Passed Resolutions – 21st Legislative District Democrats http://test.21dems.org The Website of the 21st LD Democrats Sun, 24 Mar 2019 23:30:54 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.2.21 21st Legislative District Democratic Organization Code of Conduct / Ethics – Adopted January 16, 2019 http://test.21dems.org/code-of-conduct-adopted-january-16-2019/ Sun, 24 Mar 2019 23:20:37 +0000 http://test.21dems.org/?p=2519 Read More]]> At the January 16th General meeting of the 21st LD Democrats, the body adopted this document as the 21st LD Dems Code of Conduct, also amending the 21st LD Bylaws to add new Article XI, incorporating the Code of Conduct.

LD21 Code of Conduct – Adopted Jan 16, 2019Download
]]> Ranked Choice Voting http://test.21dems.org/ranked-choice-voting/ Wed, 13 Feb 2019 08:58:36 +0000 http://test.21dems.org/?p=2264 Read More]]> Resolution Supporting the Implementation of Ranked Choice Voting

WHEREAS the State Legislature is considering HB 1310 relating to the presidential primary in an attempt to amend the presidential primary process; and

WHEREAS Democrats hold majorities in both chambers of the Legislature and the Governor of Washington, also being a Democrat, we have an opportunity and mandate to advance the Washington State Democratic Party Platform and ensure a fair and inclusive election process; and

WHEREAS the Washington State Democratic Party Platform states: “We Call for: … Electoral processes intended to increase voter participation and confidence in our electoral system, including such significant changes as… instant runoff voting (ranked choice voting).”; and

WHEREAS With the addition of a ranked choice process in the presidential primary, if that primary should be used for delegate allotment, and in the event of a candidate receiving less than a required threshold for delegate allotment, this would ensure that those voters are not disenfranchised and that their votes are not wasted.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the 21st Legislative Democratic Organization urges the Washington State Legislature to implement ranked choice voting (also known as IRV) for all presidential, federal, and state primary, general and special elections in the State of Washington, and urges the various county municipal authorities to likewise pass ordinances implementing ranked choice voting for all such elections at the municipal levels as well; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Governor of the State of Washington, the Lt. Governor of the State of Washington, the members of the Washington State Legislature, and the Washington Secretary of State, and a press release be issued.


Adopted 2/20/2019 by the 21st LD Democrats

Submitted by Shaun Olsen – Olivia PCO and State Committee Member 21st LD

]]> RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE PLAN FOR A GREEN NEW DEAL AND CREATION OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE FOR THE GREEN NEW DEAL. http://test.21dems.org/resolution-supporting-the-plan-for-a-green-new-deal-and-creation-of-the-select-committee-for-the-green-new-deal/ Sat, 09 Feb 2019 23:26:10 +0000 http://test.21dems.org/?p=2187 Read More]]> WHEREAS, on April 22, 2016, world leaders from 175 countries recognized the threat of climate change and the urgent need to combat it by signing the Paris Agreement and agreeing to “pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C,” which is already an alarmingly high level;

WHEREAS, on October 8, 2018, the United Nations released a special report from the Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change, criticized by many leading climate scientists as overly conservative, which projected that limiting warming to the already unsafe 1.5°C target this century will require an unprecedented transformation of every sector of the global economy over the next 12 years;

WHEREAS, the death and destruction already wrought by global warming of approximately 1.1°C above late 19th Century levels demonstrates that the Earth is already too hot for safety and justice as attested to by increased and intensifying wildfires, floods, rising seas, diseases, droughts and other extreme weather events;

WHEREAS, on November 23, 2018 the Federal Government issued a climate study detailing the massive threat that climate change poses to the American economy and underscoring the need for immediate climate emergency action at all levels of government;

WHEREAS, the global economy’s overshoot of ecological limits may be driving the sixth mass extinction of species, and has caused a 60% decline in global wildlife populations since 1970, and could devastate much of life on Earth for the next 10 million years, and may pose as great a risk to humanity as climate change, according to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services; and the United States of America has disproportionately contributed to these climate emergencies and has repeatedly obstructed global efforts to transition toward a green economy, and thus bears an extraordinary responsibility to rapidly address these existential threats by enacting measures to remediate the problem as an urgent priority;

WHEREAS, restoring a safe and stable climate requires a massive mobilization at all levels of society on a scale not seen since the civilian mobilization of World War II, and such mobilization is needed now in order to reach zero greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors quickly, to rapidly and safely drawdown or remove all the excess carbon from the atmosphere, to prevent the 6th mass extinction of species, and to implement measures to protect oceans, atmosphere, land, and species from the increasingly severe consequences of climate change;

WHEREAS, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has proposed that Congress create a House Select Committee for the Green New Deal which would be charged with “developing a detailed national, industrial, economic mobilization plan for the transition of the United States economy to become carbon neutral and to significantly draw down and capture greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and oceans and to promote economic and environmental justice and equality”;

WHEREAS, the Plan for a Green New Deal requires a just transition from a carbon-based economy to a carbon-neutral economy. This includes dramatically expanding renewable power sources and deploying new production capacity with the goal of meeting 100% of the national power demand through renewable sources; building a national energy-efficient “smart” grid; upgrading building construction for state-of-the-art efficiency, comfort, and safety, curtailing greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing, agricultural, transportation, and other industries, which will include investing in local-scale, sustainable agriculture, upgrading water infrastructure to ensure the universal right to clean water; funding massive investment in the drawdown and removal of greenhouse gases from all sources; and making “green” technology, industry, expertise, products, and services a major export of the United States, with the aim of becoming an international leader in helping other countries transition to completely greenhouse gas neutral economies and bringing about a global Green New Deal;

WHEREAS, the Plan for a Green New Deal, due to the national, industrial, and economic mobilization of this scope and scale is an historic opportunity to eliminate poverty in the United States and to make prosperity, wealth, and economic security available to everyone while transitioning to a green economy. This includes federal job guarantees; diversification of local and regional economies away from fossil fuels; strong enforcement of labor, workplace safety, and wage standards; protecting communities from climate change and environmental pollution; protecting the sovereign rights and land rights of tribal nations; mitigating deeply entrenched racial, regional, and gender-based inequalities in income and wealth; ensuring federal and other investment will be equitably distributed to historically impoverished, low-income, deindustrialized or other marginalized communities in such a way that builds wealth, ownership, and equity at a community level; implementing additional measures which promote economic security such as basic income programs, universal health care, universal housing security, labor market flexibility and entrepreneurship, and deeply involving national and local labor unions to take a leadership role in the process of job training and worker deployment;

WHEREAS, the plan for a Green New Deal must be implemented, overseen, and protected as a program that functions for the express benefit of the public good and environmental preservation and not become dominated by the goals of corporate enterprise.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we support the Plan for a Green New Deal and creation of the Select Committee for the Green New Deal, and we demand accountability from industry and government, and respect for and adherence to best practices in science and law regarding quickly promoting and enacting climate justice measures;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we demand that the Democratic leadership in Congress, create a Select Committee for A Green New Deal, with the full powers that select committees have had in the past rather than reactivating an out of date select committee with no subpoena power;

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that we will thank Representative Pramila Jayapal and other supportive members of Congress, that we will send this resolution to U.S. Representative Rick Larsen, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Senator Patty Murray and U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell to demand that they support the Plan for a Green New Deal as well as the creation of the Select Committee for a Green New Deal. We also request their response to this resolution and how they intend to support the Plan for a Green New Deal as well as the Select Committee being proposed for that purpose.

Adopted 2/20/2019 by the 21st LD Democrats

Sponsored by Gray Petersen, Snohomish County Committee Member
Co-sponsored by Liz Brown, Carolyn Ahlgreen, Lael White, Brent McFarlane

Resolution partial origination: https://www.theclimatemobilization.org/
IPCC Report: https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/
Climate Study Report from the U.S. Government: https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/
Green New Deal Committee Resolution: http://jdems.us/GND
IPBES: https://www.ipbes.net/
A future with the Green New Deal: https://theintercept.com/2018/12/05/green-new-deal-proposal-impacts/

]]> Resolution Supporting a Legislative Requirement that Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates Disclose Eight Years of Tax Returns in Order to Appear on Washington’s Primary Election Ballot http://test.21dems.org/resolution-supporting-a-legislative-requirement-that-presidential-and-vice-presidential-candidates-disclose-eight-years-of-tax-returns-in-order-to-appear-on-washingtons-primary-election-ballo/ Sat, 09 Feb 2019 00:48:06 +0000 http://test.21dems.org/?p=2181 Read More]]> WHEREAS a democratic norm has been established in that Presidential candidates of all major parties have, for over forty years, following the failure of President Richard Nixon to fully comply with the tax code, made public disclosure of their tax returns; and

WHEREAS tax returns, as pointed out by former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, “provide the public with its sole confirmation of the veracity of a candidate’s representations regarding charities, priorities, wealth, tax conformance, and conflicts of interest,” and may reveal
“inappropriate associations with foreign entities, criminal organizations, or other unsavory groups”; and

WHEREAS President Donald J. Trump, both while a candidate and continuing to this day, has not made public disclosure of his tax returns despite having vowed at least annually, from 2011-2017, to
do so; and

WHEREAS we have a longstanding and revered tradition of supporting democratic norms and promoting greater transparency in government; and

WHEREAS the Washington state Democratic platform expressly calls for “Requiring presidential candidates to disclose their tax returns and all vested interests prior to getting their names on
Washington’s ballot”; and

WHEREAS Washington state Senator Patty Kuderer (48th Legislative District) and Representative Derek Stanford (1st Legislative District) are introducing in 2019, in the State Senate and House, respectively, legislation to establish a procedural requirement that any and all presidential and vicepresidential candidates, regardless of party, disclose their most recent eight years of tax returns in order to appear on a primary election ballot in the State of Washington;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that we formally and enthusiastically support the Kuderer and Stanford Senate and House bills described above (official 2019 numbers to be determined);

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution be forwarded to our own state legislators, Governor, and others, so that they may understand our firm belief that requiring presidential candidate tax-return disclosure is an essential democratic norm that must be restored for the benefit all voters, regardless of party affiliation, in all future primary elections; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that our own state legislators be queried, at an appropriate time, as to what action they have taken and intend to take in response to this Resolution.

Adopted 2/20/2019 by the 21st District Democrats

Originated by Carl Larson, carl.larson@presidentialtransparency.org
PCO, Mountlake Terrace 15 (1st Legislative District)

]]> Resolution Supporting Whole Washington State Universal Healthcare Initiative (I-1600) http://test.21dems.org/resolution-supporting-whole-washington-state-universal-healthcare-initiative-i-1600/ Thu, 17 Jan 2019 05:04:53 +0000 http://test.21dems.org/?p=2095 Read More]]> WHEREAS Article 25 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights sets forth that “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control” establishes a fundamental right to healthcare;

WHEREAS, the Declaration of Independence, a foundational document of the Constitution of the United States, declares the responsibility of government to protect certain unalienable rights which include but are not
limited to the preservation of “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” we conclude that healthcare is a prerequisite for the latter, and as such is indeed a human right;

WHEREAS 522,000 Washington State Residents have no health coverage, more are underinsured, and lives could be saved by ensuring access to healthcare;

WHEREAS the 2018 platform of the Washington State Democratic Party affirms that “healthcare is a basic human right,” and that “An affordable universal single-payer system (provides) the most equitable and effective
health care, serving both individual and public healthcare needs” and;

WHEREAS the 2018 State Democratic Party Platform calls on “Washington State to establish a single-payer system for Washington residents until such time as a single-payer system is enacted nationally;”

WHEREAS a single-payer resolution was adopted by the Washington State Democratic Central Committee in April of 2017;

WHEREAS people of color, people with disabilities, and low income people are the most likely to lack affordable, comprehensive healthcare;

WHEREAS Whole Washington has crafted a bill5 guaranteeing universal healthcare to all Washingtonians, with a funding mechanism devised by a noted economist, reviewed by the Department of Revenue and the Employment Securities Department, which demonstrates that Washington state residents will save billions of dollars annually when universal healthcare is implemented;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the 21st Legislative District Democrats endorse Whole Washington state universal healthcare initiative;

THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the 21st Legislative District Democrats will provide membership contact information to Whole Washington and the 21st Legislative District Democrats will use its mailing list and online presence to mobilize voters and collect signatures;

THEREFORE, BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED THAT the upon adoption of this resolution, it be sent to the Edmonds and Mukilteo Beacon, the Daily Herald of Everett, the Triton Review, My Edmonds News, and all local representatives.

http://www.un.org/en/udhrbook/pdf/udhr_booklet_en_web.pdf

http://www.wa-democrats.org/sites/wadems/files/documents/Washington%20State%20Democrats%20-
%20Platform%20-%20160618.pdf

https://www.wa-democrats.org/sites/wadems/files/resolutions/WSDCCRES%20-%20817%20-
%20170422%20-%20PASS%20-%20HEA%20-%20Single%20Payer.pdf)

http://www.epi.umn.edu/let/nutri/disparities/causes.shtm

http://www.wholewashington.org/faqs

]]> Supporting Safe Injection Sites http://test.21dems.org/supporting-safe-injection-sites/ Thu, 26 Jul 2018 03:58:14 +0000 http://test.21dems.org/?p=1045 Supporting Safe Injection Sites and needle exchange in the 21st Legislative District

WHEREAS communities in the United States are experiencing opioid related drug use, overdose, crime, and health disparities that have negative socio-economic impacts;

WHEREAS in Washington State’s Snohomish County has some of the largest adverse impacts compared to other communities in Washington State;

WHEREAS the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department reports that 18% of all heroin-related deaths in Washington State occur in Snohomish County; and from 2011 – 2013 approximately 1 out of every 5 heroin deaths in Washington State occurred in Snohomish County; and in 2013 alone, heroin and prescription opioid overdoses represented 2 out of 3 of the 130 accidental overdose deaths in the county;

WHEREAS the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department is calling on collaborative partnerships, and approaches to intervene and reverse the effect of opioid addiction in Snohomish County;

WHEREAS the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department is equipping officers with the overdose intervention drug naloxone, and turning away criminal bookings that have opioid induced medical issues, because they overcrowd the medical unit at the Snohomish County Jail;

WHEREAS other Snohomish County based agencies such as the Everett Police Department, are deploying embedded social workers to provide resources to to address opioid addicts in the field;

WHEREAS these are partial solutions that contribute to addressing the opioid crisis in Snohomish County but do not comprehensively mitigate the adverse impact of opioid addiction in the community;

WHEREAS safe injection sites and needle exchanges are researched methods of harm reduction that have been utilized in many different countries including Canada, Australia, and European Countries;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we, the 21st Legislative District Democrats of Washington State, call on our elected officials on all levels to pass legislation that increases funding for safe injection sites and needle exchange programs;

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we urge legislation supporting Safe injection sites and needle exchange programs as harm reduction strategies;

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call for a repeal of the ban on Safe injection sites by the City of Lynnwood and Snohomish County;

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call on local county organizations and other democratic and progressive organizations to help fund and look for funds to support Safe injection sites and needle exchange programs;

THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that we the 21st Legislative District Democrats, urge municipalities and elected officials, to utilize safe injection sites and needle exchanges as a harm reduction strategies to reduce the impact of opioid use in Snohomish County.

____________________________________________________________________________

 

submitted by Strom Peterson and Jonathan Peebles

]]> Endorsing and Urging Support for H.R. 5236 http://test.21dems.org/endorsing-and-urging-support-for-h-r-5236/ Thu, 31 May 2018 03:00:13 +0000 http://test.21dems.org/?p=1066 Endorsing and Urging Support for H.R. 5236 – Main Street Employee Ownership Act of 2018

WHEREAS according to U.S. Census Bureau data, in 2014 firms with fewer than 500 workers accounted for 99.7% of the 5.83 million employer firms in the United States, and those with less than 20 workers made up 89.4% of businesses;

WHEREAS over half the working population (120 million individuals) works in a small business;

WHEREAS small businesses have generated over 65% of the net new jobs since 1995;

WHEREAS approximately 543,000 new businesses get started each month, but more employer businesses shut down than start up each month;

WHEREAS investor-owned companies never have to use the goods or the services that the company offers, which can lead to lack of concern by investors about the impact of their businesses on communities;

WHEREAS cooperatives are arranged democratically, with one person one vote, as opposed to stock-owned businesses which are based on one share one vote;

WHEREAS there are more than 39,000 cooperatives doing business here in the U.S.;

WHEREAS cooperatives exist in every sector of the economy, (including, but not limited to, engineering, home care, baking, taxi transportation, and information technology professionals) and are responsible for employing almost 1 million people;

WHEREAS research by Dr. Virginie Perotin of Leeds University has found that worker-owned businesses survive at least as long as other businesses with more stable employment, are more productive than conventional businesses, and executive and non-executive pay differentials are much narrower than other models;

WHEREAS H.R. 5236 was received in the Senate and read twice before being referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship on May 9th, 2018;

WHEREAS Senator Maria Cantwell is a member of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we, the 21st Legislative District Democrats of Washington State hereby endorse H.R. 5236 – Main Street Employee Ownership Act of 2018;

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we urge Senator Maria Cantwell to encourage with all due haste, within the extent of the law, passage of H.R. 5236 from the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship;

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we urge Senator Maria Cantwell and Senator Patty Murray to vocally support and vote in favor of H.R. 5236;

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon pro-democracy organizations in Washington State to show support for H.R. 5236, including but not limited to, left-aligned political organizations and unions;

THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be sent to the Washington D.C. offices and Everett offices of both Senator Maria Cantwell and Senator Patty Murray, as well as all unions operating within the 21st Legislative District and the Snohomish County Democratic Central Committee.

____________________________________________________________________________

Originated by: Scott Marshall, PCO, 21st LD Democrats

Passed 5/30/2018

]]> Single Payer – New Rule http://test.21dems.org/single-payer-endorsement/ Thu, 26 Apr 2018 04:01:29 +0000 http://test.21dems.org/?p=833

WHEREAS, the members of the 21st Legislative District recognize healthcare as one of the leading issues affecting each and every citizen; and

WHEREAS, the platform of the state and Snohomish county have included universal healthcare, specifically single payer healthcare for years; and

WHEREAS, the 21st Legislative District Democrats have passed multiple resolutions both supporting single payer and requesting our legislators to reflect this by supporting legislation on single payer; and

WHEREAS, the Washington State Democratic Party Charter, Article VI, section E(1) states: “Those elected as Democrats have the obligation to support the principles of the Democratic Party”; and

WHEREAS,  the same document states in section F(1)e, in the same article: “Each state, county, and district democratic party organization is encouraged to take positive, provable steps to ensure that Democratic candidates campaigning within those organizations’ jurisdictions endorse Democratic Party objectives as expressed in the platforms of these organizations and in this charter”;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the 21st Legislative District Democratic Organization does hereby adopt a Special Rule of Order stating that any Democratic candidate for state or federal legislative office who does not support, or whose record does not support, the passage of single payer legislation is ineligible for endorsement.

]]> Regarding Party Involvement with Sinclair Broadcast Group http://test.21dems.org/regarding-party-involvement-with-sinclair-broadcast-group/ Thu, 26 Apr 2018 04:00:16 +0000 http://test.21dems.org/?p=824 Read More]]> Resolution Regarding Party Involvement with Sinclair Broadcast Group

WHEREAS,​ the Sinclair Broadcast Group owns over 190 television stations across the United States, operating across all national networks; and

WHEREAS,​ Sinclair requires its stations to present so-called “must carry” national segments and read prepared scripts locally; and

WHEREAS, ​research has indicated that Sinclair-owned stations cover more national and less local politics, and provide more conservative-leaning coverage; and

WHEREAS, ​viewership falls after this coverage is implemented, indicating that Sinclair’s strategy is a persuasion effort and not one designed for ratings; and

WHEREAS, ​Sinclair owns ten television stations that reach voters in the state of Washington; and

WHEREAS, ​the Washington State Democrats call for all public broadcast channels to be “managed to serve the public interest,” reinstating the Fairness Doctrine, the reduction of concentration of media ownership, and the restoration of local programming;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: ​that the 21st Legislative District Democrats urge the Washington State Democratic Party, all local Democratic Party organizations in Washington, and all candidates in Washington who identify as Democrats to reduce their monetary support of Sinclair-owned television stations to the greatest extent possible; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: ​that reduction of monetary support includes advertising purchases on these stations, but not other media activities such as interviews, panels, and debates; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED: ​that the Washington State Democratic Party will deliver this request to the chairs of all County and Legislative District organizations in Washington, and to all candidates in Washington who identify as Democrats.
—————————————————–
References: “Local News and National Politics,” by Martin and McCrain, Mar. 22, 2018.

http://joshuamccrain.com/localnews.pdf

Sinclair-owned television stations serving Washington voters:

Seattle/Tacoma​: KOMO-4 (ABC), KUNS-51 (Univision)

Yakima/Pasco/Kennewick​: KIMA-29 (CBS), KEPR-19 (CBS), KUNW-2 (Univision), KVVK-15 (Univision), KORX-16 (Univision)

Portland OR​: KATU-2 (ABC), KUNI-16 (Univision)

Lewiston ID​: KLEW-3 (CBS)

]]> Thanking Reps – Curtailing Nuclear Weaponization http://test.21dems.org/resolution-of-thanks-to-representative-jayapal-for-working-to-curtail-nuclear-weaponization/ Tue, 27 Mar 2018 21:24:44 +0000 http://test.21dems.org/?p=415 Resolution of Thanks to Senator Cantwell and Representative Jayapal for Working to Curtail Nuclear Weponization

WHEREAS, Reducing the dangers from nuclear weapons remains one of our highest national security priorities; and

WHEREAS, Retaining the current U.S. arsenal of nearly 7,000 nuclear weapons defies common sense as well as fiscal reality, inasmuch as many nuclear policy experts believe that our national security objectives can be met with as few as 300 nuclear warheads; and

WHEREAS, The Department of Defense, assisted by the Department of Energy, plans to replace the nuclear submarine fleet, modernize and replace our Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, build a new strategic bomber fleet and develop a nuclear cruse missile, while extending and modernizing nuclear warheads and making major investments in the nuclear weapons laboratory complex; and

WHEREAS, These efforts are estimated to cost up to 1.25 trillion dollars over the next 30 years; and

WHEREAS, A nuclear war involving even 0.01% of the world’s nuclear weapons stockpile would threaten life on the entire planet, including precipitation of a “nuclear winter” causing starvation of over two billion people; and

WHEREAS, One Trident submarine (eight of which are housed at the Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor) has the destructive potential of over 5,800 Hiroshima bombs; and

WHEREAS, The current U.S. policy of maintaining nuclear weapons on hair-trigger alert, refusing to adopt an explicit “no-first use” policy, and providing no checks on the President’s authority to launch a first-strike nuclear attack, are destabilizing and threaten national security; and

WHEREAS, As attested last year by General George Lee Butler, 1991-94 commander of the Strategic Air Command, “rationality has never been the hallmark of any nation pursuing a nuclear arsenal or thinking about its employment.  Such arsenals take on a life and logic of their own, commanding huge budgets and compelling decisions that march at an ever increasing tempo to the beat of fear, technology, status, and vested interests…”; and

WHEREAS, 122 nations voted in July to create a “Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons,” which would prohibit nations from developing, testing, producing, manufacturing, transferring, possessing, stockpiling, using or threatening to use nuclear weapons, and that treaty has now been signed by 50 of those nations; and

WHEREAS, Representative Pramila Jayapal has been a consistent and outspoken advocate for reducing our spending on nuclear weapons and the number of such weapons in the U.S. stockpile, as shown by such actions as her co-sponsorship of the Restricting First Use of Nuclear Weapons Act (HR 669), her signing the Blumenauer-Lee-Quigley “Dear Colleague” Letter addressing the new Nuclear Posture Review; and her voting to limit spending on the Long Range Stand-Off Cruse Missile and development of an intermediate ground-launched missile system;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT:  The 21st Legislative District Democrats express our support for and appreciation of Rep. Jayapal’s and Sen. Cantwell’s valuable work to stop the expansion of nuclear weapons and reduce the threat of nuclear war.

 Adopted – 3/28/2018

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