Press Releases & Articles

August 22, 2012

Yakima, WA

Contact: Doug Honig, ACLU of WA

               206-624-2184

 

Lawsuit Seeks Meaningful Vote for Latinos

in Yakima City Council Elections

In a lawsuit filed under the federal Voting Rights Act, two Yakima citizens today charged that the City of Yakima’s election system unlawfully dilutes the Latino vote and effectively prevents Latinos from meaningful participation in City Council elections. 

The suit was brought by Yakima residents Mateo Arteaga, a university administrator, and Rogelio Montes, a student at Yakima Valley College. The ACLU and prominent voting rights expert Joaquin Avila filed the case on behalf of the plaintiffs in U.S. District Court in Eastern Washington. Although Voting Rights Act lawsuits have forced reforms in many cities’ election systems across the country, this case is the first such suit in Washington state.

The seven members of the Yakima City Council are all elected “at-large,” with every voting resident of the city casting their vote for each council member whether they live in the council member’s district or not.  This has caused the Latino community’s voting strength to be impermissibly diluted.  As a result, although Latino residents comprise 41% of Yakima’s population and more than 22% of its citizen voting-age population, no Latino candidate has ever won an election for a seat on the city council.  It has also caused a situation where three of the seven city council members live in the same district, which results in the concerns of the Latino community not being effectively represented in the city council’s decision-making process.

“The Latino community is a significant portion of the city’s population, yet their interests are not adequately represented on the Yakima City Council. All voices of the community need to be represented on the city council,” said ACLU of Washington legal director Sarah Dunne.

The lawsuit says Yakima’s election system violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act because it impermissibly dilutes the Latino vote, consistently allows the majority population’s bloc voting to defeat the candidates preferred by Latino voters, and deprives Latinos of an equal opportunity to elect representatives of their choice. The ACLU sent a letter to the Yakima City Council in December 2010, and another on August 13, 2012, pointing out that its election system violated the Voting Rights Act and urging the City of Yakima to adopt a true district-based election system wherein only voters in a particular district vote for the representative of that district. The city council has declined to do so.

The suit seeks a declaration that the at-large method of electing Yakima City Council members violates the Voting Rights Act and to have the court order the City to implement a district-based election system that complies with Section 2 of the Act.

Attorneys representing the plaintiffs are ACLU-WA staff attorneys Sarah Dunne and La Rond Baker, Joaquin Avila of the Law Firm of Joaquin Avila, and Laughlin McDonald of the ACLU Voting Rights Project, and ACLU cooperating attorneys Kevin Hamilton and Noah Purcell of the firm Perkins Coie.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, CITY OF SEATTLE OFFICIALS TO HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY TO DISCUSS AGREEMENT ON SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT REFORMS

SEATTLE – U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Thomas E. Perez, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, Seattle Police Department (SPD) Chief John Diaz, and Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes will hold a press conference TODAY, FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2012, at 3:00 p.m. PDT regarding the agreement on Seattle Police Department reforms. 

WHO: U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington Jenny A. Durkan

Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Thomas E. Perez

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn

SPD Chief John Diaz

Seattle City Attorney Peter Holmes

                                                           

WHAT:  Press conference regarding the agreement on Seattle Police Department reforms

WHEN:  TODAY , JULY 27, 2012, 3:00 p.m. PDT

WHERE:  Seattle City Hall, 7^th Floor, Norman B. Rice Conference Room

OPEN PRESS

NOTE: All media must present valid media credentials.

 

Press inquiries regarding logistics should be directed to Thomas Bates (United States Attorney’s Office) at 206-713-9831 or Aaron Pickus (Mayor’s Office) at 206-233-2650.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 15, 2012
Contactlbaw@gmail.com

The Latina/o Bar Association of Washington (LBAW) Applauds President Obama and His Administration’s Announcement of Immigration Relief for Some DREAMers

SEATTLE, Washington. Effective immediately, President Barack Obama’s Administration announced it will grant deferred action and work authorization to youth who meet certain criteria. The eligibility requirements are similar to that of the DREAM Act, a proposed federal legislation first introduced in 2001. 

The new policy was announced today by Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano.  Secretary Napolitano noted the application process is not yet determined, but its implementation is expected within sixty days.  For more information, refer to the Department of Homeland Security’s Frequently Asked Questions. 

To be eligible, an individual must:

1. Have come to the United States under the age of sixteen;
2. Have continuously resided in the United States for at least five years preceding the date of this memorandum and be present in the United States on the date of this memorandum;
3. Currently be in school, have graduated from high school, have obtained a general education development certificate, or are honorably discharged veterans of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States;
4. Have not been convicted of a felony offense, a significant misdemeanor offense, multiple misdemeanor offenses, or otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety; and
5. Not be above the age of thirty.

Today’s announcement comes on the 30^th Anniversary of the Plyler v. Doe decision, granting the right to K-12 education for all children, regardless of their immigration status.

It is estimated that close to one million youth will benefit from this new policy. Although, not a path to citizenship, it is a step in the right direction.  We encourage you to continue pushing for comprehensive immigration reform.

The Latina/o Bar Association of Washington applauds the activism of DREAMers and supporters for their local and national efforts in making this day a reality.  We celebrate today and we celebrate you!

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Click here to read the resolution.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 3, 2012
Contact: David Perez, perez.a.david@gmail.com, 206.618.4293

Jay Inslee, Adam Smith, and Bob Ferguson Endorse the Washington Voting Rights Act

OLYMPIA, Washington undefined The Washington Voting Rights Act of 2012 (HB 2612 / SB 6381) received a big boost today with three strong endorsements from Congressman Jay Inslee (D-WA 1), Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA 9), and King County Council Member Bob Ferguson.

The Washington Voting Rights Act would provide voters in Washington State with the ability to challenge voting systems that have left entire communities with no voice in our political process. In particular, some at-large electoral systems make it nearly impossible for certain communities to get political representation. Under the Washington Voting Rights Act, voters can challenge these at-large systems when they can prove “racially polarized voting.” The Seattle Times Editorial Board called the remedy of providing for district-based elections “a solid avenue for voter redress.”

“I am proud to support the Washington State Voting Rights Act of 2012. “’One Person, One Vote’ is at the heart of our democracy,” said Congressman Adam Smith in a statement. “This meaningful legislation would insure that racial minorities have the best possible opportunity to be heard and be well represented by their elected officials, just like all other Washingtonians. This is a simple matter of equality that ensures that everyone has the same opportunities guaranteed in the Federal Voting Rights Act. This piece of legislation will help ensure this happens here in Washington State.”

Gubernatorial candidate, Jay Inslee, agrees. “I applaud the efforts of the broad coalition supporting the Washington Voting Rights Act and am proud to support this important legislation. Our democracy is dependent on robust participation of both the electorate and those willing to serve. Any healthy democracy must seek diversity and equitable representation for all. In instances where it is clear that opportunity is being repressed, there must be a process for righting that wrong. That’s why, in 2006, I voted for a 25 year extension of expiring portions of the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act and why I support efforts to promote equality and democracy at the local and state level as well–including the Washington Voting Rights Act.”

“I am pleased to support the Washington Voting Rights Act,” said Bob Ferguson, candidate for Attorney General, in a statement. “This legislation will affirm Washington State’s commitment to the principles of democracy, fairness, and equal representation. It will provide a set of tools to help us build an even stronger democracy in Washington State.”

The Washington Voting Rights Act has already passed through committees in both the House and Senate and is currently in the each house’s Rules Committee. The prime sponsor of HB2612 is Representative Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney (D-46), while Senator Margarita Prentice (D-11) is the prime sponsor of SB6381.

For more information and to endorse the WA Voting Rights Act, visit fairrepresentationwa.org/wvra. Support for the bill is led by the Fred Korematsu Center for Law & Equality, OneAmerica Votes, and Win-Win Action via United for Fair Representation – a coalition of organizations and community leaders that formed to educate and encourage our communities to participate in the democratic process to achieve fair representation.

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Click here to read an editorial published by the Seattle Times on February 1, 2012, explaining why the time is NOW to pass the Washington Voting Rights Act.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorials/2017397755_edit02voting.html

 

Last week, the Tucson school board outraged the nation when they cancelled its high schools' Mexican American Studies program and forcibly banned a series of books dealing with race. The reason? Apparently teaching respect for other cultures amounts to "racial hatred" and is in violation of Arizona's statewide ban against ethnic studies - passed in conjunction with SB1070.

With Latino students in Tucson making up more than half of the student population - educators, parents, and students are fighting back. You can sign this petition to Superintendent John Pedicone and the school board to reverse the decision to ban the books and reinstate the Mexican American Studies program.

http://act.presente.org/sign/ethnicstudies?referring_akid=a2751296.381568.XbyV-H&source=copy_thanks_email

Here are some links about this:

Tucson students confront loss of their Chicano studies class, LA Times, 1/11/12
http://lat.ms/xSgDdi

Tucson says banished books may return to classrooms, Salon.com, 1/18/12
http://bit.ly/z9J4AH

Save Ethnic Studies in Arizona, Facebook Page 
http://on.fb.me/ypPLqW

Now is the time!  If you or your organization is interested in helping to pass Washington's Voting Rights Act, please contact LBAW Board Member, David Perez at perez.a.david@gmail.com.

For more information about the Voting Rights Act, please click here.

To view the proposed legislation, please click here.

In Washington State we believe in fairness and equal opportunity. These values form the foundation of any healthy democracy and deserve to be protected in an effort to ensure that our children and communities experience a democracy that embraces the principle of “One Person, One Vote.” Unfortunately, outdated electoral systems have not kept up with the changing demographics of our state or its ideals; instead, they have undercut equal opportunity at the polls and rigged the system. We need the Washington State Voting Rights Act to restore democracy and we need it now.

What is the Washington State Voting Rights Act?

The Washington State Voting Rights Act (WVRA) upholds a fundamental principle of our democracyundefined“One Person, One Vote.” The WVRA provides protected classes of voters in Washington State with access to local legal remedies to challenge electoral systems where it can be proved that at-large voting systems combined with “racially-polarized voting” have left particular communities with no voice in our democracy. If successful, the challenge would result in the creation of a district-based election system.

What is the problem the Washington State Voting Rights Act seeks to address?

Sometimes, numbers don’t lie. This is one of those times. The lack of representation for racial and ethnic minority voters in some areas of the state is staggering, and it is no surprise that this lack of representation corresponds with at-large voting systems. As an example, the combined Latino population for ten counties in Central and Eastern Washington exceeds 33% of the total population; yet Latinos hold only 4% of elected offices (78 out of 1,891; see graph below). In those counties, 92% of the election systems are at-large and only 1% are single-member districts. This lack of representation holds true in other areas of the state and in other ethnic and racial minority communities.

Have other states passed similar state voting rights acts?

Latino population ranges from 55.1% to 14.8% in each county and is 33.1% of total population.

In 2001, after encountering similar data, California passed the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA). The CVRA has been an unmitigated success in California, increasing the representation of racial and ethnic minority voters in local elected office and providing communities with a voice in democracy for the first time. Not surprisingly, this has corresponded with an increase in civic engagement, from voter registration rates to the number of voters participating in our democracy.

What about the Federal Voting Rights Act?

Unfortunately, the high costs and long waits associated with legal action in federal courts leave Federal Voting Rights Act challenges inaccessible to regular voters. The WVRA provides local remedies by allowing challenges in state court and, with this local control, quicker and less costly decisions.

Restore Health to Our Democracy – Support the Washington State Voting Rights Act

Please click here to see full document.

Total Number of Office-Holders vs. Number of Latino Office-Holders in 10 Heavily Latino Counties

Please click here to see full document.

Election System Used in 10 Heavily Latino Counties

Please click here to see full document.

Total Number of Latino Office-Holders and Their Percent of Total Office-Holders (by county)

County	Total Office-Holders	Latino Office-Holders	% Latino	% Latino Population (2008)
Adams	137	5	3.6%	55.1%
Franklin	110	3	2.7%	49.2%
Yakima	250	40	16.0%	41.4%
Grant	297	13	4.4%	35.7%
Douglas	129	3	2.3%	25.1%
Chelan	182	4	2.2%	23.1%
Walla Walla	139	2	1.4%	18.5%
Benton	137	1	0.7%	16.4%
Okanogan	213	3	1.4%	16.3%
Skagit	297	4	1.3%	14.8%

Data source for 3 charts: Zachary Duffy, “Unequal Opportunity: Latinos and Local Political Representation in Washington State.” (2009).

For more information, please contact: Toby Guevin, State Policy & Legislative Manager at OneAmerica D: 206.452.8416 C: 617.755.6207 F: 206.826.0487 E: toby@weareoneamerica.org

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE           

September 13, 2011                                                                  

WA’s First Majority Minority Congressional District Proposed by Majority of Redistricting Commissioners

OLYMPIA, Washington undefined Advocates for the increased political representation of communities of color were present at the WA Redistricting Commission’s special meeting in Olympia today to witness the release of the commissioners’ proposed congressional and legislative district maps.

Three of four voting commissioners – Tim Ceis, Slade Gordon and Tom Huff – propose the historic creation of WA’s first majority-minority congressional district. In addition, the four commissioners’ maps propose majority minority legislative districts in Central WA and South King County.  It is, at present, not clear whether a majority minority district was proposed in the Tacoma area.  

“We appreciate that the commissioners drew maps that reflect the hundreds of testimonies given by communities of color across the state.  We will continue to monitor the process closely to ensure that the final redistricting maps passed by the Legislature include a majority minority Congressional District in South King County and majority minority legislative districts in South King County, Yakima and Tacoma,” remarks Tom Hilyard of Tacoma Black Collective, a coalition member of United for Fair Representation.

“We are cautiously optimistic”, said Cherry Cayabyab, United for Fair Representation coalition member, “that this is a good starting point for the commission to work with our community.  We will continue to shepherd our proposal through this process as it moves forward to completion on January 1st.”

The redistricting commission heard unprecedented testimony from communities of color throughout the state about the need for the new district lines to reflect the growth of communities of color over the last decade.  The United for Fair Representation coalition turned out 500 Unity Map supporters to almost all 18 redistricting forums around the state.

Please find more information at www.fairrepresentationwa.org.