Platform of the Democratic Party of the State of Washington - As approved by the 2014 State Democratic Convention
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Platform of
the Democratic Party of
the State of Washington
As approved by the 2014 State Democratic ConventionPlatform of the Democratic Party of the State of Washington
Executive Summary
As approved by the 2014 State Democratic Convention
As Democrats we place the well-being of the people as our highest priority. We believe in the values of community,
empathy, equality, tolerance, opportunity, and the common good of the interdependent world we share. These values
provide the basis for our ideals and are supported by our state and federal Constitutions.
Our actions define our society, our freedoms, and our responsibilities. To fulfill the potential of our values and ideals, we
encourage every citizen to participate in civic activities, including continuously raising awareness of the issues contained
within this Platform. The people have a right to expect their elected representatives to govern in a manner that will
protect and promote their civil liberties, human rights, and quality of life.
We invite everyone to join with us in advocating for legislation that ensures peace, prosperity, liberty, and justice for all.
We expect elected Democrats to publicly, actively work to bring the principles of the 2014 Platform to fruition using all
available legal and parliamentary procedures..
Agriculture, Aquaculture, Fisheries, and Forestry Education
We are the stewards of the land and water that sustains We believe that an excellent, quality public education,
us. We must preserve family farms, strengthen rural preschool through post-secondary, with equal access for
communities, ensure the availability of high-quality all, in a safe and healthy environment, is fundamental to
food, and maintain the viability of land and water. maintain a healthy democracy. The backbone of our
democracy is a free, universal public school system,
Civil and Human Rights designed to produce informed, reasoning, and
The inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable thoughtful citizens who are lifelong learners prepared to
rights of all human beings are the foundations of participate in our civic society. The growing demands of
freedom, justice and peace in the world. The strength of globalization, technology, and inter-cultural
our democracy rests on the rights and responsibilities set understanding require a well-funded public education
forth in the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, system that offers the challenges and opportunities to
the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human develop the full potential of all students, no matter what
Rights, and the Washington State Constitution. their background, experience, ability, or age. We
Democrats remain at the forefront of the struggle to recognize the direct connection between educational
extend social, political, economic and legal rights to all attainment and the long-term economic sustainability of
persons. individuals, families, and communities.
Corporate Power Energy, Environment, and the Climate Crisis
We believe that corporations, as artificial entities, are not We must strive to be responsible stewards of the
entitled to the Constitutional rights of people. The environment, our communities, and our planet. We
notion of corporate personhood as a vehicle for must proactively address climate change as a crisis. All
corporations to limit the liability of shareholders, own people, including future generations, have the right to
property, enter into contracts, and sue or be sued in clean air, water, and a healthy natural environment.
court should be the extent of corporate personhood.
Foreign Policy
Economic Justice, Jobs and Tax Fairness The United States should lead by example and work
A sustainable economy with strong communities within the world community in a spirit of peace,
requires living-wage jobs, tax fairness, opportunity, and cooperation and generosity to support human welfare,
shared prosperity for all. freedom, and democracy. We must avoid conducting
preemptive war and make diplomacy and nonviolent
conflict resolution the primary organizing principle of
our foreign policy.
Page 3 of 42Government and Political Reform Law and the Justice System
Our government derives its legitimacy solely from, and The rule of law is a prerequisite for a democratic civil
must be answerable to, the people. Government is the society. A good government provides for the safety,
people’s instrument to achieve what we cannot achieve security and justice for all, with care, fairness, and
individually. We are committed to a representative respect for each individual.
democracy that encourages maximum active
participation and a voting process that is fair, Media Reform
transparent, verifiable and open to all citizens. An informed citizenry and persistently inquisitive media
are essential for democracy to flourish. The free flow of
Health Care information is fundamental to democracy.
Health care is a basic human right. Our government
should assure, and guarantee by law, accessible and Military and Veterans Affairs
affordable health care for all. We support universal We pledge support of our troops and honor our veterans
health care and moving to a public single-payer system. who act in the service of our country. The core task of
Such a system guarantees medical care from prenatal the U.S. military is to provide for the common defense.
through end of life, including dental care, vision, mental Our military must be adequate to provide for our
health, prescription drug benefits, treatment and care for nation’s defense and should never be open to abuses of
catastrophic illness, long-term care, and provisions for power by any branch of government.
reproductive choice, disease prevention, and alternative
treatments. Transportation
We believe that an efficient, well-planned, multimodal
Human Services transportation system promotes a healthy economy,
Compassionate human services are among the highest environment and community.
priorities of federal, state, and local government,
especially in this time of greatly increased poverty, Tribal Relations and Sovereignty
natural disasters, and income inequality. Governments must respect Native American nations,
oppose attempts to diminish sovereignty and cultures,
Immigration and educate the general population of the inherent and
We are a nation of diverse cultures. Immigrants sovereign treaty-based rights of Native American
strengthen the United States of America. All immigrants people. This is an important step toward open and
should be afforded full human rights and a fair, safe, meaningful relations that reaffirm rights derived from
and timely determination of their status. sovereign treaties and state compacts.
Labor
A strong economy and nation depend on jobs that
provide safe working conditions, fair and living wages
(out of poverty), and benefits for all workers, with
hourly wages indexed to the cost of living. Every worker
must have the right to organize and bargain collectively
to determine their pay, benefits, and working conditions.
Democrats believe organized labor is essential to the
social, economic, and political health of our democracy.
The decline of real wages over the past three decades,
accompanied by powerful anti-union political attacks,
intensifies the need for the protective efforts of a strong
union movement.
Page 4 of 42I. Preamble
1 As Democrats we place the well-being of the people as our highest priority. We believe
2 in the values of community, empathy, equality, tolerance, opportunity, and the
3 common good of the interdependent world we share. These values provide the basis for
4 our ideals and are supported by our state and federal Constitutions.
5
6 Our actions define our society, our freedoms, and our responsibilities. To fulfill the
7 potential of our values and ideals, we encourage every citizen to participate in civic
8 activities, including continuously raising awareness of the issues contained within this
9 Platform. The people have a right to expect their elected representatives to govern in a
10 manner that will protect and promote their civil liberties, human rights, and quality of
11 life.
12
13 We invite everyone to join with us in advocating for legislation that ensures peace,
14 prosperity, liberty, and justice for all.
15
16 We expect elected Democrats to publicly and actively work to bring the principles of
17 this platform to fruition using all available legal and parliamentary procedures.
Page 5 of 42II. Agriculture, Aquaculture,
Fisheries, and Forestry
1 We are the stewards of the land and water that sustains us. We must preserve family
2 farms, strengthen rural communities, ensure the availability of high-quality food, and
3 maintain the viability of land and water.
4
5 We call for:
6 • Incentives to encourage the agricultural skills, careers, and lifestyles that are
7 essential to our country’s survival;
8 • Strengthening the Washington State Growth Management Act and policies that
9 preserve agricultural land and natural resources critical to the viability of food,
10 fuel, and forest production into the future;
11 • Adoption of sustainable agriculture, aquaculture, fishery and forestry methods;
12 • Decisions about water resources based on sound, credible scientific and
13 economic information, including local concerns;
14 • Improvement of agriculture and aquaculture through adequate public funding of
15 research and extension efforts, including sustainable agriculture, small farms,
16 and effects of climate change;
17 • Reduction of the use of hazardous materials such as pesticides and herbicides
18 and increased safeguards for workers who may be exposed to them;
19 • Improving the inspections of domestic and imported foods and livestock to
20 ensure safe food and the humane treatment of livestock;
21 • Clear food labeling, including date packaged, full and complete disclosure of
22 nation of origin, genetically modified organism status, irradiation, and organic
23 certification;
24 • Supporting and encouraging vibrant and sustainable small farms, family farms
25 and urban farms;
26 • Strong organic farming standards;
27 • Encouraging the use of locally grown food in our schools;
28 • Farmers who do not grow genetically modified crops to be protected from
29 liability and to have standing to recover their economic losses resulting from the
30 drift of genetically modified materials;
31 • Enforcement of antitrust laws that apply to agribusiness;
32 • Review of and updates to all farm programs to ensure their effectiveness and
33 benefit to family-size farms;
34 • Sound rural infrastructure;
35 • Action by the State of Washington to process the backlog of water rights
36 applications and future applications to allow water resources to be responsibly
37 allocated;
38 • A guest worker program for agriculture, ensuring a reliable labor source while
39 extending application of minimum wage laws and legal protections to the
40 workforce and employers with proactive enforcement of violating employers;
41 • Reduction of antibiotic use in livestock production;
42 • Renewable energy production on farms;
Page 6 of 421 • Legalizing, regulating and recognizing industrial hemp as an agricultural
2 commodity.
3
4 We oppose:
5 • Use of edible products for the manufacture of bio-fuels (e. g., ethanol from
6 maize);
7 • Importing of commodities below their production and transportation costs.
Page 7 of 42III. Civil and Human Rights
1 The inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all human beings are the
2 foundations of freedom, justice and peace in the world. The strength of our democracy
3 rests on the rights and responsibilities set forth in the United States Constitution, the
4 Bill of Rights, the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the
5 Washington State Constitution. Democrats remain at the forefront of the struggle to
6 extend social, political, economic and legal rights to all persons.
7
8 We believe:
9 • Our government derives its legitimacy solely from the People;
10 • In the consistent application of constitutional checks and balances and oversight
11 among the branches of our government;
12 • In public financing of all election campaigns, and full disclosure of contribution
13 amounts and sources;
14 • In the facilitation of registration and voting by every U.S. citizen eligible to vote;
15 • In accessible, fair, open, and verifiable elections, and balloting with paper trails.
16 • Privacy is fundamental; our private lives and personal information must be
17 protected from intrusion by government or others;
18 • Human rights include access to food, water, shelter, safety, health care;
19 education, employment, and access to legal aid and due process;
20 • Discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, military
21 service, insurance, licensing or education based on race, religion, age, sex,
22 marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, economic
23 status, disability, physical size, political affiliation or national origin is wrong;
24 those who face discrimination must be afforded the legal means and economic
25 opportunities to overcome such injustice;
26 • We have the right to sovereignty over our own bodies;
27 • Marriage, as a legal union of consenting adults, should not be restricted by
28 sexual orientation or gender identity;
29 • The right to unionize is a civil and human right.
30
31 We call for:
32 • The ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment;
33 • The right of all women to be free of government, corporate, or religious
34 interference in their reproductive decisions, including birth control and abortion,
35 and to have safe, legal, protected, affordable and accessible health care that
36 enables them to make informed choices;
37 • Honoring the rich diversity of society and efforts to reflect that diversity in our
38 Party;
39 • Unfettered voter participation in all elections;
40 • Respecting the rights of all adults, including seniors and individuals with
41 disabilities, to direct their own lives in housing, education and all other life
42 choices to the extent of their abilities;
43 • Adding enforcement provisions to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990,
44 as amended;
Page 8 of 421 • Ending legalized discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
2 Transgendered (LGBT) people, repealing the federal “Defense of Marriage” act,
3 and supporting same-sex marriage law and all rights associated with marriage;
4 • Equal pay for equal work;
5 • The end of human trafficking for the sex trade and all other forms of involuntary
6 servitude;
7 • Strong legislation, treatment programs and education designed to reduce
8 harassment, intimidation, domestic or sexual violence, and bullying in the
9 workplace.
10
11 We oppose:
12 • Hiring out prisoners for private gain;
13 • Warrantless wiretapping and searches of American citizens;
14 • Discrimination against LGBT people on parenting rights;
15 • The use of rubber bullets.
Page 9 of 42IV. Corporate Power
1 We believe that corporations, as artificial entities, are not entitled to the Constitutional
2 rights of people. The notion of corporate personhood as a vehicle for corporations to
3 limit the liability of shareholders, own property, enter into contracts, and sue or be sued
4 in court should be the extent of corporate personhood.
5
6 “The end of democracy and the defeat of the American Revolution will occur when
7 government falls into the hands of lending institutions and moneyed incorporations.” –
8 Thomas Jefferson
9
10 “… Corporations have no consciences, no beliefs, no feelings, no thoughts, no desires.
11 …they are not themselves members of ‘We the People’ by whom and for whom our
12 Constitution was established.” – Justice John Paul Stevens, 2010 dissent to Citizens United
13 vs. F.E.C.
14
15 We call for:
16 • Full enforcement of antitrust laws and the breakup of corporations and banks
17 that are “too big to fail”;
18 • A constitutional amendment to establish that corporations shall not be
19 considered as “persons” for purposes of political activity, to reverse the
20 pernicious ruling that money equals speech and to institute stringent corporate
21 campaign-contribution reporting requirements and prohibitions on such
22 contributions without specific advance approval by stockholders who are U.S.
23 citizens;
24 • International trade based on fair trade that includes living wages and
25 environmental protection and human rights;
26 • Increased exports of manufactured goods and decreased exports of raw resource
27 material through use of tariffs and taxes;
28 • Governments to hold natural resources such as land, water, and timber in trust
29 for citizens. Lease law rates for harvesting of public resources must be updated
30 annually and set at fair market value. Corporations must leave the lands, waters,
31 and air in an environmentally sound, sustainable state;
32 • Strengthening and enforcing laws against corporate crime, with penalties to
33 include prison time for executives and revoking corporate charters;
34 • Investment banking to be separated from commercial banking and subjected to
35 tighter regulation, transparency, and accountability (e.g. implement the Volker
36 Rule);
37 • The derivatives market to be tightly regulated or abolished;
38 • Repealing subsidies or tax reductions to U.S. based firms that outsource jobs
39 overseas;
40 • Multinational companies to pay their fair share of U.S. taxes and be prohibited
41 from using foreign tax havens, and their status as U.S.-based corporations or
42 their ability to do business in the U.S., or federal business overseas, should be
43 forfeited by those who violate these tenets;
44 • Reinstating the windfall profits tax;
Page 10 of 421 • Corporations that adversely impact the sustainability of the natural environment
2 in populated areas to be required to do remediation (mitigation) on site or at
3 least in the same neighborhood, so that the value of natural environment is not
4 lost to the citizens in the neighborhood;
5 • Promotion of corporate structures owned only by the corporate employees (a.k.a.
6 Employee Stock Ownership Plan companies);
7 • Whistleblower laws to be strengthened and enforced, to provide active
8 protection and restitution for any whistleblowers who lose their livelihoods.
9
10 We oppose:
11 • Attempts to weaken the powers of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to
12 pursue fraudulent practices;
13 • The ability of a corporation to terminate defined benefit plans to make up for
14 poor management;
15 • Foreign ownership and management of our ports, highways, bridges, pipelines,
16 and other infrastructure assets which are crucial to our national safety and
17 security;
18 • Patent and copyright laws that grant corporations monopolies over
19 unnecessarily long terms;
20 • Corporations exerting undue influence on our government through access to
21 regulatory commissions and drafting congressional and state legislation.
Page 11 of 42V. Economic Justice, Jobs and Tax Fairness
1 A sustainable economy with strong communities requires living-wage jobs, tax fairness,
2 opportunity, and shared prosperity for all.
3
4 We call for:
5 • An incremental increase in the state and federal minimum wage, with a living
6 wage as the goal;
7 • Funding and rebuilding our infrastructure as a proven method of job creation
8 • Fair and equitable taxation to provide state revenue that meets constitutional
9 requirements, cares for the most vulnerable, and promotes the common good;
10 • A progressive tax system at both the federal and state level, including taxing
11 unearned income at the same rate as earned income, a state income tax offset by
12 cuts in regressive taxes, a state capital gains tax, eliminating the Business and
13 Occupation tax in favor of a corporate income tax, and a financial transaction tax on
14 Wall Street trading;
15 • A budget that represents tax exemptions as expenditures to be part of the
16 biennial appropriations process;
17 • Repealing tax breaks and incentives for companies that do not provide verifiable
18 net benefits to the state and requiring them to make restitution; subjecting tax
19 exemptions to renewal every 5 years;
20 • Greater transparency on the part of federal financial institutions;
21 • Reducing or eliminating the $1.2 trillion dollars of student debt by:
22 o Reversing of the 2006 federal bankruptcy law that excludes student debt
23 from discharge orders;
24 o Refinancing student debt to the lowest rate that Wall Street pays;
25 o Making tuition affordable to state residents by returning to 70%state
26 support of the cost of higher education (2002 tuition levels);
27 o Adopting Pay It Forward programs, both state and federal, which enable
28 people to attend college without paying tuition, in exchange for paying a
29 small percent of their post-graduate income to pay for the next generation
30 to attend a public school;
31 o Forgiving tuition for professional degrees at state institutions in exchange
32 for 10 years of in-state service;
33 • Addressing our decaying infrastructure and lack of opportunity for young
34 people by encouraging the utilization of apprenticeship programs;
35 • Fully supporting the “Job Corps” program;
36 • Creating a new civilian conservation corps to address natural resources needs;
37 • Until a living wage is achieved, increasing eligibility for the Earned Income Tax
38 Credit to help the working poor;
39 • Removing of the cap on income subject to Social Security tax;
40 • A major increase in funding for assistance and construction of affordable and low
41 income housing in Washington State;
42 • Property tax breaks on primary residences of low-income homeowners and small
43 businesses;
44 • Requiring economic development to consider impacts on the environment
Page 12 of 421 including climate change;
2 • A fair system of paying for growth, including urban growth, with impact fees ;
3 • Support of diverse and resilient local economies;
4 • Local, state and federal governments to develop Buy Local, Build Local priority
5 policies, mandating all government dollars to provide quantifiable incentives to
6 entities who offer locally produced, locally sold products and services;
7 • Support for small businesses, including tax credits, low interest loans, tax
8 abatement development zones for start-ups and non-profit micro-lending;
9 • Establishment of a Washington State Investment Trust (i.e., a state bank);
10 • Using post offices to provide bank services for low-income people;
11 • Targeted economic development incentives to businesses that provide verifiable,
12 immediate, and lasting benefits to our communities;
13 • Re-establishing and maintaining usury laws capping all interest rates at the level
14 allowed to credit unions;
15 • Economic justice on women’s issues such as social security reform, pension
16 reform, livable wages, pay equity, job discrimination, and reproductive rights;
17 • Only those multilateral trade agreements that are conditioned on environmental,
18 health and safety standards, human rights and workers’ rights, and which support
19 transparent democratic processes.
20
21 We oppose:
22 • Excessive corporate profits and executive compensation;
23 • Privatization of Social Security or reduction of benefits;
24 • Privatization, downsizing, outsourcing, and offshoring of public services;
25 • Excessive fees and excessive interest charged to consumers by short-term lending
26 corporations;
27 • The use of credit scores for insurance rating and hiring;
28 • Taxing unemployment, worker compensation and Social Security benefits;
29 • Corporate welfare, including tax breaks that don’t provide proven public benefit;
30 • Any constitutional amendment that requires an un-democratic two-thirds vote in
31 the Legislature to raise revenues.
Page 13 of 42VI. Education
1 We believe that an excellent, quality public education, preschool through post-
2 secondary, with equal access for all, in a safe and healthy environment, is fundamental
3 to maintain a healthy democracy. The backbone of our democracy is a free, universal
4 public school system, designed to produce informed, reasoning, and thoughtful citizens
5 who are lifelong learners prepared to participate in our civic society. The growing
6 demands of globalization, technology, and inter-cultural understanding require a well-
7 funded public education system that offers the challenges and opportunities to develop
8 the full potential of all students, no matter what their background, experience, ability,
9 or age. We recognize the direct connection between educational attainment and the
10 long-term economic sustainability of individuals, families, and communities.
11
12 “It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provisions for the education of all
13 children.” - The Washington State Constitution
14
15 We call for:
16 • The Washington State Legislature to fulfill its constitutional imperative and
17 paramount duty to “make ample provisions for the education of all children”
18 as called for by the Washington State Supreme Court in the McCleary
19 decision;
20 • Affordable access and full funding of all basic, gifted, vocational, technical,
21 alternative, special education, ELL (English Language Learners), and other
22 state/federal programs and mandates;
23 • Funding for smaller class sizes based on effective class size studies;
24 • Full funding of Head Start and Early Childhood Education and Assisted
25 Programs (ECEAP);
26 • Schools to be free from weapons, violence, bullying, harassment, retribution (
27 by staff and students), drugs and alcohol and, through counseling, education
28 and enforcement on these issues and instruction in conflict resolution skills to
29 foster a safe and healthy environment;
30 • Restoration of funding levels for higher education;
31 • Full inclusion of all students into the school environment regardless of race,
32 ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, economic status or
33 disability;
34 • Particular regard for the educational and human services needs of the child
35 who is sexually active or has been, or is pregnant.
36 • Particular regard for the educational needs of the child in foster care.
37 • School academic and behavioral health counselors, librarians, and nurses
38 sufficient to serve the needs of every student;
39 • The availability of high quality continuing education and career training,
40 including school-to-work partnerships and apprenticeship programs, in
41 addition to traditional higher education for adult workers, because
42 Washington State’s employers require a well-trained work force;
43 • The inclusion of music, fine arts, environmental education, foreign language
44 instruction, civics and physical education in the Basic Education Act,
45 beginning in Kindergarten.
Page 14 of 421 • A curriculum that is rigorous, comprehensive, and historically and
2 scientifically accurate at all levels that recognizes cultural perspectives of
3 children from diverse and indigenous communities;
4 • Math instruction that includes arithmetic fluency and critical thinking skills;
5 • Instructional freedom that is student-centered within the curriculum;
6 • Parental participation that supports student learning;
7 • Programs to teach awareness on ways to reduce individual and local
8 environmental impacts;
9 • Full funding for the repair and maintenance of public schools, for HVAC and
10 energy efficiency retrofits that save operating costs;
11 • Full funding for school transportation and on-site, safter-school educational
12 programs;
13 • Purchase of equipment and technology in compliance with the Americans
14 With Disabilities Act;
15 • Public education to extend through community college and public
16 vocational/technical schools;
17 • All high school graduates in Washington to have access to affordable higher
18 education, regardless of means;
19 • Simple majority elections for school bonds, and protection of the simple
20 majority for school levies;
21 • Encouraging high school community-based service;
22 • Encouraging that high schools offer courses in personal finance;
23 • Local and state control of policies concerning public education while
24 complying with federal oversight and receiving federal funding to preserve
25 quality, fairness and civil rights for all;
26 • Public education employees’ rights to organize, engage in collective
27 bargaining, and strike without fear of reprisal or replacement;
28 • A new, stable funding formula for public schools and capital projects;
29 • Salary and benefits for adjunct and part-time college instructors to be based
30 on compensation levels for full-time professional staff, according to
31 percentage of full-time equivalency;
32 • Certificated and classified employees’ salaries, cost of living increases and
33 retirement and health care benefits equal to those of other professionals of
34 similar experience and backgrounds to attract/retain quality public school
35 employees;
36 • Partial student loan forgiveness and loan consolidation at the federal level;
37 • Congress to reform policies that deny federal tuition aid to college students
38 convicted of drug possession;
39 • Work/study programs and programs offering higher education in exchange
40 for public service should be expanded, and Pell grants should be increased
41 and adjusted for inflation;
42 • Full funding and implementation of the Washington State Board of Health’s
43 revised rules for health and safety of school environments {RCW 246-366};
44 • Age appropriate gun safety instruction;
45 • Congress provide adequate assistance, food stamps, earned income tax credit,
46 child tax credit, housing and child care so children of low income families can
47 perform at grade level.
Page 15 of 421
2 We oppose:
3 • Charter schools;
4 • Vouchers;
5 • The commercialization of school environments including food sales;
6 • Linking military recruitment to educational funding;
7 • Organized prayer in public schools;
8 • “No Child Left Behind” and its successor “Race to the Top”;
9 • National standardized performance testing;
10 • Basing teacher pay in whole or in part on student test scores;
11 • All so-called “reforms” that are not based upon sound and objective
12 information, that are disguised attempts to blame teachers for the problems in
13 public education, to weaken teacher unions, or to privatize our public
14 education system for profit;
15 • The escalation of tuition at institutions of higher education.
Page 16 of 42VII. Energy, Environment,
and the Climate Crisis
1 We must strive to be responsible stewards of the environment, our communities, and
2 our planet. We must proactively address climate change as a crisis. All people,
3 including future generations, have the right to clean air, water, and a healthy natural
4 environment.
5
6 We believe:
7 • Both our economic stability and the health of our environment depend on sound
8 policy decisions incorporating the best scientific evidence;
9 • Sustainable energy production and strong environmental protections strengthen
10 our economy and our country;
11 • Public discussion and education should occur at all levels of community and
12 government about how and why to reduce resource and energy consumption;
13 • Policies must promote biodiversity, ecosystem and watershed protection, and
14 restoration of wild salmon and endangered species;
15 • Managing public lands as a public trust benefits us all;
16 • Washington State should lead national and international efforts to reduce
17 greenhouse gases and mitigate climate change.
18
19 We call for:
20 • Aggressive action now to minimize climate change, as global climate change is
21 the foremost threat to survival of Earth as we know it. We must:
22 o Require that environmental impact statements consider the full scope of
23 every proposal, avoiding the segmentation of projects to reduce identified
24 impacts;
25 o Reduce production of greenhouse gases by imposing stricter emissions
26 and higher fuel efficiency standards for motor vehicles;
27 o List greenhouse gases, including CO 2 , as pollutants under the Clean Air
28 Act;
29 o Impose a carbon tax at the source to reduce greenhouse gases by
30 providing economic motivation for reduced fossil fuel use;
31 o Refuse to permit the Keystone XL Pipeline;
32 • Protection of our communities from any unsafe shipping of coal, oil, bitumen or
33 any fossil fuels;
34 • Research and program funding to develop and implement safe, clean alternative
35 energy solutions and to encourage resource conservation;
36 • Expanded programs and incentives for consumers and businesses to encourage
37 energy conservation and use of renewable and environmentally responsible
38 energy, use of energy efficient and renewable sources of power and energy
39 distribution technologies;
40 • Permitting expansion of nuclear power only with strong environmental
41 protection, when safe, long-term waste management can be guaranteed and
42 projects are shown to be cost effective without public subsidies;
Page 17 of 421 • The Tri-Party Agreement and other efforts of Washington State to ensure that
2 Hanford Site clean-up is finished and the Columbia River’s water quality is
3 protected from the Hanford Site’s historic contamination;
4 • Conserving resources and promoting sustainability through recycling and waste
5 reduction efforts;
6 • Limiting sprawl and preserving farmland, wildlife habitat, and natural resources
7 as essential to our economic and environmental well-being;
8 • Protecting our critical environmental areas, including wilderness areas, old
9 growth forests, wildlife habitat areas and corridors, wetlands, lakes, streams,
10 riparian areas, the Columbia River, Puget Sound, coastlines, oceans, and other
11 bodies of water through vigilant monitoring and planned growth management;
12 • Protecting environmentally sensitive areas by prohibiting oil, gas, and mineral
13 exploration, extraction, and transportation in such areas;
14 • Protecting environmentally sensitive areas by prohibiting waste disposal, storage
15 or treatment in such areas;
16 • The immediate revision of the 1872 Mining Act to end exploration and extraction
17 in environmentally sensitive public lands and provide compensation to the
18 public for resources that they own;
19 • Promoting development of a residential solar energy program to supply
20 electricity to the power grid;
21 • A long term national energy policy with realistic and comprehensive planning;
22 • Enacting new laws and enforcing current regulations to eliminate pollution to
23 Washington waters at the source;
24 • Recognizing the importance of jobs and property values, and consistent with
25 other existing planks, all proposals for export of coal from Washington State
26 must undergo a broad review of all economic, health and ecological impacts, to
27 determine that there are no net negative impacts, prior to approval of such
28 proposal or any alternatives;
29 • Strengthening the Magnuson Amendment of the Marine Mammal Protection Act
30 to enhance preservation of marine ecosystems from tanker and cargo vessel
31 collisions, unlawful discharges and spills of petroleum based products, and bilge
32 water pumping operations containing invasive aquatic species from foreign
33 ports.
34
35 We oppose:
36 • Offshore well-drilling for petroleum, and destructive techniques such as
37 hydraulic fracturing and mountaintop removal;
38 • Increasing production of fossil fuels through extreme measures such as tar sands
39 extraction, shale oil extraction and natural gas “fracking.”
Page 18 of 42VIII. Foreign Policy
1 The United States should lead by example and work within the world community in a
2 spirit of peace, cooperation and generosity to support human welfare, freedom, and
3 democracy. We must avoid conducting preemptive war and make diplomacy and
4 nonviolent conflict resolution the primary organizing principle of our foreign policy.
5
6 We believe:
7 • The United States should provide proportionate assistance and work
8 cooperatively with other nations to build a more peaceful, sustainable, and stable
9 world by addressing root causes of conflict, including poverty, inequitable access
10 to natural resources, economic injustice, and environmental degradation;
11 • We must protect our nation from external threats without suppressing basic
12 human rights at home and abroad;
13 • The United States should work closely and persistently with other countries to
14 prevent or stop genocide anywhere it occurs;
15 • Our government should not engage in covert efforts to destabilize other nations’
16 governments.
17
18 We call for:
19 • Providing military and foreign aid only to those nations that support and protect
20 human and civil rights;
21 • Honoring and upholding the rights, welfare, and healthy environment of all
22 indigenous people;
23 • Freezing the assets of leaders of repressive regimes and banning military exports
24 to such countries;
25 • A genuine, open approach to foreign policy, including participation in and
26 funding of multilateral peacekeeping missions;
27 • Revision of the War Powers Act to assure that Congress can declare an end to a
28 war or other military action;
29 • Cooperative and fully funded participation in international organizations
30 including the United Nations and international courts of justice, provided that
31 the national security interests of the United States are protected;
32 • Honoring ratification of international treaties protecting civilian populations,
33 human rights, and addressing climate change, such as the original U.N.
34 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of
35 All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Land Mine Ban Treaty, and the
36 Kyoto Protocol on global climate change;
37 • An effective, comprehensive plan to ensure our security while protecting our
38 constitutional rights and the human rights of all;
39 • Working with other nations to pursue law enforcement action against terrorist
40 networks rather than military intervention;
41 • Effective foreign aid to reduce poverty, improve health and education, provide
42 sustainable access to safe water and food free of contaminants, and prevent and
43 treat pandemic and endemic diseases;
44 • Restoring programs that support family planning worldwide;
Page 19 of 421 • Prohibiting United States companies from engaging in or enabling practices
2 abroad that would be prohibited at home, such as dumping of products and
3 importing products made by exploiting the environment, local communities and
4 people;
5 • Prohibiting multinational corporations, their affiliates, subsidiaries and/or
6 franchises from operating in violation of international law;
7 • Outlawing the sale of, and importation to, the United States of all products of
8 slave labor and child labor;
9 • Fair trade among nations based on sound environmental principles, sustainable
10 agriculture and manufacturing, and democratic and economic rights of the
11 workforce;
12 • Renegotiating international free trade agreements to deal adequately and
13 transparently with human rights, the rights of indigenous peoples, labor rights,
14 and environmental rights and laws to make them fair trade agreements;
15 • Rebuilding Iraq and Afghanistan’s civilian infrastructure and economy using
16 international agencies and local labor;
17 • Changing our diplomatic engagement with multiple parties in southern and
18 southwest Asia, including Afghanistan and Pakistan, to work toward peaceful
19 resolution of existing conflicts;
20 • Supporting nations in their efforts to prevent the radicalization of religions;
21 • Serious, full, constructive, and persistent United States engagement to promote
22 negotiations and other actions that will lead to a peaceful, sustainable resolution
23 of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, based on mutual recognition and ensuring
24 security, economic growth, and quality of life for the peoples of a sovereign state
25 of Palestine and the sovereign state of Israel;
26 • Continued negotiations between Iran and the International Atomic Energy
27 Agency (IAEA) to put in place revised and enhanced nuclear safeguard and
28 inspection agreements, consistent with the United States recommitment to a
29 world free of nuclear weapons;
30 • Political and economic self-determination for the Cuban people and
31 normalization of relations with Cuba, including an end to the United States-
32 imposed embargo and travel ban;
33 • Ending the use of United States tax money to fund, train or sponsor military or
34 police forces that suppress human and civil rights in foreign countries;
35 • Reduction of nuclear arsenals, strengthening international control of fissile
36 material to include depleted uranium, and nonproliferation of nuclear weapons
37 by limiting use of fissile material to peaceful purposes;
38 • Using foreign aid to offset or forgive onerous debt of countries forced to choose
39 between debt repayment and essential services;
40 • The United States government’s working with transnational corporations and
41 lending institutions, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank to
42 improve regulation of financial systems to prevent economic disruptions;
43 • A foreign policy that encourages struggling economies worldwide to engage in
44 economic growth policies, such as infrastructure investment, without compelling
45 privatization of government services or natural resources as a way to refinance
46 nations’ debts;
Page 20 of 421 • The restoration of our historic adherence to the Geneva and Vienna Conventions
2 in their entirety.
3
4 We oppose:
5 • Exportation of offensive weapons systems, such as “depleted” uranium (dU),
6 chemical, nuclear, or biological weapons, that contribute to destabilization in
7 international relations and the international arms race;
8 • Extraordinary rendition, the abduction of persons of any nationality, their
9 detention in secret prisons, and torture;
10 • Rape as a tool of war and the lack of action to stop such rape from occurring;
11 • Trade agreements negotiated in secret without public interest representation;
12 • Foreign policies that put the profit-making interests of corporations above the
13 rights, laws, and interests of governments or workers, such as the Trans-Pacific
14 Partnership (TPP);
15 • Forced austerity measures, including privatization of government services, as a
16 condition of U.S. aid and U.S. support for loans through the International
17 Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
Page 21 of 42IX. Government and Political Reform
1 Our government derives its legitimacy solely from, and must be answerable to, the
2 people. Government is the people’s instrument to achieve what we cannot achieve
3 individually. We are committed to a representative democracy that encourages
4 maximum active participation and a voting process that is fair, transparent, verifiable
5 and open to all citizens.
6
7 We believe:
8 • An informed citizenry and civil discourse are necessary to a functioning
9 democracy;
10 • Elected officials are responsible to society as a whole;
11 • The Constitution establishes a balance among the three branches of government;
12 • Government is unique and not a business. Government actions should support
13 the common good, and taxes should be levied fairly and spent responsibly;
14 • Government should be protected from undue influence by corporate and other
15 special interests;
16 • Government officials must be held to the highest standards of ethical conduct;
17 • No American citizen should be removed from the voting rolls or otherwise
18 constrained from participating in an election for which they would otherwise be
19 eligible;
20 • Nonviolent action is the preferred way to advocate for political change;
21 • No foreign powers should have control over our ports and ports should continue
22 to be secured and controlled by the U.S. Government.
23
24 We call for:
25 • Public financing of campaigns;
26 • Full and timely disclosure of sources of all campaign funds including
27 contribution limits, spending limits, and disclosure of campaign contributions;
28 • State funding of public debates for statewide offices and ballot measures;
29 • Voting to be as widespread and convenient as possible by:
30 o The facilitation of registration for every U.S. citizen eligible to vote;
31 o Election day voter registration;
32 o Guaranteed access to voting in all elections for all military service
33 members and American government workers overseas;
34 o Repeal of onerous voter identification requirements and deplore all tactics
35 designed to suppress voter participation;
36 o Election Day a national holiday;
37 o Immediate restoration of voting rights of felons who have completed their
38 sentences;
39 o Encouraging colleges and universities to register students to vote;
40 o Universal voter registration of all U.S. citizens who are eligible voters;
41 o The passage of the Washington State Voting Rights Act;
42 o Establishing a right to vote in the United States Constitution;
43 • Conducting all elections either with carefully monitored and secured paper
44 ballots or open-source software, with a paper-trail record of all votes;
Page 22 of 421 • Hand recount audits;
2 • Open source ballot counting software and optical scanning ballot equipment;
3 • The federal government to underwrite the development and implementation of
4 fair, standardized, and auditable balloting systems for every ballot cast in federal
5 elections;
6 • Significantly shortening the process of selecting Presidential nominees;
7 • Campaign and debate processes that include third-party and so-called second-
8 tier candidates;
9 • Full Congressional representation for residents of the District of Columbia and
10 statehood for any U.S. Territory that votes for it;
11 • A Constitutional amendment providing for direct election of the United States
12 President;
13 • Minimizing the influence of special interests and lobbyists on our political
14 processes by instituting campaign finance reform;
15 • Restrictions on former state and federal elected officials from lobbying for 5 years
16 after leaving office;
17 • Extending elective-office contribution limits to include contributions made to
18 support or oppose ballot measures;
19 • Taxpayer-funded scientific research that becomes part of the public domain and
20 informs policy and regulatory decisions affecting our health, safety, and
21 environment;
22 • All regulatory agencies to be adequately funded, staffed and fully accountable;
23 • A federal legislative process that limits filibusters, ends anonymous holds on
24 appointments and other dilatory tactics, and requires a simple majority to invoke
25 cloture;
26 • Establishing a cabinet-level Department of Peace and Nonviolent Conflict
27 Resolution whose Secretary will advise the President on both domestic and
28 international issues and fund programs proven to prevent violence;
29 • Adequate and equitable funding of public service options for all young adults
30 when they complete their secondary education or reach maturity, including
31 military, AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, Job Corps, and other avenues of service;
32 • Restoration and strict enforcement of the Clinton-administration version of the
33 Freedom of Information Act and adherence to all open meeting laws;
34 • A review of all Washington laws on “eminent domain” to insure that no private
35 property may be taken for private purposes and that all seizures are
36 compensated in a fair and equitable manner, and enforcement of those laws;
37 • Enactment of revenue measures by simple-majority votes in the Washington
38 State Legislature, as specified in the State Constitution;
39 • Accounting all tax exemptions as expenditures in the state budget and
40 automatically sun-setting non-performing state tax exemptions after 5 years;
41 • Maintaining the United States Postal Service as a core function of government;
42 • A publicly searchable database of all registered lobbyists and lobbying
43 expenditures;
44 • Inclusion of funding of all military actions in open Congressional budgets;
45 • Reform of the Washington state initiative process;
46 • Establishment of a state bank, the Washington State Investment Trust, to handle
47 and profit from state revenues;
Page 23 of 421 • All levels of government to be responsible for disaster prevention;
2 • Restoring the requirement that the broadcast media give equal free air time to
3 political candidates in return for the federal government giving the media
4 bandwidth;
5 • Equal access to public airwaves for all viable candidates in all localities and in all
6 national, state, and local elections;
7 • Fair juror compensation;
8 • Greater youth involvement in government;
9 • Amending the United States Constitution to establish that corporations are not
10 natural persons and money is not equivalent to speech;
11 • Inclusive campaign and debate process that does not exclude credible third party
12 candidates;
13 • Enforcement of sunshine laws and transparency in sessions that discuss and
14 make policy;
15 • Open Data initiatives to make federal, state, and local government more
16 transparent and accountable to the people of Washington and the people of the
17 United States;
18 • Counting felons, for census purposes, as residents of their last home address,
19 rather than their place of imprisonment;
20 • Access to government processes and increased funding for TVW (public access
21 television coverage of the state legislature);
22
23 We oppose:
24 • The privatization, outsourcing, or off-shoring of any governmental public
25 service;
26 • Internet voting;
27 • Governmental suppression, manipulation and distortion of scientific research
28 and findings, and psychological operations and disinformation/manipulation
29 campaigns that leave the public uninformed or misinformed;
30 • Adding projects to bills by “earmarking” funds without the knowledge of other
31 legislators and the public;
32 • Executive branch secrecy beyond legitimate national security needs or personnel
33 matters;
34 • The use of “signing statements” that effectively invalidate a portion of the
35 legislation being signed into law;
36 • Unfunded mandates;
37 • The top-two primary;
38 • Paid or non-Washington registered voter signature gatherers in the state
39 initiative process;
40 • Wholesale destruction of the U.S. Postal Service by requiring overfunding of its
41 pension system;
42 • Efforts by the government to deny citizens their right to peacefully assemble in
43 order to petition for a redress of grievances;
44 • Any practice that reveals national election results while voting is still taking
45 place;
46 • Taxpayer funding for religious institutions or "faith-based" initiatives that do not
47 include non-discrimination requirements;
Page 24 of 421 • Lack of disclosure by anonymous donors of interlocking 501(c)(3) and (c)(4)
2 organizations.
Page 25 of 42X. Health Care
1 Health care is a basic human right. Our government should assure, and guarantee by
2 law, accessible and affordable health care for all. We support universal health care and
3 moving to a public single-payer system. Such a system guarantees medical care from
4 prenatal through end of life, including dental care, vision, mental health, prescription
5 drug benefits, treatment and care for catastrophic illness, long-term care, and provisions
6 for reproductive choice, disease prevention, and alternative treatments.
7
8 We support the defense and adequate funding of Medicare and Medicaid.
9
10 We support the patient’s right to access and choice between all lawful medical
11 treatment options, without hindrance by institutions exercising religious doctrine. We
12 support access to women’s reproductive healthcare, including public funding for
13 Planned Parenthood. We support the patient’s right to decision-making and other
14 provisions of the Death With Dignity Act.
15
16 To protect individuals, as well as communities, Washington State should provide a
17 distributed comprehensive continuum of public Mental Health Care from early
18 intervention and preventive services continuing through medically appropriate crisis
19 care and community reintegration services.
20
21 We call for:
22 • Maintaining Washington State non-Medicaid funding to protect the most
23 vulnerable in our population;
24 • Increased funding for research and the National Institutes of Health; grants must
25 be based on scientific merit, not political agenda;
26 • Support for family planning and reproductive rights;
27 • Health insurance programs to cover all forms of reproductive services and
28 methods that are legal in Washington State, in accord with the principles of
29 reproductive parity;
30 • Full implementation of mental health and substance abuse parity with complete
31 phase-out of existing exemptions and implementation of regulatory standards
32 and enforcement of mental health parity laws;
33 • Continued funding for HIV/AIDS-related education and care;
34 • Collaborative and patient-centered health decision-making regardless of
35 economic, social, or ethnic background.
36
37 We oppose:
38 • Ending the Medicare Trust Fund for any voucher system, which would limit
39 access to affordable medical care for seniors;
40 • Denial of legal medical treatment or prescription purchase based on the personal
41 religious beliefs of medical and pharmaceutical personnel;
42 • The appallingly excessive profits of the insurance and pharmaceutical industries
43 and their outrageous influence over the political process.
Page 26 of 42XI. Human Services
1 Compassionate human services are among the highest priorities of federal, state, and
2 local government, especially in this time of greatly increased poverty, natural disasters,
3 and income inequality.
4
5 “The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable
6 members” – Mahatma Gandhi
7
8 We call for:
9 • An integrated, culturally competent, linguistically accessible human services
10 network based on the needs of the individual, rather than the requirements of the
11 service provider;
12 • Integrated health clinics in public schools that support the needs of the whole child
13 • Assuring that all people have access to safe and affordable housing, including
14 emergency housing;
15 • Ending homelessness by meeting people’s varied needs;
16 • Helping working parents by fully funding services for people with quality
17 affordable childcare, education, training, and medical and behavioral health care;
18 • Fully funding services for people with disabilities so they may reach their full
19 potential;
20 • Programs that rehabilitate and reintegrate people into the community;
21 • Taxpayer-funded social services that cannot be conditional on faith-based
22 requirements;
23 • Funding the State Supreme Court’s Braam decision regarding reduced caseloads
24 and other requirements to protect children from abuse and neglect.
Page 27 of 42XII. Immigration
1 We are a nation of diverse cultures. Immigrants strengthen the United States of
2 America. All immigrants should be afforded full human rights and a fair, safe, and
3 timely determination of their status.
4
5 We believe:
6 • All people, regardless of their country of origin or their immigration status,
7 deserve to be treated fairly, respectfully, and with dignity, and that all people
8 have a right to equal treatment under the law;
9 • All children regardless of immigration status are entitled to education to provide
10 them the knowledge and skills to be productive members of society;
11 • In allowing access to health care and human services without regard to
12 immigration status; withholding those services is discriminatory and inhumane;
13 • Immigration is not a matter of homeland security.
14 • All detainees should have the right to human treatment, safe facilities, adequate
15 medical care, nutrition, clothing and shelter.
16
17 We call for:
18 • Urgent comprehensive reform of United States immigration policy;
19 • Protecting the integrity of our borders while recognizing the basic human rights
20 of immigrants and protecting them with transparent due process in all
21 proceedings and a clear and equitable pathway to documented status and
22 citizenship if desired;
23 • Increasing family unification, including families of domestic partners and bi-
24 national couples, by granting legal status with the same standards as spouses of
25 citizens;
26 • Allowing undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children
27 who have attained the age of majority to apply for U.S. citizenship without first
28 being required to return to their country of origin;
29 • A more comprehensive “Dream Act” for young adults to enter a path of
30 achievement that can lead to United States citizenship;
31 • Extending temporary residency to children of undocumented immigrants to
32 allow them to pursue higher education or national service and to be given an
33 opportunity to earn permanent residency;
34 • Enforcement of the laws which penalize employers who knowingly employ
35 undocumented immigrants;
36 • Provide legal access for employers to an immigrant workforce, such as a guest
37 worker program;
38 • Policies that fully integrate and support immigrants as equal members of our
39 communities, including programs offering immigrants instruction in English,
40 interpretative and translation services of governmental documents and services,
41 and preparation for citizenship;
42 • Policies that encourage foreign students to remain in the United States and give
43 them an opportunity to earn permanent residency;
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