Dear Friends,
Serving as your voice in Olympia these past four years has truly been the honor of my lifetime, and I am proud to wake up each day and go to work on your behalf. Together we have accomplished so much, and there is no place I would rather be than by your side, working to help the 40th LD that we all call home.
Now, I am excited to invite you to my Campaign Kickoff! We’re officially launching this campaign on Monday, June 6th at Twin Sisters in Bellingham.
Join me for great food, drinks and to celebrate the beginning of the campaign season!
Rep. Debra Lekanoff’s Campaign Kickoff
Monday, June 6th
5:30pm – 7:00pm
Twin Sisters Brewing Company
500 Carolina Street, Bellingham
Please let us know if you can make it by RSVP-ing ONLINE HERE. Contact [email protected] with any questions!
Stay tuned for updates on speakers and surprises beforehand!
Thanks so much – I hope to see you then!
Keep reading for more on this Fantastic Friday.
“Stay Safe, Stay Healthy”
Rep. Debra Lekanoff
Sensible Gun Legislation
Friends, as I’m sure many of you have seen, earlier this week there was a tragic shooting at a Texas school, and too many of our children lost their lives to senseless gun violence. This is yet another on a long list of mass shootings just in 2022 alone, and it’s long past time that we as a community take strong action to prevent such tragedies in the future.
We must ask ourselves about our priorities, and who we want to protect when a child is killed by gun violence. It is unacceptable to continue to allow the killing of our children. As a mother, a community member, and your lawmaker, I am committed to working with my colleagues to enact sensible gun laws here in Washington.
We must continue to look at our failures and resolve to heal from these acts of violence. I’m proud of the work we have done so far, and happy to have the endorsement of The Alliance for Gun Responsibility in this election!
In our most recent legislative session, we took up a great number of bills that will enact sensible reforms to our gun laws and better protect Washingtonians from gun violence. I wanted to take a moment to lay out each of these bills with a quick summary of what they aim to do!
HB 1630 – Bans firearms at school board meetings, ballot county locations, and local council meetings.
HB 1705 – Strengthens Washington’s ban on untraceable ghost guns and requires unfinished frames and receivers to be registered and serialized.
HB 1164/SB 5078 – Bans the sale, manufacture, and distribution of magazines that contain more than 10 rounds.
HB 1719 – Eliminates ambiguity of previous legislation and ensures law enforcement officers have all the tools necessary to do their job.
Supporting Key Races
As we’ve discussed, a draft of an upcoming decision from the Supreme Court that would overturn Roe v. Wade leaked to Politico, and while this is not the final decision or the official decision of the court, it is a scary and heartbreaking development for our country.
For nearly fifty years Roe v. Wade has protected a woman’s right to choose at a federal level, and what this draft decision would do is delegate that authority to the states instead – where we have already seen a concerted attack on reproductive rights and many states are poised to act the moment Roe is overturned.
Now, as we come up on an incredibly important election, it’s more important than ever that we support candidates that are ready to fight for reproductive rights. I want to take a moment and highlight a few of the key races coming up in our elections this November – races that need your support to maintain our majority in Olympia.
If you are able, please consider donating to these campaigns and lending them your support – I’m proud to stand by them, and will always defend the reproductive rights of all Washingtonians.
Emily Randall for State Senate in the 26th LD
Sharon Shewmake for State Senate in the 42nd LD
Dave Paul for the State Legislature in the 10th LD
Alicia Rule for the State Legislature in the 42nd LD
Brandy Donaghy for the State Legislature in the 44th LD
Supporting Senator Murray!
Earlier this week I had the pleasure of introducing Senator Patty Murray at a fundraising event. I was glad to have the opportunity to emphasize to those in attendance the importance of this race, and how absolutely necessary our continued support for Senator Murray is during this election cycle.
It’s easy to think that Senator Murray is safe in her seat, but this is not 2016. There is an entrenched & motivated Republican base in Washington and national Republicans are targeting our state. Patty’s opponent is raising more than any of her previous challengers.
Since winning the Democratic Majority in 2020, Senator Murray is now Assistant Majority Leader, the 3rd ranking member in Senate Leadership. Republicans would love to replace her with someone who will vote in line with their interests, from gutting healthcare to climate inaction and abortion bans.
Senator Murray is excited to continue to work with the Biden Administration to get the last of the pandemic behind us and continue fighting for policy items she has long worked for. Policies like a higher minimum wage, expanding paid leave, increasing support for childcare, and so many other critical supports our country needs to dig out of the pandemic and come back stronger.
Now, more than ever, we must show Senator Murray our support as we fight to maintain control in the Senate. I truly hope that she can count on you during this campaign, and that you’ll be able to show your support by making a donation. If you’re able, please consider contributing to Senator Murray as she continues to work on behalf of all Washingtonians.
Donate to her campaign here!
Supporting Joe Timmons in the 42nd LD!
Just yesterday it was a pleasure to join Joe Timmons for his campaign kickoff in Bellingham!
Running to join me in the People’s House in the 42nd LD, I’m proud to support Joe as he continues on in his long career working on behalf of Washingtonians.
Joe has spent the last decade working in public service at the local, state, and federal levels. He is ready to hit the ground running to serve as your representative in the Legislature.
Joe has experience in Olympia as an advocate for this community, and knows how to work with the Legislature to get things done. He will be a great champion for everyone in Whatcom County, no matter their political affiliation.
If you are able, please consider donating to Joe’s campaign! I hope he can count on your support – contribute here.
Pebble Mine Update
On Wednesday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it wants to veto development of the Pebble Mine at the headwaters of Bristol Bay, blocking the development of an open pit mine that would impact the world’s biggest sockeye salmon runs.
“Two decades of scientific study shows us that mining the Pebble Deposit would cause permanent damage to an ecosystem that supports a renewable economic powerhouse and has sustained fishing cultures since time immemorial,” EPA Regional Administrator Casey Sixkiller said in a statement announcing the proposed action under Section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act. “Clearly, Bristol Bay and the thousands of people who rely on it deserve the highest level of protection.”
I want to take a moment and comment Casey Sixkiller for making this important decision – one that will help to protect salmon in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and the world. These are the types of difficult decisions that we must make in order to leave a better world for our children’s children, and I was elated to see this decision announced earlier this week!
Each of us must consider our place and role in the health of our environment and native salmon populations. I’ll always work to ensure that our salmon population are able to grow and thrive in this place we all call home.
Endorsment Shoutouts!
Working on your behalf in Olympia has been the pleasure of a lifetime these past four years, and it’s been an honor to work alongside so many great individuals and organizations as I’ve worked to represent you and the interests of the 40th LD.
Now I’m pleased to thank a number of great organizations who have endorsed my second re-election campaign!
Thank you so much to the American Federation of Teachers, the Washington Conservation Voters, the Washington State Labor Council, and as I mentioned above, the Alliance for Gun Responsibility!
Excited to run to continue as your voice in Olympia!
Representing you in Olympia these past four years has been such an incredible honor. I have loved getting to know each and every one of you, and it is always my goal to listen to each of you as we continue working to create a place our grandchildren’s grandchildren will be proud to call home.
It’s with that in mind that I ask you to stand with my campaign – I would love to include your name on my list of endorsements as I run for re-election this year. If you’d like to endorse my campaign, click here – it will only take a minute!
The 40th LD is an incredible place, and I am proud to have you behind me as I run for re-election to continue as your voice in Olympia.