Celebrating civil rights icon Cesar Chavez
Last weekend, I went to Yakima to watch Governor Jay Inslee sign HB 1939, establishing March 31 as Cesar Chavez Day in Washington State. This bill marks Chavez’s birthday as a simple day of recognition for the civil rights icon and labor leader. It is not a paid holiday.
A student at Meadowdale High School gave me the idea for his bill. He asked why we did not have a day celebrating the Latino community in our state. After working on this bill for three years, I am glad that students like him will finally see themselves reflected in our state’s heroes.
The work to which Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta dedicated their lives is still important today. We still need safe workplaces, fair pay, and good working conditions. The dignity of the people that produce the food we eat is as important now as it ever was. Those values might even be more important now, as we try to compete against a global economy while holding off bigoted attacks at home. The passage of this bill represents that work and those values.
Media round-up
Access to Democracy:
- Spokesman Review: Seeking ways to get more voters registered and casting ballots
- Seattle Times: Editorial: Pass Washington Voting Rights Act now
- Tri City Herald: Our Voice: Lawmakers must push through new voting law
- Columbian: In Our View: Enact Voting Rights Act
- Auburn Reporter: Legislators consider expanding voting rights
- Seattle Weekly: Automatic Voter Registration Could Come to Washington
- Seattle Times: Opinion: Democracy dies without voting: Support bills that make it easier
- Civic Skunkworks: When more people vote, we all win
- Tacoma News Tribune: Fights over voting rights a prelude to November midterm election
- Everett Herald: Democrats seek automatic and day-of voter registration
- Spokesman Review: Washington Voting Rights Act passes Legislature
- Crosscut: WA to protect against voting discrimination with new law
- Seattle Globalist: Washington Voting Rights Act passes Legislature
- KUOW: Legislation could lead to more district-based voting in Washington
- Q13 FOX: Washington could become the next state to automatically register voters
- Renton Reporter: Gov. Jay Inslee signs package of bills at Foster High School
- KNKX: Inslee Signs Voting Rights Act, Other Voting Bills Into Law
- KNKX: Major Changes Coming To Voting Rights, Access In Washington
- Mother Jones: All of a Sudden, Voting Rights Are Expanding Across the Country
- Kitsap Sun: Inslee signs legislation to pre-register some teens, allow same-day voter registration
- Tukwila Reporter: Gov. Jay Inslee signs package of bills at Foster High School
- Walla Walla Union-Bulletin: Editorial: New laws to boost voting are sound
- The Olympian: Editorial: Lawmakers hope new election laws boost turnout
Credit freeze:
- KIRO 7 News: Jesse Jones Free Credit Freezes For All Campaign Leads To New Legislation
- Everett Herald: State seeks ban on consumer credit freeze fees
- KIRO 7 News: Jesse Jones’ Push for “Free Credit Freezes For All” Becomes Law
- Daily Sun News: New law eliminates credit freeze fees
- Seattle PI: State passes law to get rid of credit freeze fees
Cesar Chavez Day:
- Yakima Herald: Gov. Inslee visiting Yakima to sign bill establishing ‘Cesar Chavez Day’
- The Stand: State celebrates its first Cesar Chavez Day
- Cesar Chavez Foundation: Washington 10th state to recognize Cesar Chavez
Campaign finance reform:
- Seattle Weekly: One conservative activist is flooding state enforcement agencies with questionable complaints
- Everett Herald: Bill aims to curb the filing of campaign finance complaints
Autonomous vehicles:
- Seattle Magazine: Autopilot: Is Seattle ready for self-driving cars?
- The Lens: The route to driverless cars