Washington State’s legislative session began on January 8, 2024. WIBM was there at the capitol that day speaking with lawmakers. Since then we’ve been to Olympia three more times to continue our outreach to legislators. Every time has been a fun, fascinating, invigorating experience. We look forward to future occasions when more followers and supporters will join us to carry out advocacy in Olympia (and elsewhere)!
By January 24, 2024, it was official that for the third straight year, the commission on boys and men bill (SB 5830 & HB 1270) would not receive a public hearing. The bill is ‘dead’ for this year.
To every one of you who helped us in ways big and small to advocate to our elected representatives about this legislation, THANK YOU. It was a tremendous team effort, and I’m very encouraged by the tangible progress made. That progress has come in the form of:
- more legislators sponsoring the bill (14 in total by this point — 7 Democrats and 7 Republicans, 7 women and 7 men)
- more nonprofit organizations and labor unions endorsing it
- more media outlets covering it
- more relationships established between WIBM and community leaders
- more names added to WIBM’s database of people willing to help advocate
- more engagement from people who don’t typically participate in political advocacy
- more subscribers to our email list
Rep. Doglio speaks about boys and men at town hall event
At a virtual town hall event on January 30, Representative Beth Doglio (D-Olympia) responded to a question about Washington’s boys and men. We have put out a video showing her full response.
Senator Sam Hunt (D-Olympia) was one of the three legislators participating in the town hall. We hoped he would respond to the question, given that he is the one senator who had authority to allow or to not allow a public hearing on the commission on boys and men bill. (He chairs the Senate State Government and Elections Committee.) For whatever reason, he did not respond to the question, and Rep. Doglio did.
Reasons for hope
Admittedly, Rep. Doglio’s 90-second response was somewhat frustrating and saddening. For example, Rep. Doglio described statistics she’s seen on boys and men as “interesting.” We’d like to see her progress toward regarding those statistics as perhaps “worrying,” “concerning,” and/or “important to take seriously”.
Rep. Doglio’s comments contain reasons to be hopeful, including that she acknowledged, “We definitely need to lift up and appreciate and love all people in our communities, including boys and men.”
A relevant fact here is that Rep. Beth Doglio was the prime sponsor of the bill that passed in 2018 creating the Washington Women’s Commission.
See also: Democratic Leaders Joe Fitzgibbon and Monica Stonier Comment on Commission on Boys and Men Idea
To WIBM’s followers and supporters: I am not currently putting out a call to action to outreach to Rep. Doglio or to any other legislator. If you are inclined on your own to outreach to Rep. Doglio, DO NOT approach her in such a way that that conveys any anger or hostility whatsoever. After listening to her response, I do understand feeling angry — as well as sad, optimistic, and other feelings. However, if you email or call Rep. Doglio’s office and you convey anger, you are not only not helping this cause; you are harming it. Don’t do it.
