23-03-08 Membership Meeting Minutes

      400 300 34th Democrats

      23-03-08 Membership Meeting Minutes

      34th Democrats Membership Meeting – Held via closed Zoom

      Pre-Meeting Program – Steve Daschle, Executive Director of Southwest Youth and Family Services.

      This program can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EQNxxIT7JM

      7:31 – Call to Order by Chair Graham Murphy

      Chair’s Announcements

      • Executive Board Updates
      • Chris Porter is stepping down from his position of State Committeeperson, effective March 31. He and Graham are exploring new roles for him to assume in the organization. Anyone who identifies as male or non-binary may run to be State Committeeperson; the election will be at the April Membership meeting.
      • Lauri Hennessey has accepted a new job and resigned as Fundraising and Events Committee Chair at the end of February.
      • The annual fundraiser will be Saturday, July 22, 2023.
      • Chair Murphy urged us to use our Democracy Vouchers for Seattle Council races.
      • The Executive Board Meeting for March will be March 15.
      • The March Pop Up will be Friday, March 24th, at the Elliott Bay Brewery in Burien.

      Opening Ceremonies

      • An amended Agenda and the Minutes from the February meeting both approved without objection.
      • The Land Acknowledgement was given by 1st Vice Chair Rachel Glass.

      VIP Acknowledgements

      • Burien Mayor Sofia Aragon spoke of the 30th anniversary of the founding of Burien.
      • Seattle City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda spoke about the three-month comment period starting in April for citizens to weigh in on a Seattle Housing Levy, scheduled for the November election.
      • County Councilmember Joe McDermott told us that he is working on legislation to help alleviate some of the issues for residents near the KC County Airport, such as noise, adverse health effects, and traffic problems. He is not seeking reelection.
      • King Conservation District Board Member Chris Porter thanked us for our support in his reelection bid. Although he was unsuccessful, he will still advocate for conservation efforts, especially for pollinators.
      • Former Burien Deputy Mayor Krystal Marx and Drew Estep, Party Affairs Director of the Washington State Democrats, were present and acknowledged by the Chair.

      Candidate Spotlight

      • Teresa Mosqueda is running for King County Council Position 8, currently held by Joe McDermott.
      • Krystal Marx is running for Burien City Council Position 6 being vacated by Sofia Aragon who is running for King County Council.
      • King County Judge Coreen Wilson is running to retain her seat. She was appointed by Governor Inslee in 2022.

      Updates on King County Crisis Care Centers Levy

      • Ryan Haskins from Yes on Prop 1 gave an update on the campaign and volunteer opportunities.
      • There will be opportunities for virtual phone and text banks. Contact Ryan at info@yeskcprop1.com
      • The County does not intend to mail out materials in support of the proposition.
      • Ballots for the April 25th Special Election will be sent out between April 8th and 12th.

      Resolution: In Support for a Tax on Extreme Wealth

      • A resolution in support of a Washington State tax on extreme wealth was submitted by Bunny Hatcher. It was explained by Endorsements and Resolutions Committee Chair Ann Martin. It supports legislation being put forth by Rep. Emily Alvarado and Sen. Joe Nguyen. 
      • Chris Porter moved to adopt the resolution; Julie Whitaker seconded. 
      • Bunny spoke in favor. There was no speaker against
      • The resolution was approved via a Zoom poll vote of 30 to 2. It is available here:

      https://34dems.org/proposed-resolution-in-support-of-a-washington-tax-on-extreme-wealth/

      Candidate Forums and Endorsements

      • Candidate forums will be planned by an ad hoc committee that includes Rachel Glass, Jordan Crawley, Ann Martin, and Carla Rogers, along with Chris Porter who volunteered during the meeting. 
      • We will prioritize forums and endorsing in Seattle Council District 1, which fits entirely within the 34th LD, and King County Council District 8.
      • The 34th will work to co-sponsor forums and consider endorsements for races in Burien, Seattle D2, D3, and D7.
      • We will consider endorsing in other races if approached by qualified candidates.
      • Candidates seeking our endorsement must fill out the appropriate King County Democrats candidate questionnaire.
      • Chair Murphy urged members to check their membership status, either by using a link posted in slack, or by reviewing their credit card statements to assure that they are eligible to vote for endorsements.

      In-Person Meetings

      • We will move to hold quarterly in-person meetings or gatherings, or a minimum of two per year, starting in the 2nd Quarter of 2023 provided that the costs for such gatherings are within our budget. There will be a need to collect funds to offset associated cost of meeting in person.
      • Hybrid meetings are not feasible given the technology we have available to us.
      • A survey taken in February revealed member thoughts:
      • Virtual meetings are more accessible, with less transportation issues.
      • In-person meetings are more conducive to social interaction between members, and access to elected officials
      • Shorter meetings are preferred.

      PCO Appointment

      • PCO Committee Chair Dorothy Gesick inducted a new PCO. Drew Estep, who was recognized earlier in the meeting, will be assuming duties in Sylvan Precinct in White Center.

      Treasurers Report

      • Treasurer Julie Whitaker gave the financial report.
      • Chris Porter rose to remark on how well off the 34th is in comparison to many other LDs in the state.
      • All funds will be out of Umpqua Bank by the end of the fiscal year and will be transferred into the BECU. All further financial activities will be done through that credit union.
      • Membership was at 137, including 66 PCOs, as of March 6, 2023.

      Good of the Order

      • Steve Butts announced that there would be an evening Outreach meeting on Zoom Monday, March 13.
      • Dorothy Gesick noted that there is growing public concern over public safety and that we should not ignore this sentiment.
      • Chris Porter reflected that while he enjoyed the pre-meeting program, he felt we missed an opportunity to have a special program to celebrate Women’s Day, which fell on the date of our March meeting.
      • Ann Martin came forward to say that the program for the March meeting of the West Seattle Democratic Women would be on indigenous women.

      The meeting was adjourned by the Chair at 8:43pm