Hundreds of farmers, ranchers and other residents packed the Patriot's Dinner in Eltopia on Saturday, Oct. 3, where conservative activists Brian Heywood and Glen Morgan urged the crowd to stay in Washington and fight state policies they oppose.
Franklin County Commissioner Clint Didier emceed the evening, which included a catered meal plus silent and live auctions to raise money.
Amanda McKinney, R-Yakima, made a short pitch for the 4th Congressional District seat being vacated by Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside. Gabe Galbraith, R-Kennewick, a candidate for the 8th Legislative District Senate seat, talked about his campaign and the Kennewick School District's effort to keep boys out of girls' sports.
Morgan, who leads the Citizens Alliance for Property Rights, told attendees not to leave the state. He said farmers "can't move your farm" and criticized the state Department of Ecology, pointing to a homeless camp near its Olympia offices.
Heywood, founder of Let's Go Washington, spent his time on three initiatives on the Nov. 3 general election ballot: Initiative 1 on parental rights, Initiative 638 on girls' sports and locker rooms, and Initiative 645, which would repeal the state's new income tax on high earners. He told the crowd to vote yes on all three.
Heywood also argued the income tax law could eventually reach pensions and retirement accounts and that the threshold could be lowered. Those are his claims about the law, and supporters of the tax dispute that it will expand.
