How to Pass a Resolution

What is the Purpose? 

• Advocacy 

  • Advocate for the issues you care about

  • Prescribe actions to be taken

  • Ongoing use as an advocacy tool

Advocate for an issue you care about

• A resolution is used to argue in favor of an issue you care about, strengthened by documented references. The WHEREAS clauses hold this information.

• Here are just a few examples:

  • Fact and science-based sources,

  • Reputable publications or websites,

  • Party Platform elements (to demonstrate the Party’s beliefs support taking action), 

  • 2023 WSDCC Legislative Priorities (pdf),

  • Party Caucuses, Committees and LPO’s

Examples

Example issues the WSDCC recently voted on,

• 1017 - Support of a Washington Tax on Extreme Wealth,(SB 5486 and HB 1473)

• 1016 - Disability education in schools

• 1015 - Ending the state-wide ban on rent controls

• 1013 - Natural Climate Solutions Investments in State Forestland

• 1007 - Supporting Starbucks Workers (May 2023 meeting)

Prescribe the Actions to be taken

Write clearly defined actions to support the outcome you want. 

For example, prescribed actions might include,

• Directing who should receive the resolution and what they should do with it,

• Asking an entity to support or vote on a bill or legislation –  be specific if you know exactly how you want them to vote,

• Asking the State Party Chair to support the issue(s) and how,

• Forwarding to the Advocacy Committee for follow up.

*The Resolutions Committee follows Rules section Vll.d when reviewing actions in the THEREFORE. Staff also relies on this section to know what person/agency/committee to direct the resolution to.

Advocacy tool for future activist efforts

A resolution is a tool for ongoing *advocacy efforts. 

For example,

• When advocating with elected officials; to show large support for an issue, 

• When communicating with other democrats who may be less involved.

• As a template to customize for your LPO/Committee/Caucus, or

• As a supporting document in LPO/Committee/Caucus advocacy efforts,

• As an historical record for reference on Party advocacy efforts.

*When your advocacy needs shift, or a resolution becomes stale or outdated, please update it so anyone using it has the most current data and action requests.

According to the Rules…

• Rules Section IV

  • Email the Resolution to partyaffairs@wa-democrats.org at least 30 days before the next state committee meeting

  • Example: May 4th Meeting - Deadline is April 4th for Submission

• Rules Sections II, IV, and V

  • Must be submitted by the Chair from an LPO or the Chair of a Caucus or Committee, and in an urgent manner a State Committee Member

• Section VII

  • Must have the proper elements of a resolution

Archival Process 

• The committee will hold meetings to review resolutions passed 3 years prior, by asking:

  • • Is it still applicable? Has it been replaced or updated? Were resolved clauses achieved/ attempted?

• The intent is to archive resolutions that have been completed, and to bring visibility to active resolutions and resolutions with outdated information.

  • After review, resolutions will be recommended as renewed or archived.

    • Renewed resolutions are considered a DOPASS rec for the WSDCC

    • Archived resolutions are archived and accessible

    • Update - recommend to the originating party or committee for update or rewrite.

Resolution Document Structure

• REGULAR or URGENT resolutions will have the same structure.

• Clear concise Title,

• Up to 2 pages in length,

• Includes submitting entity, a contact person w/ contact information and submission date.

• 2-5 WHEREAS clauses

  • • Should directly support the THEREFORE statements,

    • should be supported by documented references – for context and background when being reviewed.

    • NOTE: WHEREAS are included in the published doc, but citations are not.

• 1-3 THEREFORE clauses

  • • “... within the power of the Chair and staff, or the State Central Committee”

    • “... appropriately limited in scope, difficulty, and cost appropriate to the resolution”

    • “... action should have a clearly identified outcome”

    • “Clauses should be worded as if written from the point of view of the WSDCC”

Example

TITLE

WHEREAS Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing.

WHEREAS Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation.

WHEREAS Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Ac tortor dignissim; and

THEREFORE, BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that iaculis at erat.

Submitted by …., contact name/info ….., Date submitted ………, Identification of new resolution or updated resolution.

Definitions (optional)

Sources:

(1) a citations …

Overview

1. Write resolution

2. Pass the Resolutions through your LPO

3. Chair/LPO submits the Resolutions to partyaffairs@ 30 days before next state committee meeting

4. Resolutions Committee meets to recommend PASS, DO NOT PASS or  OUT OF ORDER

5. Resolution is voted on at the next WSDCC meeting.