity to meet with leaders at Western Washington University and Whatcom Community College to discuss ways of strengthening our state’s commitment to higher education.
June was Pride Month, and I attended events across our district to celebrate and support our LGBTQ community. At a time when LGBTQ rights are under constant attack by the federal government, it was terrific to see hundreds of community members stand in solidarity with our LGBTQ friends and neighbors.
We are blessed to live in such a beautiful region—and fortunate to have so many community organizations dedicated to protecting the environment and our quality of life. I’ve recently had the opportunity to meet with the Whidbey Watershed Stewards to learn more about their terrific outdoor education programs and efforts to improve salmon habitat. I also got to visit with the Whidbey-Camano Land Trust to learn more about their work to protect and restore shorelines, forests, and watersheds in our region.
I’ll be spending the rest of summer and fall continuing my work to prepare for the next legislative session, including collaborating with local and state leaders to address the harmful attacks and cuts from the federal government. I look forward to seeing you soon at a community event! As always, it’s an honor to serve as your state representative.
Dave Paul
Message from US Representative, Rick Larsen
Today marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Medicare and Medicaid.
Despite decades of American families relying on Medicare and Medicaid for literally life-saving care, Republicans in Congress have chosen to make the largest cuts in history to these critical programs under the Big Ugly Bill.
As a long-time advocate for strengthening Social Security and Medicare, I am worried about the consequences of the Big Ugly Bill and what it is doing to the millions of Americans who rely on these programs, especially our seniors. Social Security and Medicare have served as lifelines, providing essential coverage and financial stability to our aging population, folks with disabilities, and lower-income families for decades. These programs demonstrate our shared commitment to ensuring a dignified life for all, regardless of socioeconomic status.
When it comes to health care, I believe that access to high-quality, affordable care that fits Northwest Washington families’ budgets is a right. And for so many of our most vulnerable, that means utilizing Medicare. That is why I voted to:
– Reduce prescription drug costs by letting Medicare negotiate drug prices.
– Impose a tax penalty if drug companies increase their prices faster than inflation.
– Cap the price of insulin at $35 per month.
– Close a longstanding coverage gap in Medicaid that locks 4 million people out nationwide.
– Expand Medicare to cover hearing benefits.
– Lower out-of-pocket costs for Medicare Part D beneficiaries.
– Prevent the privatization of Medicare and ensure stricter accountability for private Medicare Advantage plans.
These are common-sense solutions that benefit everyone.
Undermining these programs leaves our neighbors and friends vulnerable. Together, we can continue to fight for these critical programs and the families that rely on the support.
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