Crossing Division

There are three nominees to fill the 27th Legislative District Senate seat vacancy, and this is the second of three interviews with the nominees. Senator Jeannie Darneille is taking a position with the Department of Corrections, and that has created a vacant legislative position. The new Senator will be selected by the Pierce County Council from three nominees proposed by the 27th LD Democratic Precinct Committee Officers. The County Council will meet on November 2 to begin the appointment decision making process.

This is your opportunity to learn more about Yasmin Trudeau, who knows how to get things done while working to protect the most vulnerable and standing for Tacoma.

There are three nominees to fill the 27th Legislative District Senate seat vacancy, and this is the first of three interviews with the nominees. Senator Jeannie Darneille is taking a position with the Department of Corrections, and that has created a vacant legislative position. The new Senator will be selected by the Pierce County Council from three nominees proposed by the 27th LD Democratic Precinct Committee Officers. The County Council will meet on November 2 to begin the appointment decision making process.

This is your opportunity to learn more about Desiree Wilkins Finch, a deeply honest and passionate advocate for equity, inclusion, and Tacoma.

GET YOUR COMMENTS TO THE REDISTRICTING COMMISSION BY OCT 4:  https://www.redistricting.wa.gov/

Redistricting Part 2: Evelyn Lopez returns to the studio with Phil Gardner and Marty Campbell to discuss Washington’s redistricting process. The maps are out! The four Redistricting Commissioners have each issued a proposed map with redrawn Legislative Districts and Congressional Districts, and the accusations of gerrymandering are flying!

The easiest to read maps can be found in two Seattle Times articles. Zoom in and find your district, then look around at the changes proposed for the rest of the state:

The maps are just the start. From this point, the process is about negotiations and bargaining. Listen to the discussion, and our sideline into what is going on in the 27th LD now that a Senate seat appointment will be happening at the same time, and let us know what you think.

And no matter what, get your comments to the Redistricting Commission. It really matters.

Evelyn Lopez:  [email protected]    @True_Tacoma

What do you know about redistricting? It happens every ten years, and it’s based on the population data developed through the census, and it’s the building block of our democracy.

Redistricting is the process for redrawing the boundary lines for congressional districts, state legislative districts, county council districts, and city council districts. In some states, it’s super partisan and may involve “gerrymandering” (defined: “the manipulation of an electoral constituency’s boundaries so as to favor one party or class.”)

But not in Washington! We do things better! Really! (Seriously, we really do.)

Phil Gardner, COS for Lt Governor Denny Heck, and Pierce County Councilmember Marty Campbell sit down with host Evelyn Lopez to discuss the redistricting process in anticipation of our state Redistricting Commission releasing proposed legislative district and congressional district maps this month.

You can find more information, and try drawing your own state maps at:

Questions or comments? Send them our way!

Evelyn Lopez:   [email protected]    @True_Tacoma

Perhaps you’ve read the stories in the News Tribune. Perhaps you’ve seen the concerns on social media. It’s true. After four decades, Tacoma’s historic theaters will no longer be managed by local non-profit Tacoma Arts Live.

Tacoma’s beautiful historic theaters, and the downtown theater district, are jewels of our city. We wanted to better understand what happened, and why management of these resources was changing now, in the midst of a pandemic, when every arts venue is trying to just hang on until things get better. Why would Tacoma want to request proposals and throw the live performance spaces into chaos now?

David Fischer, Executive Director of Tacoma Arts Live, talks with host Evelyn Lopez about what happened, how he learned that the City would not be negotiating an extension to the existing theater management contract, but would be throwing the contract open to new bidders, and why TAL felt that it could not submit a proposal.

TAL will survive, and has some exciting plans for this year. But will a global corporate booking entity bring the same passion and community focus to our live arts scene? Only time will tell.

Link to the RFP: https://www.cityoftacoma.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_6/File/cms/Purchasing/FormalBids/PF21-0466F.pdf

Thoughts on this episode? Ideas for other topics? Get in touch!

Evelyn Lopez:   [email protected]    @True_Tacoma

“Critical Race Theory.” Do you know what it is? Do you know why it has become an issue in local school board races? Perhaps you should.

News Tribune reporter Chase Hutchinson has been following the emergence of anti-CRT (critical race theory) and other concerns about diversity, inclusion, and sex education in our schools as he reports on what’s happening in Gig Harbor, and the Key Peninsula. Similar issues are cropping up in at least one Tacoma School Board campaign too.

Chase joins host Evelyn Lopez to talk about what CRT is (a social science/legal analysis theory on inequities), whether it’s part of any local school curriculum (it’s not), and why it has become a hot topic and trigger issue locally.

You can find out more about the anti-CRT craze sweeping the nation in the latest Nerd Farmer and IWL (interchangeable white ladies) podcasts.

Background materials:

Listen and let us know what you think!

Evelyn Lopez:     [email protected]         @True_Tacoma

Chase Hutchinson:     [email protected]     @EclecticHutch

It’s Pride Month in Tacoma! And now also in Pierce County! Did you know that Pierce County had not previously recognized local Pride celebrations? Well, that just changed with the County Council’s proclamation!

County councilmember Ryan Mello and Council assistant Evan Koepfler sit down with host Evelyn Lopez to talk about how the path to passing the proclamation posed unexpected challenges, why the County Executive won’t sign the proclamation or fly the Pride flag, and how you move forward and work with colleagues who declined to support a celebration of Pride and LGBTQ+ members of our community.

We also talk about ALL the fantastic Pride events in Tacoma this month! You can find information on the events at TacomaPride.org.

Thoughts on this episode, or ideas for other programs? Please get in touch!

Evelyn Lopez:    [email protected]    @True_Tacoma

Content Warning: violence

This Crossing Division episode is simply a reading of the probable cause declaration and criminal charges against three Tacoma Police Department officers for the death in custody of Manuel (Manny) Ellis on March 3, 2020. This is a real Tacoma horror story, and everyone should know the facts.

Evelyn Lopez:  [email protected]     @True_Tacoma

Christine (Chris) Charbonneau, CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest, Hawai’i, Alaska, Indiana, and Kentucky, joins host Evelyn Lopez to talk about the current status of providing contraception, women’s healthcare, and protecting choice in Tacoma and Washington state.

Washington is a haven state for contraception and abortion services, and may become a haven state for trans kids’ healthcare needs too. We’ve had laws protecting the right to have an abortion  since 1991 when our state passed Initiative 120: “The state may not deny or interfere with a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion prior to viability of the fetus, or to protect her life or health.” RCW 9.02.110.

As conservative states ramp up their efforts to get increasingly stringent abortion laws passed and into the court system, and as we see those same state’s starting to attack trans children and their healthcare, we can expect Washington’s Planned Parenthood to keep providing these critical healthcare services to our residents, and to others who come to our state for help. Chris explains that one of the reasons that our local Planned Parenthood organization now covers Indiana and Kentucky is to share resources, and spread our umbrella of access to healthcare to red state’s that need it.

Listen to the conversation, and find out more information about Planned Parenthood at www.plannedparenthood.org, And thank you Tacoma for being a hub of Planned Parenthood services!

Evelyn Lopez:    [email protected]    @True_Tacoma

Local activists Halley Knigge and Nathe Lawver join host Evelyn Lopez for a discussion of recent events involving our Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer. From calling out more than 40 police units from across the county and claiming that his life had been threatened (after mistaking a Black newspaper carrier for a suspicious person in his neighborhood), to declining to remove thin blue line stickers from the windows of vehicles assigned to support Pierce Transit, our Sheriff does not appear to be concerned about how the people he represents view him and his office.

So who does the Sheriff feel accountable to? Not to those contracting and paying millions for security services like Pierce Transit. Not to people who view the thin blue line flag symbol (also known as the blue lives matter symbol) as a threat. Not to the tax payers of this county who could be on the hook for any lawsuits that might be filed against the county.

And what can we do about that?

Follow these story lines by finding Halley on twitter @halleyrebecca, and Nathe @NatheLawver. If you are interested in funding the “Resign, Ed” signs, you can VenMo: @ResignEd

If you have comments on this episode, please get in touch!

Evelyn Lopez:  [email protected]     @True_Tacoma