Senator Bernie Sanders has suspended his 2020 campaign…

Where does that leave you? Perhaps you were a volunteer for and/or donated to his campaign. For the second time in four years, Senator Sanders has courageously taken on the full force of the Democratic Party establishment, seeking that party’s nomination for President, and lost. Where does that leave you, the enthusiastic Bernie supporter now that his campaign is suspended?

You were not simply supporting a person. You were part of a cause: Single-payer healthcare, the rights and economic well-being of the working and middle classes, his Green New Deal, stop endless war, and so much more! The Democratic Party establishment pulled everything out of its arsenal to defeat Senator Sanders’ campaign for one reason: It did not like his platform. It was not about him. It was about what he stood for. Now, that Sanders is defeated, it hardly seems likely the party will embrace whole planks of his platform. Oh, sure, the Democratic nominee will make some concessions for the sake of getting votes in the general election, and – once the election is over – it is likely those campaign promises will expire, regardless of who wins.

So, there you are, a progressive who surely cannot vote Republican, and you seem to feel hope drain from you with the very thought of voting for traditional Democrats. The Green Party of Washington has good news for you! You will likely find much in our platform and in our values that seems “right at home” to you. You need not vote Republican in protest, and you need not accept the Democratic nominee as your own. Why vote for either of the major parties when they continually demonstrate they do not value the things important to you? Remember, the current Democratic front-runner told a room full of very wealthy donors last year that if he was elected, nothing would fundamentally change for them. This means “more of the same” neoliberal domestic policy that generates larger wealth and income gaps, and more degradation of Mother Earth. Deep down, we all know that we cannot afford to head in this direction any longer.

As a progressive, you yearn for change, and so do Greens all over the world. Greens are members of the Green Party in their own countries. Additionally, Green refers to an international movement of Green Parties across the globe. Greens seek to act in harmony with the earth – our source of life and vitality – and, thus, bless all of earth’s inhabitants, human and otherwise. Greens take a holistic approach to framing policy. Greens are not interested in soundbites that sell, but in policies that are, in fact, sound and healthy. Please consider the following facets of the Green Party platform in the United States:

• Green New Deal – Years before the 2019 legislation sponsored by Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Markey, the Green Party was promoting its Green New Deal. It was an official part of Dr. Jill Stein’s presidential campaigns in 2012 & 2016. Green gubernatorial candidate Howie Hawkins had a Green New Deal in his campaign in 2010. Greens in the United States took inspiration from Greens in Europe who called for their version of a Green New Deal in 2006. So, this idea that we can renew and bless Mother Earth, and by so doing, renew and bless humanity economically has been around for a while. The centerpiece of this bold plan is to transition to 100-percent clean energy by 2030. Here is a video of Dr. Jill Stein explaining in 2016 how the Green New Deal will create jobs – the right kind of jobs. https://youtu.be/PGDjnUXmWFM

• Healthcare – The Green Party supports single-payer universal health care and preventive care for all. We believe that health care is a right, not a privilege.

• Livable Income – We affirm the importance of access to a livable income, including…
  • A clear living wage standard should serve as a foundation for trade between nations, and a “floor” of guaranteed wage protections and workers’ rights should be negotiated in future trade agreements. The United States should take the lead on this front — and not allow destructive, predatory corporate practices under the guise of “free” international trade.

• The Four Pillars of the Green Party Platform:
  • Democracy – We demand public financing of elections, open debates, and more representative voting systems.
  • Social Justice – Falling wages and rising bills are hitting most of us, and the most vulnerable are hit the hardest. We demand a living wage and a real safety net.
  • Ecology – The human cost of climate change is too high. We need to get off fossil fuels and on to renewable energy.
  • Peace – Our country’s long wars and worldwide military presence are immoral and unsustainable. Our military budget must be cut dramatically.

• The Ten Key Values – The Four Pillars are supported by our Ten Key Values. As a progressive, these values of ours are likely already values of yours. We hope that as you read, you will find a home in the Green Party. We welcome you.
  1. Grassroots Democracy
  2. Social Justice and Equal Opportunity
  3. Ecological Wisdom
  4. Non-violence
  5. Decentralization
  6. Community-based Economics
  7. Feminism and Gender Equity
  8. Respect for Diversity
  9. Personal and Global Responsibility
  10. Future Focus and Sustainability

Our platform may be found at: https://www.gp.org/platform

Learn more and join us! –> https://greenpartywashington.org/

#WeAreGreen #VoteGreen2020 #DemExit #GreenEnter

The Green Party’s presidential primary in Washington State is coming up soon!

Is your Green Party membership up to date?

New members must join the Green Party of Washington by April 23, 2020 to participate in our nominating process for president and down ballot candidates.

Returning members and those whose membership has lapsed can renew their membership any time before our online Spring Gathering on May 23rd.

All votes will be cast by Green Party members on a ranked-choice ballot sent out via email (or postal mail) after the Gathering.

The Green Party of Washington supports the sovereign Wet’suwet’en Nation whose leaders are opposing all pipelines through their territories. If completed, these pipelines will deliver tar sands oil down the coast of British Columbia through the Puget Sound and on to Asian ports. With all the vessel traffic already in the Sound, the likelihood of a tanker collision or oil spill such as what happened to the Exxon Valdez is extremely high.

The Unist’ot’en Tribe of the region have informed the pipeline company that they have not given free, prior, and informed consent to do work on their land. Therefore, the Green Party of Washington State is standing with the Green Party of Canada and other allies in opposing ALL pipelines that violate indigenous peoples’ rights and sovereignty and are a danger to our collective ecosystem.

The GPWA Coordinating Council has voted to contribute $500 to the Unist’ot’en Camp for legal defense.

We encourage all Green Party members and supporters to add to the contribution for this important cause!

PLEASE DONATE to the Unist’ot’en Camp:

http://unistoten.camp/support-us/donate/

Read the news and recent updates from Unist’ot’en: http://unistoten.camp/

In solidarity,

Green Party of Washington

https://greenpartywashington.org/

Keep up with us on Twitter and Facebook
Donations always appreciated and put to good use!

As a minor party, the Green Party is excluded from the publicly funded Presidential Primary in Washington State. Because we did not get more than 5% of the presidential vote in 2016, we must use our own process to determine our Presidential nominee and choose our Presidential Nominating Convention delegates. We do this by a ballot to our membership right after our Spring Convention (which is set for May 23, 2020).

As you may be aware, on the publicly funded WA State primary ballot this year the major parties are making voters take a pledge, written by each party, that they prefer the Democrats or Republicans and will not participate in the nominating process of any other political party.

This is not a legally binding oath. It is not a registration with the party: we have no party registration in this state. The only actual “Democrats” and “Republicans” by state law are Precinct Committee Officers in each party and other Legislative and Statewide officeholders. Everyone else is a “sustainer” or a “supporter.”

These loyalty pledges on the ballot are an attempt to artificially “close” the major party primaries, and to give the major parties access to temporary data to build their voter lists. There is no expectation of enforcement of pledges except (and this is the key part) by the parties themselves.

For practical reasons the Green Party of Washington has decided it will not enforce loyalty pledges on behalf of the Democrats and Republicans in our presidential nominating process. You aren’t registering with the Democrats or the Republicans if you vote in the Democratic or Republican primary (there is no party registration in WA), and we don’t require a loyalty pledge (other than your Green Party membership in good standing) to vote in our Presidential Primary.

We have learned from a County Auditor that major party ballot pledges are kept for two months, where they are subject to public records requests, after which time they are destroyed. This means that all public record of these loyalty pledges will be destroyed before our Green Party nominating convention begins.

In order to vote in the 2020 Green Party Primary in Washington State, your Green Party membership must be current as of April 23, 2020 (for new members) or by May 23, 2020 (for renewing members).

Click here to make sure your Green Party membership is up-to-date!

Our current private/for-profit healthcare system is in crisis: 522,000 Washington State residents don’t have any healthcare coverage, many more are under-insured, and rates are going up 19% in our state this year. These stats represent real people and genuine hardship that requires urgent action.

Healthcare is the number one concern of most voters, and there’s a solution supported by a majority. In Washington, more than 60% want a government-funded, universal healthcare option. Some legislators are listening. Senator Bob Hasegawa has filed SB 5222, to implement the Whole Washington Health Trust. If this bill passes, every single Washington resident would have quality care, including vision, dental, and mental health services. And there are some unique strengths about this bill to consider:

• It can be implemented with the same efficient timeline as Governor Inslee’s Cascade Care bill announced on January 8th.
• It’s been reviewed and vetted by the Department of Revenue and the Employment Securities Department.
• It’s based on I-1600, which was endorsed by the Washington State Green Party.
• It’s backed by a study by Dr. Gerald Friedman, a world-renowned healthcare economist.
• It will save Washington residents billions annually. That’s billions with a ‘b’.
• It doesn’t contract with for-profit insurance companies. It’s universal healthcare.
• It’s fully funded and has a transition phase that doesn’t rely on federal waivers.

Please comment on the bill and call your representatives to demand they let this bill have a hearing and out of committee.

Getting these bills out of Committee will take a huge Grassroots effort by Washington Citizens. Please take a few minutes of your day to have your voice heard in Olympia. We have only until Feb. 22nd to move this bill out of committee in Olympia and onto the floor for a vote.

This bill is ready, and the time to act is now!

Go to the Whole Washington website to learn more and Get Active to help establish Universal Healthcare in WA State!

Cities and towns in Washington could soon have the freedom to choose better elections, thanks to bills filed in our legislature. HB 1722 and SB 5708 offer local jurisdictions the option to use ranked choice voting (RCV) for elections.

RCV is engaging voters and invigorating democracy in the 22 cities and counties around the U.S. that have already adopted it for their elections. Under this bill, Washington communities will be able to enjoy these benefits, too.

But without an immediate response from RCV supporters around the state, the Local Options bill is at risk of dying in committee. 

Please contact your three state legislators RIGHT NOW, to urge their support for advancing the Local Options Bill. 

It’s simple and quick:

• Click on this link to either bill (doesn’t matter which one): HB 1722 or SB 5708.
• Next, click on the dark green “Comment on this bill” button, at the top right of the page.
• Fill in your address.
• Click on the light green button, “Verify District”
• Select all three of your legislators.
• Click “Yes” if you would like a response.
• Enter your contact information.
• Click on “Support” to indicate your Position.
• In the comment field, please express your view in your own words. Urge your legislators to ensure that the bill advances out of committee before February 22nd. Say why you think it’s important to allow local jurisdictions in our state to be able to use ranked choice voting i.e. giving voters more choices and decreasing negative campaigning.

What exactly does the Local Options Bill do?

It allows local jurisdictions to opt out of state-mandated primary elections in favor of a general election conducted using ranked choice voting. Alternatively, jurisdictions can keep the primary, but use a “top five” rather than a “top two” primary (with both elections conducted under ranked choice voting.)

How can I learn more?

Look here for an excellent article about our Local Options Bill by Kristin Eberhard of Sightline Institute. And check out this recent press release issued by FairVote WA.

What more can I do to help?

• Spread the word! Encourage your friends and family to contact their legislators too.
• Go to the FairVote WA website to learn how you can Get Involved with the growing movement to bring ranked choice voting to Washington state!

Thank you for contacting your three legislators TODAY!

In Solidarity,
Green Party of Washington and FairVote WA