Washblog

WA State Impeachment Summary: Conversation with Linda Boyd

I called Linda Boyd for an update on Washington state impeachment news today. Linda's the Director of the Eastside Fellowship of Reconciliation and a lead activist on impeachment in the state. I've been seeing a lot of impeachment email going back and forth, I said. Is something going on? Actually, she answered, there is some news today. 'I'm about to send out a press release, but you can break the story: there's a debate on impeachment scheduled for the floor of the Senate on the morning of Thursday, April 19.  We'll be having a huge rally on the same day.' Is the debate on the impeachment investigation bill SJM 8016?  No, she answered, 8016 didn't make it out of committee in time to pass. But there is hope that we will get a vote on a Senate resolution.

As the House Rules for Impeachment in Jefferson's Manual provide, impeachment proceedings can be begun in the US House with charges transmitted from the legislature of a State (document from Eastside FOR's Impeachment page). I asked Linda if a resolution would work as well as a Senate Joint Memorial. She said she wasn't sure what the difference would be between a State Resolution such as New Mexico's, and a Joint Memorial, as in Washington State. But a Senate Resolution does not have the power of a Joint Memorial. The latter would hopefully initiate impeachment proceedings in Congress. However, Washington has provided hope and leadership for impeachment through State Legislatures across the country. And we're continuing to keep impeachment "on the table" until the job is done. On April 19th we will finally have our day in court, and we know that the folks in the other Washington will be listening.* In the film below the fold, Bill Moyer of The Backbone Campaign, explains the Jefferson Manual rules to an aide of Governor Gregoire this past March 12, as he respectfully and ceremoniously transmits a "spineless" citation to the Governor. The charge on the citation: "interfering in an effort in the Washington State Legislature to send a Joint Memorial to the US Congress requesting 'Investigation for Impeachment' of George Bush and Dick Cheney". Also see Moyer's Washblog story: Have Inslee and Murray forgotten where their power originates?.

WA Democratic Organizations that have adopted resolutions supporting SJM 8016
  1. Grays Harbor County*
  2. 1st
  3. 32nd
  4. 34th
  5. 36th
  6. 37th
  7. 43rd
  8. 44t
  9. 45th
 ImpeachPAC's list of State Resolutions to support impeachment.
  1. California
  2. Hawaii
  3. Illinois
  4. Minnesota/li>
  5. Missouri
  6. New Mexico
  7. Texas
  8. Washington
  9. Wisconsin
  10. Vermont

Linda noted that there is strong citizen support for impeachment. When Senator Eric Oemig introduced SJM 8016 in mid February, Washington became the second state to take this step. Now, 2 months later*, 10 states have impeachment resolutions in the works. Five more, Linda said, are imminently expected to be introduced. 'People are pushing up from the grassroots everywhere for impeachment. There are resolutions coming from towns, legislative districts, state parties, county Democratic organizations', she said. 'You can't say the people don't want this. I was told by a legislative aide that this subject got more emails, calls, and letters than any other issue this year.' I asked if she thought the resolution expected to be introduced on the 19th has a good chance of passing. She answered that chances look good, though she's not making a prediction.

Linda shared a story on a March 12 action taken in the state Senate on Impeachment Day in Olympia. Advocates attended a rally and visted their legislators, bringing letters from constituents who could not attend. Several wore T-shirts, with one letter each, that together spelled out the word I-M-P-E-A-C-H. They stood up in the Senate gallery to spell out their message to the gathered body and did get the Senators' attention, though they "got the gavel", as well. "The security guard knows me," Linda said, "I've been there 100 times. He was very sweet and told us we could not demonstrate there. He let us stay when we told him we had nothing else planned."

Fashion tip for April 19th: Wear a "Guantanamo Orange" t-shirt. Where to get more info: Impeach Bush and Cheney: Eastside Fellowship of Reconciliation. *Updates/corrections, 4/11 and 4/12/07

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Display: Sort:
silence, lack of leadership ... yawn

what do we pay them for? oh, htat is right!

excuses!

despite the Patty Cant crowd's stellar performance on excuse creation

lots of good ol normal ol citizens of the U.S. of A. aren't accepting the status quo of excuse after silence after excuse from our too lame WA congressional delegation.

I love it.

rmm.

http://www.liemail.com/BambooGrassroots.html

by rmdSeaBos on Wed Apr 11, 2007 at 04:53:53 AM PST

* 1 none 0 *


And glad to hear that this bottom-up movement can't be surpressed as it pops up in one state after another.

The D.C. reps can try playing whack-mole as they squash one state bill after another, but soon they must realize: the moles are everywhere. They breed quickly.

by dinazina on Wed Apr 11, 2007 at 05:37:34 AM PST

* 2 none 0 *


At our April 5th meeting, the Grays Harbor Democrats passed a resolution supporting impeachment and SJM 8016.  

by funkycamper on Thu Apr 12, 2007 at 08:09:11 AM PST

* 3 none 0 *


Funkycamper posted that the Gray's Harbor Dem's passed a resolution supporting impeachment and SJM 8016.  Fantastic!  Would somebody please get the details to me? We are keeping an official count.

Our movement to impeach is pushing up all over.  We will keep rising up until we have Democracy again.  Every person counts, every legislative district counts.  We have to let each other and every elected official know that we will impeach them every day and every way until the job is done.

Folks, impeachment is the first step.

Thank you, Gray's Harbor, please be in touch.
Linda Boyd
Washington For Impeachment

by lindaboyd on <A CLASS="light" HREF="/comments/2007/4/11/0