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Statement

As Secretary of State Certifies Let’s Go Washington Signatures, Washington Moms Are United: We Won’t Go Backward

January 18, 2024
Paid Family & Medical Leave, Early Care & Education, Washington

Lisa Lederer, 202/371-1996

Statement of Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, the Washington-based Executive Director and CEO of MomsRising, the national online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on the Washington Secretary of State certifying signatures for a series of regressive, harmful measures that would turn back the clock in the state:

“Washington moms, families, businesses, and voters will not accept the harmful measures that one billionaire behind Let’s Go Washington is trying to advance. These deeply unpopular, potentially devastating initiatives would repeal the capital gains tax that funds the state’s struggling early learning and child care system, could end our state’s paid family and medical leave program, and much more. These measures are bad individually and catastrophic collectively.

“MomsRising and our many, many allies will work tirelessly to defeat these destructive, regressive measures that would take our state backward. To be clear: We are here because of the selfish actions of one billionaire, Brian Heywood, who spent $6 million to put an unprecedented slate of initiatives on the 2024 ballot. We will work with lawmakers and organize voters to ensure that wealthy special interests do not undo years of progress in making Washington healthier, more family friendly, economically successful, and fair. This is a fight we will not lose.”

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, stop discrimination against women and moms, and build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: www.MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.