BySenators Darneille, Keiser, Becker, Cleveland, Short, Warnick, Rivers, Brown, Walsh, Das, Saldaña, Randall, Lovelett, Wilson, C., Kuderer, Dhingra, Wellman, Rolfes, Wilson, L., Wagoner, Muzzall, and Conway

WHEREAS, This year, 2020, is the 100th anniversary of the 1920 ratification of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution stating that "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex"; and

WHEREAS, Today marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the National League of Women Voters, and the inception of the League of Women Voters of Washington; and

WHEREAS, The National Council of Women Voters, a nonpartisan educational organization headquartered in Tacoma, Washington, was the first national organization of voting women,led by Emma Smith DeVoe, who emphasized the importance of voting on issues rather than by party; and

WHEREAS, Emma Smith DeVoe led the charge to enfranchise women in the state of Washington, and helped transform the face of suffragist politics in the United States; and

WHEREAS, The State of Washington granted the right to vote to women a full decade earlier in 1910, inspiring a nationwide campaign that led to the enfranchisement of women throughout the country; and

WHEREAS, 100 years ago today, on February 14, 1920, the National Council of Women Voters merged with the National American Woman Suffrage Association, headed by president Carrie Chapman Catt, Susan B. Anthony's successor, forming one national suffragist organization, the League of Women Voters; and

WHEREAS, For 100 years, the Seattle and Tacoma chapters of the League have been at the forefront of civic engagement in Washington State, educating millions of our residents in order for them to become informed participants in government; and

WHEREAS, For 100 years, the League has lived its conviction that "the vote is the emblem of equality" through its campaigns, focusing on policies to increase access to voting, combating voter discrimination, opposing voter photo identification laws, and promoting provoter reforms; and

WHEREAS, The nonpartisan Voters Pamphlet that precedes each election in Washington is an example of the League's ongoing educational effort; and

WHEREAS, In 1993, the League was a key player in passing the National Voter Registration Act, also known as the Motor Voter Act, making registration fast and easy; and

WHEREAS, In 2018 alone, 4.2 million voters' rights were protected through the League's education, advocacy, and litigation efforts to create an informed and educated electorate; and

WHEREAS, From the beginning, equal rights and social reform have been the bedrock for the League's work addressing child welfare, maternal and child health programs, child labor protections and discriminatory laws against women; and

WHEREAS, Within the societal unrest of the 1960s, the League focused its efforts on civil rights issues of equal access to education, housing and employment; and

WHEREAS, With the support of the League in Washington state, the Housing Trust Fund, amendments to welfare reform, and increased appropriations for children's services led to the establishment of a governor's commission for children in the 1980s; and

WHEREAS, In the 1990s, the League took positions in support of LGBTQ rights, supported protections from discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment and lobbied for antiharassment policies and training guidelines in the "save schools bill"; and

WHEREAS, The League has historically been concerned with conservation of natural resources, and protection of public lands, and is currently focused on initiatives, task forces, and studies that concentrate on climate change, resource management, and environmental planning and incentives; and

WHEREAS, The League continue to study, adopt positions, advocate, and serve the community, and register educated voters to this day; and

WHEREAS, From voters' rights, to child labor laws, to climate change, to government restructuring; the League of Women Voters is not only a leader in addressing these issues, but a reflection of the needs of our community and a protector of our democratic processes;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That on this day, February 14, 2020, the League of Women Voters of the United States, as the organization came to be called, is celebrating 100 years of empowering voters through education, nonpartisanship, inclusion, collaboration, and grassroots democracy; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we do now commend and honor the League of Women Voters for continuously strengthening democracy through shaping public policy on equal rights and social reforms; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, The League that began as a "mighty political experiment" designed to help millions of women to become responsible voters is truly a hallmark of our democracy.