Washington State: Getting Ahead of a Takings Initiative

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Washington State Getting Ahead of a Takings
Initiative

• Aisling Kerins
• Campaign Director
• Community Protection Coalition

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Washington State Getting Ahead of a Takings
Initiative

• Lay of the land in Washington
• The Opposition Who they are and what theyre
  doing
• What were doing to get ahead of the initiative

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• Lay of the Land in Washington

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Lay of the Land in Washington

• In January 2005 Oregonians in Action met with Tim
  Eyman, the Farm Bureau, the Grange, and BIAW to
  talk about how to emulate their success.
• The Farm Bureau has announced they will file an
  initiative in January of 2006, begin collecting
  signatures in February and be on the ballot in
  November.
• They have said that they are exploring several
  options, and while whatever they move forward
  with will be similar to Measure 37, there will be
  differences.

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Whats Happening in Washington The Perfect Storm

• Controversial land use updates are happening in
  counties across Washington this year
• 2006 Legislative session starts in January, based
  in a county undergoing one of these controversial
  updates
• What happens in Washington may influence how this
  issue plays out across the country

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What the Oregon Court Ruling Means for Washington

• We still have a fight ahead of us!
• Despite the ruling, the Washington State Farm
  Bureau has said that they still intend to move
  forward with an initiative in 2006.
• If anything, it means that the drafters of the
  initiative in Washington will be all the more
  aware of the potential legal challenges their
  initiative may face, and will craft a smarter
  initiative.

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• The Opposition

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What the Opposition is Doing

• Our opposition is using controversial land use
  decisions and misleading statements to rally
  their base
• In Thurston County the Farm Bureau sent out a
  mailing to 9000 landowners full of mistruths (ie
  You cant mow your lawn, youll be thrown in jail
  for weeding) and turned out 900 angry landowners
  to a local hearing. The Farm Bureau was there to
  say that a statewide takings initiative was the
  answer.
• Developing their messengers and messages
• Virgie Eldridge is speaking on behalf of the Farm
  Bureau saying that she cant give her daughter
  any land because of land use laws and thats why
  she supports a takings initiative. However, local
  planning records show that she can indeed give up
  to 5 acres to her daughter.

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• What Were Doing to Get Ahead of the Initiative

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Managing the Climate that an Initiative Will Be
Introduced In

• Using local updates to reaffirm support for
  managing growth and as an organizing opportunity
• Framing the initiative before the filing and
  communicating with our base
• Building the infrastructure for a statewide
  campaign

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Reaffirming Support for Managing Growth Through
Local Updates

• Rural Majority
• A new voice has joined the superheated debate
  over the future of the countys rural areas,
  promising a reasonable and balanced approach to a
  highly divisive issues. The group cites needs for
  regulations to protect property and keep it
  rural. King County Journal
• Whatcom County
• Developers and conservationists support new
  protections.
• Bellingham Herald

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Framing the Initiative Early

• Conducting research to develop messages
• Framing the initiative with reporters and
  decisionmakers before its filed
• Communicating with our base early and often
• Running a bill that will require the ballot title
  to include a fiscal impact statement

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Communicating With Our Base Findings from Focus
Groups

• Explain the measures negative impact on
  communities quality of life
• Point out that the measure creates loopholes to
  benefit developers, timber and other special
  interests
• Highlight that the measure is vague,
  poorly-written and misleading
• Urge progressive voters to dig into the issue and
  find out more

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Building the Campaign Infrastructure

• Developing a coalition
• Fundraising
• Hiring staff early
• Setting up legal team and ballot title challenge
  plan

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• Aisling Kerins
• Campaign Director
• Community Protection Coalition
• aisling_at_protectcommunities.org