Welcome to Permanent Defense, a project of the Northwest Progressive Institute founded in February of 2002 to protect the Evergreen State from bad ballot measures proposed by the militant right wing. Permanent Defense is a people-powered political action committee working to safeguard Washington’s common wealth, which funds our schools, mass transit, roads, parks, libraries, hospitals, police, fire, emergency response, and all of the essential public services that we as a people have created through the years through the wise investment of our tax dollars.

For decades, our common wealth and our pluralistic society have been threatened and attacked by a steady onslaught of right wing initiatives designed to paralyze our communities and wreck government by metaphorically drowning it in a bathtub. Permanent Defense was created to provide a year-round first response to these harmful ballot measures. 

Decline to sign IL26-001, IL26-126, and IL26-638

Washington State Republican Party Chair Jim Walsh and a top donor, mega millionaire Brian Heywood, are currently running petition drives for three destructive measures. The first two are:

• IL26-001: Repeals the Safety Act, endangering Washington’s students
• IL26-638: Attacks our LGBTQ+ youth and puts young female student athletes at risk

Heywood is using out-of-state paid signature gatherers hired by an opaque Florida company to promote “culture war” schemes that will threaten the safety of all Washington students, putting them at greater risk of abuse at home and at school.

Most parents are loving and supportive, but the sad reality is not all kids are safe at home. And it’s true some people have a difficult time understanding what it means to be transgender.

But the safety of all Washington students, regardless of race, gender, or zipcode, would be put at greater risk by these dangerous initiatives, which include:

• Forced Outing: Force schools to “out” LGBTQ+ students to unsupportive families, putting them at risk of abuse and even homelessness.
• Restrict Access to Help: At a time when youth mental health issues are at an all time high, Heywood’s schemes would make it harder for all students to safely report home violence, sexual abuse or related mental health issues to trusted adults at school, like school counselors.
• Invasive Genital Exams on Girls: Requiring invasive exams of “reproductive organs” on all girls who want to play sports, even those as young as eleven, violates their privacy, increases chances of abuse, and discourages girls from the benefits of being on a team. Boys are exempt.

Decline to sign IL26-001 and IL-638.

The third is IL26-126.

This discriminatory measure from Jim Walsh would require all voters to have an enhanced driver’s license or provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship in person. Voters who fail to do so would see their registration canceled before the November 2027 general election.

The vast majority of voters don’t have enhanced driver’s license, and most would therefore automatically be deregistered under the provisions of the initiative unless they went in person to an auditor’s office to “prove” their citizenship with very specific kinds of paperwork.

Permanent Defense and the League of Women Voters are opposing this measure.

Decline to sign IL26-126.

For more information on thinking before you ink, please see this page.