2024 News Roundup

Happy New Year, 46th District Democrats!

And thanks for joining us on the exciting ride that was 2024!

As we look with anxious eyes at 2025, we recall all our accomplishments from 2024, including the successful election of each and every one of our state and local endorsed candidates; the sending of delegates to both the state and national Democratic Conventions; the creation of a 46th District Democrats Code of Conduct; the completion of our first Financial Review in over 7 years; and a festive end-of-year party and fundraiser – sponsored by King Council Councilmember Rod Dembowski – that brought in over $1,500!

The 46th District Dems also continued to lead the county in effective and inclusive membership meetings, and in the recruitment of Precinct Committee Officers.

THANK YOU to everyone who helped make this all happen!

And because we're always looking for ways to improve, we invite you to share your feedback on Program topics and meeting formats, so we can best tailor our offerings. Please use this link to access the survey: https://forms.gle/LYmDa1VBHcPfNtA97

Your feedback is greatly appreciated!

⭐ December 17 Regular Membership Meeting

Our December 17 Regular Membership meeting was called to order at 7:06pm and adjourned at 8:20pm. Approximately 63 members and guests attended over the course of the evening. Here are some highlights from the meeting:

Following a welcome and declaration of quorum, by Chair Hunter Brown, and a Land Acknowledgement, by Member at Large Cat Munsen, we covered the following business items:

• We Approved October 15, 2024 Regular Membership Meeting Minutes
• We Approved November 19, 2024 Regular Membership Meeting Minutes
• We Approved the appointment of Raymond T. Cole Fund Committee Members:
  • Brandon Monson
  • Margaret Shield
• We Endorsed a Position of Yes to approve the Seattle Schools Levies:
  • 2025 Educational Programs and Operations Levy (EP&O) Renewal
  • Building Excellence (BEX) VI Capital Levy

We were also joined by our newest Seattle City Councilmember, Alexis Mercedes Rinck, who told us about the work she's already accomplished on the council, including successfully passing two amendments on the Council's state legislative agenda, on her very first day in office! She shared her intent to visit with us regularly and we look forward to supporting her as she works to represent us on the city council!

** IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING REORGANIZATION

At the December Meeting, Chair Brown also shared the plan for our 46th District Democrats Reorganization Meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, January 21 @ 7pm on Zoom.

Register for the Reorg meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/1h_VtYf6RRaCvNDmhWiTkA

Reorganization meetings are held every two years, following an even-year election. These meetings are where Local Party Organizations (LPOs), such as the 46th District Democrats, elect their governing leadership.

As stated in our Bylaws, Section 5.1, the following offers are elected by PCOs only:

a. Chair (one)
b. Vice-Chair (one)
c. Representatives to the King County Democratic Central Committee (KCDCC) Executive Board (two)
e. Alternates to the KCDCC Executive Board (two)
g. State Committee Members (two)

Note, where two officers are specified above, they must be of differing genders.

Bylaws Section 5.1 goes on to specify the following officers, which are to be elected by both PCOs and General Members, elected by a majority vote of eligible members present:

a. Secretary (one)
b. Treasurer (one)
c. District Executive Board Members-at-Large (nine)

See Executive Board Job Descriptions here

Candidates for the above positions must self-nominate, and must do so prior to the January 21 Reorganization Meeting (Standing Rules of the 46th District Democrats, Section 12). The Chair shall publish the method of nomination with the call to meeting. 

If you're interested in running, we have established the following deadlines, to ensure that we provide timely notice of candidates, to the membership:

• Nomination Instructions will be sent in the Reorg Call to Meeting email, on Saturday, January 4 (a week earlier than the required 10-days notice, so as to give ample notice).
• Candidates who declare and submit biographies by 7:00pm on Sunday, January 12, will be posted to the 46th Dems website by Tuesday, January 14.
• All self-nominations are due no later than 11:59pm on Wednesday, January 15.
• A final list candidates (with submitted bios) will be posted to the website and included in an email to the membership by Friday, January 17.
• An in-person Candidate Forum/Meet & Greet will be held Sunday, Jan. 19. Details TBA.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Chair Brown at [email protected]

⏰ Looking Ahead

We look forward to seeing you at these upcoming meetings and events:

• 46th District Democrats Environmental Caucus Meeting –Monday, January 6; 7:00-9:00pm
  These monthly meetings are held on the 1st Monday of each month. The recurring Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82140323440

• 46th District Dems Executive Board Meeting –Tuesday, Jan. 7, at 7:00pm
  These monthly meetings are held on the 1st Tuesdays of each month. RSVP here.

• 46th District Legislators Pre-Session Town Hall – Thursday, Jan. 9, at 6:00-8:00pm at the North Seattle College Auditorium (located on the main floor of the library building), 9600 College Way N.
  Our 46th District Legislators want to hear from you as they get ready to begin a new legislative session on January 13. Join Senator Javier Valdez, Representative Gerry Pollet and Representative Darya Farivar, as they share with you their top priorities for this session and provide some updates on how their work is impacting the 46th District. More importantly, it’s a great opportunity for them to hear from you. Your ideas, questions, and experiences will guide their work in the Legislature.

  You can submit your questions ahead of time here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7HYRNLB. You can also RSVP on Facebook to let them know you’re coming (not required) and to keep track of any updates, at https://www.facebook.com/events/448490371639588/

• 46th District Dems Effective Meetings Committee Meeting –
  Sunday, Jan. 19, at 7:00pm
  These monthly meetings are held on the Sundays preceding Regular Membership Meetings. RSVP here.
  
  
• 46th District Dems Reorganization Meeting – Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 7:00pm
  Reorganization meetings are held every two years, following an even-year election. These meetings are where Local Party Organizations (LPOs), such as the 46th District Democrats, elect their governing leadership. RSVP here.
  
  
• 46th District Dems Policy Committee Meeting –
  Thursday, Jan. 23, at 6:30pm
  These monthly meetings are held on the 4th Thursday of each month. RSVP here.
  
  

🏛️ Connect with our 46th Legislative Delegation

Find out what our State Senator, Javier Valdez, Representative, Gerry Pollet and Representative, Darya Farivar are up to by signing up for their newsletters:

Sen. Javier Valdez: https://senatedemocrats.wa.gov/valdez/e-newsletter/
Rep. Gerry Pollet: https://housedemocrats.wa.gov/pollet/e-news/
Rep. Darya Farivar: https://housedemocrats.wa.gov/farivar/e-news/

📢 Looking for a past meeting?

No problem! You can find recordings of many of our past meetings on our 46th District Dems YouTube Channel (subscribe today!) And now that we live stream Regular Membership Meetings directly on YouTube, most recordings can be found under the "Live" tab.

📌 Last but not least ….

This is a great time to renew your membership! (or start a new one), as memberships expire on January 31 of each year, in accordance with our Standing Rules.

Dues support the costs associated with running the 46th Legislative District, and give you voting power at Membership Meetings, for such items as endorsing candidates, ballot measures and resolutions; electing some executive board positions like At-Large Members of the Executive Board; and adopting and amending our budget.

We have several contribution levels:

• Student / Limited Income ($10)
• Individual ($30)
• Couple/Family ($46)
• 4600 Club ($100)
• Friend of the 46th ($146)
• Supporter of the 46th ($246)
• Benefactor of the 46th ($546)

Join at https://www.46dems.org/become_a_member For questions about the status of your membership, email Membership Chair, Scott Alspach, at [email protected]

On behalf of the Executive Board and 46th District Democrats organization, we thank you for your partnership and your dedication to preserving democracy, and our values, such as justice, equity, and caring for our community and planet.

We look forward to organizing with you around our common goals, and working to protect our allies and community members from right-wing attacks on our civil liberties. With your help, we will continue to keep our LD, city, county, and state Blue in 2025!

Hunter Brown and Lisa Rivera
Chair and Vice-Chair
46th District Democrats