Thank you for joining our Washington Environmental Council + Washington Conservation Voters Post-Election virtual gathering last week! We really enjoyed celebrating everyone’s accomplishments from this election cycle together, as well as learning about the political lay of the land and environmental priorities for 2021.
If you weren’t able to make this event, we’re sorry we missed you! Here is a recording of the presentation portion of the evening, featuring a political update and legislative priorities – if you are wanting to chat further about next steps, please follow up with me at morgan@wecprotects.org and we can find a time to chat.
Here are a few next steps following our gathering:
Contact your Legislators before session! This upcoming legislative session will be unlike any Washington has experienced before. The 2021 session will be virtual, meaning that for the first time ever, hearings and votes to pass legislative policies and craft a new 2-year budget will be done remotely. We expect this year to be more accessible to constituents than ever, while also expecting legislators time and attention to be more limited than ever. Can you kick off this year’s legislative session by pledging to contact or meet with your legislators about environmental priorities before session begins?
We are coordinating with other environmental and climate groups to bring constituents together to advocate to their legislators before session begins. Sign up here!
If you are interested in reaching out to and organizing other constituents in your district to meet with or lobby your legislators, please indicate that you would like to be a Legislative District Lead when you sign up.
Sign up to volunteer with WEC & WCV. We will have many other upcoming volunteer opportunities to defend Washington’s people and environment. Please sign up here to volunteer with WEC and here to volunteer with WCV.
WEC + WCV recognize that environmental justice is racial justice. We strive for our environmental work to be intersectional and to lift the work of frontline communities and organizations. Re-sharing the links from our meeting, and action steps you can take to support environmental and racial justice:
Learn about the Native land you are on. Use this link to learn whose Native Land you are on. As Thanksgiving approaches, we respect that this historical holiday is a day of mourning and protest in some Indigenous communities. Take some time to learn more about the history of this day, and why Native Americans choose to celebrate the resiliency, beauty, and strength of Native tribes during Native American Heritage Month.
Follow Washington for Black Lives. We stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Review the demands of the Washington for Black Lives coalition led by Black organizations and leaders across WA.
Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance. Read this post from the Voting Justice Coalition about U.T.O.P.I.A. and their work on voting rights and events this week. If you are able to, please support Trans organizations and individuals by donating to U.T.O.P.I.A and the Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network Fund.
Thank you and be well,
Morgan Michel • Field Organizer
Olympic Climate Action 