Help Us Create Our 2018 Platform!

Update: Public comments were closed on 3/5/2018. Thank you all for your participation!

Below you will find an initial draft of our 2018 Platform. This initial Platform contains 18 planks, with specific positions supporting each plank.

From now until March 5, the 2018 Platform Committee welcomes any and all suggestions and additions to this platform. Please submit these suggestions via the comment box below.

When the submission period ends, the Platform Committee will incorporate these suggestions into their Proposed Platform to be presented and voted on at our Legislative District Caucus on March 24.

Our Platform:

As Democrats we respect the rights guaranteed by our Constitution that support:

• Economic Opportunity;
• Social and Civil Justice;
• Personal Freedom;
• Security;
• Privacy.

We are dedicated to achieving peace, prosperity, opportunity and a government based on responsible optimism. Our platform rests on the principles that there should be:

•  Security for all citizens;
•  Education, jobs and economic opportunity for all;
•  Accessible and affordable healthcare for all Americans;
•  Rebuilding of our reputation in the world as a cooperative and just country;
•  Reversal of the erosion of civil liberties in our country;
•  Recognition that diversity strengthens our nation;
•  Recognition that we are responsible for our ethical, economic, environmental and
  educational legacy.

1. Agriculture, Aquaculture, Fisheries, and Forestry

We are the stewards of the land and water that sustain us. We must preserve family farms, strengthen rural communities, ensure the availability of high-quality food, and maintain the viability of land and water.

We call for:

• Adoption of sustainable agriculture, aquaculture, fishery and forestry methods, including adequate funding of research and extension efforts which include the effects of climate change;
• Decisions about water resources based on sound, credible scientific and economic information, including local concerns;
• Protecting wild salmon and other native marine life;
• A living wage for agricultural workers, regardless of whether they are citizens, documented workers or undocumented workers;
• Strengthening the Washington State Growth Management Act and policies that preserve agricultural land and natural resources, along with robust rural infrastructure;
• Reduction of the use of pesticides and herbicides, and increased safeguards for workers who may be exposed to them;
• Supporting and encouraging vibrant and sustainable small farms, family farms and urban farms;
• Programs that support the establishment of permaculture and organic farms;
• Vigorous enforcement of antitrust laws that apply to agribusiness;
• A guest worker program for agriculture, ensuring a reliable labor source while extending application of minimum wage laws and legal protections to the workforce and employers with proactive enforcement of violating employers.
• (Your suggestions welcome)

We oppose:

• Privatization of any and all public water holdings.
• (Your suggestions welcome)

2. Arts and Culture

Easy access and frequent exposure to the arts, and to the elements that comprise all the world’s diverse cultures, are essential for the enrichment, health and well-being of our greater society.

We call for:

• Easy access and frequent exposure to public art events, performances, and exhibits for all communities in Washington;
• Arts and cultural education to be considered as a core subject in our K-12 public schools;
• A substantial commitment to public funding for the arts and arts education;
• Libraries, performing arts centers and museums to be well-funded, accessible, and diverse in their offerings.
• (Your suggestions welcome)

We oppose:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

3. Civil and Human Rights

The inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all human beings are foundations of freedom, justice and peace. Our democracy rests on the rights and responsibilities set forth in the United States Constitution, the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, and the Washington State Constitution.

We call for:

• The right of all women to be free of government, corporate, or religious interference in their reproductive decisions, including contraception and abortion, and to have safe, legal, protected, affordable and accessible health care that enables them to make informed choices;
• Honoring the rich diversity of society and efforts to reflect that diversity in our Party, including special consideration to be paid to the rights of currently and historically marginalized communities, including individuals with disabilities, immigrants, peoples of color, indigenous people, the very poor, and religious minorities and atheists; those who face discrimination to be afforded the legal means and economic opportunities to overcome such injustice;
• Policies that will strengthen our country by affirming the value of all individuals, and by eliminating the systemic conditions that perpetuate inequality, oppression, and lack of equal access to opportunities;
• Equal pay for equal work;
• Strong legislation, treatment programs and education designed to reduce harassment, intimidation, domestic or sexual violence, gun violence, and bullying.
• (Your suggestions welcome)

We oppose:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

4. Corporate Power

Corporations are artificial entities, and not entitled to Constitutional protections as persons. We oppose the undue influence of corporations on our society, government and political process.

We call for:

• Amending the Constitution to firmly establish that corporations are not people and that money is not speech;
• Separating investment banking from commercial and retail banking and subjecting both to tighter regulation, transparency, and accountability;
• Full enforcement of antitrust laws – any corporate entity with holdings so extensive that its failure would cause major disruptions of the national economy must be broken into smaller entities to ensure healthy, competitive markets and protect consumers;
• Governments to hold natural resources such as land, water, and timber in trust for citizens. Corporations must leave the lands, waters, and air in an environmentally sound, sustainable state;
• Strengthening and enforcing laws against corporate crime;
• Multinational companies to pay their fair share of U.S. taxes;
• Increased oversight of companies vital to our environment, such as those in fossil fuel extraction.
• (Your suggestions welcome)

We oppose:

• Attempts to weaken and underfund the powers of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau;
• Foreign ownership and management of our ports, highways, bridges, pipelines, and other infrastructure assets which are crucial to our national safety and security;
• Corporations exerting undue influence on our government through access to regulatory commissions and drafting congressional and state legislation.
• (Your suggestions welcome)

5. Economic Justice, Jobs and Tax Fairness

Income inequality is the driving issue of our time. We are committed to a sustainable economy with strong communities based on living-wage jobs, tax fairness, and shared prosperity.

We call for:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

We oppose:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

6. Education

The backbone of our democracy is a free, universal public school system (pre-K through post-secondary), designed to educate informed, reasoning, and thoughtful persons who are critical-thinking lifelong learners prepared to participate in our civic society.

We call for:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

We oppose:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

7. Energy, Environment, and the Climate Crisis

We must unite to prevent the destruction of the environment, our communities, and our planet. We must proactively address climate change as a crisis. All people, including future generations, have the right to clean air, water, and a healthy natural environment. The struggle to protect our planet’s climate health must be seen as mutually dependent and interwoven with the struggles for racial and economic justice.

We call for:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

We oppose:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

8. Foreign Policy

The United States should lead by example and work within the world community in a spirit of peace, cooperation and generosity to support human welfare, freedom, and democracy. We must not conduct preemptive war and make diplomacy and nonviolent conflict resolution the primary organizing principle of our foreign policy.

We call for:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

We oppose:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

9. Government and Political Reform

Government derives its legitimacy from the people, to whom it must be answerable; it serves as their instrument to achieve ends that the people could not achieve individually. Our  representative democracy requires full participation by an informed citizenry; a voting process that is fair, transparent, and open to all; and public officials who are accountable to society.

We call for:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

We oppose:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

10. Health Care

Health care is a basic human right. Government should work to improve our overall health, while assuring access to high-quality, affordable care for everyone. Patients must have the right to access and choice between all lawful medical treatment options, without hindrance by institutions exercising religious doctrine.

We call for:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

We oppose:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

11. Human Services

As a caring community, we must provide a safety net of social services that meets the basic needs of people, especially those on the margins of society, so they can attain their full potential.

We call for:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

We oppose:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

12. Immigration

We are a nation of diverse cultures. Immigrants strengthen the United States of America. All immigrants should be afforded full human rights and a fair, safe, and timely path to legal status or citizenship.

We call for:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

We oppose:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

13. Labor

A strong economy and nation depend on jobs that provide safe working conditions, fair and living wages, 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.

We call for:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

We oppose:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

14. Law and the Justice System

The rule of law is a prerequisite for a democratic civil society. A good government provides for the safety, security and justice for all, with care, fairness, and respect for each individual.

We call for:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

We oppose:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

15. Media Reform

An informed citizenry and persistently inquisitive media are essential for democracy to flourish. The free flow of information is fundamental to democracy.

We call for:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

We oppose:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

16. Military and Veterans Affairs

We pledge support of our troops and honor our veterans who act in the service of our country. The core task of the U.S. military is to provide for the common defense. Our military must be adequate to provide for our nation’s defense and should never be open to abuses of power by any branch of government.

We call for:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

We oppose:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

17. Transportation

We believe that an efficient, well-planned, multimodal transportation system promotes a healthy economy, environment, and community.

We call for:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

We oppose:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

18. Tribal Relations and Sovereignty

Washington State must maintain a lasting and respectful relationship with Tribal Nations and oppose all attempts to diminish tribal sovereignty, tribal culture, land and natural resources or the general welfare of tribes located within the State of Washington.

We call for:

• (Your suggestions welcome)

We oppose:

• (Your suggestions welcome)