Ballot Measures: Initiatives and Referendums

An important part of the policy-making process in Washington State is ballot initiatives and referendums. Here are the AAUW-WA positions on initiatives:

NO on I-2124 Long Term Care Insurance Program Changes
NO means we support maintaining the state long-term care program, WA Cares Fund, as a mandatory payroll tax deduction to ensure equitable access to benefits which are often unaffordable or unavailable to most Washingtonians. Long-term care is a gender equity issue.

• AAUW NO on I-2124, Talking Points for Members
• AAUW-WA Letter to Editor
• Vote NO on I-2124 Campaign

NO on I-2109 Capital Gains Excise Tax Repeal
NO means we support maintaining the capital gains excise tax that funds Washington’s Education Legacy Trust that supports childcare, early learning, K-12 education including technical and career training, and school construction. AAUW-WA supports progressive taxation with a clear gender equity goal.

• AAUW-WA NO on I-2109, Talking Points for Members
• AAUW-WA Review of Tax Policy and Gender Equity Challenges
• Vote NO on I-2109 Campaign

NO ON I-2117 Climate Commitment Act Repeal
NO means we support the effort to maintain the strongest policy in the country to reduce Greenhouse Gases (GHG), prevent catastrophic warming and protect our air and water quality.   Funds from the carbon auctions support overburdened communities and seek environmental justice. Climate justice is a gender equity issue.

• AAUW-WA NO on I-2117, Talking Points for Members
• AAUW-WA Gender Equity in Climate Change Leadership Matters
• Vote NO on I-2117 Campaign

Elections: Candidate Comparisons and Forums

AAUW-WA is nonpartisan and our advocacy is issues-based. We do not endorse candidates. But we do provide issues-based candidate comparisons. Learn more about our issues-based election advocacy. (Link to come…)

The League of Women Voters of Washington provides links to candidate forums hosted by local Leagues all over the state. Go to the LWV-WA website to find previously-recorded as well as upcoming candidate forums. VOTE411.org allows you to personalize your search for candidate information.

Lobby Day

Each year, AAUW-WA hosts Lobby Day. Bringing AAUW members together from all over the state, our Public Policy team presents priorities, provides expert speakers, and explains our lobbying efforts. In 2024, Lobby Day was held on January 22.

Legislative Tracking

During the Washington State legislative season, we take action on the weekly updates from our AAUW WA lobbyist.

In addition to reading “This Week in Olympia,” you can:

• Learn how the legislative process works
• Find specific legislation
• Get your legislators’ contact information
• Watch committee hearings, floor debates and more on TVW
• Testify in committee hearings, in person or remotely, by signing up here
• See what’s going on each day by checking the legislature’s calendar

National AAUW has a Two-Minute Activist, with tools to help you call, email, or text your federal and state legislators about urgent issues.

More Tools You Can Use

We have resources to help you learn about and participate in AAUW’s school board advocacy.

 

 

 

 

Questions? Email publicpolicy@aauw-wa.org