Three new ways businesses can engage on policy issues

POLICY BP

Reason for optimism in 2022: three new ways local businesses can engage on policy issues in the new year

Dann Mead Smith

As business owners and workers at businesses across Whatcom County, you are busy balancing your work and family life while at the same time trying to keep an eye on topics that impact you. There are so many issues coming out of local governments in Whatcom County and, of course, at the state and federal levels that impact businesses and their ability to grow and hire more workers, which is why it is important to become involved with impactful advocacy organizations like the Whatcom Business Alliance.

As we start a new year, it is exciting to see three new organizations that are now operating in our state that can compliment the great work of the WBA and other organizations in Whatcom County and help you stay up-to-date on issues as well as offering ways for you to engage and get involved.

The Center Square/Franklin News Foundation

The Center Square was launched to fulfill the need for high-quality statehouse and other public policy news. The focus of its work is state- and local-level government and economic reporting. A taxpayer sensibility distinguishes its work from other coverage of state and local issues. As a result of this approach, readers are better informed about the focus of state and local government and its cost to the citizens and businesses whose tax dollars fund governmental decisions. The Center Square engages readers with essential news, data and analysis — delivered with velocity, frequency and consistency. Stories are distributed through three main channels at no cost to readers: a newswire service, TheCenterSquare.com, and social media.

The Center Square has launched a new Washington state bureau, which includes an editor and reporting staff based here in Washington and now produces a weekly email compiling their recent articles and daily stories that are being picked up by newspapers, TV and radio across our state.

I encourage you to sign up for Washington state stories at https://www. thecentersquare.com/washington.

Change Washington

Change Washington is a strategic communications organization focused on bringing a business perspective and common sense to policy discussions across the state. Though not directly involved in last year’s Seattle election and not supporting candidates,

Change Washington has been talking about public safety, homelessness and policing issues for over a year. Last fall’s election sent a message that it’s time for a dramatic shift in Seattle. ChangeWA’s work has helped move the conversation towards a more balanced approach to public safety and government accountability, and in 2022 it will be taking that message their interest and activity with policy to the next level, there is League of Our Own Washington, a new organization focused on recruiting and training women to run for office.

Developed after Major League Baseball’s recruiting and training model, League has already recruited over 80 fiscally conservative women to run for office now or in the future (prospects), 26 of whom were on the 2021 general election ballot, and over 50 volunteer scouts and coaches to help these prospects become great candidates and leaders.

The League hit it out of the park in its first year, with 17 candidates who went through the training program winning their races last fall (seven are new school board members, five are city council members, two new port commissioners and even three will be mayors!), most of whom were firsttime candidates.

As the League WA’s executive director, Katlin Vintertun, said on election night: “This is what it is all about: talented, smart, qualified women who can relate to voters and win in tough districts/cities.”

Go to https://leagueofourownwa. org for more details.

With these new ways to engage on policy issues, Whatcom County and our state will positively benefit from business leaders and workers like you getting involved and sharing your expertise.

and ability to educate voters statewide, which includes providing action alerts so people can quickly and easily make their views known to local and state policymakers. For more information go to https://changewashington.org.

League of Our Own Washington

And for those who want to take

Create your company profile and start posting jobs TODAY!

www.yeswhatcom.com

Part of the WBA Youth Engagement Initiative A 501c3 organization.

Dann Mead Smith was the president/ CEO of Washington Policy Center for 20 years before forming The Mead Smith Group last fall and working with groups such as Project 42, a new nonprofit organization created to change the course of Washington state. He is a WWU grad and lives part-time in Birch Bay.