Despite the pouring rain, nearly three hundred Tea Party supporters from across the state gathered on the steps of the Washington State capitol for the “Sovereignty Winter Fest” on January 14. The event featured state legislators, candidates for state and federal seats, Tea Party leaders, and other far-right activists from around the region. It was designed to support a series of state’s rights 10th Amendment “sovereignty” resolutions in the Washington legislature. This turn away from anti-tax and anti-healthcare rhetoric towards state sovereignty language points to a possible radicalization of the movement.

While some participants clung to their umbrellas, others held on to the Confederate Battle Flag and the Gadsden “Don’t Tread on Me” flag. There were signs with slogans like “Kick Ass America. Remember 9-11,” “Armed and Dangerous with my Vote,” “Had enough? Reclaim State Sovereignty,” “The 10th Amend. States Rights. Yes We Can,” “FOX News for the truth,” and “Kill Government Take Over NOT our Freedom.”

State representative Matt Shea (R-Spokane Valley) began the day with a discussion of House Joint Memorial 4009, the so-called State Sovereignty Resolution, which was originally introduced in January 2009. Similar to other bills around the country, HJR 4009 declares that “the State of Washington hereby claims sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over all powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the federal government by the Constitution of the United States. The bill also claims to “serve as a Notice and Demand to the federal government to maintain the balance of powers where the Constitution of the United States established it and to cease and desist, effective immediately, any and all mandates that are beyond the scope of its constitutionally delegated powers.” The day before the rally, the bill failed on a 36-58 party line vote.

Rep. Shea also outlined the other bills in his 10th Amendment package, “I am proud to announce that along with my fellow Republican colleagues, we have introduced a bill to nullify national healthcare in the state of Washington. I am also proud to announce that we introduced a bill to nullify a national cap and trade system in the state of Washington. And I am also proud to announce that we introduced the Washington Firearms Freedom Act. If the gun or ammunition is made in Washington and it stays in Washington, the federal government doesn’t have any jurisdiction. It doesn’t!”

The 10th Amendment language used at the rally is nearly identical to that used by the militia movement of the 1990s. State senator Val Stevens (R-Arlington), a far-right stalwart for decades, connected the two,

“When I first introduced the 10th Amendmnt back in 1997, it was met with ‘oh gee wiz, what is she doing now.’ It was a national movement at that time of a few of us who recognized that we were being stepped on by our federal government. That much of what took place here in the state of Washington was the result of what our federal government was passing on us. And we wanted to maintain that we are sovereign, and that we do have rights. And we wanted to re-establish that 10th Amendment.”

In addition to Shea and Stevens, state representative Dan Kristiansen (R-Snohomish) shared the stage. Kristiansen is chair of the state Republican Caucus and a co-sponsor of HJM4009.

Candidates at the event included Elizabeth Scott, a “Tea Party Patriot” running for state representative in the 21st legislative district, and David Hedrick, the Marine famous for lashing out at Congressman Brian Baird’s town hall who’s now competing for Baird’s 3rd Congressional District seat.

With a pistol strapped to his hip and a cell phone headset in his ear, Darin Stevens, head of the Spokane 9.12 Project, gave a tortured reading of a section of the Declaration of Independence. After his presentation, Stevens spent considerable time chatting with Martin “Red” Beckman. A name familiar to many northwest human rights observers, particularly those in Montana, Beckman is known for his anti-Semitic writings, his defense of militias, and his eviction from his Montana property by the IRS for refusing to pay taxes. Beckman now lives southwestern Washington.

Additional Tea Party activists addressing the Sovereignty Winter Fest included Tamra Smilanich and Al Schaefer of the WA 10th Amendment Coalition, Jay Devereaux of WashingtonPatriotHub.org, Tom Hann of We the People Vancouver, and Mark Ditlefsen from Kitsap We the People.

Wearing a black trench coat, Stephen Pidgeon, an attorney from Bellevue known locally as the attorney for the anti-marriage equality group, Protect Marriage Washington, used his time to promote the peculiar anti-Obama birther conspiracy theories that have helped him gain attention nationally.

Tim Eyman, known for his right wing ballot measures, including the anti-affirmative action initiative, used the platform to roll out another anti-tax initiative for 2010. He pleaded with the crowd for their help in gathering signature for the proposed initiative.

In a fiery speech, Doug Parris from TheReaganWing.com walked the audience through how they could take over the Republican Party, precinct by precinct. It was necessary, according to Parris, because the GOP had been lost due to its “Star of David” strategy.

Other far-right figures speaking at the event included Alex Rion from Campaign for Liberty.

At the end of a soggy afternoon, participants were left to return home to continue building their local Tea Party groups, support Tea Party candidates, lobby for the sovereignty legislation package, and get ready for their next big gathering. Dubbed “WashStock,” the Tea Party groups are planning a major event this summer in Spokane County.

 

Devin Burghart is vice-president of the Institute for Research & Education on Human Rights.