Looking Forward To A Summer Of Mostly “Normal” Grange Activities
By Tom Gwin
State Grange
Master/President
It has been three years since our last “normal” summer of Grange activities across the State of Washington. Other than the Junior Grange Camping Program, we will be back to our regular activities this year. Here is a highlight of what we all have to look forward to:
State Grange Picnic: will be held on Saturday, June 4 at 1 p.m. at the Armit residence, 139 Del Ray Road, Mossyrock. This will be in conjunction with the Grange Camper Association’s Annual Fund Rally. Attendees should bring their own place setting, lawn chair, and something for the potluck. If you want to camp (dry camping only), the cost is $20 for the weekend.
State Grange Annual Session: we will be meeting in full session for the first time since 2019. The business session, scheduled for June 22-25 in Puyallup, will include action on resolutions, committee recommendations, and reports. Currently, only six resolutions for consideration have been received. The deadline for resolutions is May 23 to the State Grange Office. Awards will be presented for several Grange contests, with awards and prize money presented to the winners. The State Grange Officers, ten of which are either newly elected or in difference office than in 2019, will exemplify the Sixth Degree of Wed, June 22. Degree tickets for candidates will be available at the session.
Annual Session Committees: The preference sheet for session committees is due back to the State Grange Office by May 15. Committees will be assigned. All committees will meet prior to the session via zoom. Committee members will notified of date, time, and log in information. Look for the zoom meeting schedule on our facebook page.
Junior Grange Camping Program: Due to the ongoing pandemic and restrictions imposed by many camping facilities, we will only have one camp operate in 2022. Camp David will be held on July 5-8. The camp is located on Lake Crescent in Clallam County. Registration information is available online. Look for the full complement of six Junior Grange Camps to return in 2023.
Local, County, and State Fairs: It appears that all fairs and back and will be fully operational this year. Some of you will create intricate displays, some will have food concessions, while others will sponsor or help put on their local event. Whichever role your Grange plays, I encourage you to complete your tasks and to do it well. This year will also be the debut of the Grange Youth Fairs Program in our state. Nine fairs have approved the program. Grange Youth and Junior Members will be showing their animals and displaying their wares. Be sure to visit the Grange Youth and Juniors. Show them your support and encourage them to continue their work in our program in the future.
Other Grange Activities: As this is an election year for many offices, from U.S. Senator to local County Commissions, Granges have always stood for the right to voice and the power of the people. We must remember that while our organization is politically active, we refrain from partisan politics. Our politics are issue drive and not candidate or political party driven. We must continue to hold those candidate forms, inviting all candidates.
Let’s continue working for the Grange through the remainder of 2022 and beyond! Membership wise, 2021 was a great year for the Washington State Grange. 2022 is proving to be even more productive as we continue rebuilding Granges across the state.
Passed: Good News For Grange Hosted Farmers' Markets
By Heather Hansen
Legislative Lobbyist
Even though the legislature has adjourned, some issues continue to develop. In 2017, the legislature created the Tax Structure Work Group to identify options to make the Washington State tax code more fair, stable, and transparent. The work group is scheduled to make recommendations for legislation in 2023. So far, they have decided not to recommend an income tax. They are still considering a wealth tax; replacing the B&O tax with a margins tax; adjusting the property tax growth factors; adding new property tax exemptions; and enhancing the working family tax credit. (A wealth tax is levied on a taxpayer’s net worth, while an income tax is imposed on the taxpayer’s income during the past year.) The capital gains tax passes in 2021 is still working its way through the court system. The next stop will be the Washington Supreme Court.
While you are thinking about taxes, ponder this, the financial website, WalletHub, ranks Washington among the bottom fifteen states with the lowest taxpayer return on investment. To determine its rankings, WalletHub evaluated each state’s tax burden and compares it to the quality of services taxpayers receive in five main categories: education, health, safety, economy, and infrastructure & pollution. Washington residents pay a fairly high amount in taxes, about $5,000 annually, yet the quality of government services are only slightly above average. We have comparatively low public high school graduation rates, hospital beds per capita, and a higher property crime rate. Infrastructure and air pollution are other areas where Washingtonians are not getting their tax money's worth. Washington ranks 36th out of 50 states, Oregon was ranked 32nd, Idaho came in 25th.
Another legislative issue going on behind the scenes is the Governor’s salmon table. When the Governor’s bills to create huge buffers on farmland died, the legislature created a work group to develop recommendations for the 2023 legislative session. The recommendations must include changes in policy focused on land use and spending priorities to improve riparian habitat to ensure salmon recovery. That means new buffers will be proposed. The work group will include tribes, legislative leadership, local governments, agricultural producers, commercial and recreational fisher organizations, business organizations, salmon recovery organizations, forestry and agriculture organizations, and environmental organizations. A final report must be submitted to the legislature by November 1, 2022.
More work will go on behind the scenes without public participation. The Office of Financial Management, a branch of the Governor’s office, will evaluate the effectiveness of voluntary incentive programs for landowners and of existing regulatory programs intended to protect riparian areas. They must report to the governor and the legislature with recommendations for improvement by the end of this year.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife will study how to incorporate net ecological gain into state land use, development, and environmental laws and propose legislation for 2023 that could include new buffers and more limitations on building. They must also assess the status of current riparian ecosystems with respect for the status of salmon stocks.
There is a bit of good news. A bill passed allows public meeting halls, such as Granges, that are property tax exempt to host qualifying farmers markets for up to 53 days per year without losing their property tax exemption.
Farmers in Whatcom County who were harmed by last winter’s floods can apply to their Conservation District for short-term disaster recovery financial assistance. Grants may be used for payroll, utilities, rent, marketing and advertising, building improvements or repairs, replacing damaged or lost crops, livestock, and equipment, and other operations and business expenses. However, the total amount of funding available is only $600,000.
The National Grange presented the Champion of Rural America Awards during a reception at the organization’s historic headquarters on H Street near the White House on Tuesday evening to four deserving recipients.
“This is one of the most important awards that could be given,” said National Grange President Betsy Huber. “For 155 years, the Grange has worked through nonpartisan means for America’s agricultural communities and rural residents nationwide. The process of selecting these Champions is something we take very seriously, as we want to ensure that our honorees are truly deserving because of their lifelong efforts.”
Huber and National Grange Legislative Director Burton Eller believe that each of this year’s honorees is a true “Champion” for the people living and working in rural America.
The 2022 Champions of Rural America are Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Representative Dan Newhouse (R-WA 4th), Sara Wyant, founder of Agri-Pulse Communications, and patient rights advocate Nona Bear.
“One doesn't have to explain the rural and small-town citizen to Joe Manchin: he is one,” says Eller, noting that Manchin’s upbringing and life in West Virginia strongly influence his votes and positions for his constituents. “In this day of rampant partisan politics, Senator Manchin is all about bipartisanship on Capitol Hill.”
Senator Manchin’s work for rural America has included keeping promises to seniors and veterans by protecting Social Security and Medicare.
Like previous recipients Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MN) and Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS), Representative Dan Newhouse continues to champion agriculture and work with legislators and advocates from many different industries to fight on behalf of America’s farmers, ranchers, and rural residents.
Eller says Rep. Newhouse “is the consummate example of one of the Grange’s slogans, ‘American Values. Hometown Roots.’”
“Representative Newhouse comes from rural America and truly understands the people he represents – and he fights for not only his own constituents but all of Washington and rural citizens across the country,” Huber says. “We are grateful to be able to honor Dan Newhouse with this award, as he truly is a champion for rural America.”
Huber said that while those at the top rungs of government who have received the award have done much for rural residents, a lot of the work to “bring the horse to water” is done by respected groups and individuals with a history of leadership in areas that matter most to rural Americans.
One of the primary connectors for many rural Americans is Agri-Pulse Communications’ founder and President Sara Wyant.
“Sara's Agri-Pulse is the first thing read every day by the movers and shakers at the intersection of agriculture, policy and government,” says Eller. “Sara is a real reporter: knowledgeable, informed, fair, unbiased, nonpartisan and deeply committed to what she does.”
“Agri-Pulse connects the people who live in rural America directly to the people who make decisions about rural America,” says Huber. “Sara has created an unbiased direct approach to reporting the news for the benefit of those throughout the agricultural spectrum.”
Patient rights and healthcare reform advocates have a true champion in Nona Bear.
“Nona works tirelessly to address and advocate for the needs and concerns of older Americans,” Huber says. “Her work connects major national nonprofit health advocacy organizations to the people. She is an incredible, thoughtful spokesperson for the health care needs of rural America.”
“America's patient population has a far greater public voice today as a result of Nona Bear's ability to build alliances across patient advocacy interests,” adds Eller.
Huber said the award criteria were established in line with the Grange’s grassroots priorities and values.
“Our recipients are expected to show a clear understanding of the importance of agriculture in our economy and as part of our national security; they fight to ensure equitable access for rural Americans in relation to business, healthcare, educational and other opportunities; they place a value on doing the right thing and serve the public above any political party, and they consistently work across the aisle, placing an emphasis on bipartisanship in their legislative work or advocacy,” Huber said. “But also, we expect that each recipient show perseverance in the fight for rural Americans and embody our core values of faith, hope, charity and fidelity and live by our motto: in essentials, unity; in nonessentials liberty; in all things, charity.”
Previous awardees include Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Sen. Susan Collins, Rep. Collin Petersen, Rep. Greg Walden, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, Sen. Pat Roberts, and the National Rural Health Association.
The National Grange is a 154-year-old fraternal organization founded to bring America back together after the Civil War by uniting farm families in service, social life and advocacy. Today, the Grange is more than 140,000 members strong in 1500 chapters across the country, focused on improving the livelihoods of those living in rural America through community service, agriculture and rural life advocacy and direct involvement in the public policy process.