Letters blast Tumwater school board, oppose Sheriff removal bill, and support state pensioners

Tumwater School Board fails students

Last week, I witnessed the Tumwater School Board use the President’s executive orders as an excuse to pass a segregationist anti-transgender-student policy — an act which violates state and federal laws, and disregards their duty to protect all students.

The board ignored student and public testimony, the scientific consensus that trans students hold no athletic advantage, and that trans students face abuse and harassment overwhelmingly more often than they perpetrate it.

Most alarmingly, they dismissed the well-documented harms of such policies, including skyrocketing rates of self-harm and suicide among trans youth in states with discriminatory laws. Instead, they endorsed a “Separate and Unequal” policy, prioritizing an illegal executive order over the well-being of their students.

This raises a troubling question: Will they ever draw a line? If the administration demands trans students be identified with markers — perhaps pink triangles — will the board comply? If they demand lists of trans or gender-nonconforming students, will the board say yes? If they demand segregated classrooms or drag them to camps, will the board cooperate?

The board’s responsibility is to safeguard all students, and they have failed spectacularly. I urge other districts to boycott games with Tumwater until this policy is rescinded and trans girls are allowed to play. If the board refuses, I call on Tumwater families and students to demand a vote of no confidence. This board is unfit to serve.

Katherine Walton-Elliott, Olympia

More voter control, not less

At a time when political turmoil and division remains on the rise, government should be seeking more voter input, not less. This leads me to question why legislation such as House Bill 1399 is being considered by our lawmakers.

The bill would allow the state to remove a local Sheriff without a vote of the citizens, using a mechanism in which the state makes the rules (which are always subject to change). The bill also would allow the state to decide who is “suitable” to run for the office of Sheriff, removing candidates from the ballot as they see fit.

I ran for Sheriff with the mindset that the role should be performance based, with the voters of Thurston County retaining the ultimate say. The entire premise of voting is to elect your leaders for set terms, with the expectation they perform their duties well. HB 1399 erodes the right to vote, allowing state interference in local elections. What is the purpose of voting if the state can override your choice, or prevent it from appearing on the ballot in the first place?

HB 1399 is voter suppression wrapped in a façade of police accountability and baked in hypocrisy. Lawmakers would never consider this bill if it were aimed at their own legislative offices. All elected officials, not just Sheriffs, should remain in office until voters decide otherwise.

The political waters are rough right now, and voters ought to be steering the ship.

Sheriff Derek Sanders, Thurston County

Support school retirees

This year there is a great opportunity to support the state’s oldest public school employees who do not receive an annual cost-of-living increase in their pensions.

The state Senate is considering Senate Bill 5085, merging the state’s oldest pension plans into a single pension fund. The idea, sponsored by Senator June Robinson (D-Everett), would reduce expenses for state and local governments and provide a cost-of-living increase to aid these older retirees. It allows the state to maintain all retiree benefits, reinstate future cost-of-living adjustments and pay off all underfunded liabilities while freeing up over $1 billion in state, local government and school funding. That means a reduced need for taxes, fewer program cuts, and more police officers on the streets.

I have the utmost respect for our retired law enforcement and fire personnel. If this proposal reduced or threatened their benefits in any way, I would be opposed. It does not. They lose nothing. This solution addresses a great inequity and gender bias in the pension system.

I worked 30 years in public education and was not expecting to be fighting this battle. Nearly all Plan 1 retirees with an annual increase have lost over 50% of purchasing power due to inflation. I see colleagues who are struggling to stay in their homes due to increases in taxes, medications, groceries, etc.

Encourage your legislators to make SB 5085 part of the final budget negotiations. Do this in honor of one of your favorite educators.

Fred Yancey, Olympia