Candidate Questionnaire

All legislative candidates wishing to receive an endorsement from Children's Campaign Fund are required to complete and return the Candidate Questionnaire linked below. This pertains to previously endorsed incumbents and/or candidates as well.

After the candidate has completed the questions, a member of the CCF Endorsement Committee will contact the candidate to arrange a face-to-face or phone interview. The CCF Board will also collect constituent/community feedback to inform our final decision. Final recommendations will be approved by the full board. Candidates will then be notified of the Board’s decision.

Thank you for your interest in participating. We look forward to working with you.

Candidate Questionnaire 2014

Youth Opportunities Act Update

Youth Opportunities Act Legislative Alert

By Mercedes Elizalde Children's Campaign Fund Board Member Political Strategy Committee Chair

There was a great hearing Monday,February 24, 2014.

Children's Campaign Fund board member and former legislator Mary Lou Dickerson testified that, in order for the juvenile justice reforms made in the last two decades to truly have a chance, we must take this step.

We need to make another push in Senate.

The bill must get out of the Human Services and Corrections Committee by Friday, February 28, 2014 to stay alive. That Committee’s last meeting is on Thursday, so time is very short.

Now is a critical time to contact legislators.

Please tell them why records need to be automatically prevented from publication and sale. More specifically, tell them the current system, where someone can hire an attorney to go in and seal after 2-5 years and after paying court fees and fines that could cost tens of thousands of dollars, is unfair, and denies youth a second chance in adulthood to live a better life. Focus on why this would improve public safety and the economic outcomes of the individual and the greater community. This bill is consistent with the policies and practices of 42 other states.

We need as many voices as we can get support to this bill, but we know legislators respond most to individuals who live in their district. So if you live in these areas: Spokane Valley (Sen. Padden), West Pierce County (Sen. O’Ban), or Snohomish County/Monroe (Sen. Pearson) you can make the biggest difference!

Chair Senator Steve O'Ban steve.o'ban@leg.wa.gov District 28 R Phone: (360) 786-7654

Senator Mike Padden mike.padden@leg.wa.gov District 4 R Phone: (360) 786-7606

Senator Kirk Pearson (Vice Chair) kirk.pearson@leg.wa.gov District 39 R Phone: (360) 786-7676

NOW IS MAKE-OR-BREAK TIME! Thank you for your efforts!

Legislative Reception 2014

There was great attendance and energy at the Children's Campaign Fund Olympia Legislative Reception on February 25, 2014. There were many bipartisan conversations on how we can help our kids, and we look forward to continuing to build momentum to help make Washington an even better place for kids.

The Olympia Reception was generously hosted by our Champions for Children former legislators: Lisa Brown (3rd District), Jeralita Costa (38th District), Deborah Eddy (48th District) Phyllis Kenney (46th District), Lynn Kessler (24th District), Renee Radcliff Sinclair (21st District) and Skip Priest (30th District).

"I was thrilled to see the bipartisan presence for kids at our February Waterstreet Cafe event," says Rene Murry chair of the board for Children's Campaign Fund. "The CCF Board pulled off a lovely reception and we all appreciate the many representatives, senators, staff and lobbyists who joined us that night. Lynn Kessler's words of support that night were inspirational. We can't wait for our next event to help spread the word of the importance of electing officials that champaign kids rights in Washington."

The Children's Campaign Fund Board Members are pleased to thank to the following elected officials who attended the Children's Campaign Fund Olympia Legislative Reception February 25, 2014:

• Rep. Mary Helen Roberts

• Rep. Chris Rykdal

• Rep. Dean Takko

• Rep. Joe Fitzgibbons

• Rep. Linda Kochmar

• Rep. Roger Goodman

• Rep. Roger Freeman

• Rep. Ruth Kagi

• Rep. David Sawyer

• Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self

• Rep. Ross Hunter

• Rep. Cyrus Habib

• Rep. Eileen Cody

• Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos

• Rep. Marcus Riccelli

• Rep. Tana Senn

• Senator Sharon Nelson

• Senator Steve Litzow

• Senator Joe Fain

• Senator Bob Hasegawa

• Senator Michael Baumgartner

• Senator Karen Kaiser

• Senator Jeanne Kohl-Wells

Also in attendace were:

• Former Rep. Lynn Kessler

• Former Rep. Marci Maxwell

• Former Rep. Rene Radcliff-Sinclair

• Former Rep. Skip Priest

• Former Rep. Dawn Morrell

From the Third House, Lonnie Johns-Brown Laurie Lippold and Beck Borgord joined us.

Staff from several officials joined us including Maralyn Pedersen from the office of Rep. Ross Hunter, Rory Paine-Donovan from the office of Rep. Luis Moscoso and Evan Clifthorne from the office of Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self.