31st Legislative District Democrats announce:

January 25th General Membership meeting. Local food banks are hurting and we are asking people to bring nonperishable items to help them out.
Guest Speakers: Judge Bowman and Brian Gunn who will present the 2012 Caucas Cycle.

All PCOs and members are encouraged to attend. The meeting is open to the public. Social hour starts at 6:00pm and the meeting begins at 7:00pm.

In Memory
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Bob Curtis on December 25th. Bob was a long time member of the 31st and will be greatly missed. Read more here.

Events of Note
Get the Money Out of Politics - A National Day of Action - OCCUPY THE COURTS!
Friday, January 20, 2012
Federal Court Building
1717 Pacific Ave, Tacoma map
'Citizens United' is an enormous shift in the way our Democracy works and will have negative effects on America for generations. Corporate Personhood guarantees a tide of special interest money will influence candidates and buy elections. Money as speech gives power to the rich at the expense of the average citizen. Billions of corporate dollars aimed at favorable legislation will flood the coffers of both parties in the 2012 election cycle. Millions of Americans have recognized this attack on democracy and realize the only way to overrule the Court is by Constitutional Amendment.

This event marks the "anniversary" of the disastrous Citizens United ruling. During the rally we will introduce the language of the Amendment ending CORPORATE PERSONHOOD and MONEY AS SPEECH. The "We The People" amendment will end corporate personhood and money as speech giving control of elections back to the American people. Tacoma Schedule of events is as follows:
2:30 Procession from Fireman's Park at 9th and A Streets
3:15 Street Theater Events
4:00 Special Guest Speakers: Rep. Bob Hasegawa (WA Investment Trust), Dr. Riki Ott, Ultimate Civics, co-founder Move to Amend; marine toxicologist, author and expert on oil spills and We the People
5:30 The Luminescent Human Chain
For more information click here

Get The Money Out Of Politics - Two Days of Action and Education
Move To Amend - Occupy The Courts - Friday
People Ignited Against Citizens United - Saturday
January 20 & 21 in Downtown Seattle
A broad coalition that includes Occupy Seattle, Move to Amend, Free Speech for People
and other organizations is initiating two days of action to kickoff a public awareness
campaign focused on amending the Constitution in order to limit the power of corporations
to impact elections. Our aim is to raise awareness of the Citizen's United vs. FEC ruling,
which crippled our government's ability to regulate American campaign spending by huge, multinational corporations. The decision was based upon the assumption that corporations count as people with all the rights of a natural person, including free speech. It was also based on a previous ruling affirming that monetary expenditures are a form of free speech. Since there is no mention of corporations in our Constitution, and by no means are they granted the full rights of an individual, it is apparent that a corrupt, political court has taken it upon themselves to shape our legal and election system according to special interests.

This legal allowance of unlimited campaign spending by human-made legal fictions doled
out by corporate lobbyist's behind closed doors, with a single-focused legal responsibility
to generate profits, poses a critical threat to free and fair elections in the United States.
The great wealth of corporations lets them misuse the political system and overpower
human beings in the struggle to be heard. This immoral granting of natural rights to
unnatural entities is leading to the decline of democracy, communities, the economy,
and the natural world.

It is imperative that the American people are made aware of this threat to our democratic system. Furthermore, it is critical that our Constitution is amended to include language that makes it undeniably clear that corporations are not people, and that they do not posses the same rights as natural persons. This would clear the pathway for our Congress to regulate campaign spending.

Join us on Friday, January 20th, for a rally at the Federal Courthouse (700 Stewart Street.) as Move To Amend - Occupies the Courts! Bring signs and banners between 10:00am- 4:00pm to show your solidarity with your fellow humans, grassroots organizations and local governments countrywide. Entertainment and speakers will be between 11:00am - 2:00pm. The action continues from noon - 4:00pm on Saturday, January 21 with a rally, entitled: People Ignited Against Citizens United. We'll have informative speeches, music, and interpretive activities at Westlake Park (4th & Pine). At 2:00pm, we will march from Westlake to Seattle City Hall and continue on to the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building (915 Second Avenue, between Marion & Madison).
Updated Seattle Event information

Redistricting
Want to know about the redistricting efforts? To view the lastest maps click here.

Economy: Learn the truth about the economy in this 2 minute video

Reinstate Glass-Steagall
Return to Prudent Banking Act: H.R. 1489 is a bill that will restore some of Glass-Steagall. Learn more about the bill from POPVOX by clicking here or Govtrack by clicking here. Read an article by Brian Gunn by clicking here. We encourage everyone to contact their congressman and support this bill.

The (Washington State) 31st Legislative District Democrats stand in solidarity with our fellow citizens who currently #OccupyWallStreet. We support their goal to reinstate the Glass-Steagall Act's separation of commercial and investment banking. Had this act not been repealed, it might have prevented our current financial crisis. We add our voices to the protesters' call for an end to corporate personhood, believing that the Constitution is intended to protect human rights and does not grant those rights to corporations. Furthermore, we call on all Americans to take non-violent action to denounce unlimited and undisclosed contributions by corporations to political campaigns and to demand that democracy be restored to the people. For current news on Occupy Wall Street actions click here.

Final version of the 2012 Washington State Democrats Delegate Selection and Affirmative Action Plan has been posted on the Washington State Democrats website and can be accessed from the Party Documents page.

End the Bush Tax Cuts
Here is how much the Bush tax cuts benefit – each year – some folks you may have heard of: Rush Limbaugh - $2,689,135 Glenn Beck - $1,512,352 Sean Hannity - $1,006,352 Bill O’Reilly - $914,352 Sarah Palin - $638,352 Newt Gingrich - $247,352	TAKE ACTION: Extend ONLY Middle Class Tax Cuts   Tell Obama: Fight, Don't Cave on Tax Cuts