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Agenda updated as of February 6, 2012
Letters from the Chair are posted here and newsletters are here.

AGENDA
Meeting of Wednesday, February 8, 2012
The Hall at Fauntleroy
9131 California Avenue S.W.,
West Seattle, Washington

34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS
"All The Democracy You Can Handle"

Social Time - 6:30 PM
Bring a Potluck Dish to share - meet and greet

Program and Business Meeting
7:00 PM

•   Adopt January meeting minutes
•   Planning the 2012 Caucuses - see also the Caucus Planning web page here
•   Chair/Vice Chair - On the spot recognition

Program:
•   Washington State Bank - The Washington Investment Trust would be a state bank that is publicly owned, bringing value to us rather than sending profits off to Wall Street. We will have a great presentation on this proposed legislation at the February meeting. Presenters are our own John Repp and Cindy Cole.
•   Charter Schools - we will discuss resolutions both supporting legislation to allow Charter Schools in Washington State and one opposing Charter Schools. The full text of House Bill 2428 regarding Charter Schools is here.
•   Funding of Home Health Care Aid Training - we will discuss a resolution to provide such funding - view it here.
•   Review the proposed 2012 budget for the organization. View a copy of it here.
•   Other program items to be determined. Contact Tim Nuse, 206.226.4849 with suggestions or ideas.

New Business

•   Appointment of PCOs (if any)
•   Other new business (if any)

Good of the Order


LAST MONTH'S AGENDA
Meeting of Wednesday, January 11, 2012
The Hall at Fauntleroy
9131 California Avenue S.W.,
West Seattle, Washington

34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS
"All The Democracy You Can Handle"

Social Time - 6:30 PM
Bring a Potluck Dish to share - meet and greet

Program and Business Meeting
7:00 PM

•   Adopt November meeting minutes
•   Chair/Vice Chair - On the spot recognition

Program:
•   Timothy Anderson, Washington State Director of the Coordinated Campaign will talk about the races they are focused on, the organization needed to win, and how we are going to work together in the 34th to deliver victories for Washington State.
•  Then Josh Friedes of Equal Rights Washington will discuss the bill to make same-sex marriage legal in Washington. Off the heels of Governor Gregoire's support, this looks like it might the year! Josh will talk about what it is going to take in Olympia and the inevitable state Referendum that will follow.
•   A Resolution in Support of I-502 to Legalize, Tax and Regulate Marijuana - download copy here or view copy below
•   Preview of major issues in the 2012 Legislative Session
•   Redistricting and its effect on Washington State's Politics
•   Other program items to be determined. Contact Sylvia Rolle, 425-298-6379, Program Chair, or Tim Nuse, 206.226.4849 with suggestions or ideas.

New Business

•   Appointment of PCOs (if any)
•   Other new business (if any)

Good of the Order


Proposed Resolution
Support the Passage of Initiative Measure No. 502
To Legalize, Tax, and Regulate Marijuana for Adults 21 and Over

WHEREAS thousands of Washington adults are arrested, prosecuted, and convicted for simple marijuana possession each year, wasting millions of dollars in police, court, and jail resources that could be redirected to more important public safety priorities;
WHEREAS marijuana is Washington’s second biggest cash crop and could generate hundreds of millions of dollars in new tax revenues for the state if brought out of the illicit market, regulated, produced by licensed Washington businesses, and taxed;
WHEREAS legalizing marijuana and bringing it under regulatory control would have a significant impact on the illicit profits supporting violent criminal organizations;
WHEREAS simple marijuana possession charges now account for fully half of all drug arrests in Washington;
WHEREAS possession of even a small amount of marijuana for personal use is a criminal charge requiring court appearances and carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of twenty-four hours in jail and a $250 fine, plus court costs and attorneys’ fees;
WHEREAS these short-term consequences disrupt lives and create financial hardship for many;
WHEREAS even a misdemeanor conviction for marijuana possession can result in long-term consequences like loss of employment, loss of housing, loss of federal financial aid for college, termination of child visitation rights, and deportation and exclusion of legal immigrants;
WHEREAS although white Washingtonians use marijuana at slightly higher rates, people of color are more frequently arrested, charged, and convicted for marijuana possession, resulting in a disproportionate impact on the communities struggling most to achieve social and economic justice;
WHEREAS in Washington, an African American is three times as likely to be arrested, three times as likely to be charged, and three times as likely to be convicted for a marijuana offense as a white Washingtonian, despite the fact that whites use marijuana at slightly higher rates;
WHEREAS evidence-based prevention programs, community support for at-risk families, education, and healthcare are more cost-effective strategies for reducing the risk of substance abuse than incarcerating people for marijuana use and saddling them with criminal records;
WHEREAS Initiative Measure No. 502 will legalize, tax, and regulate the purchase and possession of small amounts of marijuana for adults aged 21 and over;
WHEREAS Initiative Measure No. 502 will authorize the Washington State Liquor Control Board to license private individuals to produce, refine, and sell marijuana in marijuana-only stores, and to adopt regulations addressing safety, security, sanitation, quality control, labeling, and advertising;
WHEREAS Initiative Measure No. 502 will generate an estimated $215 million in new tax revenues each year, with roughly $80 million going to the state general fund and local budgets, and $135 million earmarked for substance abuse prevention, research and education, healthcare, and programs for at-risk youth;
WHEREAS Initiative Measure No. 502 will create a per se DUI threshold of 5 nanograms per milliliter of whole blood for the psychoactive marijuana component THC, and this per se limit will not apply to the non-psychoactive marijuana metabolite carboxy-THC that can appear in blood and urine tests for days or even weeks after last use; and
WHEREAS Initiative Measure No. 502 will not change Washington’s medical marijuana law, but it will provide patients new protection from arrest for possessing marijuana and new access to licensed, regulated sources of quality-controlled and Washington-produced marijuana;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Thirty-fourth Legislative District Democrats stand in support of Initiative Measure No. 502 to legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana for adults 21 and over; and
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Thirty-fourth Legislative District Democrats urge our Legislators to help pass this Measure in the 2012 Legislative Session.
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Thirty-fourth Legislative District Democrats urge the King County Democratic Central Committee and Washington State Democrats Central Committee to support passage of Initiative Measure No. 502


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Feb   6 - Caucus Planning Mtg
Feb   8 - 34Dems Monthly Meeting
Feb 11 - Occupy West Seattle
Feb 14 - Evergreen Dem Club
Feb 15 - 34th E-Board Meeting
Feb 20 - Grassroots Forum, Crab
Feb 23 - W Seattle Dem Women
Feb 23 - 34th Diversity Comm
Feb 28 - KCDems Monthly Meeting
Feb 29 - W.C. Food Bank
Feb 29 - Drink Liberally Burien
Mar   1 - First Thursday Dems
Mar 18 - McDermott Potato Fest
Apr 15 - Precinct Caucuses
Apr 28 - District Caucus
Apr 29 - King County Convention
May 18 - Dow's Filing Lunch
May 20 - 7th Cong District Caucus
Jun   1 - State Dems Convention

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Elected Officers
Tim Nuse - 206.226.4849
Chair
Sabra Schneider - 206.313.1300
First Vice Chair
David Ginsberg- 206.979.8338
Second Vice Chair
Jeff Upthegrove - 360.362.3180
Treasurer
LeeAnne Beres - 206.932.3642
Secretary
Marcee Stone - 206.465.1963
State Committeewoman
Chris Porter- 206.856.0182
State Committeeman
Lisa Plymate - 206.937.5050
King County Committeewoman
Jimmy Haun - 206.390.2761
King County Committeeman
Betsy Shedd - 206.722.5615
KC Committeewoman Alt
Dorsol Plants - 206.355.7900
KC Committeeman Alt

Committee Chairs
Brian Earl - 206.935.3731
By-Laws Chair
Sabra Schneider - 206.313.1300
Communications Chair
Tamsen Spengler - 206.932.2772
Diversity Chair
Walter Sive - 206.933.7577
Finance Chair
Carol Frillman - 206.935.5745
Fundraising Chair
Mike Heavey - 206.755.1576
Hospitality Chair
Les Treall- 206.948.5423
Legislative Action
Laura Hicks - 206.949.7802
Membership Chair
Steve Butts - 206.935.0798
Outreach Chair
Karl de Jong
PCO Chair
Open
Program Chair
Open
Parliamentarian
Jackie Dupras - 206.935.9683
Newsletter Editor
Bill Schrier - 206.937.8045
Web Editor

E-Board Minutes
and Documents

2011 Mid-Summer Classic
2009 Candidates' Forum
2008 Garden Party, Auction
LD Caucus - April 2008
Nelson Oath-Office - Nov '07
State Rep. Candidates' - Oct '07
McDermott Sworn-In - Oct '07
Nominating. McDermott - Oct '07
Endorsements Mtg - Sep '07
Maggie Awards - Oct '06
Parade Photos - July '06
Kickoff Erik-Eileen-Joe Jul '06
State Convention - June 2006
Clean-up's - May 2006
Outreach - May 2006
Caucus - April 2006
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