REDMOND, WA – This week, Yes 638 ballot pamphlet committee was contacted by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) asking them to remove reference of AAP in the “yes” on I-638 statement. The excerpt from the voter pamphlet that references the AAP is below:
The statement highlights what the AAP says in their Bright Futures Guidelines. It doesn’t assert an endorsement or requirement of exams in sports physicals, it simply states what the AAP recommends in their own wellness guidelines.
LGW was contacted by the Executive Director of the Washington Chapter of the AAP. In the conversation, the ED confirmed that genital exams are standard for all boys and for girls before they hit puberty. The opposition has lied about this and attempted to twist reality. See the conversation here:
Last week, Senator Chris Gildon addressed the fallacies presented by the “no” on I-645 campaign in the voter pamphlet statement. Some of which included lies that repealing the income tax would institute a tax on diapers and home necessities, increase costs for families, and take away tax credits for small businesses.
When confronted about the inaccurate claims, the Secretary of State’s (SOS) office stated that they do not fact check claims made in the voter pamphlet, and no new material is accepted.
Though the SOS made the claim just one week ago that statements cannot be altered after they have been submitted for the voter’s pamphlet, the SOS this week told the Yes 638 committee that they should change the statement on I-638 or risk legal consequences. This double standard is not only dangerous for democracy, it makes no logical sense.
“The statement isn’t being changed – it’s factually accurate, so there’s no need to alter what has already been submitted by supporters of fairness in girls’ sports,” said Darren Littell, LGW Executive Director. “If it’s illegal to quote from the AAP about what they wrote in their own Bright Futures Guidelines, but it’s acceptable for con pamphlet writers to lie about the effects of the initiatives, what is the point of the pamphlet statements? There seem to be two competing ideas of fairness, and when it comes to the facts, we believe voters have a right to know the truth. The no campaign was allowed blatantly lie about what one initiative requires, yet the yes campaign on another initiative is asked to remove cited, factual sources.”
In the I-645 case, a simple read through the initiative would disprove the lies the “no” campaign wrote. In the I-638 case, the “yes” campaign did not assert any lies about the AAP or their stance on the initiative. The “yes” campaign simply stated what AAP says in their own, self-released guidelines.
Let’s Go Washington and supporters continue to correct the lies and half-truths being spread by the opposition and will encourage voters to vote “yes” on all three initiatives in November.