The Washington State Indivisible Podcast

Feeling stressed about the election? This uplifting and optimistic program is for you! We are joined this week by Simon Rosenberg, a 30-year veteran of US politics. He is a Democratic political strategist and creator of Hopium Chronicles, a daily blog and video series covering the national election, and it encourages Democrats to be optimistic in our outlook and our work. He is in conversation with Congressman Adam Smith, who serves Washington's 9th Congressional District. Smith was first elected to the House in 1997, and he is currently the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee. SHOW NOTES: Subscribe to Hopium Chronicles at https://www.hopiumchronicles.com/ Simon's twitter is https://x.com/SimonWDC Volunteer to help get out the vote with Washington Democrats at https://www.wa-dems.org/volunteer You can find out all about Adam Smith's campaign at https://www.electadamsmith.com

Meet Issaquah city councilmember Victoria Hunt, who is running to fill an open seat for Representative in the 5th LD, which includes Issaquah, Renton, and Maple Valley. SHOW NOTES: https://victoriahunt.com/

SHOW NOTES: https://indivisiblevashon.org/gotv

REBROADCAST: WA Commissioner of Public Lands Candidate Dave Upthegrove by Stephan Cox

Meet Washington Supreme Court Justice candidate for position 2, Sal Mungia! SHOW NOTES: https://www.salforjustice.com/

Stephen Reed is Communications Director for the Washington State Democrats, and he joins us this week to talk about his observations and experiences at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. We also discuss several key races here in Washington, and we have volunteer recommendations for getting us across the finish line in November. SHOW NOTES: https://www.wa-democrats.org/volunteer

SHOW NOTES: https://indivisiblevashon.org/gotv

ICYMI! A re-broadcast of our Washingtonians for Harris-Walz virtual Zoom event and fundraiser, a co-production between Washington Indivisible groups and the Washington State Democratic Party. It was held on the evening of Monday, August 12th. This event features a who's-who of Washington (and US) political and activist leaders: U.S. Senator and Harris-Walz Campaign Co-Chair Chris Coons (D-DE), Washington State Democratic Chair Shasti Conrad, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, U.S. Members of Congress Adam Smith, Pramila Jayapal, Suzan DelBene, Kim Schrier, Governor Jay Inslee, candidate for U.S. House and State Representative Emily Randall, candidate for Attorney General Nick Brown, King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay and state lawmakers Jamila Taylor, Kristine Reeves, and Drew Hansen. Viewers also heard from Seattle Drag Queen Nemesis, podcast host and political consultant Crystal Fincher, Fuse Executive Director Aaron Ostrom, Indivisible Co-Founder and Co-Leader Ezra Levin, and Alliance for Gun Responsibility Executive Director Renee Hopkins.

In this November's election, one of the key legislative races is the campaign to replace outgoing 5th LD Senator Mark Mullet, who is currently running for governor. Democrat Bill Ramos has served as representative in the 5th since 2019. His district includes Issaquah, Maple Valley, and Renton. SHOW NOTES: https://www.voteramos.org/

We focus this week on the ballot initiatives that look to roll back many of the important gains made by our state legislature on things like the climate, healthcare, and equitable taxation. Specifically, we want to give you some talking points you can use when you're out connecting with voters about these initiatives. Guest: Calvin Jones, Outreach Director for Defend Washington, which is the umbrella campaign to defeat the Let's Go Washington initiatives SHOW NOTES: https://no2117.com/ https://www.no2109.org/ https://www.noon2124.org/ https://defend-washington.com/ info@defend-washington.com

Manka Dhingra is State Senator for the 45th LD, and Deputy Majority Leader of the Senate, and she's running for Washington Attorney General. SHOW NOTES: https://electmanka.com/

SHOW NOTES: https://nickbrownforag.com/

SHOW NOTES: TAN Elections one-stop-shop page: Bit.ly/TANELECTIONS http://www.indivisiblevashon.org/gotv/

On this week's special episode, Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09) joins us to discuss his recent book, “Lost and Broken: My Journey Back from Chronic Pain and Crippling Anxiety.” Our wide-ranging discussion details Smith's own experiences, as well his cultural insights and policy recommendations for how we can better address mental health issues in the United States. SHOW NOTES: Buy "Lost & Broken" https://amzn.to/3Ki4X3D

This week, we're joined by state senator Emily Randall (LD 26) for a wide-ranging discussion about her campaign to succeed Derek Kilmer as member of Congress representing the 6th congressional district (parts of Tacoma, as well as Bainbridge Island, Bremerton, and the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas). SHOW NOTES: https://electemilyrandall.com/

As we draw another month closer to November's election, we check in with numbers guru Kevin Jones. He is a member of the Washington Indivisible Network steering committee, and he's the head of the WIN election team. Show Notes: https://indivisiblevashon.org/gotv

This week, we are excited to bring you a forum for Democratic candidates running for state representative in the 5th legislative district, which includes Issaquah, Maple Valley, and part of unincorporated King County. This was done in conjunction with the 5th LD Democrats, and was recorded on April 20th at the Maple Valley Library. Candidates: - Kristiana DeLeon - Victoria Hunt - Jason Ritchie - Waylon Menzia

Our discussion with Chris Reykdal, WA Superintendent of Public Instruction, who's running for a third term. Show notes: https://www.chrisreykdal.org/ Reykdal's cell: 360-790-3151 OSPI's guidelines on AI: https://ospi.k12.wa.us/student-success/resources-subject-area/human-centered-artificial-intelligence-schools

Reid Saaris is a candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction. He is the founder of Equal Opportunity Schools, a nonprofit that's dedicated to helping students of all backgrounds succeed. And he's the author of the just-released book, “The Kid Across the Hall & the Fight for Opportunity in Our Schools.” Show Notes: https://reid4waschools.com/

Our live town hall with Attorney General Bob Ferguson, Democratic candidate for WA Governor. Recorded in Tacoma on March 17th, 2024.

By now, you've heard about the three GOP-backed initiatives on this November's ballot that are threatening to roll back important progress on things like the climate, health care, and equitable taxation here in the state. Joining us to talk about how we defeat these measures are: - Rosey Barber Campaign director with Fuse - Reiny Cohen, Director of the Fuse Communications Hub Show Notes: Defend Washington Coalition Sign On: https://forms.gle/mkihrwPcxtctgSJr5 Sign up to volunteer: https://fusewashington.actionkit.com/signup/DefendWA_Volunteer_interest/

We review the 60-day 2024 legislative session with Sen. Manka Dhingra (LD 45).

Dave Upthegrove is currently the chair of the King County Council, and he is running in this year's election to be Washington Commissioner of Public Lands. Show Notes: https://upthegrove.org/

Hear the latest election updates with WIN Election Group leader, Kevin Jones. Show Notes: Join TAN Elections: bit.ly/TANELECTIONS No on 2117: https://www.tfaforms.com/5105614

With the 2024 election now well underway, Indivisible is here with a new four-pronged strategy to win the White House and Senate and flip the House. Introducing Project 2024: Majority Over MAGA, a nationwide program to build a new Democratic trifecta, reelect President Biden, and mobilize a majority against the forces of MAGA. Guest: Indivisible's Political Director, Dani Negrete Show Notes: Read Project 2024 here: https://indivisible.org/sites/default/files/2024-02/FINALIZED%20MEMO%20_%20Project%202024_%20Majority%20Over%20MAGA%20strategy%20brief.pdf

If you've ever dreamed of being a delegate in a presidential election, this could be your year. The Washington State Democrats are now hosting a series of online trainings on how to run for delegate. We're joined by chair of the Washington Democrats, Shasti Conrad, to talk about that and more. Show Notes: https://www.wademsdelegates.org/events/category/delegate-candidates/training/ https://www.wademsdelegates.org/get-involved/run-for-delegate/

Just a quick pod to talk about the threat posed by the third party called No Labels, and to let you know what you can do to help stop them. They have recently announced they intend to put a Republican on the top of their presidential ticket. And they have also recently acknowledged that they have no chance of winning the general election outright, so their plan now is to attempt to deny 270 electoral votes to both the Democratic and Republican candidates, which would throw the election to the House--which would all but ensure a second Trump term. Indivisible is asking members to write letters to the editor about the threat No Labels poses to the 2024 election, and have put together a list of talking points, which you can find in the link below. Show Notes: Link for Letter to the Editor writing campaign: https://act.indivisible.org/lte/write-letter-editor-warning-your-community-no-labels-threat-our-democracy?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=directpost

We begin our 2024 candidate coverage this week with Kristiana DeLeon. She currently serves as a council member for the city of Black Diamond, and she is running for state representative in the 5th legislative district. Show Notes: https://www.kristianadeleon.com/ SB 6298: https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=6298&Year=2023&Initiative=false

The 2024 election is officially underway, so we're excited to bring you our monthly election coverage, touching on the most important developments here in the state and around the country, and laying out just how and where you can make the biggest impact. With: Kevin Jones, leader of Indivisible Vashon, steering committee member of the Washington Indivisible Network, and head of the WIN Elections Committee. Kevin's Battleground Election Matrix: http://www.indivisiblevashon.org/gotv/

In this year's upcoming legislative session, Democrats in both the House and Senate will be reintroducing a wealth tax for Washington. Listeners to this show are aware that our state has the most upside down tax structure in the nation, and this bill would work to partially address that by levying a 1% tax on residents with assets above $250 million, impacting about 700 individuals here in the state. The bill is being sponsored by Rep. My-Linh Thai (LD 41), who joins us to talk about the many benefits of a wealth tax for Washingtonians.

Fuse Washington's Reiny Cohen joins us to give a preview of key legislative priorities in the upcoming 2024 session.

With the start of the 2024 legislative session just a month away, we talk this week about two ways you can have a real impact on the legislative process. The first is to become a bill tracker with Washington Indivisible Legislative Action, or WILA. The other is to sign up for the Take Action Network, or TAN, an email subscription database that sends you a list of actions you can take on specific legislative issues based on your areas of interest. Our guest is Louise Pathe, leader of Washington Indivisible Legislative Action (as well as a member of the Washington Indivisible Network steering committee). Show Notes: Email: WALegCTA@gmail.com https://www.takeaction.network/videos https://www.takeaction.network/bill_tracker_training https://bit.ly/TAN-Logos-Signup

As we gear up for the 2024 election cycle, this show is going to be bringing you a number of ways that you can get involved. This week, we talk with our friend, Jody Rein. She is Indivisible's senior manager of Truth Brigade, a group of volunteers who work to fight disinformation and shape narratives online, and she joins us to talk about how messaging can move the needle in 2024. Truth Brigade will be hosting their final call of the year on December 13th, to celebrate community and to talk about their new Disinfo-Busters campaign. SHOW NOTES: Indivisible's Twitter/X Last campaign: https://www.xlast.org/ Disinfo-Busters campaign, live next week at SpeechiFAI: https://app.speechifai.tech/campaign/D470242F-C007-4C19-BB05-A907E220F444 Join the Truth Brigade: https://act.indivisible.org/signup/indivisible-truth-brigade Truth Brigade's notes on the Middle East conflict: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15OJP_wjkXFitzIh7JNnKEUPgnwCNx-1xRfFgQBjrcNg/edit Learn more about Truth Brigade: https://indivisible.org/campaign/truth-brigade

Washington Democratic Party Chair Shasti Conrad joins us to discuss: - Her current priorities as chair - Important races she's focused on for November 7 - Her take on where things stand for the 2024 election with our governor's race, as well crucial House races in the 3rd and 8th CDs - Where we can best direct our time, energy, and resources in 2024 to have the greatest impact - and more!

As we wind up our school board race coverage, we talk this week with three candidates who are running for seats on the Puyallup School District Board, each whom faces an opponent affiliated with Pierce County Moms for Liberty. Amanda Cuthbert (Position 3) Trish Crocker (Position 2) Davida Sharpe Haygood (Position 5) Show Notes: Amanda Cuthbert: https://www.amandacuthbert.com/ Davida Sharpe Haygood: https://www.vote4davida.com/ Trish Crocker: https://friends4trish.com/

Patty Kuderer is a state senator representing Washington's 48th LD, and she recently declared her candidacy for state insurance commissioner in next year's election. She joins us this week to discuss: - her personal and professional reasons for running for the position - her commitment to creating universal healthcare for all Washingtonians, and how she'd work as commissioner to advance work she's already done as state senator - her ideas for regulating the gun industry through the insurance industry - and much more. Show Notes: http://www.pattykuderer.com

In response to the threat posed by extreme right-wing groups like Moms for Liberty to our public schools, we continue our coverage of critical school board races across the state. This week, we are joined by three individuals who are running for election in and around Kitsap. Breezy Mitchell: https://www.electbreezymitchell.com/ Terri Schumacher: https://schumacher4board.poliengine.com/ Karen Bolton: https://www.electkarenbolton.com/

Listeners to this show know just how important this year's school board elections are. Radical right-wing groups like Moms for Liberty have been working to infiltrate our school boards here in Washington, so to raise awareness, we are beginning our coverage this week of crucial school board races across the state. We begin with three women who are running for election in and around Spokane, each against an extreme-right challenger. Jaime Stacy is running for an open seat in the Mead School District. And Debra Long and Cindy McMullen are both incumbents running for reelection to the Central Valley School District board. These are exceptional candidates, and they offer an instructive example of how to fight back against extremism in your school district. Show Notes: Jamie Stacy campaign website: https://www.votejaimestacy.com/ Strong Women Achieving Greatness: https://www.strongwomenachievinggreatness.com/news Campaign website for Debra Long: https://cvsdkidsfirst.com/debra/ Campaign website for Cynthia McMullen: https://cvsdkidsfirst.com/cindy/

While efforts to ban books in other states have gotten nationwide attention, many of us may not be aware of similar attempts right here in Washington to censor books in our schools and public libraries. Secretary of State Steve Hobbs oversees Washington's public libraries, and he joins us to talk about what's being done to counter this threat, and also to bring us up to date on what's being done to protect our elections going into 2024.

Unpacking this year's primary results with chair of the King County Democrats, Carrie Barnes. We discuss results in the many city and county council races, as well as some critical school board races, and Carrie talks about the many ways you can get involved with this November's general election. Show Notes: For inquiries on how you can get involved: info@kcdems.org http://www.kcdems.org

Democrat Hilary Franz is Washington's Commissioner of Public Lands, and she joins us to talk about her 2024 campaign for governor. Show Notes: https://www.hilaryfranz.com/

For this year's election, while many of us will be focused on school board and local races here in Washington, there are also some other critical elections happening around the country where we can make an impact. The program Postcards to Swing States, part of the Progressive Turnout Project, is focusing on two states this year–the legislative race in Virginia, and the governor's race in Kentucky. And director of Postcards to Swing States, Reid McCollum, joins us to talk about his organization's new metrics showing the effectiveness of sending postcards to voters. Show Notes: https://www.turnoutpac.org/postcards/

In Washington State, BIPOC communities comprise more than 36% of the population, but only 19% of our elected officials are actually from these communities, meaning that people of color in Washington are consistently underrepresented in our government. Addressing this imbalance is First Mile Circle, a grassroots fundraising organization takes donations at any dollar amount and distributes those funds to progressive candidates of color in down-ballot races across Washington state. Guest: Dionne Foster, Executive Director of Progress Alliance of Washington, the founding organization for First Mile. Join and donate at: firstmilecircle.org

45th LD Senator Manka Dhingra is Chair of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, Deputy Majority Leader of the State Senate, and a 20-year Senior Deputy King County Prosecutor. She joins us this week to talk about her recently launched campaign for WA Attorney General, replacing outgoing AG Bob Ferguson.

In September of last year, 22-year old Mahsa Amini died in police custody in Iran after being arrested for allegedly not wearing hijab in accordance with government standards. After months of worldwide protests, conditions for women in Iran continue to be dire, and this week's guests are dedicated to keeping the issue front and center by creating awareness and taking action here in Washington. Arezou Bagan - Human rights activist and founder and board member of Voice of Iran, a non-partisan, multi-faith advocacy group that supports and amplifies the voice of the Iranian people as they fight for basic human rights and a secular democracy. And Azadeh Forouzandeh - Healthcare worker and also a grassroots activist who works as the communications manager for Voice of Iran. http://www.voiceofiran.org

Democrats in Washington's state legislature went into this year's long session with a lot of expectations, especially after picking up a seat in each chamber in last year's election. Groups like Indivisible and Fuse Washington worked hard to advocate for legislation in areas like housing, gun safety, voting rights, healthcare, and a lot more. Reiny Cohen is the Communications Hub Director with Fuse Washington, and she joins us to talk about what got accomplished this year–-and some of what didn't.

If you followed Kevin McCarthy's prolonged confirmation process to become speaker, you're familiar with the many concessions he made to the MAGA wing in Congress, specifically those empowering members who want to default on the national debt, something that, if successful, would have catastrophic consequences for the US and even global economy. As the vote gets closer, Indivisible is asking groups across the country to call attention to the dangers of this MAGA default crisis by hosting a series of events from May 19th through the 26th. Indivisible's National Advocacy Director, Mary Small, joins us to talk about the details of the crisis, about how to message around it, and about how your group can create an event to call attention to this crucial issue. SHOW NOTES: http://www.magadefaultcrisis.org Video Replay of the National Activist Call: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy6jv90cd1c Slide Deck from National Activist Call about the MAGA Default Crisis: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1i8uE-sGLfH0WJ7dfJZl_BMXPLQ_iGBamlcDMd-t_wUU/edit?emci=ec5fa2fc-d62a-ec11-981f-c896653b9208&emdi=7e8a9566-ddda-ed11-8e8b-00224832eb73&ceid=10327#slide=id.g22ceceab7ed_1_190 Week of Action Toolkit: https://click.everyaction.com/k/61793117/401213228/2113431474?nvep=ew0KICAiVGVuYW50VXJpIjogIm5ncHZhbjovL3Zhbi9UU00vVFNNSVYvMS82ODE0OSIsDQogICJEaXN0cmlidXRpb25VbmlxdWVJZCI6ICI3ZThhOTU2Ni1kZGRhLWVkMTEtOGU4Yi0wMDIyNDgzMmViNzMiLA0KICAiRW1haWxBZGRyZXNzIjogInN0ZXBoYW5jb3hAZ21haWwuY29tIg0KfQ%3D%3D&hmac=MnBlE0FTZbKAZfLYYp9Oo7rQrlvpLpDy8EMkVmpuxI4=&emci=ec5fa2fc-d62a-ec11-981f-c896653b9208&emdi=7e8a9566-ddda-ed11-8e8b-00224832eb73&ceid=10327 How to Register your upcoming event: https://click.everyaction.com/k/61793118/401213229/-2073411041?nvep=ew0KICAiVGVuYW50VXJpIjogIm5ncHZhbjovL3Zhbi9UU00vVFNNSVYvMS82ODE0OSIsDQogICJEaXN0cmlidXRpb25VbmlxdWVJZCI6ICI3ZThhOTU2Ni1kZGRhLWVkMTEtOGU4Yi0wMDIyNDgzMmViNzMiLA0KICAiRW1haWxBZGRyZXNzIjogInN0ZXBoYW5jb3hAZ21haWwuY29tIg0KfQ%3D%3D&hmac=MnBlE0FTZbKAZfLYYp9Oo7rQrlvpLpDy8EMkVmpuxI4=&emci=ec5fa2fc-d62a-ec11-981f-c896653b9208&emdi=7e8a9566-ddda-ed11-8e8b-00224832eb73&ceid=10327 How to apply for reimbursement for your event: https://click.everyaction.com/k/61793119/401213230/-783638457?nvep=ew0KICAiVGVuYW50VXJpIjogIm5ncHZhbjovL3Zhbi9UU00vVFNNSVYvMS82ODE0OSIsDQogICJEaXN0cmlidXRpb25VbmlxdWVJZCI6ICI3ZThhOTU2Ni1kZGRhLWVkMTEtOGU4Yi0wMDIyNDgzMmViNzMiLA0KICAiRW1haWxBZGRyZXNzIjogInN0ZXBoYW5jb3hAZ21haWwuY29tIg0KfQ%3D%3D&hmac=MnBlE0FTZbKAZfLYYp9Oo7rQrlvpLpDy8EMkVmpuxI4=&emci=ec5fa2fc-d62a-ec11-981f-c896653b9208&emdi=7e8a9566-ddda-ed11-8e8b-00224832eb73&ceid=10327 Attend the May 4th workshop: https://click.everyaction.com/k/61793120/401213231/-947012178?nvep=ew0KICAiVGVuYW50VXJpIjogIm5ncHZhbjovL3Zhbi9UU00vVFNNSVYvMS82ODE0OSIsDQogICJEaXN0cmlidXRpb25VbmlxdWVJZCI6ICI3ZThhOTU2Ni1kZGRhLWVkMTEtOGU4Yi0wMDIyNDgzMmViNzMiLA0KICAiRW1haWxBZGRyZXNzIjogInN0ZXBoYW5jb3hAZ21haWwuY29tIg0KfQ%3D%3D&hmac=MnBlE0FTZbKAZfLYYp9Oo7rQrlvpLpDy8EMkVmpuxI4=&emci=ec5fa2fc-d62a-ec11-981f-c896653b9208&emdi=7e8a9566-ddda-ed11-8e8b-00224832eb73&ceid=10327#/registration

School board races are front and center in this year's election, and for good reason. The stakes could not be higher. We know that the vast majority of Americans support an honest public education for our children, even at a time when that education is under assault. So this week, we hear from Washington Superintendent of Public Education, Chris Reykdal. He spoke recently at a meeting put on by Indivisible Tacoma to address the importance of this year's election, among many other issues facing our schools. We're proud to bring you the entirety of that conversation here.

No matter your political affiliation, the vast majority of Americans believe in preserving honest public education. But public schools everywhere are under attack by extremists who are infiltrating school boards to push for things like book bans and prohibition on subjects like slavery, racism, and LGBTQ issues. One of the most impactful ways you can push back is to run for school board, and our guests have written a nonpartisan guide on how to do it. Petra Hoy, founder and head of Be the Change 509 Louise Pathe. steering committee for the Washington Indivisible Network, and co-founder of the WIN Schools Workgroup Op ed on the value of public education https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/apr/02/jeanne-baynes-and-pui-yan-lam-full-us-story-must-b Guide: bit.ly/RunForSchoolBoardGuideWA Progressive Addendum: bit.ly/RunForSchoolBoardAddendum

As you've probably heard, Democratic legislators in this year's session are working to pass a wealth tax for Washington, which would levy a 1% tax on residents with assets above $250 million. The bill is considered necessary to implement this year's budget, so advocates are working to raise awareness and put pressure on our legislators in advance of the passing of the annual budget. Talking about why this tax would be a game changer for Washington is Carolyn Brotherton, PhD, the Progressive Revenue Policy Associate with the Economic Opportunity Institute.

Following last year's Dobbs decision overturning Roe v Wade, several states have worked to pass legislation codifying abortion access for state residents. Here in Washington, Senator Yasmin Trudeau (LD 27) recently co-authored a bill (advancing as HB 1469: https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1469&Year=2023&Initiative=false ) that would additionally protect those who come from out of state for reproductive healthcare, as well as gender-affirming care. Show Notes: My Health My Data: Tell Law & Justice Committee to STRENGTHEN and PASS HB 1155 https://www.takeaction.network/xactions/33112?ref=51 Contact your members to let them know you want My Health My Data restored to its original form in the Senate, and House members to vote for it in concurrence. Check your members' pages for town halls (happening now throughout the state) and send in a comment in advance and/or attend to make sure they know you expect them to pass the Shield Law and My Health My Data with restored consumer privacy protections.