Get Your Lobby On!

Young Dems from across the state are gearing up for our 2015 Lobby Day on February 16th. Armed with our legislative agenda, some fly Hillary-Clinton style pantsuits, and our youthful ambition, we’ll take Olympia by storm.

To build our legislative agenda, our caucuses put their ears to the ground to hear what was important to young folks. Our issues reflect the values of a truly progress, populist party. To introduce our agenda, we’re going to give you a list of fun facts.

Fun Fact #1: Some therapists try to turn gay kids straight. That’s messed up. The American Psychological Association thinks so too–they basically called it abuse. We’re gonna get “conversion therapy” banned. A bill doing just that passed the House last year 94-4. This year we have our eyes set on the Senate.

Fun Fact #2: Yakima is 41% Latin@, but has never elected a Latin@ to their City Council. In comes the Washington Voting Rights Act. It’ll empower local governments to combat voter exclusion by allowing community to elect officials that represent them.

Fun Fact #3: Less than 1% of businesses contribute to 80% of our state’s pollution. Gov. Inslee introduced his cap and trade bill to hold them accountable. Since we have to live in their mess longer than anyone else (with more forest fires, increased flooding, rising tides, etc.), we’ve got a vested interested in creating a clean and sustainable future.

Fun Fact #4: Washington has a goal of zero building emissions by 2031. To get there, we’re supporting a wonky bill about climate zone building codes. The TL;DR, it increases energy efficiency standards.

Fun Fact #5: Since the recession, tuition has basically doubled. Also, student debt country-wide has passed $1 trillion. That’s more than credit card debt. Luckily the Legislature put on the brakes and froze tuition last year. We need that to happen again.

Fun Fact #6: The United States is the only modernized country in the world without mandated paid maternity leave. We’re all “family values” until it means supporting a mother taking care of her newborn. So we’re going to pass paid parental leave here in Washington and lead the rest of the country like we do with the minimum wage, weed, and gay marriage.

Fun Fact #7: The cold and flu are contagious. Yup, you heard it here first. But everyday people have to choose between going to work and getting everyone else sick, or staying home and getting fired. That’s why we’re fighting for paid sick leave. It’s like paying people not to get the rest of us sick. And that’s good public policy.

If these sound like good ideas to you, join us in Olympia on Monday, February 16th. Meet your legislators, learn more about the issues, and make friends with Young Dems from around the state. The event is free, lunch is provided, and you have to be under 36 and a Democrat to participate. Register here ASAP! If you have any questions, shoot me an email at Ben.Crowther@ydwa.org