WA Democrats Introduce Bill That Would Require Children to Start School at Age 6

08Dec

In the 2022 legislative session, Washington Democrat Senators Lisa Wellman and Claire Wilson sponsored SB 5537 to lower the age of compulsory attendance for school from 8 to age 5. Thanks to thousands of Washington parents speaking up against this, the bill died.

This week that bill has been resurrected and pre-filed by Senator Wellman in SB 5020 and is nearly identical. During committee meetings last session, Wellman introduced an amendment to the SB 5537 to change the age to 6. This new bill is the same as the last but including the amended age.

This is another way for the state to get their hands on your children at an earlier age. In a committee hearing last session Senator Wellman said: “We can’t allow ourselves and our children to not have the same head-start as those that they will be competing with for jobs in the future.”

But that’s not what this bill is about. It’s not delaying a head-start for children, it’s the government deciding when that time should be, instead of the parents deciding when the time is right for their child to enter school. If we learned anything in the last 2 years it’s that the government and the teachers’ unions do not know what is best for children, parents do!

Many parents appreciate the compulsory age being 8 because during these younger years, children mature and develop at vastly different rates, and it can be very beneficial for the child to have the flexibility of learn as the parents deem appropriate. With the Covid lockdowns and face masks, we are seeing many developmental delays in children across the board. These delays caused by the mishandling of Covid are yet another reason parents need to be the ones to decide when the appropriate time to start school is for their child. Many of these parents choose public school for their child, but some don’t.

Ultimately, education should be about funding students, not systems. This bill is another way for the state government to infringe upon the rights of parents.

Conservative Ladies of Washington will oppose this bill and we ask for your support in doing so and helping us spread the word to parents and citizens around the state. As this bill moves through the legislative process, we will keep you updated as to how you can make your voice heard.

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We Need YOU!

04Dec

For most of us, when we hear the term “civic duty,” we think of attending rallies, waving signs, or filling out our ballots. These are all essential and God-given opportunities for political discourse in our country. However, it seems too many conservatives ignore the not-so-sexy activities of legislative participation and communicating with our elected officials about the issues we’re passionate about. Conservatives may not be intentionally ignoring this crucial element of civic duty. It’s very possible most don’t know where to start, or when is the best timing, or who is the best person to contact, especially when our own representatives work against our political and moral values.

The Conservative Ladies of Washington (CLW) is making a way for like-minded voters to engage in the arena of legislation. Legislation affects our everyday lives. It determines how much more you will pay at the pump, what your children will (or won’t) learn in school, whether you have a right to know that your child is receiving “gender-affirming care,” whether small farms have a right to the water they need to grow the crops that feed our communities, and so much more. We’re putting together a Legislative Action Team (LAT) that will monitor what our state legislature is doing and provide specific actions for our fellow conservatives to take.

Whether you have just a few moments on your smartphone to forward messages, or an hour to write and submit testimonies or blog posts or have the boldness to speak in a legislative hearing, or take on the many other available tasks, please join us. We are fighting for common sense policies in our state, and against the insanity that will be coming in the next Democrat-majority session. We are working with legislators and policy experts, and we will guide you with whatever task you are willing to take on.

We cannot allow the extremists in our legislature to think we do not exist. We do not want it said to us, “Well, we didn’t hear from any opposition.” At this time, CLW is the most effective voice in support of conservative values in the legislature. Our group is becoming known by people on both sides of the aisle. There are few conservative legislators, and we need to support these brave men and women as they speak unpopular truth to power.

WILL YOU JOIN US?

It will take some bravery and some sacrifice of your time and effort. We like to say, “Freedom is not free.” Let us put our money where our mouth is and pay this small cost for the freedoms we enjoy so that the next generation can continue to do so.

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*By Jeannie Magdua, CLW Legislative Action Team Leader

Washington Democrats Seek an Assault Weapons Ban in 2023

03Dec

We are closely watching the Democrat priorities for the 2023 legislative session so that we can activate and engage Washington citizens.

One of, if not the top priority for Washington Democrats is gun control, more specifically, an assault weapons ban. We anticipate Governor Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson will be announcing their plans to do an “agency request bill” for the state legislature to run an assault weapons ban in the 2023 session next week.

Last session the democrats passed a “high capacity” magazine ban, SB 5078, which received a record setting amount of opposition from Washington residents, but ultimately passed anyway. This bill was another step closer to the ban Inslee and the Democrats will be seeking in 2023. This legislation is currently being challenged in the state Supreme Court for its constitutionality.

Democrats are using the significant increase in gun violence in many areas of the state, as well as the increase in school shootings this last year, including the most recent at Ingraham High School in Seattle, as cause to push forward on their assault weapons ban, further infringing upon the 2^nd Amendment rights of Washington citizens.

Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig (D-Spokane) confirmed to Axios Friday that the assault weapons ban is one of several gun safety measures his caucus considers a priority.

A November 10^th article from KOMO News:

State Representative Liz Berry said in the next session that she is working to fight the issue and to push for safety measures that include a ban on assault weapons. 10-day waiting periods and training requirements for all firearm purchase permits to buy firearms, and civil liability for gun dealers and manufacturers were also among the issues discussed.

“Lives are at stake,” said Rep. Berry. “We will do everything we can to pass common sense gun measures at the state level, but we should local municipalities and cities to do more to keep their citizens safe. What we’ve done is tied their hands by not allowing them to do that.”

Representative Jim Walsh told KXRO this week he believes “Article 1 section 24 of the state constitution is clearer than the federal constitution. You can draw a line from the federal constitution to the state constitution and see that Washington is a very foundational constitutional state and that includes the right to keep and bear arms and that should not be “impaired” (Federal constitution says infringed). That right should not be ‘messed with.’”

Listen to Jim’s full interview with KXRO here:

This is an issue we will continue to follow closely and we will keep you updated through the process. We encourage you to share this information with fellow citizens so people have an understanding of what lawmakers are trying to do in our state and then be prepared and committed to taking action to make your voices heard.

We cannot afford to be silent. There is no virtue in being the “silent majority.” Now is the time to engage!

Join the movement, join the fight! Support the work we are doing by becoming a member of CLW today or making a contribution to our efforts. Thank you!

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Religious Liberty is on The Line

19Nov

HR 8404, deceptively named the “Respect for Marriage Act” passed the House in July with 47 Republican Representatives, including Washington CD-4 Representative Dan Newhouse, voting in favor of this law that could be disastrous for religious liberty. On Wednesday, with 12 Republican Senators voting yes, this bill passed the US Senate.

A bipartisan group of senators worked together on amendments that would ensure protections for churches, pastors, and religious organizations. These amendments do not protect Christian-owned businesses or other Christian organizations protection from civil or criminal penalties for holding fast to their deeply held religious beliefs and values.

Kristen Waggoner, CEO and President of Alliance Defending Freedom, stated in a press release on Wednesday:

“Make no mistake, this bill will be used by officials and activists to punish and ruin those who do not share the government’s view on marriage. But it will not end there. When we undermine the First Amendment rights of our neighbors, we harm ourselves.”

With passage of this bill in the Senate it will now head back to the House of Representatives for another vote. We must put pressure on our Republican representatives to vote NO on this bill. Please take a few moments to send an email to your representative today and ask them to vote NO to protect religious liberty. Please share this call to action with your friends and on your social media. We must make our voices heard.

Senator Mike Lee of Utah has put forward an amendment that would protect citizens from harassment or retaliation from the government. He and fellow Republican senators have sent this amendment to the House asking them not to pass the bill without this amendment.

Visit: H.R.8404 – 117th Congress (2021-2022): Respect for Marriage Act | Congress.gov | Library of Congress Click on “contact your member.”

*This is the official US Congress website.

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Washington Democrats Will Seek a Constitutional Amendment to Establish a Fundamental Right to Abortion

18Nov

Conservatives may be in the minority here in Washington state, but we can use our influence to stop more bad policy from being enacted. Be sure to follow our call to action at the end of this article.

Last month, Jay Inslee, along with fellow radical left Democrat legislators held a press conference to announce some of their agenda items for the 2023 legislative session. At the top of the list, of course, is a constitutional amendment that would establish a fundamental right to abortion and a fundamental right to choose or refuse contraception.

If you’ve been paying attention to Washington state policy, this should come as no surprise. Abortion has been a top issue for radical left democrats nationwide, but especially here in Washington. Last session, the legislature passed HB-1851, also called the “Affirm WA Abortion Access Act”, which updated the existing law with gender neutral language (because it’s 2022 and even men can have babies) and allowed for other providers to perform abortion without liability. Essentially, a woman can get an abortion in Washington state at any time during the pregnancy for any reason. There are no legal limitations.

But that didn’t stop Washington democrats from making abortion their top issue for the midterm elections. They used the overturning of Roe v Wade to scare voters into thinking that abortion could be restricted or even outlawed in Washington. The whole point of overturning Roe was to turn the issue of abortion back over to the states, where Washington laws are already very clearly pro-abortion. Admittedly, Republicans did not do a good job of messaging around this and speaking to the fears of pro-choice voters.

In a strategically timed press conference just two weeks before the midterm election, Jay Inslee said: “Access to a woman’s right of choice is a health care issue. Health care must remain the providence of individual Washington women. These laws will keep the tentacles of restrictive states out of Washington.”

Representative Drew Hansen (D) shared about a sanctuary policy that would “protect patients from states like Texas and Idaho from being punished for lawfully seeking and receiving legal health care services in Washington state.”

“If other states are going to be creative and aggressive in making anti-choice laws, we will be creative and aggressive in fighting back,” said Hansen. “We are going to use every tool at our disposal to protect reproductive rights in our state.”

The proposed policy will also include protections for gender affirming care. This would allow for minor children to be able to receive puberty blocking hormones and “gender affirming surgery”, which, is the mutilation of a healthy child.

At the press conference last month, Inslee also announced that he was making $1 million in emergency funds available for “reproductive care clinics” and he issued a directive to the Washington State Patrol to refuse to cooperate with any investigatory requests related to abortion that would come from other states. This was purely theatrics as women in America are free to move about the country for any reason they please. No one is being prosecuted for having abortions in states where it is legal.

The democrats have a majority in Washington state, and they will be able to push through many destructive policies on their agenda. However, an amendment would require two-thirds of the state House and two-thirds of the state Senate. That would require several Republican legislators to jump on board with this pro-abortion policy.

TAKE ACTION: Email your Republican representative today and let them know you do NOT want them to vote to pass a constitutional amendment to codify abortion and gender-affirming care. Respectfully ask them to respond to your request for their commitment to vote no. BONUS: Tell 5 friends to do the same thing.

Use this link to find your district and representatives. Then you can click on each representative to get their email address. Washington State Legislature There is some shifting now after the election, but it doesn’t hurt to email the reps that are there now. We will send another call to action after the new legislature is sworn in.

We may be in the minority, but we can use our voices to have influence and prevent more destruction. Please act today!

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Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Seeking More Billions for K-12 Budget

18Nov

I recently heard that Chris Reykdal, the OSPI (Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction) for Washington state had requested that the legislature consider making school supplies free to students. After sitting through the 2022 legislative session, watching government funded education get every single funding request granted, I thought: “Surely, they must have money somewhere in the budget for this school supply program.”

As a frame of reference, for the 2021-22 school year, the dollars spent per student was over $22,000 in Seattle Public Schools. Compare that to just five years ago when it was $14,128. We have seen enormous rise in spending in the last 3 school years and there’s nothing to show for it. Students in Washington state were locked out of school for nearly two years, among the longest in the entire country. 70% of Washington students are failing in math and just over 50% are failing in English. And yet, the OSPI, Jay Inslee and the Democrats (and some of the Republicans too) keep coming back for more money from the taxpayers.

Last week, Reykdal announced his plans to “ensure equitable access to critical foundations. “Our youngest learners do not have equitable access to high-quality early learning experiences, and our kindergarten readiness data reflect these opportunity gaps,” said State Superintendent Chris Reykdal. “These proposals aim to close some of these gaps and address some of the financial barriers that impact our students and families. This is an opportunity to better support and prepare our youngest learners to thrive in school.”

30^th Legislative District Senator, Claire Wilson, is supporting these proposals and stated: “It is so important that we support our youngest learners and provide them with all the resources they need to have a successful and fulfilling education, that’s why I am proud to stand in support of Superintendent Reykdal’s proposals to decrease barriers to education for scholars across our state. Each of these programs will allow scholars more opportunity to engage in their education and are a huge step forward for Washington’s youngest learners.”

As I started digging to find information about this “school supply” program and the “equitable access to strong foundations” that Reykdal is requesting, I found this chart below. I was utterly shocked and in disbelief to find numbers like this buried in the “school supply” package.

You can review the entire 10-page “proposal” here: Increasing Staffing Allocations to Support Stronger, Safer Schools: 2023-25 Biennial Operating Budget Request (www.k12.wa.us)

Emily Makings of Washington Research Council writes:

For 2023–25, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is asking for a $6.565 billion increase to its general fund–state (GFS) budget. This would be an increase of 25.3% over 2021–23. (Adjusted for inflation, the increase would be 18.7%. That’s on par with spending increases made in response to the McCleary decision on school funding—GFS spending increased by 18.8% in 2015–17 and 17.9% in 2017–19.)

As you can see by the chart below, we will nearly double the education budget from 2015 to 2025.

We continue to spend more and more on education, but the quality continues to plummet. Our students are not just failing academically, but mental and emotional health are at crisis levels due to Covid lockdowns and mandates, the gender ideology and Critical Race Theory being pushed onto these kids in the classroom. We’re adding dollars, but we’re not adding value. Many parents have pulled their children out of government schools altogether for many of the reasons just listed. Many families are taking on the financial burden of private school or homeschool.

There’s an answer to this problem, but the people who like to “play politics” and the teachers unions don’t like it. It’s called SCHOOL CHOICE. It’s a movement that is catching fire across the United States. Many states have passed legislation to allow funding to follow the student – as it should.

Representative Jim Walsh introduced a bill last session that would allow for a $10,000 scholarship that interested families could request for their student. This could be spent on tuition, curriculum materials and other education expenses. The bill didn’t even get a hearing last session. Rep Walsh will introduce this bill again in the 2023 session. Liv Finne, a school choice advocate at Washington Policy Center suggests: “Give everyone the unspent Federal $1.6 billion in Covid relief funds so they can hire tutors for their children.” Another excellent idea that would benefit our children.

What our politicians and special interest groups are doing to our children through the government education system is very harmful and will have lifelong impact. Parents are fighting back and speaking up. We will be very active and vocal in the 2023 legislative session, and I invite you to join us – we are stronger in numbers!

By Julie Barrett, Founder, Conservative Ladies of Washington

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CDC’s Advisory Committee Votes to Add COVID-19 Vaccine to Recommended Immunization Schedule

27Oct

Last week the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted unanimously (15-0) to recommend the addition of the Covid-19 mRNA injection to the immunization schedule for all people, including children as young as 6 months old.

It is important to clarify that the CDC has not yet officially accepted and adopted this recommendation, although with a unanimous vote of the advisory committee, it seems pretty safe to assume that this is forthcoming. But as of right now, the CDC has not yet voted to add this to the schedule as recommended by the advisory committee.

We know that the Washington State Board of Health (WASBOH) is almost certain to adopt this recommendation if the CDC does. Last spring the WASBOH Technical Advisory Group (TAG) failed to pass a mandate for the Covid-19 shot for school children by just one vote. The TAG met with strong resistance from vocal parents and citizens in Washington state. And they will meet us once again when this comes up on their agenda…as we know it will.

The WASBOH November meeting is scheduled for November 9^th. The draft agenda was published today and so far, there is no agenda item to discuss the addition of Covid-19 shots for school children. We urge you to follow these meetings and the topics they add to their agenda. It is critical that, as concerned parents and citizens, we make public comments (in writing or verbal in the meeting) and that we show up to observe their meetings. They meet on zoom, so this is an easy way for us to observe – you can have it on in the background while you do other things.

WSBOH-Agenda-2022-11-09 Draft.a Download

We will continue to keep a close eye on this and alert you to action items. We encourage parents to be “on guard”, but not alarmed right now. But it will come, and we will fight to keep Washington PRO CHOICE – as in, pro MEDICAL choice.

Please consider supporting our efforts by becoming a member of CLW today. We are not beholden to big donors. We are 100% funded and supported by our members and we would love for you to join us in the fight for freedom!

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Abortion Is Not on The Ballot

23Oct

Nationwide, Democrats are running on the issue of abortion, the need to defend “reproductive rights.” Many candidates and elected officials seem to be utterly obsessed with preserving the ability of a woman (a term the left claim they cannot define, unless they are a biologist) to have an abortion at any time, for any reason. This is their platform issue because they are failing in every way and unless you live in a cave off the grid, you understand that regular American citizens are suffering and see the damage and destruction happening daily on the Democrats’ watch.

What you need to know:

This year, the Washington state legislature passed HB-1851. This bill expanded Washington’s existing abortion laws, allowing for pregnant “individuals” (they changed the language and crossed out woman, replacing with individual, throughout the bill text) to get an abortion at any time during the pregnancy for any reason, and can now be performed by “any” health care provider without liability. The Democrats tout this as “reproductive healthcare.”

HB-1851 was passed in advance of and predicting the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v Wade.

In Washington state, abortion is not on the ballot. Our laws here are very pro abortion and are not in jeopardy of being overturned anytime soon. Yet, Washington Democrats have made abortion their platform issue. Why?

Washington citizens are struggling greatly due to the highest inflation in 40 years. Gas prices in Washington are over $5/gallon and will be increasing with the new gas tax by $0.50-1.00 on January 1. Prices on groceries are up 13%. Meanwhile, earnings are down 3% on a national average. Democrats don’t have a plan to provide any relief to Washington/American citizens. It’s easier if they can divert your attention to “Abortion! Abortion! Abortion! We must kill the tiny humans!”

In June, Governor Jay Inslee announced that he was making $1 million in funds available for “reproductive care clinics.” Do not be confused, these are for abortion clinics, not pro-life pregnancy resource clinics. That’s $1 million in taxpayer funds to pay for abortions.

On Friday, in a press conference in Bellingham, Jay Inslee said that next week legislators will be announcing additional abortion access protection bills.

“The sanctuary policy will provide patients and providers with legal tools and protections if there are any criminal or civil actions commenced against them for lawfully receiving or providing reproductive health care services or gender-affirming services in Washington state.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Drew Hansen, will help to protect patients from other states who seek health care services in Washington state.” KIRO7

It’s not enough to have abortion on demand for any reason, at any time during the pregnancy, to be performed by any medical provider, now the Washington Democrats want taxpayers to ensure that residents of other states have these same services available.

The Democrats [nationwide] are obsessed with killing unborn babies. This is their most important issue – second only to the medical and surgical “gender affirming care” of minor children. It’s time to stop the Democrats and their evil agenda.

We must vote for Republican candidates to “stop the bleeding” in Washington and on a federal level. There are many issues that are impacting average citizens in a very real way and the Democrats have no plan or intention of addressing these problems.

Conservative Ladies of Washington is ready to fight this pro-abortion legislation come January 2023. Most Americans do not support the idea of abortion-on-demand and killing babies up to birth (and in some states, beyond).

We need you in this fight with us. Please consider joining CLW today or donating to our efforts. All CLW members who join before the November launch of Conservative Ladies of America (CLA) will be grandfathered into the national organization for the life of their membership.

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2022 General Election Picks

Ballots have dropped and are arriving in mailboxes around Washington state.

These are our 2022 General Election Picks.

The candidates we highlighted in YELLOW are those that have our endorsement. It is impossible for us to thoroughly vet each candidate in the detail that we would like. There are many excellent candidates on this list. Just because they aren’t highlighted, doesn’t mean they’re not a solid candidate. As our organization grows we anticipate having the capacity to issue more endorsements in future elections.

Please be sure to share this voter guide and encourage all your friends and family to vote! We must vote if we want to save our state and our country. Don’t sit this one out!

2022-Primary-CLW-Picks-General-rev2 Download

Official Endorsement: Brett Rogers, Snohomish County Prosecutor

21Sep

Endorsement of Brett Rogers, Snohomish County Prosecutor

Conservative Ladies of Washington is honored to give our full support and endorsement to Brett Rogers, candidate for Snohomish County Prosecutor

After 20 years of having no Republican candidate on the ballot for Snohomish County Prosecutor, we are thrilled to have Brett Rogers running for this position. Not only is Brett well-qualified, but he is exactly the change we need in the county to restore accountability of criminals and bring safety to our community.

Over the past few decades, we have seen a substantial rise in crime and lawlessness in Snohomish County. We believe Brett is the only candidate who will set policy to begin to restore public safety and support policy and funding to allow our law enforcement community to effectively do their jobs protecting our communities. Brett will bring the transparency to this position that is so desperately needed in our elected positions today.

Brett is not a career politician, but a man who has dedicated his life to public service, serving in law enforcement for over 3 decades. Brett is exactly the kind of candidate that we believe will help us begin to turn this county and this state in the right direction. We are grateful for his willingness to serve in this capacity, and we encourage you to visit his website to learn more, support and DONATE!

Brett Rogers | Brett Rogers Snohomish County Prosecutor (votebrettrogers.com)