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Columbia Basin Badger Club urges civic forums to counter polarized social media
Summary
Don Baer, president of the Columbia Basin Badger Club, told the council the group runs nonpartisan forums to promote civil discourse and expert presentations on topics from vaccines to water resources; the club has shifted to hybrid events and made forums free this year to broaden access.
Don Baer, president of the Columbia Basin Badger Club, asked the Richland City Council on June 2 to help identify topics and participate in the club’s public forums, which aim to foster civil, evidence‑based discussion on local and national issues.
Baer described the Badger Club — founded in 2008 and modeled after Tiger Bay clubs — as a nonpartisan nonprofit that invites multiple perspectives to public forums. He reviewed recent programming (crime, tribal sovereignty, water resources, wildfire) and said the club shifted to hybrid meetings after COVID to expand access; the group’s largest virtual forum drew more than 1,000 attendees, he said.
Baer told council members the organization recently decided to make all forums free to reduce barriers to attendance while encouraging paid membership to sustain programming. He said the club seeks balanced panels and sometimes presents opposing views on contentious topics but also provides foundational information so audiences can discuss issues knowledgeably.
The presentation closed with an invitation for council members to suggest topics and take part in forums; Baer offered to meet with councilors one‑on‑one to brainstorm potential subjects.
Council members thanked Baer and encouraged continued collaboration between city staff, council and the Badger Club on civic education and public forums.
