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The Retire Advocate < Back to Table of Contents September 2025 Lawmakers Oppose WISeR Program Expanding Prior Authorization in Medicare Wendell Potter and Rachel Madley In a previous post in HEALTH CARE un-covered, the newsletter from the Center for Health & Democracy (CHD), Rachel Madley, PhD, Director of Policy and Advocacy for the CHD, laid out why the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ new Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) Model is bad news for patients in Traditional Medicare. She warned that it would import one of the worst aspects of Medicare Advantage -- aggressive prior authorization run by private, profit-driven contractors -- into a program that has long prided itself on letting doctors, not algorithms, decide what’s medically necessary. Madley’s piece explained why WISeR is dangerous: It hands prior authorization in Traditional Medicare to private companies that profit by denying care -- exactly as they do in MA. It uses AI and “technology-enhanced” reviews that have been shown to spike denial rates. It offers companies a cut of the “savings” they generate, creating a built-in incentive to say no. It paves the way for more and more services to be put behind prior authorization walls. And now, there’s a sign that her warning is resonating and that momentum is building against CMS’s latest experiment. Last month, Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) and Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) led 40 of their colleagues in a letter to CMS urging them not to start the model. The law makers wrote, “We are concerned that this effort could erode the quality of coverage provided by Traditional Medicare and result in the delay and denial of necessary health care." And “Giving private for-profit actors a veto over care provided to seniors and people with disabilities in Traditional Medicare, even as a pilot program, opens the door to further erosion of our Medicare system. We therefore strongly urge you to immediately halt the proposed WISeR model and instead consider steps to address the well-documented waste, fraud, and abuse in the Medicare Ad- vantage program.” And just last week, a bloc of House members sent a letter to CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz urging the agency to cancel WISeR before it starts. The letter, led by Representative Suzan DelBene (D-Washington) and signed by 19 other members, pulls no punches: WISeR, they wrote, will “likely limit beneficiaries’ access to care, increase burden on our already overburdened health care workforce, and create perverse incentives to put profit over patients." The political significance of this is hard to overstate. The members of Congress who signed these letters have, in some cases, been reliable defenders of Medicare Advantage, an industry that now takes more than half of all Medicare dollars (plus billions in overpayments each year) while using prior authorization to deny necessary care at alarming rates. For them to publicly oppose a CMS initiative that so closely mirrors MA practices suggests some- thing important: insurers may be losing some of their go-to allies on Capitol Hill. And it’s not just the Dems. The letters’ concerns echo those raised by Republicans in recent years, too. And that’s including some of Medicare Advantage’s biggest boosters. Former Representative Mark Greene, MD (R-Tennessee) led a bill with Representative Kim Schrier that would require physicians of the same specialty to review prior authorizations. And Senator Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, stated that prior authorization is being “abused” by health insurance companies. The fact that opposition is now coming from both sides of the aisle demonstrates that this model may not be the antidote to prior authorization concerns that its proponents are touting it as. Both letters reinforce those warnings, citing data from HHS’s Office of Inspector General showing that 75% of denied prior authorization requests in MA were overturned on appeal, which is proof that many initial denials were inappropriate. They also question why CMS would contract with the very companies (often MA insurers them- selves) that have been caught breaking Medicare rules to boost profits. For years, insurers have been able to rely on a bipartisan wall of protection for Medicare Advantage. With Democrats and Republicans saying “enough," that could mean that the wall is starting to crack, and it’s not just WISeR that’s in jeopardy. It’s the whole model of using private contractors to ration care in the name of “cost control.” WISeR is scheduled to launch in January 2026 in six states: New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona and Washington. If CMS doesn’t reverse course, it will mark a turning point and Traditional Medicare will begin to look and feel like private Medicare Advantage plans. But if the growing opposition is any sign, CMS may find itself pursuing other models to improve Traditional Medicare without using flawed methods from MA. Postscript : Thank you to Reps. Jayapal and Smith for signing the letter initiated by Reps. Ocasio Cortez and Doggett. Thank you to Rep. DelBene for initiating a second letter and to Reps. Randall and Strickland for signing that letter. Both letters called for cancellation of the WISeR program which tar- gets Washington Medicare beneficiaries. Wendell Potter is a former high ranking insurance executive and founder of the Center for Health & Democracy (CHD). Rachel Madley was the former health care policy staff person for Rep. Pramila Jayapal and now serves as Director of Policy and Advocacy for CHD. To subscribe to CHD’s newsletter, google search HEALTH CARE un-covered. < Back to Table of Contents

The Retire Advocate < Back to Table of Contents February 2025 Warning: Trump's Nominees May Be Hazardous to Your Health Mike Andrew Most of Donald Trump’s high-level nominees will be confirmed by a Republican-controlled Senate. That’s not good news. For PSARA members – and anyone else who is concerned about protecting our rights to affordable, science-based health care – two are especially problematic: Dr. Mehmet Oz and Robert Kennedy, Jr. Mehmet Oz: From Respected Doctor to Snake Oil Salesman Oz has been picked to head CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services), the agency that manages Medicare and works with state government to oversee Medicaid. Oz was once a respected heart surgeon and a professor at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. He then became a TV celebrity, appearing regularly on the Oprah Winfrey Show from 2004 through 2009. Winfrey then began producing Oz’s own TV show, on which he promoted so-called “alternative medicine” schemes. In 2012, Oz entered into an arrangement with Usana Health Sciences, a multi-level marketing company selling “nutrition” supplements. Oz was paid over $50 million over a five-year period to promote Usana products on his show. During the COVID epidemic, Oz falsely claimed the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine is an effective treatment for COVID-19. What Oz did not reveal at the time was that he owns at least $630,000 of stock in two companies that manufacture or distribute hydroxychloroquine, Thermo Fisher and McKesson Corporation. Not only is the drug ineffective against the COVID virus, but it can also actively harm patients who take it to combat COVID-19, according to the World Health Organization. Along with internet entrepreneur Jeff Arnold, Oz is also a an owner of Sharec- are, Inc., an online medical “information” venue that accepts paid advertisers and promotes the use of their products. Among their advertisers: Colgate-Pal- molive; Pfizer; Unilever (Dove skin-care products); health insurer UnitedHealth- care; and Walgreens drug stores. All this naked profiteering and all these potential conflicts of interest should be disqualifying in and of themselves. But wait! There’s more. We haven’t even gotten to Oz’s views on Medicare, the public health service he’ll be overseeing in the Trump administration. You remember the old saying about the fox guarding the henhouse? Oz thinks of health care as just another commodity. If you’re rich enough to pay for good care, fine. If you’re not… Well, Oz has already told us what he foresees for low-income Americans. I In a 2012 speech to the National Governors Association, Oz declared that "(low-income people) don’t have the right to health, but they have a right to access – a chance to get that health." How do they “get that health?” Oz proposed that lawmakers host cheap 15-minute health screenings “in a festival-like setting" to help those who are uninsured. During his 2020 campaign for the US Senate, Oz announced a health care plan, which he called "Medicare Ad- vantage for All.” That’s right, Oz wants to turn all health care in the US over to private insurance companies and all the overpayments, outright fraud, de- lays, and denial of claims that go along with private Medicare Advantage plans. Oz will be a disaster in his role as head of CMS. RFK Jr.: The Worm Ate More Than We Thought Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has been nominated to be the Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and therefore Dr. Oz’s boss. True, RFK Jr. has some interesting ideas about eating healthy foods and restricting artificial additives, but his views overall align with the contrarian anti-science ideology of right-wing populism. Kennedy chairs the Children's Health Defense, an anti-vaccine advocacy group he joined in 2015. The group claims that exposure to vaccines, certain chemicals, and radiation has caused a wide range of conditions in many American children, including autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), food allergies, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. Children's Health Defense has actively campaigned against vaccines, fluoridation of drinking water, acetaminophen, aluminum, and wireless communication, among other things. The group has been identified as one of two major buyers of anti- vaccine Facebook advertising in late 2018 and early 2019. Kennedy and Children's Health Defense have falsely claimed that vaccines cause autism. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kennedy promoted multiple conspiracy theories related to COVID, including false claims that Anthony Fauci and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation were trying to profit off a vaccine, and suggesting that Bill Gates would cut off access to money of people who do not get vaccinated, allowing them to starve. In August 2020, Kennedy appeared in an hour-long interview with Alec Baldwin on Instagram and touted a number of incorrect and misleading claims about vac- cines and public health measures related to the pandemic. Public health officials and scientists criticized Baldwin for letting Kennedy's claims go unchallenged. In addition, Kennedy has spread the false HIV/AIDS denialist claim that no one has isolated the HIV virion and "No one has been able to point to a study that demonstrates their hypothesis using accepted scientific proofs." He has also asserted that anti-HIV drugs, which have saved millions of HIV-positive patients, are toxic and should be banned. The Kennedy-Oz team managing HHS and CMS would be a one-two punch to the gut for affordable, science-based health care in the US. Mike Andrew is the Editor of the Advocate and Executive Director of PSARA < Back to Table of Contents

2025 PSARA WA State Legislative Agenda Activity Report (week of April 20 , 2025 ) Listed below are the Bills that PSARA is following that will have hearings in the coming week. In Washington State you do not need to attend the hearing to express your support for a specific bill, you can sign in to the Legislative Committee page and express your support or opposition. Legislators have repeatedly told us that signing in and indicating your support or opposition to a bill is very important for a bill ’ s success. Che ck out TVW.org to watc h both live and archived hearings. I highly recommend the legislative review that you can watch daily for highlights from hearings and floor action (if the links are not working please paste into your browser: https://tvw.org/shows/legislative-review/ ) Please see below for PSARA’s Weekly Legislative Report: PSARA Weekly WA Legislative Update April 20, 2025 Pam Crone, Chair Government Relations Committee Dear PSARA Executive Board and Activists, Below is a description of the new revenue package the House and Senate drafted after Governor Ferguson stated he would not support the wealth tax. The compilation was created by a former lobbying colleague Majken Ryherd I have also included the Governor’s statement characterizing the package as “unsustainable" and “too risky.” The regular session ends April 27. If no agreement is reached by then, further action will have to occur in a special session. This will be my last weekend update. Thank you for reading it each week, signing in on PSARA priorities at committee hearings, and contacting your legislators. Please see the May Retiree Advocate for an almost final legislative wrap-up. Do note that session will not have ended when the Advocate went to press. Thank you all. Best, Pam New Revenue Package Capital Gains and Estate Taxes - SB 5813 (Wilson, D-30) / HB 2082 (Street, D-37) Adds a 2.9% excise tax on capital gains over $1 million, on top of the current 7% tax applied to gains over $270,000 (adjusted annually for inflation). Increases estate tax rates for individuals who pass away after January 1, 2025. Raises the estate tax exclusion from $2.1 million to $3 million. Revenue from this bill would go to the Education Legacy Trust Account. Passed Senate Ways & Means on 4/18. Business and Occupation (B&O) Tax Surcharges - SB 5815 (Saldaña, D-37) / HB 2081 (Fitzgibbon, D-34) Increases B&O tax rates on sectors such as manufacturing, retail, child care, and gambling. Imposes a 0.5% surcharge on businesses with state income over $250 million. Raises rates on existing B&O surcharges. Funds would support public schools, higher education, healthcare, and social services. Was not considered in Senate Ways & Means on 4/18. Scheduled for executive session in House Finance on 4/19. Property Tax Cap Adjustment - SB 5812 (Wellman, D-41) / HB 2049 (Bergquist, D-11) Adjusts the annual 1% cap on property tax increases to allow for growth tied to inflation and population, capped at 3%. Revenue would support K–12 education, including special education. Was not considered in Senate Ways & Means on 4/18. Scheduled for executive session in House Finance on 4/19. Sales Tax on Services and Nicotine Products - SB 5814 (Frame, D-36) / HB 2083 (Stonier, D-49) Expands the state’s sales and use tax to cover services like IT consulting and advertising. Includes all nicotine products, whether synthetic or tobacco-derived, under the tobacco products tax. Requires a one-time prepayment of state sales tax from businesses with $3 million+ in taxable retail sales in 2026. The revenue would support education, healthcare, social services, and other programs. Passed Senate Ways & Means on 4/18. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Brionna Aho, Governor's Communications Director, Brionna.aho@gov.wa.gov, 360-628-3843 Governor Bob Ferguson comment on proposed $12B in taxes Trump Administration cuts and chaos continue to cast shadow over state budget OLYMPIA — Governor Bob Ferguson offered the following statement on the Legislature’s proposal for $12 billion in taxes: “I thank legislators for their hard work as we balance a budget with a $16 billion shortfall. While our budget situation is currently challenging, it may soon become dire with additional cuts and chaos from the Trump Administration. We must defend Washington in the face of that. “Federal funds make up 28 percent of our state budget. That includes billions of dollars for Medicaid, K-12 education, child welfare and early learning, disaster recovery and response, unemployment insurance and more. Every day, funding is canceled, frozen or denied by the Trump Administration and Elon Musk. Last week, FEMA denied our request for emergency relief funds for November’s bomb cyclone. We don’t know exactly why — they did not offer a reason — but we know we met the criteria set out for this funding. The administration is attempting to cut $160 million in public health funding . “Significant federal cuts loom for Medicaid, early learning , K-12 education , scientific research , health care and emergency response . “Families are also bearing the burden of the Trump Administration’s tariffs, making everything from groceries to car repairs more expensive. Tariffs will hit Washington — one of the most trade dependent states in the nation — especially hard. Nearly $120 billion in exports and imports flowed through Washington state ports last year. Approximately 40 percent of our jobs are tied to trade. Tariffs on our biggest trading partners will be damaging to our economy, and particularly hurt our farmers. “We must ensure Washington is in the best possible financial position to weather more cuts and damaging economic policies from a Trump Administration that weaponizes funding to punish those it disagrees with and forces them into compromising their values. “We need a balanced approach, using a reasonable amount of progressive revenue and adopting solutions to reduce our spending. “At a time of great economic uncertainty and assaults by the Trump Administration on core state services for working families, raising $12 billion in taxes is unsustainable, too risky and fails to adequately prepare Washington state for the crisis that looms ahead. “That said, the Legislature has made progress on key issues in its updated revenue proposals. Legislators are working hard and putting in long hours. They have moved away from their reliance on an untested wealth tax and made progress on addressing our regressive tax system. “We will continue to work together to produce a budget that supports a strong economy, and the people of Washington.” ###

2026 PSARA Legislative Priorities talking points HB 1214 SB 5768 / Expanding eligibility for the working families' tax credit to everyone age 18 and older. PSARA Posit: Pro In 2025, the bill passed Senate Ways & Means, but did not pass out of Rules. The Working Families Tax Credit, passed in 2021, helps mitigate the regressivity of Washington’s tax code by providing modest credits to low- and moderate-income state residents. Currently the credit is restricted to 25–64-year-olds. Extending it to all income qualifying residents over 18 will give a financial boost to younger and older Washingtonians struggling with affordability. The Working Families Tax Credit program is administered by the Department of Revenue. Income eligibility is based on eligibility for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) which is established by the federal government. Combat Washington’s regressive tax code Provide financial stability to young adults (18-24) and seniors (65+) Reduce poverty HB 1303 SB 5380 / Increasing environmental justice by improving government decisions. PSARA Posit: Sponsors: Senators Lovelett, Trudeau, Hasegawa, Nobles, Saldana, Stanford, Valdez; Representatives Mena, Berry, Reeves, Redd, Ormsby, Salahuddin, Ramel, Pollet, Nance, Doglio and Scott. Formerly known as the Cumulative Risk Burden (CURB) Pollution Act. SB 5380/HB 1303 focus on integrating environmental justice into the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). No matter who you are or where you live, we all deserve to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and be safe from toxic pollution. But across Washington State, communities of color and Indigenous peoples carry the greatest burden when it comes to environmental pollution, affecting their health, well-being, and life expectancy. Why do our frontline communities face these challenges? It’s because of decades of racist practices that placed polluting facilities in our neighborhoods. It’s because of big businesses who were given permits to pollute by our state government. Communities that have historically borne the worst effects of pollution due to redlining and institutional racism shouldn’t have to bear the ongoing harm being inflicted on their health, well-being, and even life expectancy today. Yet under current laws, reviews of project proposals that may have an environmental impact are not required to consider the ongoing legacy of environmental racism and the very real health concerns that our state’s most impacted communities face. HB 1661 SB 5541 / Concerning the Washington future fund pilot project. PSARA Posit: Pro HB 1773 SB 5626 / Creating a wage replacement program for certain Washington workers excluded from unemployment insurance. PSARA Posit: Pro HB 2090 SB 5821 / Integrating advanced nuclear energy into the state energy strategy. PSARA Posit: Pro After review of Senate Bill 5821 we have the following concerns: This legislation is not an analysis of the current state of nuclear power. The legislation as written has no guard rails or limits to the expansion of nuclear power. Advances in nuclear technology that it vaguely references in its justification for adding nuclear power to WA State’s Energy Strategy have not been commercially deployed or fully tested. Most news articles have it deployed no sooner than 2030 – 2035. Based on our reading, if the legislation passes as is it currently written there is no limit to the number of small or large nuclear power plants that could be built in WA State Of particular concern is the management of nuclear waste. Nuclear waste is a liability that has to be handled safely and securely for thousands of years. Any legislation should require development of a life cycle plan and costing for managing nuclear waste. We are not opposed to an independent study that helps us understand better current technologies broadly in energy development. This legislation is not that. It is an attempt by the nuclear industry and other interests to introduce nuclear energy into WA States Energy Strategy. This is premature and deserves further study. HB 2100 SB 6093 / Enacting an excise tax on large operating companies on the amount of payroll expenses above the minimum wage threshold of the additional medicare tax to fund services to benefit Washingtonians and establishing the Well Washington fund account. PSARA Posit: Pro Sponsors: Scott, Mena, Thomas, Reed Parshley, Hill, Ryu, Doglio, Simmons, Peterson, Berry, Pollet. New progressive sources of revenue are essential to safeguard and strengthen programs that keep people across Washington housed, fed, and healthy. The affordability crisis has hit Washington’s working families and seniors hard. Federal cuts, tariffs, and the chaos and fear sown by the current federal administration are further harming our economy and communities. Meanwhile, billionaire investors are enjoying further gains in wealth. More than ever, we need our state government to step up. We can protect state services and our children’s future by finally asking the very wealthy to pay their fair share of taxes. Rep. Shaun Scott and Sen. Rebecca Saldaña are introducing companion bills to create a Well Washington Fund financed by a new tax on our state’s largest employers, amounting to 5% of their payroll on employees making more than $125,000 annually. These additional revenues will help finance health care, housing, higher ed, and nutrition programs that are all now threatened by federal cuts. In November, voters across our state were clear: they support a vision of our state that stands up to Trump, protects our most vulnerable, and invests in shared community prosperity. In 2026, state legislators need to be bold in finally asking Washington’s wealthiest residents to pay their fair share to continue making Washington a great place to live and do business. The Well Washington tax is similar to Seattle’s successful Jump Start Tax. Employers already paying that tax will be able to take a credit off their state tax. Last session, the state legislature passed a 2-year budget that included both tax increases (in capital gains, estate, and business taxes) and major cuts to health care, early learning, education, and other state services. In 2026, they will pass a supplemental budget. We have already seen major cuts in federal funding and will likely face even more cuts in the coming year. We need our state to step up to protect health care affordability, funding for foodbanks and housing, and access to childcare, preschool, and higher ed. Washington’s tax system is highly regressive, with low- and moderate- income Washingtonians paying at far higher rates than the wealthy. Small businesses also pay higher rates than large profitable corporations. Continued growth in economic inequality helps feed the state budget crisis. HB 2103 SB 6004 / Authorizing certain public entities to contract for the capability of renewable or nonemitting electric generation projects. PSARA Posit: con Sponsors: Stearns , Parshley , Zahn , Barnard , Ryu , Leavitt , Simmons , Reed , Fitzgibbon , Bernbaum Sec.8.2 requires Agencies to be liable for construction costs even if the energy production facility is not successfully completed: "...means that the contract may provide that the city, district, or operating agency must make the payments required by the contract whether or not the project is completed, operable, or operating and notwithstanding the suspension, interruption, interference, reduction, or curtailment of the output of the project or the power and energy contracted for." "Such contract may also provide that payments under the contract are not subject to reduction, whether by offset or otherwise, and may not be conditioned upon the performance or nonperformance of the operating agency, public or private project owner, or publicly or privately owned public utility, or a city, district, or operating agency under the contract or other instrument." "Washington spent much of the 1970s trying to become a center for nuclear power, with plans for five huge fission reactors at Richland and Satsop. Then came cost overruns, construction problems, and one of the biggest municipal bond defaults in Wall Street history in 1983." Source: Washington Standard January 2, 2026 HB 2105 SB 5852 / Concerning immigrant worker protections. PSARA Posit: Pro HB 2173 SB 5855 / Concerning the use of face coverings by law enforcement officers. PSARA Posit: Pro 2332 / Driver Privacy Protection PSARA Posit: HB 2409 SB 6045 / Placing agricultural employees under the jurisdiction of the public employment relations commission for the purpose of collective bargaining. PSARA Posit: SB 5380 HB 1303 / Increasing environmental justice by improving government decisions. PSARA Posit: Pro SB 5395 HB 1566 / Making improvements to transparency and accountability in the prior authorization determination process. PSARA Posit: Pro Sponsors: Senators Orwall, Muzzall, Hasegawa, Lovelett, Nobles, Slatter House: Reps. Rule, Marshall, Shavers, Pollet, Kloba This legislation is part of an ongoing effort to reduce the negative impact of insurance carrier prior authorization processes on patients' access to care and on the practice of medicine for physicians and health care practitioners. The bill would require the following: Physician-led decisions: Health plans must have medical necessity determinations made by a licensed physician or health care practitioner working within their scope of practice. No AI as sole basis for denial: Artificial intelligence or other tools cannot be the only factor in denying a prior authorization request. Any denial must be made by a human professional. Transparency in decisions: Health plans must identify the person who made the prior authorization determination and provide their credentials in notifications. Reporting and accountability: Health plans must now report more detailed information on prior authorization requests, approvals, and denials, including the percentage of denials that involved AI tools. Prior Authorization is a barrier to healthcare Prior Authorization causes delays and denials of medically necessary healthcare Prior Authorization can lead to treatment abandonment Prior Authorization overburdens physicians and healthcare providers in mounds of paperwork. Prior Authorization decisions by AI and Machine Learning magnify and exacerbate the perils of PA as stated above. SB 5439 / Concerning divestment of funds under management by the state investment board from thermal coal. PSARA Posit: Pro Sponsors: Senators Frame, Lovelett, Hasegawa, Nobles, Ramos, Saldana, Stanford The Washington State Investment Board manages pension funds for 912,000 public employees who work or have worked for the state and in municipalities, public schools, law enforcement and firefighting. The WSIB is required by law to act in the best interest of public employees and retirees. WA Coal Act directs Washington State Investment Board to: Phase out publicly traded investments in coal Halt new investments in coal Report annually on the phase out of coal investments Complete divestment from coal funds by TBA Comply with its fiduciary duty to protect pension retirement funds Coal is damaging to the environment, climate and public health. Coal pollutes air, soil, and water. Human health impacts include cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, kidney disease, mental health problems, adverse birth outcomes, impaired child development, and others. Coal is notorious for harming vulnerable populations disproportionately. The WA Coal Act is necessary to enable the WSIB to avoid future coal investments. The legislature must clarify that investing in coal is not aligned with Washington values and climate goals and is not in the best interest of Washingtonians. The WA Coal Act moves the WSIB to get out of the dirty coal business by phasing out their coal investments while protecting pensioners. SB 5541 HB 1661 / Concerning the Washington future fund pilot project. PSARA Posit: Pro Sponsors: By Request State Treasurer; Senators: Trudeau, Harris, Valdez, Lovick, Salomon, Dhingra, Hasegawa, Kauffman, Wilson (C), Saldana, Ricceli, Frame, Nobles, Slatter House: Stonier, Waters, Goodman, Reeves, Fosse, Bronoske, Paul, Salahuddin, Leavitt, Doglio, Obras, Street, Reed, Cortes, Ramel, Thomas, Parshley, Simmons, Timmons, Shavers The Washington Future Fund Coalition and members of the Washington Future Fund advisory committee have worked for years to establish a “baby bonds” program called the Washington Future Fund that would create wealth-building opportunities for Washingtonians living in generational poverty. A baby’s future economic security is largely determined by the amount of wealth they are born into - nearly HALF of babies in Washington are born into poverty. Children in rural areas of our state and those who are Black, Latinx, or Indigenous are more likely to be born into families with little or no wealth, hindering future economic opportunities and financial stability. Establishes a small-scale pilot of the WA Futures Fund granting $25,000 to individuals who would have received the benefit to use on a wealth building activity including going to school, creating a business or purchasing a home. Would provide important data to evaluate how “baby bonds” would increase economic opportunity, reduce wealth disparity, and promote broader economic opportunity, well-being and stability. SB 5626 HB 1773 / Creating a wage replacement program for certain Washington workers excluded from unemployment insurance. PSARA Posit: Pro Sponsors : Senators Saldaña, Lovelett, Valdez, Cortes, Alvarado, Orwall, Kauffman, Slatter, Dhingra, Frame, Hasegawa, Nobles, Stanford and Wilson, C. House:Cortes, Mena, Taylor, Farivar, Berry, Walen, Ormsby, Thai, Stonier, Ryu, Ramel, Macri, Berg, Grege rson, Zahn, Simmons, Scott, Parshley, Salahuddin, Fosse, Duerr, Doglio, Pollet, Reed, Ortiz-Self In Washington state, all workers deserve a safety net if they lose their jobs. Access to public benefits like unemployment insurance (UI) keeps workers and families safe when they face a crisis like job loss through no fault of their own. However, thousands of people in Washington are unfairly excluded from vital public benefits and left without a safety net. Despite the millions in tax contributions that undocumented immigrants pay the state, they are unable to access UI and other vital public benefits when they face hard times. Immigrants are invaluable to Washington’s vibrant communities, robust workforce and healthy economy. Not only are they essential to our workforce, but they are also major tax contributors who help uphold our public programs. It is time that our systems reflect the true value of our immigrant workers. Establishes a Wage Replacement Program to provide benefits to claimants, who are ineligible for unemployment benefits and who meet certain qualifications. Requires the Employment Security Department to select a third-party administrator for the Wage Replacement Program. Creates a Wage Replacement Account to be funded by a wage replacement surcharge on employers and reduces an unemployment administrative rate contribution. Creates an advisory committee to review issues related to wage replacement. It is the just and fair thing to do. All workers and their families deserve a safety net when times are hard. Our immigrant workers and families are under additional stress and pressure. SB 5768 HB 1214 / Expanding eligibility for the working families' tax credit to everyone age 18 and older. PSARA Posit: Pro SB 5821 HB 2090 / Integrating advanced nuclear energy into the state energy strategy. PSARA Posit: Con After review of Senate Bill 5821 we have the following concerns: This legislation is not an analysis of the current state of nuclear power. The legislation as written has no guard rails or limits to the expansion of nuclear power. Advances in nuclear technology that it vaguely references in its justification for adding nuclear power to WA State’s Energy Strategy have not been commercially deployed or fully tested. Most news articles have it deployed no sooner than 2030 – 2035. Based on our reading, if the legislation passes as is it currently written there is no limit to the number of small or large nuclear power plants that could be built in WA State Of particular concern is the management of nuclear waste. Nuclear waste is a liability that has to be handled safely and securely for thousands of years. Any legislation should require development of a life cycle plan and costing for managing nuclear waste. We are not opposed to an independent study that helps us understand better current technologies broadly in energy development. This legislation is not that. It is an attempt by the nuclear industry and other interests to introduce nuclear energy into WA States Energy Strategy. This is premature and deserves further study. SB 5852 HB 2105 / Concerning immigrant worker protections. PSARA Posit: Pro Sponsors : Senate: Saldaña, Shewmake, Conway, Wellman, Stanford, Hasegawa, Kauffman, Wilson, C., Hunt, Valdez, Slatter, Cortes, Lovick, Lovelett, Alvarado, Chapman, Pedersen, Orwall, Nobles, Clevel and, Robinson, Trudeau. House: Mena, Farivar, Cortes, Berry, Ramel, Fosse, Parshley, Ryu, Stearns, Doglio, Simmons, Peterson Ortiz-Self. The Immigrant Worker Protection Act will provide Washington workers with greater security and guard against abusive ICE practices on the job. Senator Saldaña and Rep. Ortiz-Self are introducing the bill in cooperation with Attorney General Nick Brown. Similar laws have been passed in California, Oregon, and Illinois. The bill will: Require employers to notify employees when the federal administration requests an audit of employment eligibility information: Allow employers to share employees’ personal information with the federal government only when there is a judicial warrant or subpoena; and Remind employers that they do not need to provide federal officials access to non-public areas of the workplace without a warrant. SB 5855 HB 2173 / Concerning the use of face coverings by law enforcement officers. PSARA Posit: Pro Sponsors: Senate:Valdez, Chapman, Lovick, Trudeau, Wellman, Slatter, Bateman, Frame, Cortes, Saldaña, Robinson, Stanford, Kauffman, Cleveland, Nobles, Lovelett, Orwall, Hasegawa, Pedersen, Riccel li, Shewmake, Alvarado, Wilson, C., Hunt House:Cortes, Reed, Salahuddin, Parshley, Tharinger, Hall, Fosse, Ryu, Callan, Mena, Kloba, Ra mel, Simmons, Scott, Stearns, Peterson, Berry, Pollet The bill would ensure proper identification of law enforcement by requiring officers to wear or display official insignia, uniforms, or badges clearly visible to the public, preventing the use of unmarked cars or anonymous-looking individuals acting as law enforcement. Enhances transparency and accountability: Clearly identifiable officers prevent tactics that resemble "secret police" by making sure the public can see who is conducting law enforcement actions. Discourages the use of intimidation: Officers wearing masks and extreme face coverings create fear, intimidate and terrorize the public. Protects against violations of law: Would prevent federal and local officers from operating in a way that may violate their own agency's rules requiring them to identify themselves when practical and safe. 6002 / Driver Privacy Protection PSARA Posit: SB 6004 HB 2103 / Authorizing certain public entities to contract for the capability of renewable or nonemitting electric generation projects. PSARA Posit: Con Sponsors: Boehnke , Shewmake Sec.8.2 requires Agencies to be liable for construction costs even if the energy production facility is not successfully completed: "...means that the contract may provide that the city, district, or operating agency must make the payments required by the contract whether or not the project is completed, operable, or operating and notwithstanding the suspension, interruption, interference, reduction, or curtailment of the output of the project or the power and energy contracted for." "Such contract may also provide that payments under the contract are not subject to reduction, whether by offset or otherwise, and may not be conditioned upon the performance or nonperformance of the operating agency, public or private project owner, or publicly or privately owned public utility, or a city, district, or operating agency under the contract or other instrument." "Washington spent much of the 1970s trying to become a center for nuclear power, with plans for five huge fission reactors at Richland and Satsop. Then came cost overruns, construction problems, and one of the biggest municipal bond defaults in Wall Street history in 1983." Source: Washington Standard January 2, 2026 6045 / Collective Bargaining Farmworkers PSARA Posit: SB 6093 HB 2100 / Enacting an excise tax on large operating companies on the amount of payroll expenses above the minimum wage threshold of the additional medicare tax to fund services to benefit Washingtonians and establishing the Well Washington fund account. PSARA Posit: Pro SB 6173 / Creating an apple health employer assessment. PSARA Posit: Pro Sponsors: Alvarado , Robinson , Dhingra , Bateman , Frame , Stanford , Pedersen , Lovelett , Trudeau , Hasegawa , Chapman , Cleveland , Conway , Nobles , Orwall , Riccelli , Saldaña , Valdez , Wilson, C. 6346 / Millionaire Tax PSARA Posit: SMJ 8002 / Concerning Medicare. PSARA Posit: Pro Urge Congress to Level the Playing Field between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage. Status : Senate Rules (In 2025 it passed the Senate on a party line vote and died in House Rules.) Sponsors: Hasegawa, Chapman, Stanford, Trudeau, Valdez Medicare is a core part of our health care system, especially for seniors, but is in danger. Investors and private insurance companies are taking advantage of lax rules in the Medicare Advantage part of the program to increase profits and drive-up costs – too often by limiting or denying access to needed care. Improving benefits in Original Medicare, the public part of the program, and cracking down on fraud and abuse in private Medicare Advantage programs will save billions in taxpayer money and strengthen our whole healthcare system. 1.5 million Washington residents are Medicare beneficiaries. When first enrolling, people must choose between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage. Original Medicare has many advantages: beneficiaries can choose almost any doctor or hospital, and rarely experience delays or denials due to prior authorization requirements. However, Original Medicare has a 20% co-pay with no cap, so many purchase supplemental insurance which averages over $200 per month. Medicare Advantage (MA) is private, usually for-profit insurance that has significantly lower monthly premiums than Original Medicare plus supplemental insurance, making it seem more attractive. But its plans have limited provider networks, often require prior authorization, and can end up bein very costly for people needing extensive care. Many seniors opt for MA plans, especially those with limited incomes, disproportionately people of color. However, when they face a complex problem like cancer or a stroke, many discover the doctor or hospital they want is out of network, and insurance gatekeepers frequently delay or deny prescribed care, potentially causing serious harm. Medicare Advantage insurers take significantly more money per beneficiary from the Medicare Trust Fund than Original Medicare, because they do their own risk assessment on each beneficiary and bill the Medicare Trust Fund upfront. Government and academic studies estimate that overpaymentsthrough upcoding, fraud and other abuses cost Medicare between $85 billion to $140 billion annually. SJM 8002 requests Congress to simply create equity and fairness between the two options by: Recouping the billions that the Medicare Advantage corporations have overcharged the Medicare Trust Fund and changing the practice that leads to upcoding, delays, and denials of care. Leveling the playing field for all Medicare beneficiaries by 1) capping out-of-pocket costs and eliminating the 20% co-pays in Medicare Part B that force Original Medicarebeneficiaries to buy expensive supplemental insurance and 2) providing all Medicare beneficiaries vision, hearing and dental coverage.

PSARA Oral Histories Project: Lou Truskoff Return to Oral Histories Main Page Lou Truskoff Interview PSARA Advocate Archives April 2022 Page 3 Interview With Lou Truskoff By Angie Bartels Lou Truskoff cannot remember a time in his life when he wasn’t singing. Some people believe that babies in their mothers’ wombs can hear their mothers singing, and thus the learning and love of music begins from the very start of life. Lou’s mother loved the popular music of the 40’s and sang throughout theday while she was pregnant. And music is most definitely in Lou’s blood. When he was a toddler, his mother played the radio constantly and Lou continued to absorb popular music. One of his earliest songs was I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire, by the Ink Spots, as his mother related to him in later years. “I couldn’t remember myself singing it, but the fact that I was singing it gives some indication that it was cool, at least to me.” Lou was born and raised in Clifton, New Jersey, only 15 miles away from New York City. His family lived in an apartment just a few blocks from his grandfather’s tailor shop. Everyone in the extended family was leftist. That’s in his blood too. When Lou’s mother, Anne, was 12 years old, she joined the Young Communist League with her best friend Ruth. Anne told Ruth that someday she would marry Ruth’s brother, Lou, and indeed she did. As Lou the second grew into a teenager and young adult, Aunt Ruth loved to spend time with him. .During visits to their home, she would discuss politics and made sure that “I knew this or I knew that, and so forth.” His Uncle Bill, from the time of early teenage years, would pull Lou aside and say, “This is a really good book," or “Here’s a really good magazine.” “Uncle Bill was a little different because he followed a different line of the various strains of the leftist parties. He believed that China had the real solution, and the rest of my family believed it was the Soviet Union.” Lou’s grandfather, the tailor, loved to fish, although “he didn’t catch many.” He would go out on the lake by himself while the rest of the family picnicked in a nearby state park. He would return to the family sunburnt and happy. “On the way home, grandfather would start up a song (they were from Czechoslovakia, it was in Czech). My mother knew it because she grew up speaking Czech, and my grandmother knew it, and pretty soon we were all singing songs that my parents knew from their Paul Robeson records. I would join in where I could. I always enjoyed that family camaraderie around singing.” Lou attended public schools within walking distance of the apartment. He fondly remembers those years even though “from 4th grade on, geography and things they taught us turned out to be so wrong.” But he did enjoy the exposure to a world that he had not been aware of. “I was reserved and shy and not willing to speak out with classmates or other kids in the neighborhood. I just didn’t think they would understand my family’s politics or might think that I was not patriotic.” Although it was public school, “Every morning we had the reading of a psalm, then bowed our heads and recited the Lord’s Prayer, which I finally learned. (At first I would mumble because I didn’t want the other kids to know that I didn’t know it!) And then we would stand up, face the flag, and recite the pledge of allegiance. Then we would sing, My Country ‘tis of Thee. When we got to the singing part, that was all fine, because I was willing to sing just about anything, even then.” Lou particularly loved the weekly school assemblies where teachers played the piano and led the singing. He said it didn’t matter what they were singing, whether hymns, patriotic songs, or pop and folk tunes. He loved it all. In his school, “The eighth graders got the privilege of strolling through the halls as a group and singing Christmas carols. "From an early grade, I looked forward to the day when I could be in that eighth grade group singing through the halls. And guess what? The teacher didn’t choose me. She was the best teacher I had, grades K-8, but for some reason, she didn’t choose me. I felt so bad. But I had this good friend, Bernie, who was Jewish. He sang Christmas carols too, and he was chosen to sing. He knew how badly I felt. So, he went to the teacher and said ‘Louis feels really bad about not being chosen to sing with us.’ And the teacher didn’t miss a beat. She immediately said, of course Louis can sing with us. So due to my friend’s good deed, I got to sing in the halls.” Lou studied piano for only 2 1/2 years, and that was the extent of his formal music training. He taught himself to play guitar in his last year of college at Antioch n Yellow Springs, Ohio. (He also met his wife Joan there). “My parents knew that I liked to sing folk music, so they got me a very nice nylon string guitar.” By then, at college, Lou was associating with people who “really knew their stuff,” one of whom played banjo and guitar very well. They formed a trio and performed at a couple of campus gigs. “We even made tape recordings of ourselves because we thought we were so great.” Lou would watch guitar players and learn new techniques by observation. “I have a very good ear. That helps a lot. I would listen to recordings and gradually I got pretty good at accompanying myself. I started singing harmonies, and now I can sing harmony to just about any song.” In the late 1970’s in Seattle, Lou thought that there should be music and singing on the United Farm Worker (UFW) picket lines and demonstrations that he and Joan participated in. He started playing and singing songs that were relevant to why people were standing outside of grocery stores handing out leaflets for the boycotts. He soon met Peter Costantini and Mark Aalfs, who also became involved with the UFW’s activities. It was natural for the three of them to play and sing for a cause they deeply believed in. They were soon joined by Mara, a blind woman who busked on the Ave. She became interested in the UFW, so she started learning all of the farmworker songs. “Sometimes we would make up lyrics on the spot: Sunsweet Raisins, Sunsweet Raisins, Sunsweet prunes, Sunsweet prunes, Boycott Sunsweet Raisins, Boycott Sunsweet Raisins, Elections soon, elections soon.” In the late 1990’s, Lou was one of the founding members of the Seattle Labor Chorus. But that is a whole other story for the telling. Although Lou loves the song I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire, the fact is, he has done just that. With his music and song, Lou has helped to keep the flame of hope alive as we continue in our fight for peace and justice. It’s a mighty long road, but a good song lightens the burden and brightens the day. I cannot imagine a life and a movement without the likes of Lou Truskoff. Luckily, we don’t have to. Angie Bartels is PSARA's Membership VP. This interview is part of a continuing oral history project.

In the Advocate May 2025: We Remember Iris Rosechild Editor's Note: The Advocate mourns the passing of our friend and colleague Iris Rosechild. Iris volunteered as a proofreader for the Advocate for many years, and her way with words made the Advocate a better publication. She always kept us laughing and was a pleasure to work with. We'd like to share a remembrance of Iris by her friend Carla. Iris Rosechild, born Iris Chaya Golub in Brooklyn, New York, Oct. 27, 1943, died at the age of 81 in Seattle in the hospital, nine days after a fall in her apartment. Her father, Barry Golub, came from Russia when he was 11 to join his father here in America. He was an interior house painter, and his father was a tailor. Her mother, Rose Golub, was a housewife and the first generation from Austria. Rose and Barry spoke Yiddish to each other and were Socialists. Iris was the youngest of six daughters. Her Jewish identity was very important to her. Iris left home at 17 to be a bohemian with her boyfriend in Greenwich Village. Her favorite place was the Caricatura coffee house. She moved to the Haight Ashbury in San Francisco in the 60’s, became a flower child, and protested the Vietnam War. Eventually she moved to Seattle to attend the University of Washington and graduated with a BA in Women’s Studies. She was the first coordinator of the Feminist Therapy Referral Service, which was started by her partner, Cameron Justam, in 1976. Before that she was a counselor at the YWCA. Iris had a small business selling fashionable hats called Mad about Hats in the Bon Marché in downtown Seattle. She also sold socks in a business called Café Socks in Pike Place Market and in the former Broadway Market on Capitol Hill. She returned to New York to take care of her father and her sister who were dying. She earned a Master’s in Grief Counseling at Pace University. She got a job as a counselor in New York helping the homeless find permanent housing. She loved her job but quit to return to Seattle and Cameron. She did proofreading since 2018 for the Retiree Advocate, where her keen sense of the rhythm of words was appreciated. This was just one of her many volunteer commitments. She volunteered for the Seattle International Film Festival, the Seattle Jewish Film Festival, as well as Seattle Town Hall. She and Cameron have been in a lesbian film group for five years. She had an inimitable sense of style in everything she did. She had a signature sense of humor. She made great chicken soup. She was a reader and big library user. She was warm and caring for other human beings. She was a big animal lover. Her most recent pet, Cozmo, was a three-legged orange female cat who Iris doted on. Iris is survived by two sisters, Dorian and Ruth, four nieces, one nephew, and her partner of 49 years, Cameron. BACK TO THE ADVOCATE

The Retire Advocate < Back to Table of Contents March 2026 Resisting Authoritarianism - Free Washington Project Cindy Domingo The Trump administration’s systematic attacks on human rights call for the broadest and most united response possible by all who oppose the implementation of Project 2025’s agenda. PSARA heard this call, and, in January, joined with 12 other Washington state organizations to launch the Free Washington Project (FWP). Inspired by other unified efforts such as Free DC, ICE Out of California, Hands Off Chicago, and Bay Rising, FWP brings together grassroots groups, nonprofits, unions, religious organizations, student groups, and anti-intervention organizations to connect and coordinate efforts against authoritarianism, especially to stand against military escalation and the criminalization of protest. Organizing the Resistance In Free Washington Project’s first large public event, the webinar “Organizing the Resistance: Voices from Minnesota” was organized in early February and drew 250 participants. With all eyes on the struggle between the resistance movement and Trump’s militarized ICE forces, FWP sought to learn applicable lessons and build solidarity with the forces that comprise Minnesota’s resistance. Guest speakers from Minnesota included Mark Tilson from Freedom Trainers, Sophie Breen of Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), Bernie Burnham and Todd Dahlstrom from Minnesota AFL-CIO, Friendly Vang-Johnson with Friendly Hmong Farms, and Rabbi David Basior who is from Seattle and traveled to Minnesota with 1,000 faith leaders to support the resistance. The speakers’ clear message was that Minnesota’s tremendous response to Trump’s militarized attacks against the people of Minnesota, who are acting in defense of immigrants and want justice for Alex Pretti and Renee Good, was a result of years of the movements there working in coalition. According to Burnham, “We started organizing for a number of things that we felt were good for working people and families, one of those being paid family medical leave. So that goes back a lot of years. Since that time, people have stayed in coalition…It’s labor, community groups, faith groups. You name it… a lot of people stuck together…One of the things that has made this a bit easier [is that] we’ve been in a relationship for a long time.” Breen from MIRAC also noted that the networks that came together after George Floyd’s May, 2020, murder by police reignited the Black Lives Matter movement and contributed to the response to repression in the state. Since the webinar, Tilson and Breen have been contacted by local Seattle groups to assist in rapid response training as Washington groups prepare for a potential uptick in ICE activity. Mission and Goals In addition to building a network of anti-authoritarian groups, Free Washington Project also seeks to build a diverse network that would be multi-racial, multi-sector, and multi-generational to coordinate actions and events by FWP’s member organizations. Through FWP’s website, freewaproject.org , member organizations can share resources, trainings, and announcements to reinforce all efforts of the network at the local, regional, and state levels. A broad network will also protect those most impacted such as LGBTQ-IA+, immigrant, and refugee communities. FWP has been working with One America and NWIRP and others on efforts to protect immigrant communities, since mass deportation continues to be the most visible centerpiece of Trump’s domestic repressive policies. Organizations that want to join Free Washington Project’s work should start by going to the website to see FWP’s complete mission and goals and points of unity. Minnesota’s resistance movement makes it clear that a unified movement with diverse response tactics can force the Trump administration to start removing some of their armed ICE forces. These tactics include rapid response, mass mobilizations that range from local to national, civil disobedience, utilization of social media to override false propaganda and misinformation, general strikes, and pressuring elected officials to protect all people from violent militarized actions. Minnesota’s resistance movement has also forced Congress to begin taking concrete action around ICE. However, it is clear from Alex Pretti’s and Renee Good’s murders and the violence perpetrated in Minnesota by ICE, that ICE must be abolished. ICE cannot be reformed. < Back to Table of Contents

The Retire Advocate < Back to Table of Contents August 2026 The Washington Supreme Court Election: Why Every Vote Counts Anne Watanabe and Pam Crone The Washington State Supreme Court race will arguably be the most consequential contest on the ballot this November, yet it has traditionally received little public attention. This year is different, with a record five of the court's nine seats on the ballot. The justices elected this fall will shape decisions that affect all Washingtonians for years to come. As the state's highest court, the Washington Supreme Court interprets laws passed by the Legislature and the Washington Constitution. Its decisions influence issues ranging from elections and voting rights to taxation, civil rights, and public policy. Two issues likely to come before the court illustrate the significance of this election. Millionaires’ Tax The court will likely review the constitutionality of the Legislature's recently enacted millionaires’ tax. The new 9.9% tax applies only to households with annual incomes exceed-ing $1 million. Opponents, including former Attorney General Rob McKenna and former Supreme Court Justice Phil Talmadge, have challenged the law in Klickitat County Superior Court. The case is expected to work its way through the courts before reaching the Washington Supreme Court. Previous court decisions have held that income taxes violate the state constitution, but supporters of the new law believe the time is right to revisit those precedents. For decades, advocates, including PSARA, have supported progressive tax reform, arguing that Washington's tax system has placed a disproportionate burden on lower- and middle-income residents. Supporters see the millionaires’ tax, together with the capital gains tax, as an opportunity to make the tax system more equitable while generating additional revenue for education, health care, housing, homelessness programs, and public safety. Initiative IL26-645 would repeal the millionaires’ tax. If approved by voters, its legality could also be challenged in court, with the Washington Supreme Court ultimately deciding the issue. Civil Rights and Equal Protection The court may also be asked to rule on initiatives affecting civil rights and protections for LGBTQ+ youth. Brian Heywood and Let's Go Washington are sponsoring two ballot measures that PSARA opposes. Initiative IL26-638 would prohibit transgender girls from participating in girls' sports in public schools. Initiative IL26-001 would modify current student privacy protections involving access to counselors and health care. PSARA has joined the No Hate in WA State Campaign in opposing both initiatives. If either initiative passes, legal challenges are likely. Washington's constitution and the Washington Law Against Discrimination provide broad civil rights protections, and our state Supreme Court could be asked to determine whether the initiatives are consistent with those protections. Even if the measures fail, recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions suggest that Washington's policies on inclusion and student privacy may continue to face legal challenges. The Candidates At press time, before the August primary, 16 candidates were seeking five Supreme Court seats in these nonpartisan elections. The top two finishers in each race will advance to the November general election. Three incumbents—Justice Melody, Justice Angelis, and Chief Justice Stephens—are seeking reelection. Questions for Voters The Supreme Court's decisions affect every Washington resident. As voters evaluate candidates, they may wish to consider whether each candidate: Has relevant judicial or legal experience. Has demonstrated fairness and impartiality. Shows a strong understanding of and commitment to the Washington Constitution. Understands how court decisions affect families, communities, and businesses. Has a thoughtful view of the court's role in reviewing laws enacted by voters and elected officials. Researching the Candidates Voters have several resources available to learn about judicial candidates. The Washington Secretary of State's Voters' Guide includes candidate statements, campaign websites, endorsements, and campaign finance information. The Northwest Progressive Institute's online Election Visualizer provides additional information about Supreme Court candidates, although some links may not always be current. Several bar associations also conduct judicial evaluations, for example: Washington Women Lawyers, Loren Miller Bar Association, QLaw, and the Latino/a Bar Association. Because these reviews are performed by volunteer committees, evaluations may not be available for every candidate or election cycle, but they can provide useful professional perspectives as Election Day approaches. This year's Supreme Court election will help determine how Washington's highest court addresses major legal questions involving taxation, civil rights, elections, and other constitutional issues. The initiatives on the November ballot may also lead to significant litigation, making the composition of the court especially important. This term’s dreadful US Supreme Court opinions have underscored the influence courts have on public policy and daily life. Washington voters have a unique opportunity to shape their own state's highest court because the state Supreme Court justices are elected rather than appointed for life. Taking time to learn about the candidates and voting our values is our privilege and responsibility. Anne Watanabe is Chair of PSARA's Race and Gender Equity (RaGE) Committee. Pam Crone is Chair of PSARA's Government Relations Committee. < Back to Table of Contents

The Retire Advocate < Back to Table of Contents January 2025 20 Lessons from the 20th Century on How to Survive in Trump’s America Timothy Snyder Editor's Note: We distributed this article at PSARA's Winter Membership Meeting in 2016 to help our members prepare for the first Donald Trump administration. The suggestions are still good. Thanks to Bobby Righi for rediscovering it. Americans are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism or communism. Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience. Now is a good time to do so. Here are 20 lessons from across the fearful 20th century, adapted to the circumstances of today. Do not obey in advance . Much of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then start to do it without being asked. You've already done this, haven't you? Stop. Anticipatory obedience teaches authorities what is possible and accelerates unfreedom. Defend an institution . Follow the courts or the media, or a court or a newspaper. Do not speak of “our institutions” unless you are making them yours by acting on their behalf. Institutions don't protect themselves. They go down like dominoes unless each is defended from the beginning. Recall professional ethics . When the leaders of state set a negative example, professional commitments to just practice become much more important. It is hard to break a rule-of-law state without lawyers, and it is hard to have show trials without judges. When listening to politicians, distinguish certain words. Look out for the expansive use of “terrorism” and “extremism.” Be alive to the fatal notions of “exception” and “emergency.” Be angry about the treacherous use of patriotic vocabulary. Be calm when the unthinkable arrives . When the terrorist attack comes, remember that all authoritarians at all times either await or plan such events in order to consolidate power. Think of the Reichstag fire. The sudden disaster that requires the end of the balance of power, the end of opposition par- ties, and so on, is the oldest trick in the Hitlerian book. Don't fall for it. Be kind to our language . Avoid pronouncing the phrases everyone else does. Think up your own way of speaking, even if only to convey that thing you think everyone is saying. (Don't use the Internet before bed. Charge your gadgets away from your bedroom, and read.) What to read? Perhaps The Power of the Powerless by Václav Havel, 1984 by George Orwell, The Captive Mind by Czesław Milosz, The Rebel by Albert Camus, The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt, or Nothing is True and Everything is Possible by Peter Pomerantsev. Stand out. Someone has to . It is easy, in words and deeds, to follow along. It can feel strange to do or say something different. But without that unease, there is no freedom. And the moment you set an example, the spell of the status quo is broken, and others will follow. Believe in truth. To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. If nothing is true, then no one can criticize power because there is no basis upon which to do so. If nothing is true, then all is spectacle. The biggest wallet pays for the most blinding lights. Investigate. Figure things out for yourself. Spend more time with long articles. Subsidize investigative journalism by subscribing to print media. Realize that some of what is on your screen is there to harm you. Bookmark PropOrNot and other sites that investigate foreign propaganda pushes. Practice corporeal politics. Power wants your body softening in your chair and your emotions dissipating on the screen. Get outside. Put your body in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar people. Make new friends and march with them. Make eye contact and small talk. This is not just polite. It is a way to stay in touch with your surroundings, break down unnecessary social barriers, and come to understand whom you should and should not trust. If we enter a culture of denunciation, you will want to know the psychological landscape of your daily life. Take responsibility for the face of the world. Notice the swastikas and the other signs of hate. Do not look away and do not get used to them. Remove them yourself and set an example for others to do so. Hinder the one-party state. The parties that took over states were once something else. They exploited a historical moment to make political life impossible for their rivals. Vote in local and state elections while you can Give regularly to good causes, if you can. Pick a charity and set up autopay. Then you will know that you have made a free choice that is supporting civil society helping others doing something good. Establish a private life. Nastier rulers will use what they know about you to push you around. Scrub your computer of malware. Remember that email is skywriting. Consider using alternative forms of the Internet, or simply using it less. Have personal exchanges in person. For the same reason, resolve any legal trouble. Authoritarianism works as a blackmail state, looking for the hook on which to hang you. Try not to have too many hooks. Learn from others in other countries. Keep up your friendships abroad, or make new friends abroad. The present difficulties here are an element of a general trend. And no country is going to find a solution by itself. Make sure you and your family have passports. Watch out for the paramilitaries . When the men with guns who have al- ways claimed to be against the system start wearing uniforms and marching around with torches and pictures of a Leader, the end is nigh. When the pro-Leader paramilitary and the official police and military intermingle, the game is over. Be reflective if you must be armed. If you carry a weapon in public service, God bless you and keep you. But know that evils of the past involved policemen and soldiers finding them- selves, one day, doing irregular things. Be ready to say no. (If you do not know what this means, contact the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and ask about training in professional ethics.) Be as courageous as you can. If none of us is prepared to die for free- dom, then all of us will die in unfree- dom. Be a patriot. The incoming president is not. Set a good example of what America means for the generations to come. They will need it. A history professor looks to the past to remind us to do what we can in the face of the unthinkable. (This article first appeared as a post on the author’s Facebook page) < Back to Table of Contents

Medicare Advantage is proving to be a bad investment for many health insurance companies and private equity.

The Retire Advocate < Back to Table of Contents July 2026 No War on Cuba! Cindy Domingo General and retired president Raul Castro In 2024, during Donald Trump’s second presidential campaign, he promised to avoid “endless wars” and to be the “peace president.” And then, in his inaugural address, Trump said his administration’s success would be measured “not only by the battles we win, but also by the wars that we end, and perhaps most importantly, the wars that we never get into.” However, here we are, immersed in a war with Iran, against a backdrop of an unsettling military invasion of Venezuela that resulted in the illegal kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, the continuation of the Russian war in Ukraine, and now, the threat of a military invasion of Cuba. In the April issue of the Retiree Advocate, I reported on the oil embargo the US has implemented on Cuba. Since January, only one oil tanker has reached Cuba. This has resulted in continued electricity blackouts ranging from 22 hours per day up to 36 continuous hours. Without gas and oil, there is no electricity. Universities and schools have all but closed down and workers cannot get to work, since there is little to no transportation. Without refrigeration, people must search for food every day to feed their families. Food cannot be brought into the cities because trucks have no gasoline, and garbage has gone uncollected, causing a public health crisis. More than 80% of Cuba’s water pumping equipment depends on electricity, and so, oftentimes, there is no water available. One of the most serious and tragic outcomes of the long term US blockade and the recent oil crisis is the dismantling of the healthcare system that was, at one time, along with Cuba’s free education system, the pride of the country. Cuba had a healthcare system that rivaled developed countries’ systems. In 2019, at Havana’s William Soler Pediatric Hospital, over 10,000 operations a year were performed, and by 2025, that number was less than 2,000, according to Dr. Fernandez, a pediatrician at the hospital. Infant mortality has almost doubled due to the lack of nutritious food and prenatal vitamins for the mothers. Equipment and medications to treat low birth weight in infants are not available. Many women have decided not to have children, due to the difficult conditions now facing people in Cuba. Earlier this year, Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights commented on US sanctions, “Policy goals cannot justify actions that in themselves violate human rights.” The suffering of the Cuban people is being manufactured by the US, and people are dying. Already over one million Cubans have left the island out of desperation, seeking better living and working conditions. In response to the US’s illegal and genocidal war against Cuba, international and US communities have come together to form a broad coalition to condemn US policies towards Cuba. Last May, a campaign called “No War on Cuba,” was created by international brigades that went to Cuba during the May Day celebrations. Countries around the world have pledged to send material aid to Cuba, while US organizations are also continuing to raise money to send material aid and organize delegations. Over 150 people from the US are going to Cuba in August to celebrate Fidel Castro’s 100th birthday, bringing two charter airplanes filled with material aid. Other organizations are doing advocacy work to pressure Congress to end the war. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal traveled to Cuba in May with Congressman Jonathan Jackson from Illinois and has been leading work within Congress to change US foreign policy towards Cuba. The pretext for a US military invasion is being set. The recent charging of former Cuban President Raul Castro for alleged murders of four Cubans, who were continuously warned after invading Cuban airspace, and the misinformation that Cuba purchased 300 drones with the intent of bombing the US, are setting the stage for hostile actions from the US. However, Cuban President Diaz Canel has stated that Cuba will exercise its right to defend its country and its national sovereignty, while offering to hold diplomatic talks. Organizations around the world are preparing for US direct military action in Cuba. If you are interested in being part of a rapid response network, should the US militarily intervene in Cuba, please email womenandcuba. org. To find activities to participate in, please go to www.nowaroncuba.org . Cindy Domingo, PSARA's CoVP for Outreach and covening leader of Standing for Democracy, is a respected leader and activist in many labor and community organizations. < Back to Table of Contents