Texas Democratic Party 2016 Platform

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2016-2018 Texas Democratic Party Platform  Adopted by the 2016 Texas Democratic Convention  San Antonio, Texas 

State Representative Celia Israel, Chair   SD 1 SD 2 SD 3 SD 4 SD 5 SD 6

 John David Carrasco Micky Boneco B oneco  Tamera Crail-Walters Beverly Hatcher Sharon Cummings  Almeda Dent

SD 17 SD 19 SD 20 SD 21 SD 22 SD 23

Paul Colbert Barry Abraham Zavah Eli Olivarez Francisco Castillo Robert Price Monica Acosta-Zamora A costa-Zamora

SD 7 SD 8 SD 9 SD 10 SD 11 SD 12 SD 13 SD 14 SD 15 SD 16

 Alex Sherwood Nancy Bryant Darryl A. Sullivan Sergio Villarreal Billy Robinson Brandon Jones Gabriel Silva  Andrew Hansen Brian Buzby  Anthony Pace

SD 24 SD 25 SD 26 SD 27 SD 28 SD 29 SD 30 SD 31  Appt.  Appt.

 Thomas Fletcher Lenz Patricia Slovacek  Andrew Denny Nyssa M. Cruz Devin Fields  Yvonne Daniels  Vincent Gonzales Steven Schafersman Erin Moore, Appointment Chau Curfman, Appointment

Phillip Martin and Huey Rey Fischer, Committee Coordinators **Grammatical and technical corrections will be made to this document in a timely manner**

 

 

PREAMBLE  Texas Democrats  believe government exists to achieve together what we cannot achieve as individuals; and  government must ser serve all people. A represe sen ntative democracy is only truly  repre eprese sent ntat ativ ivee if  eve verry sin single gle citi citizzen is gu guar aran ante teed ed th thee inal inalie ien nable able righ ight to vote vote in fa fair ir and and ope pen n elections. EQUALITY FREEDOM  Texas Democrats  believe in equal opportunities and freedom for all human beings no matter a person’s race,  disability, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic or immigration status. SMART GOVERNMENT  Texas Democrats  believe in a fair criminal justice system serving all people; robust public and higher education  opportu tun nities are critical for our future; and our economy must benefit all  Texans. A HEALTHY TEXAS  Texas Democrats  believe healthcare is a right; women's rights are human rights; we owe future

gen generat eratio ion ns a  clea clean n and and hea ealt lth hy plan lanet et;; and and a stro stron ng so soci cial al sa saffet etyy net cr crea eate tess oppo port rtun unit ityy for for all all  Americans.

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Principles of the Texas Democratic Party  Texas Democrats  believe democratic government exists to achieve as a community, state, and nation what we cannot achieve as individuals; and that it must serve all its citizens.  We believe every Texan Texan has inalienable rights tha thatt even a majority may not take away: ● ● ● ●

the right to to fair vote;and open participation and representation in the democratic process; the right the right to health care; and the right to privacy.

 We believe in freedom: freedom: from government interference in our private lives and personal decisions; ● ● fr from om dis iscr crim imin inat atio ion n  based ased on ra racce, et eth hnic nicity, ity, nat atio iona nall orig origin in,, dis isab abil ilit ityy, gen gende der, r, se sexu xuaal orientation, gender identity/expression or any other improper grounds; to exercise civil and human rights; and ● ● of religion and individual conscience.  We believe in responsibility: responsibility: ● ● ●



that religion and individual conscience can never serve to excuse hatred and discrimination; that people are responsible for their actions; that that we we,,  who who hav avee be bene nefi fite ted d so gre great atly ly fr from om our st stat atee and coun countr try, y, hav avee a resp respo ons nsib ibil ilit ityy to support and give back to all our communities and public institutions; and that corporations  are not people and should not be used to shield individuals from the responsibilities of their actions.

 We believe in equal rights: ● guaranteed in Section 3 of the Texas Bill of Rights; ● equality under the law guaranteed in Section 3a of the Texas Bill of Rights; and that that no stat statee may may deny eny any any pe pers rson on equ qual al prot protec ecti tion on of th thee law laws or du duee proce rocess ss und nder er th thee law  law  ● as guaranteed in the 14th Amendment to the t he U.S. Constitution.  We believe in equal opportunity: to receive a quality public education, from childhood through college; ● to find a good job with dignity; ● ● to buy or rent a good home in a safe community; to breathe clean air and drink clean water; and ● ● to have  our voices heard and not be drowned out by the power of unlimited money to influence or buy elections and legislation.  We believe a growing growing economy should b benefit enefit all Texans: that the people who work in a business are as important as those who invest in it; ● ● that every worker should be paid a living wage of at least $15-an-hour; that good business offers a fair deal for customers; ● that regulation of unfair practices and rates is necessary; ● ● ●

that the burden of taxes should be fairly distributed; that government  policy should not favor corporations that seek offshore tax sh sheelters, 2

 

 



exploit workers, or pollute our environment; and all people, including those with disabilities.

 We believe that our lives, lives, homes, communities and country country are made secure: by appr approp opri riat atel elyy  staf staffe fed, d, tr trai aine ned d and and eq equi uipp pped ed mi mili lita tary ry,, law law enfo enforc rcem emen entt and and emer emerge genc ncy  y  ● services; ● by retirement and pension security; ● ●

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by responsible by enco encour urag agin ingggun   job jobownership; secu securi rity ty wher wheree it is possi possibl blee an and d prov provid idin ingg ap appr prop opri riat atee as assis sista tanc ncee and and re re-training when it is not; by the preservation of our precious natural resources and quality of life; by ensuring  that families have easy access to good food with clear understanding of the foo food qual qualit ityy  and and sour sourcce, so th they ey may may make make info inforrmed med de deci cisi sion onss on th theeir fa fami mily ly’s ’s hea ealt lth h and and  well-being; by compassionate policy that offers a safety net for those most vulnerable and in need; and by family values that are promoted through policies that value all our families.

 We believe in America: ● mad ma de stro strong ngeer by th thee men men and and women men who who pu putt th theeir live livess on th thee line line when hen it is ne nece cess ssar aryy to engage our military to secure our nation; and ●

made more  secure by compete ten nt diploma mattic leadership that uses the moral, ethical, and economic assets of a powerful, free nation to avoid unnecessary military conflict.

 We believe in Texas: made stronger by the individual strengths of our diverse population; ● blessed with  opportunities provided by agriculture, “old” and “new” energy sources, ● renowned medical and research institutions and high tech industries; and we  believe in the need for an honest st,, ethical state government that serves the the public ● interest, not the special financial interests of those who “pay to play.”

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DEMOCRACY  Texas Democrats  believe that a healthy democracy is based on free, fair, and transparent elec electi tion ons; s; that that  ou ourr cons consti titu tuti tion onal al righ rightt to vo vote te shou should ld be prot protec ecte ted d at all all cost costss by elec electe ted d offi offici cial alss  who exhibit ethical public public service. Voting Rights Fair Elections  Elections   We must   adopt policies to eliminate the barriers to voting and encourage full participation in elections. As Texas Democrats, Democrats, we support: support: ● ●

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repeal of the highly restrictive Texas photo Voter ID law; automatic voter  regist strratio tion upon age 17 years and 9 months for all persons who meet  Texas voter registration requirements; requirements; same day voter registration; online voter registration;  voter outreach and education efforts, espec especially ially for youth and underserved underserved communities; existing voter  protectio tion polici icies under the federal Voting Rights Act and the Texas  Voting Rights  Act, and restoration of the federal preclearance policies in the Voting  Rights Act that were overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court; protect extended early voting periods; instituting no excuses by mail for all elections, state and local; public ownership of allvote election processes, software federal and equipment; the the cre reaatio tion  of a no non npa parrtisa tisan n red redistr istric icti ting ng comm commis issi sio on to end end ger gerry ryma mand nder erin ingg in ou ourr redistricting process; robust auditing procedures that include absentee ballots; and a cons constit titut utio iona nall amen amendm dmen entt to elimi elimina nate te th thee elec electo tora rall coll colleg egee and and aw awar ard d th thee pres presid iden ency cy to the winner  of the natio tionwide popular vote, and failin ling that, urge all st staates to join the Nati Na tion onal al Popu Popula larr Vote Vote In Inte ters rsta tate te Comp Compac act, t, so th that at ca cand ndid idat ates es must must ca camp mpai aign gn ev ever eryw ywhe here re and not just in swing states.

Campaign Finance Reform  Reform   Texas Democrats  believe money should not determine who wins and loses elections. Campaign spen spendi ding ng li limi mits ts  and and ke keep epin ingg corp corpor orat atee mone moneyy ou outt of po poli liti tics cs is es esse sent ntia iall to a he heal alth thy, y, re resp spon onsi sive ve

democratic system that can be trusted by voters. We support: ●

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over overtu turn rnin ing, g, by  Cons Consti titu tuti tion onal al Amend Amendme ment nt if nece necessa ssary ry,, th thee de deci cisio sion n in Citiz Citizen enss Un Unit ited ed  v. Federal  Elections Commission that allows corporations to give unlimited amounts of  money to  political campaigns, and to clarify that corporations are not persons and con constit stitut utio ion nal righ rights ts  ar aree for for nat atur ural al pe pers rson onss on only ly,, and to end th thee doct ctri rin ne th thaat mon money is speech; legislation to move towards public campaign and election financing; full full di disc sclo losu sure re  of fu fund ndin ingg sour source cess for for poli politi tica call ad adve vert rtis isem emen ents ts,, incl includ udin ingg th thee larg larges estt majo majorr fu fun nde ders rs of  all all po poli liti tica call te tele levi visi sio on, ra radi dio o, prin rint, slat slatee mail mailer er,, and and onlin nlinee adve advert rtis isin ingg for for ballot measures, independent expenditures, and issue advocacy; and the reinst staatement  of the federal Public Service and Equal Tim Time requirements ts,, so that comp compan anie iess give given n  mono monopo poly ly use use of pu publ blic ic te tele levi visi sion on and and ra radi dio o freq freque uenc ncie iess ca cann nnot ot limi limitt access to only candidates that can afford the high costs of advertising. 4

 

  Ethics  Ethics  In a  healthy democracy, officeholders must adhere to the highest ethical standards and be ac acco coun unta tabl blee to  taxp taxpay ayer erss by av avoi oidi ding ng re real al or pe perc rcei eive ved d conf confli lict ctss of inte intere rest st.. No elec electe ted d offi offici cial al is above the law. We believe that: ●

state employees  should be free to do their job free of political considerations and oversight with only the public good in mind;



 Texas officials  should not be exploiting public funds to pay for personal or political activities; corporations should  not be writing legislation as proxy to legis gislators, as occurs, for example, with the American Legislative Exchange Council;  we should end the double-dipping of retirement for elected officials; officials; the the abus abusee  of pe pers rson onal al leav leavee po poli lici cies es and and bo bonu nuse sess by st stat atee offi offici cial alss sh shou ould ld be elim elimin inat ated ed;; and to ofte often, n,  po poli liti tica call cons consid ider erat atio ions ns ou outw twei eigh gh soun sound d po poli licy cy,, viol violat atin ingg et ethi hica call st stan anda dard rdss in contracting and the use of public funds.



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EDUCATION  Texas Democrats  believe a world class education system is a moral imperative and an economic necessit sity. Every  child should be provided the opportunity to succeed - not just a se sellect few.  Achieving student  success requires an unwavering state commitment to provide every Texas child the  opportunity to receive a quality education from pre-K through college or career prog progra rams ms.. Th Thee chan changin gingg demo demogr grap aphi hics cs of th thee Te Texa xass stude student nt popu popula latio tion n pose pose new new chal challe leng nges es th that at must be  met to keep th thee Texa xass economy strong and our communities prosperous. Owing to inad inadeequa quate inve invest stme men nt  in pu publ blic ic edu duccat atio ion n, min minorit orityy and econo conomi mica call llyy dis isaadv dvan anta tage ged d Texa Texass stud studen ents ts cont contin inue ue  to suff suffer er from from a pe pers rsis iste tent nt ac achi hiev evem emen entt gap. gap. Ever Everyy chil child d sh shou ould ld ha have ve ac acce cess ss to an educ educat atio iona nall  prog progra ram m th that at va valu lues es high highly ly skil skille led d te teac ache hers rs and and enco encour urag ages es cr crit itic ical al th thin inki king ng and and creativity, without the harmful impact of high stakes standardized testing. Public Education Funding  The Texas  Constitution guarantees the right to a suitable free public education for all Texas chil childr dren en.. Te Texa xass  Demo Democr crat atss cond condem emn n th thee unan unanim imou ouss deci decisi sion on by Texa Texass Supr Suprem emee Cour Courtt just justic ices es and and the the  Gove Govern rnor or who who de decl clar ared ed “v “vic icto tory ry”” when when the the Cour Courtt re refu fuse sed d to enfo enforc rcee th thee cons consti titu tuti tion onal al ri righ ghtt that that  gu guaara ran nte tees es a fr free ee publi ublicc educ educat atio ion n for for ev ever eryy Texa Texass chil child d. The The Rep Republi ublica can n legi legisl slat ativ ivee majo ma jori rity ty ha hass  shor shortc tcha hang nged ed educ educat atio ion n fu fund ndin ingg ev ever eryy sess sessio ion n sinc sincee ta taki king ng cont contro roll of bo both th ho hous uses es.. In 20 2011 11,,  Repu Republ blic ican anss cu cutt pu publ blic ic scho school ol fu fund ndin ingg by $5 $5.4 .4 bill billio ion n desp despit itee ha havi ving ng more more th than an enou enough gh in the the  stat statee “R “Rai ainy ny Day Day Fund Fund”” and and stil stilll ha have ven’ n’tt fu full llyy re rest stor ored ed th thos osee fu fund ndin ingg cu cuts ts.. Corr Correc ecti ting ng the the deficiencies in  funding Texas public educatio tion must be a legisla slativ tive budget priority. Texas Democrats believe: the state should establish a 100% equitable school finance system with sufficient state ● revenue to provide every child the opportunity to learn in an exemplary program; ● the state should equitably reduce reliance on "Robin Hood" recapture; state funding formulas should fully reflect all student st udent and district cost differences and the ● impact of inflation and state mandates; and ● the federal government should fully fund all federal education mandates and should fully

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  fund the Every Student Succeeds Act. Preservation of the Texas Public Education System  Texas Democrats support the Constitution’s Constitution’s “duty of the legislature” to provide suitable suppo support rt for a system of “free public schools” and prohibition on using public school funds for the support of “any sectarian school.” Texas Democrats:

t he ● oppose the misnamed “school choice” schemes of using public tax money for the

support of private and sectarian schools; ● believe “school choice” is a deceptive marketing frame that purports to advocate something that already exists - school s chool choice - but whose true purpose is to divert public school funds to vouchers on tax credit systems supporting private and sectarian schools; ●  That adoption of any any vouchers or tax credit credit scheme would unavoidably unavoidably financially and academically damage public schools in Texas. Pre-K and Early Childhood Education

Ea Earl rlyy chil childh dhoo ood d  educ educat atio ion n is esse essent ntia iall to he help lp stud studen ents ts fr from om all all ba back ckgr grou ound ndss be begi gin n to cu cult ltiv ivat atee the skills that will last the rest of their lives. We believe: every eligible  Texas child must have access to high-quality, full-day Pre-K and ● kindergarten; ● the the Te Texa xass  Edu duccat atio ion n Age Agenc ncyy sho should uld estab stabli lish sh appr approp opri riat atee qua uali lity ty st stan anda darrds for for Pre Pre-K  programs to insure that students are receiving the highest quality instruction; ● sc scho hool olss an and d  te teac ache hers rs must must be eq equi uipp pped ed with with re reso sour urce cess an and d ef effe fect ctiv ivee te tech chni niqu ques es to ensu ensure re tha that every very  chil child d pe perf rfo orms rms at grad gradee leve levell in re read adin ing, g, so soci cial al stud studie ies, s, math math,, and and sc scie ienc ncee by  third grade; ● sta state te supp suppor ortt  shou should ld be prov provid ided ed for for fa fami mily ly lite litera racy cy prog progra rams ms th that at enab enable le pa pare rent ntss to as assi sist st their children; and ● resources must be provided to reverse the loss of teachers’ aides due to the 2011 cuts. Every Student Should Have a Highly Qualified Teacher

Half of  new teachers leave the professi ssion withi thin five years, leaving many st stu udents taugh ghtt by  teac teache hers rs who who  ar aree no nott ce cert rtif ifie ied d to te teac ach h th thee subj subjec ects ts they they ar aree te teac achi hing ng.. Ea Earl rlyy ca care reer er educ educat ator orss ar aree driven from  the the profession by low teacher pay, the constraints placed on them by high stakes test testin ing, g, and and  inad inadeq equa uate te fu fund ndin ingg th that at forc forces es te teac ache hers rs to sp spen end d hu hund ndre reds ds of doll dollar arss fr from om thei theirr own own poc ocke kets ts for for  for th thei eirr class lassrroo ooms ms.. Demo Democcra rats ts belie elieve ve we must must work work to at attr trac actt th thee bes estt te teac ache hers rs and keep them in our classroom. ● ●





Bring Texas teacher pay in line with the t he national average. Increase the state contribution to health insurance for educational employees, which has remained stagnant for 14 years while premium costs have eaten away at take home pay for teachers and other school employees. Guarantee early acceptance to college and a teaching job to high school students in the top 20% of their class who commit to a teaching career upon certification. Enhance the Teach for Texas Loan Repayment Program by tying loan forgiveness to years of teaching service, opening the program to all fields of study and allowing current teachers to go back to school to get additional certification in critical needs fields. 6

 

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Restore funding for the Educational Aide Exemption to help teachers’ aides go back to to school to get certified as full-time teachers. Prepare high school students for careers in teaching by creating an educational endorsement pathway specific to teaching readiness. Restore, respect and safeguard the rights and benefits of education employees. Guarantee that every class has a teacher t eacher certified to teach that subject. Recruit and train teachers who reflect the state’s diversity. Provide mentor orperformance master teacher Oppose atest-based pay.for every novice teacher. Respect support personnel by providing them due process employment rights and a salary schedule.

Quality Classroom Learning Environment

Crow Crowde ded d clas classr sroo ooms ms  and and an ov over erre reli lian ance ce on high high stak stakes es st stan anda dard rdiz ized ed te test stss th that at st stif ifle le cr crea eati tivi vity  ty  and leave  little time for genuine te teaaching and learning. Smaller ler class siz sizes improve student perf erforma ormanc nce, e, but  clas classs size size waive aivers rs ar aree all all to too o commo ommon. n. Tea Teacher cherss hav avee su sued ed TEA TEA ove verr plan lans to increase the the  testing stakes by imposin sing a statewide test st--based “Value Added Measure” as a teacher evaluation  metric, ic, despite research that demonstrates su succh measures are not valid. Pare Paren nts hav avee  sued sued TE TEA A ove verr nume umerous rous flaw flawss in th thee STAA STAAR R te test st.. Ther Theree is a be bett tteer way to cre reaate an excellent  classro sroom learning environment to help stu tud dents think critically and succeed.  Therefore, Texas Democrats Democrats support: extending appropriate class size limits to all grades and enforce those limits; ● repl replaacin cing high high-s -sta take kess  te test stss that that eff ffeect ctiv ivel elyy punis unish h st stud uden ents ts,, te teac ach her erss and and sc scho hool ols, s, with ith ● multiple measures designed to diagnose student needs and improve instruction; ● a prohibition on awarding taxpayer dollars to corporations to develop high-stakes tests; ● rejecting efforts  to impose a corporate-designed test-based “Value Added” teacher eval evalua uati tion on syste system m  an and d ba base se te teac ache herr ev eval alua uati tion on on mult multip iple le meas measur ures es de desig signe ned d by prac practi tici cing  ng  educators; endi ending ng inap inappr prop opri riat atee  te test stin ingg of stude student ntss with with disab disabil ilit itie iess whos whosee indi indivi vidu dual al ed educ ucat atio ion n plan planss ● call for alternative assessments of their educational progress; pro rovi vidi din ng fr freee,  acc ccu ura rate te and and upd pdat ated ed inst instru ruct ctio ion nal mate materi riaals alig aligne ned d wi with th ed educ ucat atio ion nally  ally  ● ap appr prop opri riat ate, e, nonnon-id ideo eolo logi gica call  sta state te cu curr rric icul ulum um stan standa dard rdss and and te test sts, s, incl includ udin ingg et ethn hnic ic studi studies es and environmental education programs; equipping classrooms  with free computers, high-speed internet access and digital ● instructional materials; and ● adequately defining  and funding ing programs targete ted d to increase st stu udent proficiency in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Community Schools: A Proven, Sustainable Way to Improve Schools Pare Paren nta tall and and  comm commun unit ityy inv involve olveme men nt in ne neig igh hborho orhood od sc scho hoo ols has lon long bee een n th thee hallm allmar arkk of  successful public  sch schools. The community school model, engagi gagin ng parents ts,, educators and comm commun unit ityy in  de desig signi ning ng an and d im impl plem emen enti ting ng scho school ol im impr prov ovem emen entt plan plans, s, offe offers rs a prov proven en blue bluepr prin intt for restoring  excellence in public education. This model provides real local control and accountability that detached, corporate-run schools simply cannot match. Texas should: ●

require every  sch school to meet high st staandards and repeal “home rule” and “innovation” statutes that allow standards to be reduced and serve as a pathway to privatization; 7

 

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oppo oppose se AA-F F scho school ol ra rati ting ngs, s, wh whic ich h serv servee only only to stigm stigmat atiz izee sc scho hool olss and and unde underm rmin inee strug struggl glin ing  g  communities while doing nothing to improve children’s education. op oppo pose se the the  cr crea eati tion on of a stat statew ewid idee so-c so-cal alle led d “ach “achie ieve veme ment nt”” or “rec “recov over ery” y” sc scho hool ol dist distri rict ct that that woul would d  gran grantt cont contro roll of a ne neig ighb hbor orho hood od scho school ol to Aust Austin in-b -bas ased ed bu bure reau aucr crat atss who who coul could d contract with private operators to run neighborhood schools without local accountability; util utiliz izee exis existi ting ng  stat statut utes es and and enco encour urag agee ex expa pans nsio ion n of ne neig ighb hbor orho hood od char charte terr sc scho hool olss th that at are are run by parents and teachers who establish curriculum and policy within state standards; strengthen st staate  oversight and academic and financial st staandards for charter schools to provide the same level of accountability required of neighborhood schools; strengthen state oversight of homeschooling; and reject efforts  to provide state funds for and sh shiift st stu udents into for-profit, low low-quality ty,, unaccountable “virtual schools” at taxpayers’ expense.

Opportunity for Every Child Many Ma ny chil childr dreen  who ente enterr sch school with ith uniq unique ue nee eed ds ha have ve ex extr traaord ordinar inaryy po pote ten ntia tial, if we si simp mply  ly  address their needs and provide them an opportunity to succeed. Texas should: ● reject efforts to destroy bilingual education; ● prom promot otee mult multii-la lang ngua uage ge  inst instru ruct ctio ion, n, begin beginni ning ng in elem elemen enta tary ry sc scho hool ol,, to make make all all stude student ntss fluent in English and at least one other language; ● support Title IX protections for gender equity in public education institutions;

suppo port rt chil child d  nu nutr trit itio ion n ac acts ts tha that provi rovide de for for fr free ee sc scho hoo ol break reakfa fast sts, s, lunc lunche hes, s, and and aft fteer ● sup ● ● ● ● ● ●

school snacks, as well as summer lunch programs; ensu ensure re that that  ev ever eryy stud studen entt ha hass acce access ss to appr approp opri riat atee ac acad adem emic ic coun counse seli ling ng se serv rvic ices es,, as we well ll as psychological and social services provided by competent and licensed professionals; provide and appropriately fund high-quality career and technical education programs; provide arts and music education in all schools; ensu ensure re that that  ev eveery scho schoo ol ha hass a fully ully fund unded and and st staf affe fed d lib libra rarry, fu full llyy eq equi uipp pped ed with ith bot oth h print and electronic media, that is regularly open and accessible to students and faculty; provide universally accessible after-school programs for grades pre-K-12; and develop peer-reviewed  curriculum for mandatory ethnic studies classes, such as Indigenous, Chicano, and African-American studies.

 To make  the promise of educational opportunity a reality for students at risk of dropping out or failing academically, we believe the state should support: ● scho school ol-c -com ommu muni nity ty coll collab abor orat atio ion n  th that at brin brings gs educ educat atio iona nall an and d so soci cial al se serv rvic ices es to toge geth ther er unde underr one roof to help at-risk students and their families; dua uall-ccred redit and and  ear arly ly-c -co olleg llegee prog progra rams ms th thaat dra raw w att-rrisk isk st stud udeent ntss into into colle ollege ge and and ca carree eerr ● paths while still in high school; ● equi equita tabl blee dist distri ribu buti tion on  of high highly ly qual qualif ifie ied d te teac ache hers rs,, to chan change ge prac practi tice cess th that at to too o ofte often n matc match h the most at-risk students with the least experienced and least prepared teachers; Focu Focuss effo effort rtss  to clos closee th thee ac acad adem emic ic ac achi hiev evem emen entt ga gap p th thro roug ugh h th thee eq equi uita tabl blee dist distri ribu buti tion on of  ● high hig h qualif qualified ied  teache teachers, rs, elimin eliminati ating ng dispro dispropor portio tionat natee admini administr strati ation on of dis discip ciplin lines es impact impacting  ing   African-American and  Latino students, and advocating culturally relevant learning and  wraparound services services to meet students’ social, emotional, aand nd health needs; comp compre rehe hens nsiv ivee ag agee-ap appr prop opri riat atee  sex sex educ educat atio ion n prog progra rams ms with with a cont contra race cept ptio ion n comp compon onen ent, t, ● to reduce dropout rates due to unintended pregnancy; and ● access to affordable programs for adults who have dropped out of the education process. 8

 

 

Preserving the defined benefit pension for retired teachers Most retired teachers worked for years with inadequate pay and have no Social Security.  Texas Democrats support: pro rote tect ctin ingg th thee  TRS TRS de defi fin ned benef enefit it pensi ension on syst systeem again gainst st at atte temp mpts ts to tu turn rn it into into a risk risky  y  ● 401-k plan that could put most retirees’ pensions at risk;. providing a regular COLA for every retired teacher; ● ●



repe repeal alin ingg the the  fe fede dera rall go gove vern rnme ment nt pe pens nsio ion n offs offset et and and wind windfa fall ll elim elimin inat atio ion n pr prov ovis isio ions ns that that unfairly reduce Social Security benefits for Texas educational employees; and improving the TRS-Care health insurance program for retired educators.

SBOE Reform  All too  often, extremists on the State Board of Education have made a laughingstock of our stat state’ e’ss proc proces esss  by appr approv ovin ingg cu curr rric icul ulum um stan standa dard rdss and and te text xtbo book okss th that at viol violat atee the the inte integr grit ityy and and reli reliab abil ilit ityy of  main mainst stre ream am scie scienc ncee an and d soci social al studi studies es,, lead leadin ingg ev even en cons conser erva vati tive ve th thin inkk ta tank nkss to ca call ll ou ourr soci social al  st stud udie iess cu curr rric icul ulum um stan standa dard rdss a “p “pol olit itic iciz ized ed di dist stor orti tion on of hist histor ory. y.”” Te Texa xass Demo Democr crat atss believe the State Board of Education should: ● deve develo lop p curr curric icul ulum um  sta stand ndar ards ds and and te textb xtboo ookk re requ quir irem emen ents ts ba base sed d on peer peer-r -rev evie iewe wed d rese resear arch ch and written by subject matter experts, not the opinions of partisan extremists; adopt instructional  materials that preserve and teach the methods and content of   ● ● ● ●

professional science and social studies experts without censorship or illegitimate editing; insist on the exercise of sober fiduciary responsibility for the Permanent School Fund; expose and prohibit conflicts of interest; and insi insist st on  du duee dili dilige genc ncee in th thee scre screen enin ingg of char charte terr appl applic ican ants ts and and quic quickl klyy re resc scin ind d th thee char charte terr scho school ol appl applic ican ants ts  and and quic quickl klyy re resc scin indi ding ng th thee char charde ders rs of sc scho hool olss th that at viol violat atee Texa Texass pu publ blic ic school education statutes.

Making Schools Safe and Bully-Free

Students, teachers  and school personnel should be safe from acts of violence and must be prot protec ecte ted d fr from om  bu bull llyi ying ng,, incl includ udin ingg cy cybe berr-bu bull llyi ying ng.. We su supp ppor ortt fair fair enfo enforc rcem emen entt of di disc scip ipli lina nary  ry  stan standa dard rds, s, ea earl rlyy  inte interv rven enti tion onss an and d medi mediat atio ion n whic which h supp suppor ortt th thee su succ cces esss of ev ever eryy chil child d re rega gard rdle less ss of their current socio-economic circumstances. ● School campuses and functions must be weapon-free and drug-free. ●  Teachers deserve  support when they exercise their statutory right to remove a disruptive student from class as guaranteed g uaranteed in the Texas Education Code. Full Fu ll comp compli lian ance ce  with with Ti Titl tlee IX im impl plem emen enti ting ng re regu gula latio tions ns re rega gard rdin ingg a st stud uden ent’ t’ss gend gender er id iden entit tity  y  ● and with  the DOE and DOJ directive to school principals contained in the document “Examples of Policies and Emerging Practices for Supporting Transgender Students.” Implementation of systematic programs should be utilized to identify instances of bullying ● and implement school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports, to prevent  violence, disruption, bullying, bullying, and harassment: ● Eliminate disparities in discipline based on race, ethnicity, national origin, disability, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or any other improper grounds. In li ligh ghtt  of Te Texa xass cu curr rren entt disc discri rimi mina nato tory ry susp suspen ensi sion on and and ex expu puls lsio ion n ra rate tes, s, Texa Texass Demo Democr crat atss ha have ve take taken n the the  le lead ad in pa pass ssin ingg legi legisl slat atio ion n to elim elimin inat atee disp dispar arit itie iess in disc discip ipli line ne ba base sed d on ra race ce,, et ethn hnic icit ity, y, na nati tion onal al orig origin in,,  disa disabi bili lity ty,, gend gender er,, sexu sexual al orie orient ntat atio ion, n, ge gend nder er id iden enti tity ty/e /exp xpre ress ssio ion, n, or any any ot othe herr 9

 

  im impr prop oper er gran grands ds..  Th Thee Te Texa xass Educ Educat atio ion n Agen Agency cy shou should ld be dire direct cted ed to inve invest stiga igate te and and corr correc ectt an any  y  pa patt tter erns ns of  appa appare rent nt disc discri rimi mina nato tory ry enfo enforc rcem emen entt or no nonn-en enfo forc rcem emen entt of disc discip ipli line ne st stan anda dard rds, s, including standards for out-of-school suspension.  Texas Democrats  have enacted and will work to implement measures to stop indiscriminate use of misdemeanor  ticketing for minor infractions on campus and indisc scrriminate expulsion or pla lace ceme men nt of  st stud uden ents ts in disc discip ipli lina narry alte altern rnat ativ ivee educ educat atio ion n progr rogram amss for for tr triv ivia iall misc miscon ondu duct ct.. Stud St re er di ryhealte alntern rnat ed rogr shou onti ecei struden onents g tsacref adfeerr mried c   intostrdisc ucscip tiipli onlina .nary W a ativ sive tuedeeduc ntucat 's atio mion isncopnro dugram ctams iss ssh erould ioulds ceon notinu unue ghe toto wrec arreive ave nt dis isccipli iplin nar aryy plac placem emeent nt,,  th thee stat statee sho should uld ma make ke sure sure th thee disci iscip plin linar aryy se sett ttin ingg offe offers rs a fu full ll ar arra rayy of  educational and social/behavioral services to help that student get back on track. HIGHER EDUCATION   Texas Democrats  believe all Texans should have the opportunity and be encouraged to pursue af affo ford rdab able le high higher er  educ educat atio ion n at pu publ blic ic univ univer ersi siti ties es,, comm commun unit ityy coll colleg eges es,, and and te tech chni nica call sc scho hool ols. s.  Today, too  many students are saddled with a mountain of debt when they graduate from college, an and d Re Repu publ blic ican anss  ha have ve made made dama damagi ging ng cu cuts ts to form formul ulaa fu fund ndin ing, g, de dere regu gula late ted d tu tuit itio ion n an and d re restr stric icte ted d fi fina nanc ncia iall ai aid, d,  po poli lici cies es th that at thre threat aten en ou ourr abil abilit ityy to me meet et st stat atee “C “Clo losi sing ng th thee Gaps Gaps”” go goal alss es esse sent ntia iall to our economic  futu turre. We believe the opportunity ity of higher education to be a right of all tho those that that may may  seek seek it it,, re rega gard rdle less ss of ra race ce,, ge gend nder er,, sexu sexual al pref prefer eren ence ce,, soci socioe oeco cono nomi mic, c, or im immi migr grat atio ion n

stat status us.. We  supp suppor ortt poli polici cies es th that at prov provid idee oppo opport rtun unit ity, y, free free from from de debt bt,, an and d a visio vision n for for tu tuit itio ionn-fr free ee higher education system for college students, including: ● ● ● ●





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restoration of formula contact hour funding, adjusted for inflation and student growth; rollback of tuition and fees to affordable levels to reflect the t he restored funding; federal income tax credits for college tuition, fees and books; incr increa ease sed d fu fund ndin ingg  of TEXA TEXASS Gran Grants ts and and re refo form rmin ingg th thee mi mism sman anag aged ed st stat atee Pr Prep epai aid d Tuit Tuitio ion n Program, to provide higher education to more Texans without excessive debt burden; prog progra rams ms to  deve develo lop p alte altern rnat ativ ivee re repa paym ymen entt plan planss for for st stud uden ents ts st stru rugg ggli ling ng unde underr sign signif ific ican antt debt ebt burde urden n  by ca cap pping ing mo mont nth hly pay ayme ment ntss and/ and/or or re refi fin nance ance ex exis isti tin ng loan loanss to a low lower ra rate te tied to the current prime rate; legis legisla lati tion on to  re redu duce ce th thee inor inordi dina nate tely ly high high cost costss of coll colleg egee te textb xtboo ooks ks,, te tech chni nica call manu manual alss an and d other instructional materials; an increase in the maximum allowable financial aid set-asides; adeq adequa uate te comp compen ensa sati tio on,  sec secur urit ity, y, prof profes essi sio onal stat status us,, and benef enefit itss for for all all fa facculty ulty and and fair air market wages for college employees; high higher er educ educat atio ion n  re rese sear arch ch fu fund ndin ingg to spur spur ec econ onom omic ic deve develo lopm pmen entt and and loca locate te a Tier Tier 1 pu publ blic ic research and teaching university in every region of the state; coll collab abor orat ativ ivee pu publ blic ic/h /hig ighe herr  educ educat atio ion n pa part rtne ners rshi hips ps fr from om prepre-K K to comp comple leti tion on of ba bach chel elor or’s ’s degree to enhance learning and teacher preparation; enha enhanc nced ed,, eq equi uita tabl blee  fu fund ndin ingg for for Prai Prairi riee View View A&M A&M and and Te Texa xass Sout Southe hern rn Univ Univer ersi sity ty and and for for higher education in South Texas and all border communities; efforts to  place a votin ting st stu udent regent on th thee appointed go govverning board of each sta tate te-supported four-year institution of higher education; the continuation of the Texas DREAM Act and passage of the federal DREAM Act; pay and  working conditions sufficient to attract faculty, including adequate pay and reasonable workload for contingent faculty; equitable pay for part-time faculty; and 10

 

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the fundamental  principles of academic freedom, equality of opportunity, and human dignity.

Community Colleges  Texas Democrats  recognize and support the essential role of Texas community colleges, where the the va vast st majo majori rity ty of Te Texa xas’ s’ post post-se -seco cond ndar aryy st stud uden ents ts ar aree enro enroll lled ed.. By comb combin inin ingg affo afford rdab abil ilit ity, y, high high qual qualit ityy and and  re resp spon onsiv siven enes esss to comm commun unity ity need needs, s, th thes esee inst institu itutio tions ns prov provid idee an ed educ ucat atio ion n to th thos osee  who would be otherwise excluded.

State funding  for community college gess has been drastically reduced and that burden has been shifted ted onto  students, ts, their families and property taxpayers. In addition, state funding for commu ommun nity ity coll colleg egee  emplo mploye yeee benef enefit itss ha hass bee een n cut, cut, ad addi din ng th that at bu burd rdeen onto tu tuit itio ion n and and loca locall pro rope pert rtyy taxe taxes. s.  The The re resu sult ltin ing, g, redu educt ctio ion n in per stud studen entt st stat atee fu fund ndin ingg has be been en exa xace cerb rbat ated ed by  cutti uttin ng for formula mula  fu fund ndin ingg for for comm commun unit ityy coll colleg eges es by an addi additi tion onal al 10% 10% to fu fun nd a “p “per erfo forrmanc mancee funding” scheme.  To maintain community colleges’ role in providing job skills lifelong  education, we endorse: ● providing tuition-free community college to Texas high school graduates; ● full formula funding of the cost of instruction and the t he growth in student enrollments; ● requ requir irin ingg that that  any any “inc “incen enti tive ve”” fu fun ndin ding be on to top p of form formul ulaa fun fundin ding ra rath ther er th than an fu fun nde ded d at the expense of the actual cost of operations; suff suffic icie ien nt finan inanci ciaal  aid to cove coverr elig eligib ible le commu mmunity nity colle ollege ge st stu ude den nts for whom aid aid is not ● available; fully state-funded  full time ime emp mplloyee group health insu surrance and proportio tional health ● benefits for part-time instructors and restoration of funding for employee retirement; funding for new campuses and program expansions; ● fund fundin ingg for for  comm commun unit ityy coll colleg eges es to assi assist st loca locall scho school ol dist distri rict ctss in deve develo lopm pmen entt of prog progra rams ms ● for the new career and technology endorsements and applied mathematics curriculum; requ requir irin ingg esta establ blis ishm hmen entt  of ru rule less to ensu ensure re fu full ll tr tran ansf sfer erab abil ilit ityy of comm commun unit ityy coll colleg egee cr cred edit it ● hours to four-year institutions; ● sufficient funding for Adult Basic Education to fully cover the demand for services; and eli limi min nat atio ion n of  finan inanci ciaal aid rule ruless th that at pe pena nali lize ze stud studen ents ts who tr tran ansf sfeer to unive nivers rsit itie iess from rom ● community colleges.  To prevent further erosion erosion of community colleges’ colleges’ ability to serve their co communities, mmunities, Texas Democrats oppose: ● shifting the basis of formula funding away from actual costs and ● "incentive" progr graams  tha that would discr scriminate against colleges and programs serving  disa sad dvantaged and  non-traditional students or against non-degree sk skiill-building and retraining programs. Diversity and Safety  Texas Democrats  support innovative approaches to ensure diversity and safety in every Texas institution of higher education. We strongly support: main ma inta tain inin ingg th thee  “T “To op 10% 10% Rule Rule”” esta stablis blishe hed d by Demo Democr crat atss th that at gu guar aran ante teees acc cceess to ou ourr ● universities for the best students from all communities and regions of Texas; ●

enc ncou oura ragi ging ng univ univer ersi siti ties es  to off offer cu cult ltur ural ally ly comp compeete tent nt and cu cult ltur ural ally ly diver iverse se cu curr rric icul ula, a, stud studen entt acti activi vitie ties, s,  and and stude student nt re recr crui uitme tment nt poli polici cies es th that at prom promot otee unde unders rsta tand ndin ing, g, re resp spec ectt and and 11

 

 



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acceptance; strict enforcement  of policies that prohibit discriminatio tion or harassme sment in any Texas inst instit itut utio ion n of  high higher er edu educa cati tio on again gainst st any any per erso son n on th thee ba basi siss of ra racce, se sex, x, colo colorr, re reli ligi gio on, national origin,  ancestry, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, citizenship or military status; repealing campus carry policies for public university and community college campuses; and comprehensive programs to combat the campus sexual assault crisis.

JOBS AND THE ECONOMY Good Jobs at Home Hard working Texans  have the right to good jobs to support their families and invest in their   fu futu ture re.. Te Texa xass  Demo Democr crat atss und nder erst stan and d we must must hav avee an ec eco onom omyy th that at works orks for all, all, not just just the the  wealthy. The  Texas Republicans reckless reductions in state funding for education at all levels  will leave  us vulnerable in attracting the jobs of the future. To this end we propose the foll follo owing ing as  the the corre orrecct app ppro roac ach h to provi rovidi din ng th thee job jobs to make make our comm commun unit itie iess st stro rong ng and resilient long into the future: ●  We support requiring a minimum wage that is at least $15-an-hour that is indexed to keep it from  eroding again. No longer should corporate profits be subsidized by letting  corporations pay  poverty-level wages that leave the taxpayer footing the bill for public benefits to their employees. ●  We support  the ability of individuals to come together collectively and negotiate their  wages, healthcare  and work conditions to improve job safety and eliminate the stagnation of wages  and reductio tion of benefits. We oppose antiti-union laws and policies, such as so-c so-cal alle led d “rig “right ht-t -too-wo work rk””  laws laws,, and and supp suppor ortt laws laws and and ag agen enci cies es th that at prot protec ectt th thee sa safe fety ty of   workers and the payment payment of prevailing wages for for public projects. ●  We support  working with our friends in Labor to maintain the social safety nets that Soci Social al Se Secu currity ity,  Med Medica icare and and Med Medica icaid prov provid ide, e, st sto op att ttaack ckss on pu publ blic ic   sec sector tor worke workers rs and and as assi sist st  in th thee figh fights ts to resto estore re a soun sound d banki anking ng sy syst stem em,, re rein inst stat atee Gl Glaass ss-S -Ste teaagall gall,, and and make homes, healthcare and college affordable again. ●  We oppose  discrimination in employment and support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. ● ●







 We categorically oppose oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Partnership.  We also  categorically oppose so-called “free   tr trad ade” e” prop propos osal alss whic which h hu hurt rt Amer Americ ican an jobs jobs and and work worker ers, s,  the the envi enviro ronm nmen ent, t, and and th thee Amer Americ ican an cons consum umer er.. We su supp ppor ortt fair fair tr trad adee deal dealss to brin bringg  ba back ck and and prot protec ectt Te Texa xan n and and Amer Americ ican an jobs jobs.. Trad Tradee po poli licy cy must must comb combat at chil child d and and sl slav avee la labo bor, r,  sw swea eats tsho hops ps,, envi enviro ronm nmen enta tall degr degrad adat atio ion n and and ot othe herr prac practi tice cess th that at tu turn rn glob global al trade into  a race to the bottom. Trade policy should “level up” wages and working  cond condit itio ions ns by  ensu ensuri ring ng that that fore foreig ign n work worker erss shar sharee in th thei eirr coun countr try’ y’ss ec econ onom omic ic gain gainss and and become customers for American products.  We support eliminating tax policies that reward businesses for shipping jobs overseas and encourage reform that strengthens investment in domestic job creation and protection.  We support  strengthening small business by replacing the Republican “margins tax” with a fair business tax.  We urge  our energy sector to transition to a much needed balance between fossil and renewable energy. 12

 

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 We support  appropriate regulation of utilities, banks and insurance to assure affordability  and stability;  We support  holding individuals in Wall Street, big business and government personally  ac acco coun unta tabl blee to  pre reve ven nt mort mortga gage ge,, ant ntit itru rust st,, loan loan and and in insu sura ranc ncee abus abuses es and to prot protec ectt  workers’ retirement pensions pensions and savings;  We oppose  foreign practices that effectively restrict access to markets for American businesses;  We support promotio n of and assistance forthat the the arts and Americans music:  We oppose  promotion foreign-owned U.S. toll roads require to contribute to the balance-of-trade deficit when they travel on local roads.  We support  a complete overhaul of our infrastructure to bring roads, bridges, utility and inte intern rnet et serv servic ices es,,  scho school ols, s, port ports, s, pa park rkss and and pu publ blic ic bu buil ildi ding ngss up to appr approp opri riat atee st stan anda dard rdss and the capital investment needed for such an undertaking.  We support  the U.S. space program, including both manned and unmanned flight using  the the U.  S. S.-d -dev evel elop oped ed and and bu buil iltt CSTCST-10 1000 Spac Spacee Tran Transp spor orta tati tion on Sy Syst stem em,, and and th thee re revi vita tali lize zed d International Space Station.  We urge  governmental entities to “Buy Texas” and Buy America” and we support investigation into the speculative manipulation of food, fuel and metal markets.

HEALTH CARE  Texas Democrats  continue to believe healthcare is a fundamental human right for all Texans and and no nott  a pri rivi vile lege ge reser eserve ved d for for th tho ose able able to af affo ford rd it. it. Texa Texass Demo Democcra rats ts op opp pos osee th thee repea epeate ted d effo effort rtss by  Repub epubli liccan po poli liti tici cian anss to re repe peal al th thee Af Affo forrda dabl blee Care Care Ac Actt and and re retu turn rn Amer Americ icaa to th thee di disa sastr strou ouss syste system m  th that at ha hass fa fail iled ed smal smalll bu busi sine nesse sses, s, wo work rkin ingg fa fami mili lies es an and d dr drai aine ned d st stat atee an and d fa fami mily  ly  budgets. Every  family deserves quality healthcare they can count on and a secure and st staable syst systeem that that  ensu ensure ress ac acce cess ss to af affford ordable able med medical ical car aree. Texa Texan ns des eser erve ve a Texa Texass Solu Soluti tion on to fix fix our medical coverage gap - a solution that t hat should also consider a single payer option. In order to address critical health care needs, Texas Democrats: support accepting  th thee over $100 billion in federal dollars available to provide Me Med dicaid ● coverage to  the hard working families that have been denied health care by the state’s Republican leaders; supp suppor ortt gu guar aran ante teed ed  ac acce cess ss to af affo ford rdab able le,, comp compre rehe hens nsiv ivee univ univer ersa sall cove covera rage ge for for all all Unit United ed ● States citizens and legal residents; ● supp suppor ortt crea creati tion on  of an insu insura ranc ncee mark market etpl plac acee wher wheree smal smalll bu busi sine ness ss owne owners rs ca can n re rece ceiv ivee th thee sa same me buyin uyingg  power ower th that at big big bu busi sin nesse essess hav avee while ile re rece ceiv ivin ingg ta taxx cr cred edit itss to make make emplo mploye yeee coverage more affordable and dependable; ● support the the  creation of an efficient and robust Texa xass based health insurance exchange  where Texans can access access affordable, quality health health insurance plans; ● beli believ evee the the  sta state te must must re real aliz izee all all oppo opport rtun unit itie iess to maxi maximi mize ze fe fede dera rall an and d sta state te doll dollar arss av avai aila labl blee to fund healthcare costs, including enforcement of existing charity care requirements; oppose discrimination  based on pre-existing conditions, believe Texans with chronic ● illnesses should  have access to coverage at an affordable price and believe insurance comp ompanie aniess shou should ld  not be allo allowe wed d to vio violate late th thee prot protec ecti tion onss of the the Pat atie ien nt Prote rotect ctio ion n and  Affordable Care Act by finding new ways to deny coverage; 13

 

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belie elieve ve medi mediccal  dec ecis isio ion ns re rega garrdin ding tr treeat atme men nt opt ptio ions ns sh sho ould uld be made made by phy hysi siccian ians in consultation with patients, not by an insurance company or government lay people; support policies to ensure every Texas child has health insurance; sup suppo port rt rese resear arcch  into into st steem ce cell ll th ther eraapie pies and and stat statee fu fund ndin ingg for for re rese sear arcch in ou ourr our st stat ate' e'ss public universities; support funding for needle exchange programs in at risk communities; supp suppor ortt prot protec ecti ting ng  Te Texa xans ns fr from om th thee dang danger erss of seco second ndha hand nd smok smokee ex expo posu sure re in work workpl plac aces es including bars restaurants; that that the the  most mo st and ef effi fici cie ent and and unive niand vers rsal al and and ade deq qua uate te wa wayy to provi rovide de he heal alth th ca care re is th thro roug ugh ha single payer system.

Prevention  The underlying  philosophy of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is to move our country forward  to a preventive based system where a priority is placed on the health and  wellness of  all Americans. Democrats support the legislation’s elimination of copayments for pre preven ventive tive serv servic ices es,,  as well ell as plan lans to exp xpaand commu ommuni nity ty hea ealt lth h ce cent nter erss and th thee numb umber of  prim primaary care care  phy hysi siccian ians and and healt ealth hca carre prac practi titi tion oner ers. s. Demo Democr craats su supp ppo ort ef effo fort rtss in Texa Texass to incr increa ease se the the  nu numb mber er of prim primar aryy ca care re ph phys ysic icia ians ns and and nu nurs rses es,, as we well ll ef effo fort rtss to enco encour urag agee he heal alth thy  y  li livi ving ng.. Te Texa xass  Demo Democr crat atss supp suppor ortt re redu duci cing ng chil childh dhoo ood d obes obesit ity, y, as we well ll as prom promot otin ingg va vacc ccin inat atio ions ns and immunizations. Protecting and Improving Medicaid  Texas Democrats  join a long list of Texas business associations and local governments in supp suppor ortt of  a Te Texa xass Solut olutio ion n for for Medi Mediccaid aid exp xpaansio nsion n. We be beli liev evee th that at ac acce cept ptin ingg th thee billi illion onss of  fede federa rall doll dollar arss  for for th thee stat state’ e’ss Medi Medica caid id pr prog ogra ram m ca can n prov provid idee cove covera rage ge to th thos osee work workin ingg Te Texa xans ns tha that fall  between the cracks and are denied or cannot afford private coverage ge.. It would keep tho those work workin ingg  Texa Texan ns ou outt of th thee em emeergen rgency cy room room wher eree th they ey oft ften en ca can nno nott af affford ord to pa payy th thei eirr bills and  would stop th tho ose costs from being passed on to Texans through higher insurance premiums and property taxes.

In order to protect and improve Medicaid, Texas Democrats: ● ● ●









reject attempts by Republican officials to cut existing Medicaid services; support increasing reimbursement rates for physicians; beli believ evee cu cuts ts  to Medi Medica caid id re reim imbu burs rsem emen entt ra rate tess for for chil childr dren en's 's th ther erap apyy se serv rvic ices es like like phys physic ical al the thera rap py, spee speech ch  th ther erap apy, y, and occ ccup upat atio ion nal th theera rap py limi limitt our abil abilit ityy to provi rovide de car aree to children who need it most; su supp ppor ortt work workin ingg  with with th thee U.S. U.S. Depa Depart rtme ment nt of Heal Health th and and Huma Human n Se Serv rvic ices es to tr tran ansi siti tion on away from the 1115 waiver towards real long-term funding solutions; support the the  inclusio sion of a “Single Payer Option” as an addition to the plans currently  tly  offered under the state exchange systems su supp ppor ortt chan change gess  to th thee Af Affo ford rdab able le Care Care Ac Actt in re rela lati tion on to the the “C “Cad adil illa lacc Tax” Tax” lang langua uage ge to be a  cre red dit as op opp posed osed to a deduc educti tio on, which ich woul would d provi rovide de for for ta taxx re reli lief ef as opp oppos osed ed to a floating type deduction; support th thee  rights of workers to be able to collectively bargain for good dependable healthcare for its members, members’ families and retirees.

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sup suppo port rt th thee  incl inclus usio ion n of seve severe re penal enalti ties es on corpo orpora rati tio ons and and bu busi sin ness sses es who who wou ould ld manipulate costs  on health thccare contributions could being used as financial revenue stream.

Improving Medicare Democrats support  the security for seniors that the Medicare programs has delivered for deca decade des. s. Demo Democr crat atss  su supp ppor ortt th thee Me Medi dica care re prov provis isio ions ns in th thee Pa Pati tien entt Pr Prot otec ecti tion on and and Af Affo ford rdab able le

Care Care Ac Actt  that that prov provid idee im impr prov oved ed qual qualit ityy of ca care re,, incr increa ease se se serv rvic ices es to ru rura rall ar area eas, s, cr crac ackk down down on  waste and  abuse and ensure more money goes to benefits and not insurance providers. Demo De mocr crat atss supp suppor ortt  th thee Medi Medica care re re refo form rmss enac enacte ted d by Demo Democr crat atss in Cong Congre ress ss to clos closee th thee costl costly  y  prescription drug “donut hole” that burdened seniors. Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services  We support  the new coverage now allowed for by the Affordable Care Act for mental health and sub substance  abuse services as well as to encourage Texa xass to accept the Federal Medicaid dollars and  deliver coverage to th tho ose Texans living in the coverage gap that has been denied coverage by Republican leaders.

 We support: ●  A robust  continuum of care that offers choices in community-based supports that meet the the ra ran nge  of nee eeds ds th thaat indi indivi vid dua uals ls with ith men menta tall hea ealt lth h ne need edss pre rese sent nt with. ith. th theese sh sho ould uld incl includ udee peer peer  oper operat ated ed serv servic ices es,, comm commun unity ity drop drop in ce cent nter ers, s, ps psyc ycho hoso soci cial al re reha habi bili lita tati tion on,, acce access ss to  a ra rang ngee of vo voca catio tiona nall supp suppor orts ts incl includ udin ingg su supp ppor orte ted d empl employ oyme ment nt,, an and d su supp ppor orte ted d housing. surrounding mental illness and substance aabuse. buse. ●  Ways to eliminate stigma surrounding ●  Ways to  increase access to mental health and substance abuse services by increasing the number of treatment facilities while ensuring their financial viability. Medi Me dica care re poli polici cies es  for for psyc psychi hiat atri ricc an and d psyc psycho holo logic gical al ca care re to prov provid idee an incr increa ease se of se sessi ssion on ● times beyond  the follow-up sessions currently allowed. We also support federal government initiatives  increasing Medicaid funding for subst staance abuse treatment (med (medic icat atio ion n assi assiste sted d  and and coun counse seli ling ng)) wh whic ich h allo allow w indi indivi vidu dual alss to ha have ve ac acce cess ss to ou outp tpat atie ient nt treatment. Intensive outpatient treatment would become more cost effective. Enco En cour urag agin ingg mor more  “r “rea eali lity ty-b -bas aseed” subs substa tanc ncee abus abusee ed educ ucaatio tion at all all sc sch hoo ooll leve levels ls.. The The ● Court system  must be encouraged to allow treatment as the first option for drug   offe offend nder erss when when  appr approp opri riat ate, e, ra rath ther er th than an inca incarc rcer erat atio ion. n. Outp Outpat atie ient nt tr trea eatm tmen entt incl includ udes es coun counse seli ling ng and and  medi medica cati tion on mana manage geme ment nt to be less less costl costlyy th than an inca incarc rcer erat atio ion. n. We su supp ppor ortt community-based mental health services for children and adults. Qual Qu alit itat ativ ivee ev eval alua uati tion on  of all all trea treatm tmen entt moda modali liti ties es,, inte interv rven enti tion ons, s, ag agen ency cy and and indi indivi vidu dual al ● provi rovid ders ers so  th thaat prove roven n, eff ffic icaacio cious tr treeat atme men nts - admi admin niste istere red d by th thee most most qu qual alif ifie ied d providers - are utilized to improve significantly the lives of service recipients. Sufficient private  non-profit, state and federal funding for evaluatio tion rese seaarch and ● prov provid ider er tr trai aini ning ng  to ra rank nk Te Texa xass nu numb mber er 1 in ment mental al and and be beha havi vior oral al he heal alth th and and su subs bsta tanc ncee abuse services in the nation.

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  Education and  Services to Prevent and Treat Communicable Infections  Texas Democrats support increased education initiatives and services to address prevention and tr trea eatm tmen entt of  comm commun unic icab able le dise diseas ases es,, such such as Vira Virall Hepa Hepatit titis is,, HIV/A HIV/AID IDS, S, Se Sexu xual ally ly Tr Tran ansm smitt itted ed Dise Diseas ases es,, and and  Tub Tuber ercculo ulosis. sis. Eff ffeect ctiv ivee tr trea eatm tmeent and and th ther erap apyy for for all commu ommun nica icable ble dis isea ease sess improves the quality of life and encourages a return to t o the workforce.

 Texas Democrats: ● Sup Support ort coo oord rdin inat atio ion n  with ith fe fede dera rall off ffic icia ials ls to tow war ard d a go goal al of ex exp pand anding ing th thee Ryan Ryan Whit Whitee CARE CA RE Ac Actt  and and th thee Ac Act’ t’ss at atte ten ndant ant and and comp ompleme lement ntar aryy prog progra rams ms,, su succh as AI AIDS DS Drug  Drug   Assistance Program and Housing Opportunities Opportunities for Persons With HIV/AIDS; ● Sup Support ort th thee  elim elimin inat atio ion n of th thee out ut-d -daate ted d ban on no nonn-ccelib elibat atee gay gay men men don onat atin ingg blo blood and apply a uniform, non-discrimination policy; Supp Suppor ortt Pres Presid iden entt  Ba Bara rack ck Obam Obama’ a’ss na nati tion onal al HI HIV/ V/AI AIDS DS st stra rate tegy gy to ex expa pand ndin ingg ac acce cess ss to ● mental health and substance abuse services; Oppose state  cuts to HIV services in favor of high spending on abstinence-only   ● programs; and ● Oppo Op pose se Con ongr gres essi sion onal al  re red ducti uctio ons to disc discrret etio ion nar aryy fu fun ndin ding for for su such ch prog progra rams ms in any  any  future budget. Eliminating Health Disparities Heal He alth th st stud udie iess  ha have ve long long indi indica cate ted d dise diseas asee and and mort mortal alit ityy does does not not unif unifor ormly mly im impa pact ct ev ever eryo yone ne in our state.  Millions of Blacks, Latinos, Asia sians, Pacific Isl Islanders, Indigenous Peoples, and LGBT LG BTQ Q perso erson ns,  livi living ng in Amer Americ icaa shou should ld no nott be disa disadv dvaant ntag ageed by inc income ome, gend gender er,, re regi gio on, immigration status, and discrimination. Texas Democrats: ●







support efforts  and programs focused on educating the community through early  de dete tect ctio ion, n, high ighligh lighti tin ng  th thee benef enefit itss of an ac acti tive ve life lifest styl ylee and a he heal alth thyy die diet, and rout routin inee medical checkups to increase the likelihood of early detection. support efforts  to ensure women are educated and have proper access to the best medicines, state-of-the-art prevention and treatment and detection techniques. opp ppos osee any any  polit olitic iciz izat atio ion n of provi rovide ders rs of re rep produ roduct ctiv ivee hea ealt lth h se serv rvic ices es and and clo closu sure ress to further limit health care access to women. sup suppo port rt resea esearrch, ch,  polic olicy, y, and legi legisl slat atio ion n to elimi limina nate te hea ealt lth h dis ispa parritie itiess amo among ra raccial, ial, ethn ethnic ic,, ge geog ogra raph phic ic,,  soci socioe oeco cono nomi mic, c, and and ot othe herr grou groups ps in orde orderr to enab enable le all all Texa Texans ns to live live longer healthier, and more productive lives.

Choice and Family Planning  Texas Democrats  believe in the fundamental American values of freedom, privacy and personal resp respon onsi sibi bili lity ty.. We  be beli liev evee in th thee righ rightt to make make soun sound, d, re resp spon onsi sibl blee pe pers rson onal al he heal alth thca care re choi choice cess for ourselves and our families. Texas Democrats: trus trustt the the  women men of Texa Texass to make make per erso sona nall and and re resp spo ons nsib ible le deci decisi sion onss abou aboutt when and and ●  whether to  bear children, in consultation with their families, physicians, personal consciences, and/or their faith; su supp ppor ortt th thee  re repe peal al of HB2, HB2, whic which h ha hass cr crea eate ted d da dang nger erou ouss re rest stri rict ctio ions ns on Te Texa xans ns'' ac acce cess ss to ● abor aborti tion on ca care re,,  and and op oppo pose se any any futu future re TRAP TRAP (t (tar arge gete ted d re regu gula lati tion on of abor aborti tion on prov provid ider ers) s) legislation;

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support preventiv tive  measur sures which have proven success ssfful in reducing unintended pregnancies; support usin sing  sound, mainstr treeam medical sci science and evidence-base sed d data to guide reproductive health care policies; su supp ppor ortt ta targ rget eted ed ef effo fort rtss to re redu duce ce high high ra rate tess of te teen en preg pregna nanc ncyy an and d re repe peat at te teen en preg pregna nanc ncy  y  in Texas,   including the provision of evidence-based, accurate and effective, comprehensive age-appropriate  sex education programs with an abstinence and contraception recogn gniize the component; product of a joi joined egg and sperm has no independent sta tatu tuss, standing, enti entitl tleeme men nts or  righ ights th that at wou ould ld in any any way usu surp rp or su supe pers rsed edee th thee righ ights of th thee moth mother er or woman which are paramount; sup suppo port rt th thee  righ rightt of a woma woman n to ac acq quire uire cont contra race cep ption tion or ot oth her re repr prod oduc ucti tive ve se serv rvic icees through her health insurance provider; su supp ppor ortt re reso sour urce cess  for for preg pregna nant nt and and pa pare rent ntin ingg te teen enss whil whilee enco encour urag agin ingg th them em to cont contin inue ue their education and career development; su supp ppor ortt fami family ly  plan planni ning ng fu fund ndin ingg for for preg pregna nanc ncyy prev preven enti tion on and and prev preven enti tive ve heal health th ca care re by  all qualified  providers in regulated, licensed medical facilities, including Planned Parenthood; support women's  access to affordable prenatal, including pregnancy insu surrance and prenatal vitamins;

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support maternity paternity leave; su supp ppor ortt paid wome women' n'ss  ac acce cess ssand/or to ac accu cura rate te info inform rmat atio ion n abou aboutt re repr prod oduc uctiv tivee heal health th,, ad adop optio tion n and and related resources; support affordable, quality childcare; and promote policies that value Texas families and their children throughout their lives.

ENERGY & THE ENVIRONMENT  Texas Democrats  recognize that climate change is a real and serious threat that is causing  drought, crop  failure, heat waves, more torrential storms, and extreme climate events. We recognize that  Texas has som some of the dirtiest coal plants in the nation, and our residents are at grea gr eatt ri risk sk  fr from om th thee he heal alth th ef effe fect ctss of ca carb rbon on poll pollut utio ion n and and clim climat atee disr disrup upti tion on.. We also also re reco cogn gniz ize, e, as does does  the the Depa Depart rtme ment nt of Defe Defens nse, e, th that at cr crop op fail failur uree and and drou drough ghtt ca caus used ed by clim climat atee disr disrup upti tion on can can lead lead  to poli politi tica call inst instab abil ility ity th thro roug ugho hout ut th thee wo worl rld d re resu sult ltin ingg in massi massive ve mi migr grat atio ion n an and d viol violen ence ce..  To mitigate  these risks, we recommend statewide and national clean energy policies that will spur spur econ econom omic ic  deve develo lopm pmen entt and and re redu duce ce ca carb rbon on emis emissi sion onss in Texa Texass and and the the na nati tion on th thro roug ugh h th thee use of renewable energy and energy efficiency.  Texas has  long been a world energy leader, and Texas can continue that dynamic leadership in a tran transi siti tion on to  dive divers rse, e, clea clean, n, abun abunda dant nt ener energy gy as we ta tap p ou ourr weal wealth th of alte altern rnat ativ ivee ener energy gy so sour urce cess –  solar, wind and geothermal resources.  We support: the the EPA’ EPA’ss  hist histor oric ic ca carb rbon on po poll llut utio ion n re redu duct ctio ion n init initia iati tive ve,, th thee Cl Clea ean n Powe Powerr Plan Plan,, and and th thee proposed rules  to cut carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants by 30% (below 2005 levels) by 2030, and the EPA’s Regional Haze Rule and Methane Rule; ●

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inst instit itut utio ion n of  a re reve venu nuee ne neut utra rall ca carb rbon on ta taxx incr increa easi sing ng in ra rate te ea each ch ye year ar and and re reba bati ting ng a flat flat amount to  each taxpa xpayer so that th tho ose whose energy usa sage ge ge gen nerates the least carbon benefit the most; de deve velo lopm pmeent of  te tech chni niccal and and ac acad adeemic mic pro rogr gram amss and res esea earc rch h in re rene newa wabl blee ener energy gy at state post-secondary institutions; requ requir irin ingg all all  elec electr tric ic ut util ilit itie iess to offe offerr free free ne nett-me mete teri ring ng to cr crea eate te ba base se-l -loa oad d elec electr tric icit ityy and and expand the grid system; energy standards green building fina financ ncia ialefficiency l ince incent ntiv ives es   for for th thee and manu manufa fact ctur urin ingg of policies; Ameri America cann-ma made de eq equi uipm pmen entt for for alte altern rnat ativ ivee ener energy gy pro rodu duct ctio ion, n,  for for th thee de deve velo lopm pmeent of ene nerg rgyy st sto ora rage ge te tech chno nolo logi giees and and for for bo both th homeowners and landlords to invest in conservation and energy efficiency; public education programs that promote methods and benefits of energy conservation; the the us usee  and and deve develo lopm pmen entt of re rene newa wabl blee ener energy gy,, whil whilee re reco cogn gniz izin ingg the the im impo port rtan ance ce of th thee oil and  gas industr tryy and see seek safe, respo sponsible and well-regulate ted d fracking and other tertiary recovery.  Science has sho shown that large quantities of meth thaane are released in fracking operations,  and that such releases are much more powerful in heating our clim climat atee th than an  ca carb rbon on emis emissi sion ons. s. Frac Fracki king ng shou should ld cont contin inue ue on only ly with with st stri rict ct re regu gula lati tion on th that at prevents negative impacts to communities, to our air and water, and to our climate; the the ri righ ghts ts  of loca locall go gove vern rnme ment ntss and and vo vote ters rs to re regu gula late te oil oil and and gas gas op oper erat atio ions ns with within in th thei eirr comm commun unit itie ies, s, incl includ udin ingg  the the righ rightt to esta establ blis ish h se setb tbac acks ks and and ba bans ns on hy hydr drau auli licc frac fractu turi ring ng;; therefore, the investiTexas ga gattionmust   and repeal resol soluHouse tion ofBill th40 e d(84R), elete terriothe us law efferestricting cts of frathose cking,rights; including the the increased incidence of earthquakes from the disposal of liquids into injection wells; and a tran transp spo ort rtat atio ion n  polic licy th that at enco encour uraage gess th thee dev eveelop lopmen ment of af affo ford rdab able le,, fuel uel ef effficie icien nt  vehicles that can run on on electricity and alternative alternative fuels.

Clean and Available Water  Texas Democrats  understand that global climate change has accelerated and recognize that natural and  man-made drough ghtts and floods and changes in emerging energy policy must be addressed sed as  part of a compr mprehensive federal and sta tate te approach to wate terr conservation and control. Clean Water from publicly managed resources is critical to our future and our health.

 We support: ● ● ●









access to clean drinking water, as well as clean irrigation water; the implementation of aggressive water conservation and reuse practices; a wellell-fu fund nded ed  stat statee wat ater er edu duca cati tio on ca camp mpai aign gn to info inforrm Texa Texan ns of th thee so sour urcces of th thei eirr  water and how to conserve and protect protect those water resources; resources; the the deve develo lopm pmen entt and and im impl plem emen enta tati tion on of ef effe fect ctiv ivee dr drou ough ghtt re resp spon onse se plan planss by pu publ blic ic wa wate terr suppliers; the the prot protec ecti tion on  of Te Texa xass ba bays ys,, estu estuar arie ies, s, in-s in-str trea eam m flow flows, s, and and we wetl tlan ands ds with with re regu gula lati tion onss and with incentives for voluntary actions; clea clearr au auth thor orit ityy  and and re reso sour urce cess to re regi gion onal al grou ground ndwa wate terr cons conser erva vati tion on di distr stric icts ts to pres preser erve ve the water within their districts; thorough analysis sis  of the the relative sho short-te terrm and long-term costs and environmental im impa pact ct of  prop propos osed ed larg largee new new re rese serv rvoi oirs rs an and d alte altern rnat ativ ivee so sour urce cess of pu publ blic ic wa wate terr su supp ppli lies es,, including th thee  impact of electr triic ge gen neration plants that require the use of sign ignificant amounts of water; 18

 

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expa expand nded ed te test stin ingg  of fish fish and and shel shellf lfis ish h for for merc mercur ury, y, ra radi dion onuc ucli lide des, s, an and d ot othe herr cont contam amin inan ants ts and public notification of health risks; re rese sear arcch and and  und under erst stan andi din ng of th thee sta state te’s ’s grou ground ndw wat ater er re reso sour urcces and th thee hyd ydrrolo ologic gic connections between groundwater and surface water; and ac acti tion onss to  prev preven entt depl deplet etio ion n and and ex expl ploi oita tati tion on of limi limite ted d st stat atee wa wate terr re reso sour urce cess incl includ udin ing  g  ba bann nnin ingg th thee  us usee of nonnon-br brac acki kish sh wa wate terr for for hydr hydrau auli licc fr frac actu turi ring ng (“ (“fr frac acki king ng”) ”),, proh prohib ibit itin ing  g  speculative water  marketing, and acquiring open space to protect aquifers and  watersheds.

Environmental Protection, Regulation and Enforcement Envi En viro ronm nmen enta tall prot protec ecti tion on,,  re regu gula lati tion on,, an and d enfo enforc rcem emen entt is es esse sent ntia iall to pres preser erve ve the the heal health th of ou ourr people, the  quality of life, and to secure long-te terrm economic growth. It is vital that the the Tex Texas Comm Co mmis issi sion on on  Envi Enviro ronm nmen enta tall Qual Qualit ityy (T (TCE CEQ) Q) look look ou outt for for th thee he heal alth th and and welf welfar aree of Te Texa xans ns through environmental stewardship.

 We support:  Texans’ right  to know if hazardous chemicals and materials are being stored in their communities; the the Stat Statee  of Te Texa xass fu full llyy enfo enforc rcin ingg envi enviro ronm nmen enta tall laws laws inst instea ead d of ce cedi ding ng its its re resp spon onsi sibi bili lity  ty  to protect Texans’ health;  working more  closely with the Environmental Protection Agency and ending the current hostile litigious relationship;  TCEQ and the EPA making human health and quality of life paramount when deciding   whether or not to grant either an air or wastewater permit; re retir tirin ingg th thee  olde oldest st,, heav heavyy-po poll llut utin ing, g, coal coal bu burn rnin ingg Te Texa xass powe powerr plan plants ts th that at ar aree so ou outd tdat ated ed that pollution controls are not an economically viable option; ending the destruction of our natural resources by coal strip mining; the enforcement of the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act for all industries; the the Envi Enviro ronm nmen enta tall  Prot Protec ecti tion on Ag Agen ency cy (E (EPA PA)) in it itss ef effo fort rtss to cu cutt ca carb rbon on poll pollut utio ion n from from existing power plants through the Clean Power Plan; strengthening the violation penalties so that it does not pay to pollute; EPA’s A’s proposed  rule to reduce emissio sions of toxic air pollutants from power plants ts,, spe specifi cificcally ally mer mercur cury  and and air air to toxi xics cs stan stand dar ard ds (MAT (MATSS) for for power ower plan plants ts th that at wi will ll red edu uce emissions from new and existing coal- and oil-fired electric utility steam generating units; requiring TCEQ  to protect the health of Texans by enforcing the Clean Air Act and analyzing cumulativ tive  pollution impacts on downwind ind communiti ities before making  permitting decisions; the the ri righ ghts ts  of all all citi citize zens ns to pa part rtic icip ipat atee in th thee pe perm rmit itti ting ng proc proces esss and and cont contes este ted d he hear arin ingg in orde orderr to  prot protec ectt th thei eirr prop proper erty ty,, he heal alth th and and th thee envi enviro ronm nmen ent, t, incl includ udin ingg re reve vers rsin ingg re rece cent nt efforts by  the Texas Legisla slatu turre to mak make it more difficult for citizens to participate in contested case hearings; the enactment  of laws and regulations to protect low-income communities and communities of color from environmental racism and environmental injustice; ha halt ltin ingg the the  plan plan to im impo port rt high high-l -lev evel el ra radi dioa oact ctiv ivee wa wast stee for for cons consol olid idat ated ed st stor orag agee in Texa Texass due due to  risk riskss of wa wate terr cont contam amin inat atio ion, n, secu securi rity ty conc concer erns ns an and d tr tran ansp spor orta tati tion on ac acci cide dent nts, s, and and ●



























 we oppose transport transport of high-level radioactive radioactive waste on our highways highways or railways; 19

 

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hal alti ting ng ex exp pansi ansio on  of th thee Keys Keysto ton ne XL ta tarr san sands pipe ipeline line in Texa Texas, s, and cons constr truc ucti tion on of  the Trans Pecos Pipeline; halting the  potential contamination of Texas’ land, air and water by all proposed Can Canadia adian n ta tarr  sand sandss pipe ipeline lines, s, and ca call ll upo pon n Con Congre gress to st stre reng ngth theen th thee aut utho hori rity ty of th thee Pipeline and  Haz Hazardous Materials Safety Administr traation (PHMSA) to regulate the transportation of tar sands diluted bitumen throughout Texas and the United States; re requ quir irin ingg gr gree een n   comp ompleti letion onss of wells ells by re req quiri uirin ng ex exce cess ss gass gassees to be ca cap ptu ture red; d; st stri rict cteer limprop itsopri oriat nate   efladisp ngosal , ala  of susta tainte inted abdlewa yter; ier; ld and pedrm t ohib foribit wion atnerofwkn ithown dranwca alsrcin ainog nogen d enic reic cycor linto g xic ocr appr ap dirispos tain wate an a iproh pr itio know carc toxi chemicals used in this process; eff efforts orts to  prote rotect ct our citie ities, s, to tow wns and and commu ommun nitie itiess fr fro om th thee da dang nger erss pre prese sen nte ted d by th thee dramatic increase in shipments of highly flammable oil and gas products by train; and the appointment  of new TCEQ officials who will enforce st staate and federal laws that protect our air, water, and land from those who pollute for profit.

 The Texas  Railroad Commission has been tasked with overseeing the operation of Texas’ natural gas wells.  However, they have become little more than a rubber stamp for businesses that damage air  and water supplies in the name of profit. We support the Sunset Commission’s recommendations to  improve th thee functionality of th thiis agency as it relates to transparency, conflict of  interests, ts, ethics ics and changin ging the the name of the agency to bett tteer reflect its role and jurisdiction.  We believe that: the the memb member erss  of th thee Rail Railro road ad Comm Commis issi sion on sho should uld us usee th thei eirr reg egul ulat ato ory po powe werr as a mean meanss of prot protec ecti ting ng  th thee he heal alth th,, we welf lfar aree and and prop proper erty ty of Te Texa xans ns,, ra rath ther er th than an us usin ingg it as a po poli liti tica call tool; st stat atut utor oryy juri jurisd sdic icti tion on  shou should ld re requ quir iree th thee Rail Railro road ad Comm Commis issi sion on to cons consid ider er qual qualit ityy of life life factors and seismic activity when evaluating drilling and disposal permits; the the Rail Railro road ad  Comm Commis issi sion on shou should ld look look with with grea greate terr sc scru ruti tiny ny at na natu tura rall ga gass prod produc ucer erss who who use damaging fracking techniques as a means of producing natural gas; the impact of methane emissions on climate should s hould be recognized and controlled; po poli liti tica call cont contri ribu buti tion onss  to Ra Rail ilro road ad Comm Commis issi sion oner erss fr from om th thee oil oil and and ga gass indu indust stry ry sh shou ould ld be banned; ●



















pena penalt ltie iess levi levied ed by th thee Ra Rail ilro road ad Comm Commis issi sion on shou should ld be si sign gnif ific ican antt enou enough gh to de dete terr ener energy  gy  production practices that cause pollution; the Legislature  should review the ethics and rule of conduct of the Railroad Comm Co mmis issi sio on’ n’ss elec electe ted d  off ffic ices es as it relat elates es to its its re recu cusa sall policy licy and re revi vise se as ne nece cess ssar aryy to ensure the commissioners’ awareness of, and compliance with, these requirements; the statutory  funding gap in the Oil and Gas Regulation and cleanup fund should be increased from  $20 million to at least $30 million, and the same fund’s floor sh sho ould be increased from $10 million to $25 million; le legi gisl slat ativ ivee ac acti tion on  shou should ld be take taken n to elev elevat atee th thee infl influe uenc ncee of loca locall comm commun unit itie iess to pa part rtne nerr  with the  Railroad Commission to mitigate concerns regarding pollution, public health, traffic and depreciating property values; le legi gisl slat ativ ivee ac acti tion on  shou should ld be take taken n to dire direct ct th thee Ra Rail ilro road ad Comm Commis issi sion on to st stud udyy and and us usee and and deve develo lopm pmen entt of  te tele leco comm mmun unic icat atio ion n te tech chno nolo logy gy de desi sign gned ed to incr increa ease se th thee tr tran ansp spar aren ency cy of, of, and and the the  pu publ blic ic’s ’s pa part rtic icip ipat atio ion n in, in, ag agen ency cy he hear arin ingg proc proces esse ses, s, and and be bett tter er prot protec ectt the the righ rights ts of Texas mineral owners and landowners; 20

 

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legi legisl slat ativ ivee ac acti tio on  sho should uld be take taken n to re req quire uire th thee Rail Railrroa oad d Comm Commis issi sio on to imp impleme lement nt a tr tran ansp spar aren entt proc proces esss  to conf confir irm m th that at entit entitie iess de decl clar arin ingg comm common on ca carr rrie ierr sta statu tuss for for pipe pipeli line ness ar aree ac actu tuaally lly  op oper eraatin ting as commo ommon n ca carr rrie iers rs and not as priva rivate te ent ntit itie ies. s. Such uch legi legisl slat atio ion n shou should ld also also  esta establ blis ish h a proc proces esss for for land landow owne ners rs to cont contes estt a de dete term rmin inat atio ion n by the the Rail Railro road ad Commission that an applicant is a common carrier; and le legi gisl slat ativ ivee ac acti tion on  shou should ld be take taken n to dire direct ct th thee Ra Rail ilro road ad Comm Commis issi sion on to as askk for for ex expa pand nded ed au auth thor orit ityy ove verr  inte inters rsta tate te pipe ipelin lines to insp inspec ect, t, mo mon nitor itor and rev evie iew w pip pipelin elinee sa safe fety ty and mainte main tena nanc ncee to  assi assist st th thee Pipe Pipeli line ne and and Haza Hazard rdou ouss Mate Materi rial alss Sa Safe fety ty Admi Admini nist stra rati tion on in its its federal regulatory responsibilities.

 The preservation of of recreational and open open spaces is essential to a healthy healthy Texas. We support: incr increa ease sed d fu fund ndin ingg  for for th thee upke upkeep ep,, main mainte tena nanc nce, e, and and ac acqu quis isit itio ion n of st stat atee park park land land and and for for the protection  of state park land in the event of natural disasters such as the recent drought-caused wildfires; rewa reward rdin ingg th thos osee  who who vo volu lunt ntar aril ilyy prot protec ectt enda endang nger ered ed sp spec ecie iess on th thei eirr land landss th thro roug ugh h Sa Safe fe Harbor Agreements and similar measures; enco encour urag agin ingg th thee  larg largee-sc scal alee plan planti ting ng of na nati tive ve tr tree eess and and dr drou ough ghtt he hear arty ty sp spec ecie iess to abso absorb rb greenhouse gases, improve wildlife habitat, and promote beautification; and str tro ong enforcement  of laws that provide full public access and restor toratio tion of public la land nds, s, pa park rks, s, be beac ache hes, s, and and wa wate ters rs.. We af affi firm rm th thee Texa Texass Open Open Beac Beache hess Ac Actt and and th thee Te Texa xass ●







Constitution’s guarantee  of public access to beaches. We oppose any actions that endanger this right. Recycling Waste Reduction Reducing the use of natural resources is the best option, followed by reuse and then recycling.  We support: programs that encourage the reduction of use of unnecessary single use plastics; retailer take-back programs for electronics that will keep e-waste out of the waste stream; responsible e-recycling that does not merely ship the problem to other countries; financial and other incentives for communities to provide residential recycling. ●







 We oppose  any attempts by the Texas Legislature to stifle efforts of municipalities to regulate li litt tter er and and  po poll llut utio ion n th thro roug ugh h city city ordi ordina nanc nces es and and re regu gula lati tion onss th that at ba ban n bo bott ttle les, s, ba bags gs,, St Styr yrof ofoa oam, m, or othe otherr wa wast stef eful ul  pa pack ckag agin ing. g. Muni Munici cipa pali liti ties es shou should ld be allo allowe wed d to ad addr dres esss wa wast stee re redu duct ctio ion n loca locall lly  y   without state  interference and allowed to enact ordinances to combat the problem that may be more restrictive than state laws if it is of the will of the local community.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE  Texas has  more people in prison and a higher incarceration rate than any other state. Texas also has more more  priv privat atee pris priso ons th than an any othe ther stat state. e. The The inad inadeq equ uac acie iess of our crimi rimin nal just justic icee sy syst steem disp dispro ropo port rtio iona nate tely ly im impa pact ct  peop people le of colo colorr an and d th thee poor poor.. Di Distr stric ictt at atto torn rney ey offi office cess ac acro ross ss th thee st stat atee ofte often n rewa reward rd  pe perf rfor orma manc ncee by th thee nu numb mber er of conv convic icti tion ons, s, no nott ne nece cess ssar aril ilyy th thee ad admi mini nist stra rati tion on of  just justic icee. Thes Thesee  force orces, s, cou oupl pleed wi with th rac acia iall pro rofi fili ling ng,, and and dr draaconi coniaan bu budg dget et cu cuts ts to ed educ ucaatio tion, create an  environment where profit usurps the public interest. Texas Democrats have appreciation and  respect for public safety personnel who risk their lives to protect our comm commun unit itie ies. s. We  must must no nott allo allow w inap inappr prop opri riat atee ac acti tion onss by a smal smalll nu numb mber er of rogu roguee offi office cers rs th that at 21

 

  unde underm rmin inee that that  re resp spec ect, t, nor nor allo allow w syst system emic ic ineq inequi uiti ties es to perp perpet etua uate te inju injusti stice cess in all all comm commun unit itie ies. s.  Texas must  be smart in dealing with crime and punishment. The “War on Drugs” should be redirected to treatment and the reclassification of certain drug felonies. Gun Violence Prevention  The Texas  Democratic Party supports the language of the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Cons Co nsti titu tuti tion on an and d  re reco cogn gniz izes es th thee need need for for a ba bala lanc nced ed ap appr proa oach ch betw betwee een n upho uphold ldin ingg an and d re resp spec ecti ting  ng  our our fu fund ndam amen enta tall cons consti titu tutio tiona nall righ rights ts and and th thos osee need needss in prot protec ecti ting ng th thee righ rights ts from from th thos osee se seek ekin ing  g  to cause  harm. We believe in a comprehensiv sive approach recogn gniizing ing gun violence as both a public health and criminal justice issue. We strongly support: ● str treengthe thening and  reforming current laws requiring a background check prior to the purc urcha hase se by  a firea irearrm by req equ uirin iringg a su suff ffic icie ient nt waiti aiting ng per erio iod d to provi rovide de ade adequ quaate time time for law enforcement officials to conduct a mandatory, background check; clo closi sing ng loop loopho hole less  for for gu gun n sho shows and in-s in-sta tate te inte intern rnet et sa sale less th that at allo allow w gu gun ns to be so sold ld or ● traded without a mandatory and thorough background check; str stren ength gthen enin ingg th thee  na nati tion onal al ba back ckgr grou ound nd chec checkk sy syst stem em to inco incorp rpor orat atee all all nece necessa ssary ry re reco cord rds, s, ● inc includ luding ing cr crim imin inal al,,  do dome mest stic ic viol violeenc nce, e, and and me men nta tall hea ealt lth h rec ecor ord ds, for for bot oth h de deal aler erss and and purchasers; str treengthe thening and  reforming current laws requiring a background check prior to the ●



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purc urcha hase se by  a firea irearrm by req equ uirin iringg a su suff ffic icie ient nt waiti aiting ng per erio iod d to provi rovide de ade adequ quaate time time for law enforcement officials to conduct a mandatory background check; Enac En acti tin ng sens sensib ible le  gu gun n cont contro roll la law ws to cur urta tail il th thee av avai aila labi bili lity ty of wea eap pons with ith ex exte ten nded ammu am mun nit itio ion n maga magazzine ines  su succh as th tho ose pu purc rch has ased ed by th thee sh shoo oote terr of U.S. U.S. Rep Repre rese sen nta tati tive ve Gabrielle Giffords; repealing laws that allow the open carry of firearms; improving training and licensing requirements for all Texans wishing to carry a firearm; ov over ertu turn rn th thee  Cong Congre ress ssio iona nall proh prohib ibit itio ion n whic which h limi limits ts th thee CDC CDC re rese sear arch ch on gu gun n viol violen ence ce by removing  funds that the CDC would receive due to their inability “to advocate or promote gun control;” al allo lowi win ng fa fami mili liees  to ano anonym ymo ously usly re req quest uest pre re-e -emp mpti tive ve,, jud judicia iciall ac acti tio on re rest stri riccting ting th thee possession or  purchase of firearms for loved ones in crisis threatening harm to themselves or others; repe repeal alin ingg fe fede dera rall  legi legisl slat atio ion n gran granti ting ng im immu muni nity ty from from civi civill liab liabil ilit ityy to manu manufa fact ctur urer erss and and marketers of firearms; enco encour urag agee th thee  re rese sear arch ch,, deve develo lopm pmen entt and and mark market etin ingg of we weap apon onss ut util iliz izin ingg “s “sma mart rt gu gun” n” technologies; establishing a  statewide firearms education and public safety campaign – with an emphasis on  safely securing guns in the home and denying unsupervised access to minors; increasing criminal  penalties for parents or guardians who negli gligently fail to control access to firearms in the home where minors are present; manufacturers who voluntarily develop and sell childproof handguns; the the ac acce cept pted ed  st stan anda dard rd of ca care re allo allow wing ing phy hysi siccian ians and and men menta tall he heal alth th prof profes essi sio onals als to discuss the presence and safe storage of guns with all patients and parental guardians; 22

 

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fu full llyy fu fun ndin ding  th thee Bur Burea eau u of Al Alco coho hol, l, Tob Tobac acco co,, Firea irearrms and and Exp xplo losi sive vess so th thaat it may  may  conduct more frequent inspections of FFL dealers; and al allo loca cati ting ng a  po port rtio ion n of fu fund ndss coll collec ecte ted d fr from om stat statee Li Lice cens nsee to Carr Carryy Fees Fees to towa ward rd prog progra rams ms dedi dedica cate ted d to  the the ph phys ysic ical al and and emot emotio iona nall re reha habi bili lita tati tion on of gu gun n viol violen ence ce vict victim imss and and thei theirr families.

Public Safety  The mantra  “to serve and protect” must be applied equally to all communities. Democrats belie elievve a  comm commu unity nity-b -bas aseed appr appro oac ach h to cr crim imee figh fighti tin ng make makess our st stre reet etss and ne neig igh hborh orhood odss sa safe fer. r. Publ Public ic  trus trustt in th thee po poli lice ce de depa part rtme ment nt ul ulti tima mate tely ly incr increa ease sess sa safe fety ty.. Part Partne ners rshi hips ps sh shou ould ld be form formed ed wi with th  comm commun unit ityy grou groups ps to assi assist st offi office cers rs on th thee st stre reet ets. s. Citi Citize zen n ov over ersi sigh ghtt bo boar ards ds sh shou ould ld be in place to address conflicts between the police and the community.

 The state’s  ability to restrict individual liberty must be subject to due process. Democrats believe eac ach h citi citizzen  is inno innoce cent nt unti untill prov proveen gu guil ilty ty.. Texa Texass Demo Democr craats call all for for th thee end end of rac acia iall profi rofili lin ng  and and po poli lice ce  brut brutal alit ity. y. In Inci cide dent ntss like like th thee ar arre rest st,, dete detent ntio ion n and and unne unnece cess ssar aryy de deat ath h of Sa Sand ndra ra Blan Bland d epito itomize the  problems of police brutality, poor jail st staandards and inadequate oversight of  trea treati ting ng thos thosee  with with ment mental al he heal alth th issu issues es in ou ourr coun county ty jail jails. s. Such Such prac practi tice cess ar aree an em emba barr rras assm smen entt to conscientious  law enforcement officials and unacceptable to all Texans. When police misconducpower. t is  alleged, we su sup pport the implementation of civilian review boards with proper subpoena  To continue  the fight against crime, and to make our streets and homes safer, Texas Democrats support just and smart policies, including: preventing officers,  who have been terminated for violating civil rights and using   unwarranted and excessive force, from moving to another jurisdiction; placing more police officers on the streets in underserved areas; sup suppo port rtin ingg pe peac acee  off ffic icer erss wi with th cu curr rreent equ equipme ipment nt,, te tecchn hno ology logy (inc (inclu ludi din ng body ca came mera ras, s, da dash shbo boar ard d ca came mera ras, s,  and and pris prison oner er comp compar artm tmen entt ca came mera ras) s) and and tr trai aini ning ng to ba bala lanc ncee thei theirr du dual al role to serve and protect; ensu ensuri rin ng pro rope perr  ov oveersig rsight ht and and re regu gula lati tion on of crime rime labs labs,, es espe peci cial ally ly labs labs th thaat proce rocess ss DNA DNA evid eviden ence ce,, to  assu assure re prop proper er anal analys ysis is of ev evid iden ence ce,, incl includ udin ingg time timely ly anal analys ysis is of ev evid iden ence ce fr from om ●







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medical rape kits and entering such evidence in a computerized database; ending racial profiling in searches and traffic stops; the the Viole Violenc ncee  Again Against st Wome Women n Ac Actt (VAWA (VAWA)) an and d ot othe herr ed educ ucat atio iona nall an and d prev preven enti tive ve init initia iati tive ves, s, especially those that serve women at risk of sexual and domestic violence; Init Initia iati tive vess re reco cogn gniz izin ingg  that that free freedo dom m and and pr prot otec ecti tion on from from viol violen ence ce or abus abuse, e, dome domest stic ic and and otherwise is a fundamental human right; prom promot otio ion n of  lite litera racy cy,, educ educat atio ion n and and job job tr trai aini ning ng wh whic ich h intr intrin insic sical ally ly prev preven entt both both cr crime ime and and recidivism; prev preven enti tion on prog progra rams ms  addr addres essin singg drug drug an and d alco alcoho holl ad addi dict ctio ion, n, lack lack of ed educ ucat atio iona nall oppo opport rtun unit ity  y  and other root causes of crime; and ensuring tha that  any use of tasers is carried out only when necessa ssary to prevent loss of life or serious bodily injury, as a substitute for the lawful use of a deadly weapon.

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  Sexual Assault and Family Domestic Violence Sexual assault   and family and domestic violence are violent crimes that occur in all types of  fa fami mili lies es and and  disp dispro ropo port rtio iona nate tely ly ha harm rm wome women n and and chil childr dren en;; cr crim imes es th that at ofte often n invo involv lvee a cy cycl clic ical al,, gen generat eratio ion nal pa patt tteern rn,,  th thu us af affe fecctin ting enti entirre comm commun unit itie iess as long long as su such ch cr crim imees con onti tinu nuee to be perpetrated.

 We support: strong enforcement  of Texas laws to hold offenders accountable and increase the likelihood that victims will come forward to report these crimes; early prevention  efforts focused on youth to decrease the incidence of sexual and domestic violence prior to victimization; tr trai aini ning ng prog progra rams ms  for for law law enfo enforc rcem emen ent, t, pros prosec ecut utor oria ial, l, judi judici cial al,, heal health th ca care re,, ment mental al heal health th and education  professi ssionals to promot mote increase sed d understanding of and improved response to the crimes of domestic violence and sexual assault; ass ault; a str stron ongg  stat statew ewid idee init initia iati tive ve to re red duce uce th thee alarm larmin ingg incr increa ease se in chil child d abus abusee and and neg egle lect ct through investment in effective early prevention programs; allowing every  survivor of a sexual assault access to comprehensive sexual assault exam examin inat atio ion n an and d  tr trea eatm tmen entt prov provid ided ed by eith either er a ce cert rtif ifie ied d Se Sexu xual al As Assa saul ultt Nurs Nursee Ex Exam amin iner er (SANE) or a licensed physician; and al alll cost costss  of th thee ex exam amin inat atio ion n and and tr trea eatm tmen entt incl includ udin ingg medi medica cati tion onss sh shal alll be cove covere red d by th thee Crime Victims Compensation Fund and not the financial responsibility of the victim. ●











Administration of Justice  Texas Democrats  believe in the efficient, fiscally responsible and moral administration of Justice. County jails  should not be the largest mental health providers in Texas. Texas Democrats support: revising sentencing guidelines for non-violent offenders; the the redu reduct ctio ion n  of smal smalll amou amount ntss of cont contro roll lled ed su subs bsta tanc nces es to mi misd sdem emea eano nors rs and and emph emphas asis is on dr drug ug  tr trea eatm tmeent and and Dru Drug Cou Court dive divers rsio ion n progr rogram amss for for ot oth her fe felo lony ny dr drug ug and and oth ther er substances of abuse cases; fully funding  mental health services and a more robust continuum of services as ne nece cess ssar aryy to  prov provid idee appr approp opri riat atee ment mental al he heal alth th se serv rvic ices es to re redi dire rect ct indi indivi vidu dual alss from from th thee criminal justice system; cont contin inue ued d fu fund ndin ingg an and d su supp ppor ortt of th thee Ti Tim m Cole Cole Ex Exon oner erat atio ion n Re Revi view ew Comm Commis issi sion on,, whic which h is task tasked ed to prev preven entt wr wron ongf gful ul conv convic ictio tions ns in ligh lightt of th thee 20 2009 09 post posthu humo mous us ex exon oner erat atio ion n of   Tim Cole, a Texas Tech student wrongly wrongly convicted of rape and who died died in prison; rewritin ting the  relev levant Texas criminal code provisions to ta takke into account a modern unde unders rsta tand ndin ingg of  seve severe re ment mental al illn illnes esss and and to broa broade den n th thee lega legall defi defini niti tion on of insa insani nity ty to ensure that the public is kept safe s afe while allowing treatment for mentally ill inmates; ensu ensuri rin ng priso rison ns  ar aree sta staff ffed ed by profe rofess ssio iona nall llyy tr trai ain ned and comp ompensa ensate ted d corr correect ctio ions ns offi office cers rs,, in  suff suffic icie ient nt nu numb mber erss to ac achi hiev evee safe safe st staf affi fing ng rati ratios os;; to less lessen en ov over ercr crow owdi ding ng in our county  jails and to provide a fairer justice system, we support reasonable set bond and and use use  of pret pretri rial al bo bond ndss wher wheree appr approp opri riat ate; e; to allo allow w pret pretri rial al inte interv rven enti tion on and and dive divers rsio ion n programs where  appropriate; to fight to regulate the cost of collect phone calls by  inmates so they are not excessive or prohibitive in costs; chan change gess to  ou ourr cu curr rreent ba bail il sy syst stem em,, whic hich unfa nfairly irly ke keep epss poo oorr peopl eoplee jail jailed ed when when th theey  pose little  or no risk, moving away from a money-base sed d bail system, and codifying th thee right to a speedy trial which will amount to a victory for civil rights and racial justice; ●













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the the appo appoin intm tmen entt  of a spec specia iall pros prosec ecut utor or to inve invest stig igat atee and and pres presen entt to a gran grand d jury jury,, when when appr approp opri riat atee, any  de deat ath h of a civil ivilia ian n ca cau used sed by th thee act ctio ion ns of a law law enfo enforrce ceme men nt agent gent or  within a correctional correctional facility; ending and reversing the privatization of Texas prisons; and ending the use of county jails as mental health facilities.

Cannabis Policy Reform

Our cu Our curr rren entt  cann cannab abis is laws laws give give po powe wer, r, cont contro rol, l, and and illi illici citt fu fund ndin ingg to viol violen entt dr drug ug ca cart rtel els. s. Thes Thesee la laws ws disp dispro ropo port rtio iona nate tely ly  af affe fect ct comm commun unit itie iess of colo color, r, ev even en th thou ough gh ca cann nnab abis is us usee amon amongg di diff ffer eren entt ethn ethnic icit itie iess is  equa equal, l, and and dest destro royy live livess with with a cr crim imin inal al re reco cord rd.. Cann Cannab abis is po poli licy cy re refo form rm ca can n im impr prov ovee pu publ blic ic sa safe fety ty,,  bo boos ostt ou ourr ec econ onom omy, y, and and prov provid idee much much-n -nee eede ded d he heal alth th ca care re op opti tion onss for for st stru rugg ggli ling  ng   Texans.  As Texas Democrats, we: ● urge urge the the  Pres Presid ideent nt,, th thee At Atto torrney ney Gen Gener eral al,, Con Congr gres esss as we well ll as th thee Texa Texass Le Legi gisl slat atur ure, e, to support the  passage of legislation to decriminalize the possession of cannabis and regulate its use, cultivation, production, and sale as is done with tobacco and alcohol; ● urge the  review of all cannabis-related incarcerations, ensure a safe release of any  nonv nonvio iole lent nt Te Texa xans ns  jail jailed ed for for sm smal alll poss posses essi sion on of ca cann nnab abis is,, and and ex expu pung ngee cr crim imin inal al re reco cord rdss for any Texan charged or jailed for those laws; ●







su supp ppor ortt comp compre rehe hens nsiv ivee  study study an and d dili dilige gent nt re rese sear arch ch,, part partic icul ular arly ly fr from om st stat ates es who who lega legali lize zed d cannabis on health effects of cannabis usage on people; urge the  Texas Legislature to study the laws and systems in Colorado, Oregon, and  Washington as a first step in implementing implementing a similar system in Texas; ur urge ge the the  Te Texa xass Le Legi gisl slat atur uree to impr improv ovee th thee 20 2015 15 Comp Compas assi sion onat atee Use Use Ac Actt to allo allow w doct doctor orss to determine the appropriate use of cannabis to certified patients; and urge urge the the  im imme med diate iate de decr crim imin inal aliz izaatio tion of posse ossess ssio ion n and and us usee of ca can nnabis abis for for med medicin icinal al purposes.

Juvenile Justice  Juveniles are  presumed to be less culpable for their crimes than adults and therefore have a consti stitutional right  to be treated differently. Prison-style incarceratio tion often does young  offenders more  harm than good. The use of tasers and pepper spray at Texas Juvenile Justice ice Departm tmeent (TJJD)  facilitie ties should be banned unless it is necessary to prevent loss of life or seri seriou ouss bodi bodily ly  inju injury ry.. Comm Commun unit ityy-ba base sed d juve juveni nile le ju justi stice ce prev preven enti tion on an and d inte interv rven enti tion on prog progra rams ms can ultimately  reduce adult crime, Texas’ high incarceration rate and the need for prison construction.

 Texas Democrats support: ensu ensuri rin ng th that at  th thee prima rimary ry go goal al of juve juveni nile le just justic icee is to rehab ehabil ilit itat atee yout youth; h; not to cr creeat atee a ● feeder system for privatized, for-profit, adult prison facilities; the the Te Texa xass  Yout uth h Comm Commis issi sio on’ n’ss Blue Blue Rib Ribbon Task Task Force orce Repo Report rt,, whic which h re reco comm mmeend a ●  TJJD environment  that facilitates the appropriate educational and moral development of  youth who would spend the least amount of time possible in the TJJD system; and staffing capacity  commensurate with the size and needs of the population; and a ● child-foc child -focused, used, family-cen family-centered tered,, non-viole non-violent nt TJJD through through regionaliz regionalized, ed, communitycommunity-based based

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  sy syste stem m that that  admi admits ts yout youth h to TJ TJJD JD usin usingg re rese sear arch ch-b -bas ased ed risk risk asse assess ssme ment nt and and clas classif sific icat atio ion n and provides specialized treatment for youth and families. Re-entry  Texas Democrats  support programs which decrease recidivism by providing ex-offenders a pathway back  to productive participation in society. Texas Democrats support reducing  recidivism by: ●





re rest sto ori rin ng fu fund ndin ingg  th that at Rep Republi ublica can ns hav avee cut fr fro om th thee st staate pris priso on sy syst stem em’s ’s Win Windh dham am School Distr triict  and from programs for inmates to take higher educatio tion courses and expand access to those courses; incr increa easi sing ng re reha habi bili lita tati tion on  an and d re re-e -ent ntry ry prog progra rams ms,, with with a sp spec ecia iall emph emphas asis is on re redu duci cing ng dr drug  ug  use among  people released from prison, including the reversal of policies tha that deny  student loans and grants to those who have completed sentences for drug felonies; and al allo lowi win ng app appro rop pria riate  par artn tner ersh ship ipss with ith faith aith-b -bas ased ed progr rogram amss whic hich addr addreess re re-e -ent ntry  ry  preparation.

 Texas Democrats support policies policies that: provide sensitive  treatment for the victims of crime and stronger emphasis on ● compensation to crime victims by the criminals themselves; ● reform probation  to more closel sely su sup pervise probationers in their commu mmunities and



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prov provid idee alte altern rnat atee mean meanss of pu puni nish shin ingg th them em,, such such as loca locall jail jail ti time me,, hous housee ar arre rest, st, ad addi diti tion onal al coun counse seli ling ng and and  self self-- he help lp prog progra rams ms,, with withou outt send sendin ingg th them em to a st stat atee pris prison on or im impo posi sing  ng  excessive registration requirements which prevent reentry; si sign gnif ific ican antl tlyy re redu duce ce  th thee numb umber of peopl eoplee re re-i -inc ncar arccer eraate ted d for for te tech chni niccal viola iolati tio ons of  parole or probation, such as missing an appointment with a supervisory s upervisory officer; staff the Parole Division to achieve the 60:1 ratio of parolees to parole officers; and enfo enforc rcee ex exis isti ting ng  laws laws whic which h re re-i -ins nsta tate te an ex ex-o -off ffen ende der’ r’ss righ rightt to vo vote te on once ce th they ey ha have ve pa paid id their debt  to society. We support expunging the criminal records of defendants su succ cces essf sful ully ly comp comple leti ting ng  defe deferr rred ed adju adjudi dica catio tion n su supe perv rvisi ision on in nonv nonvio iole lent nt misd misdem emea eano nors rs and felonies.

Death Penalty Despite 13  death row exonerations in Texas in the last 11 years, the death chamber and its

machin mach iner eryy ar aree  st stil illl fu full llyy op oper erat atio iona nall in Te Texa xas. s. Deat Death h pe pena nalt ltyy ex exon oner erat atio ions ns ha have ve alre alread adyy re reve veal aled ed deep flaws  in our State’s criminal just stiice system. Evidence, including scientific evidence, exte xtensiv nsivee stu studi dies es  by In Inn noce cen nce Pro roje ject ct,, majo majorr ne news wsp paper apers, s, and unive nivers rsit ityy re rese seaarc rch h, st stro rong ngly  ly  sugg sugges ests ts that that  Te Texa xass ha hass alre alread adyy ex exec ecut uted ed inno innoce cent nt defe defend ndan ants ts incl includ udin ingg Carl Carlos os De DeLu Luna na,, Ru Rube ben n Cant Cantu, u, and and Came Camero ron n To Todd dd Wi Will llin ingh gham am.. We must must ta take ke ev ever eryy st step ep to ensu ensure re th ther eree is ne neve verr anot anothe herr innocent person executed.  Texas Democrats support and urge: urge: ● the passage  of legis gislation that would abolish the death penalty and replace it with the the punishment of life in prison without parole; and the the Gove Govern rnor or,,  Te Texa xass Legi Legisl slat atur ure, e, and and Te Texa xass Ju Judi dici ciar aryy and and Te Texa xass Pros Prosec ecut utor orss to im impo pose se a ● morrat mo ator oriu ium m on  ca capi pita tall punis unish hme men nt while ile an unbi unbias ased ed and and obje bjectiv ctivee st stud udyy of th thee enti entirre proc proces ess, s, from from  ar arre rest, st, conv convic icti tion on/s /sen ente tenc ncin ing, g, ap appe peal alss at all all st stat atee le leve vels ls,, and and th thee ex exec ecut utio ion n process itself  is shown to be reliable and witho thout su succh grievous failures as have been evident in the recent past. 26

 

 

Access to Justice Demo De mocr crat atss belie elieve ve  our lega legall syst system em is th thee bedro edrock ck th thaat prote rotect ctss and and gu guaara ran nte tees es our right ightss and and fr free eedo doms ms.. Demo Democr crat atss  be beli liev evee th that at inst instea ead d of ta taki king ng th thee law law into into th thei eirr own own ha hand nds, s, all all pe peop ople le must must have full  access to the courts and equal treatm tmeent before the law, with confidence that th theeir grievances will be fairly adjudicated. We support: ● legi legisl slat atio ion n to  pre rese serrve th thee righ rightt to se self lf-d -deefe fen nse whil whilee res esto tori rin ng th thee du duty ty to re retr trea eatt when ●



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outside of the home to discourage and prevent vigilantism; ope pen n ac acce cess ss  to th thee cou ourt rt syst systeem as gu guar araant nteeed by th thee Texa Texass Con Const stit itu utio tion, res espe pect ct by th thee courts for  jury verdict icts, and the right to fair and impartial jury trials which cannot be  waived by any contractual contractual agreement; the right  of every person to be tried by a jury that broadly reflects the ethnic makeup of  the community,  including legislation to eliminate the disgraceful practice of using  all-white juries and grand juries in cases involving people of color; creating and adequately funding public defender offices across Texas; protection from  unreasonable limitations on access to the the justice system, including  mandatory arbitration proceedings; af affo ford rdab able le and and ef effi fici cien entt ac acce cess ss to just justic icee for for all all Texa Texans ns th thro roug ugh h th thee abil abilit ityy to join join toge togeth ther er to seek redress for personal injuries and property damages; the full protection of due process of law for all Texans in all circumstances; improved access to a full range of legal services to assist low-income Texans; the unimpeded  righ ghtt to redress grievances to the go govvernment and report crime to the authorities without retaliation and harassment; the the no nomi mina nati tion on  and and appo appoin intm tmen entt of qual qualif ifie ied, d, comp compet eten entt pe pers rson onss to se serv rvee as Ju Judg dges es,, and and as mem members  of State Boards and Commissi ssions responsible for carrying out civil and criminal Justice in this State; the the reve revers rsal al  of unju unjust st prov provis isio ions ns of “P “Pro ropo posi siti tion on 12 12”” th that at have have deni denied ed Texa Texans ns who who ha have ve suffered severe harm the ability to redress their grievances g rievances in fair and open courts; fu full ll acce ccess  to an op open en,, fu full ll and ind indepen epende dent nt Exe xecu cuti tive ve Bran Branch ch re revi view ew proc proces esss of a cour courtt decision, as opposed to a “rubber stamp” of a prior decision; and str stron onge gerr enfo enforc rcem emen entt  of laws laws an and d pu puni nish shme ment nt for for whit whitee-co coll llar ar corp corpor orat atee cr crim imin inal alss un unit ity  y  locations.

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY  Texas Democrats  believe responsible, accountable and progressive state budget policy is neces ecessa sary ry to  resto estore re tr trus ustt bet etw wee een n ta taxp xpay ayeers and and ele elect cted ed offic fficia ials ls in Aust Austin in.. Ea Earn rnin ingg th that at tr trus ustt requires leaders  who will talk straight about the challenges facing Texans today and in the futur ture—unlike Republican  politicians who have created sh sho ort-term and long-term budget problems and then have blocked solutions.  These Republican  budget policies have intentionally created a long-term “structural deficit” by  cutti uttin ng scho school ol  prope ropert rtyy ta taxe xess while ile no nott pro provid viding ing th thee su sub bst stit itu ute re reve venu nuee th theey pro romi mise sed d fr fro om busin usineess taxe taxes. s.  The The pric pricee for for th theese irre irresp spo onsib nsible le st staate fisc fiscal al polic olicie iess has fall falleen sq squa uare rely ly on th thee backs of hardworking Texans for more than a decade. Dras Dr asti ticc st stat atee  bu budg dget et cu cuts ts in educ educat atio ion, n, he heal alth thca care re and and ot othe herr ar area eass ha have ve sh shif ifte ted d the the ta taxx bu burd rden en to 27

 

  loca locall go gove vern rnme ment nt,,  ofte often n re requ quir irin ingg citi cities es,, coun counti ties es and and sc scho hool ol bo boar ards ds to cuts cuts se serv rvic ices es or incr increa ease se local property taxes or regressive sales taxes. As Texas Democrats, we ssupport: upport: ●





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Reversing the  $5.4 billion in cuts to public education that were made in 2011, which caus caused ed many many  pu publ blic ic scho school ol empl employ oyee ees, s, incl includ udin ingg te teac ache hers rs,, to lose lose th thei eirr jobs jobs whil whilee more more students were crammed into crowded classrooms; Rest Restor orin ingg fu fund ndin ingg  for for prov proveen ser service vicess in th thee women men’s hea ealt lth h prog progra rams ms,, whe here re cu cuts ts left left millions of women without basic preventive care and screening services; Sup Supporti ortin ng coll colleg egee  stud studen ents ts an and d th thei eirr pa pare ren nts, ts, who hav avee be been en hit hit with ith tu tuit itio ion n rat ates es th thaat have doubled at the same time Republicans made significant cuts in state financial aid; Forward-looking traffic solutions that address traffic congestion; Long-t g-term funding  solutions for the state water plan that go beyond the decision of  Republicans to redirect part of the Rainy Day Fund to serve this vital needs; Ending debt, diversions, and deception in the state budget process; Full Fullyy fu fun ndin ding  our st stat atee par arkk syst system emss to ensu ensure re all Texa Texan ns can ha have ve ac acce cess ss to th thee nat atur ural al beauty of our great state;  An update  for state emergency services, including 911 systems that allow communities to manage crisis situations that can arise from floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes;

Stat Statee go gove verrnme nment  must must inve invest st wi wise sely ly and and ef effficie icien ntly tly to meet meet th thee nee eeds ds of our ra rap pid idly ly gr gro owing  ing  populatio tion and  develop the human resources that are the key to our economic future. Texas must mu st refo reform rm  st stat atee fisc fiscal al po poli licy cy and and deve develo lop p re reli liab able le re reve venu nuee so sour urce cess th that at grow grow with with th thee ec econ onom omy  y  to prov provid idee  esse essent ntia iall sta state te serv servic ices es for for a grow growin ingg popu popula lati tion on.. Te Texa xass De Demo mocr crat atss su supp ppor ortt poli polici cies es to restore responsible state fiscal policy, including: ●



















a progr greessiv sive  tax syst systeem based on th thee principle that all taxpayers should pay base sed d on their ability to pay; the the end end to Repu Republ blic ican an po poli licy cy th that at prov provid ides es ta taxx brea breaks ks to the the weal wealth thyy at th thee ex expe pens nsee of th thee  vast majority of working Americans; Americans; enacti tin ng a  const stiitutional amendment to prevent extending the the sales tax to food and Medicine, while  opposing Republican efforts to impose a sales tax to replace local property taxes with a tremendous increase in state sales taxes; refo reform rmin ingg th thee  bu busi sine ness ss “mar “margi gins ns ta tax” x” po poli licy cy to prov provid idee fair fairne ness ss to all all ec econ onom omic ic se sect ctor ors, s, especially small businesses; eliminating tax  loopholes and unproductive special breaks, such as Chapter 313 agreements, to simplify the tax system and provide revenue for essential services; the the fede federa rall  gove govern rnme ment nt disc discou oura ragi ging ng ec econ onom omic ic ince incent ntiv ivee poli polici cies es th that at pit pit one one commu communi nity  ty  against another; reforming the  property tax appraisal system to guarantee uniform appraisals and elim elimin inat atee th thee  loo looph phol olees th that at allo allow w busin usines ess, s, mine minera rall and and comm commer erci cial al prop proper erti tiees to be taxed at far below market value, which shifts the burden onto homeowners; st stru ruct ctur ured ed prop proper erty ty  ta taxx re reli lief ef to be bene nefi fitt all all ho home meow owne ners rs fair fairly ly and and prev preven entt fami famili lies es from from being taxed  out of their homes when land values rise inordinately, and extend the benef enefit itss of  prop roper erty ty ta taxx re reli lieef to rente enters rs when when lan landlo dlord rdss rec ecei eive ve th thee full ull be bene nefi fitt of th tho ose reductions; requ requir irin ingg prop propos osed ed  re reve venu nuee po poli licy cy to be clea clearl rlyy es esta tabl blis ishe hed d in a tr tran ansp spar aren entt proc proces esss and and determined by open, public debate and votes cast by elected representatives; requiring state government to spend taxes and fees for the reason they were collected; 28

 

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ad adop opti ting ng stri strict ct  gu guid idel elin ines es th that at re requ quir iree that that proc procur urem emen entt cont contra ract ctss with with priv privat atee enti entiti ties es and and progr rogram amss   to pro rovi vide de ta taxp xpay ayeer-fu r-fund nded ed ince incent ntiv ivees to bus usin ineess sses es must must ta targ rgeet, whe hen n poss possib ible le,, smal smalll  bu busi sine nesse sses, s, incl includ udin ingg mi mino nori rity ty-, -, wo wome menn-,, ve vete tera rann-ow owne ned d bu busin sines esse ses, s, and and prohibit such  awards for companies who export jobs or utili ilize tax loopholes to avoid st stat atee or  fe fede dera rall ta taxe xes, s, by enac enacti ting ng and and enfo enforc rcin ingg re regu gula lati tion onss to prev preven entt th thee cont contin inue ued d us usee of the  Enterprise Fund as a corporate slush fund that rewards businesses owned by  polit olitic icaal cro roni niees  and and con ontr trib ibut utor ors, s, despi espite te th thei eirr fa fail ilur uree to meet meet hirin iringg ta tarrge gets ts and and oth theer program requirements.

IMMIGRATION  Texas Democrats  recognize that the United States is a vibrant nation of immigrants. We value those who  come from different countries and cultures. Immigrants have added to the prosperity and  resilience of this great country and we believe in fostering better bilateral rela relati tio onsh nships ips wi with th  all nat atio ions ns incl inclu udin ding our sout southe hern rn neigh eighbo borr who whom we sh shar aree an ext xteens nsiv ivee bo bord rder er with. ith.  Imp Import rtan antl tlyy, we und nder erst stan and d th thaat vie viewi win ng immi immigr gran ants ts th thro roug ugh h a len lens of fe fear ar and and prej prejud udic icee on only ly  hu hurt rtss ou ourr na nati tion on and and Te Texa xas. s. We re reco cogn gniz izee th that at thro throug ugh h a more more fa fair ir and and eq equi uita tabl blee immigration system our county is strong. st rong. We therefore: ● support comprehensive immigration reform, including an attainable path to citizenship; support the  Deferred Actio tion for Childhood Ar Arrrivals (“DACA”), ”), its expansion, and ● Defe De ferr rred ed Ac Acti tion on  for for Pare Parent ntss of Amer Americ ican anss and and Lawf Lawful ul Perm Perman anen entt Re Resi side dent ntss (“ (“DA DAPA PA”) ”) programs and denounce the Republican efforts in Texas v. United States; support the passage of the DREAM Act; ● ● sup suppo port rt th thee  exp xpan ansi sion on of visa visa avai availa lab bilit ilityy in ord rdeer to exp xped edit itee fa fami mily ly re reu unifi nificcat atio ion n and and lessen visa wait times; support the  14th Amendment provision of the U.S. Constitution which makes all ● persons born in this country citizens of this country; support expanding the Affordable Care Act to cover undocumented immigrants; ● call call on  Cong Congre ress ss to clar clarif ifyy th that at th thee Chil Childh dhoo ood d St Stat atus us Pr Prot otec ecti tion on Ac Actt allo allows ws pe pend ndin ingg visa visa ● applicants to retain their place for visas if they aged out; support providing  equal housing opportunitie ties to all immigrants and denounce all ● xenophobic or racist conduct that denies equal housing to immigrants; ● support th thee  lawful and humane treatm tmeent of immigrants by all law enforcement and correction officers; ● support str triict  enforcement and appropriate punishment against those who exploit undocumented workers rather than targeting the workers themselves; support providing  everyone, especially children, legal representation in front of  ● immigration judges; ● support reducing the current backlogs in U.S. Immigration Court; su supp ppor ortt re reco cogn gniz izin ingg  asyl asylum um clai claims ms or Te Temp mpor orar aryy Pr Prot otec ecte ted d St Stat atus us for for re refu fuge gees es flee fleein ing  g  ● forced gang recruitment and violence perpetrated by gangs; su supp ppor ortt law law  enfo enforc rcem emen entt ag agen enci cies es diss dissem emin inat atin ingg info inform rmat atio ion n and and as assi sist stin ingg im immi migr gran ants ts ●  who are  victims of crimes or human trafficking and may be eligible for U and T visas and including efforts to reduce turnaround time for certification requests; support increasing U Visa availability; ● su supp ppor ortt allo allowi wing ng all all Te Texa xass re resid siden ents ts to obta obtain in a dr driv iver er’s ’s lice licens nses es re rega gard rdle less ss of im immi migr grat atio ion n ● status; 29

 

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support counties  and Sheriffs who end the volunta tarry cooperation with ICE and the Priority Enforcement Program; su supp ppor ortt ef effo fort rtss  whic which h prev preven entt law law enfo enforc rcem emen entt fr from om inqu inquir irin ingg ab abou outt im immi migr grat atio ion n st stat atus us for malicious purposes; support the  current in-state tuition statute which allows undocumented stu tud dents to obtain a higher education and denounce all repeal efforts; su supp ppor ortt th thee  fair fair and and ju just st tr trea eatm tmen entt of all all pe peop ople le in im immi migr grat atio ion n proc procee eedi ding ngss re rega gard rdle less ss of  race, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other characteristics;  while we  support DPS working cooperatively with federal and local officials for added border security  efforts, we oppose redirecting precious state resources for political purposes; denounce any type of bans based on religious affiliation or country of origin; denounce efforts  to build a border wall of any size and the unrealistic tic claims a foreign country will pay for a border wall; de deno noun unce ce Se Secctio tion  287g 287g progr rogram amss of th thee Immi Immigr grat atio ion n and and Nati Nation onal alit ityy Ac Actt whic hich allo allow  w  memo me mora rand ndum umss of  unde unders rsta tand ndin ingg betw betwee een n ICE an and d loca locall law law enfo enforc rcem emen entt ag agen enci cies es to ac actt as federal immigration officials; deno denoun unce ce th thee  im immig migra rati tion on de dete tent ntio ion n fa faci cili lity ty be bed d mand mandat atee th that at cr crea eate tess pe perv rver erse se ince incent ntiv ives es to increase deportations for private profit; denounce and call for an end to all family detention centers; denounce efforts to grant child care licenses to family detention centers; denounce efforts to limit and interfere with established federal refugee programs; denounce all  xenophobic, racist, vigilante, and bigoted efforts which scapegoat immigrants; and denounce efforts to enforce immigration laws prohibited by preemption.

FAMILY SECURITY Security for Our Families  Texas Democrats  support initiatives to ensure the security of our families. Every parent should be able able to prov provid idee ho hous usin ing, g, nu nutr trit itio ion, n, clot clothi hing ng and and he heal alth th care care for for his his or he herr fa fami mily ly.. Th Ther eref efor oree we

support: Raising the  minimum wage to reflect at least $15 per hour so that a full-time, 40-hour a ●  week job can adequately adequately care for a family; family; ● Expanding Medicaid  under the Affordable Care Act which would save the lives and healt ealth h of  man many har ard d work workin ingg Te Texa xan ns, prov rovide ide muc much ne need edeed add ddit itio iona nall fu fun ndi din ng for for our hospi ospita tals ls,, he help lp  re reli liev evee pre ress ssur uree to raise aise prop proper erty ty ta taxe xess and and add add hu hund ndre red ds of billi illion onss in economic impact to our economy; Paid parental  leave for fathers as well as mothers without regard to marital status or ● sexual orientation. ●  Aggressive legislation  aimed at protecting our elderly and disabled from abuse and exploitation. ●  The right  of families and communities everywhere to produce, process, access, distribute, and and ea eatt  he heal alth thyy food food and and to unde unders rsta tand nd the the sour source ces, s, qual qualit ity, y, and and nu nutr trit itio iona nall va valu luee of thei theirr fcommunity. ood regardless  of race, class, gender, ethnicity, citizenship, ability, religion, or 30

 

 

Privatization of Social Services Unde Un derr Re Repu publ blic ican ans, s, Te Texa xass ente entere red d ha hass ente entere red d into into a seri series es of qu ques esti tion onab able le cont contra ract ctss with with priv privat atee companies that  have reduced and harmed state ser services and thereby thwarting atte tem mpts by  Democrats to improve the lives of the people of Texas. Therefore, we support: Endi En ding ng and and  ba bann nnin ingg any any ag agre reem emen ents ts with with any any cont contra ract ctor or th that at ha hass re relo loca cate ted d ou outs tsid idee th thee ● United States to evade taxes; ● State agencies ies  hiring sta tate te workers at adequate levels to ensure tim timely and accurate delivery of state services. s ervices. Child Protection and Foster Care  The Department  of Child Protective Services (CPS) is in crisis. The underfunding, understaffing  and turnover  inside CPS is literally putting the lives of our most vulnerable Texans at risk on a daily basis. Given the existing emergency Texas Democrats support: Call Callin ingg an  emer emerge genc ncyy sess sessio ion n of th thee Legi Legisl slat atur uree to cons consid ider er a broa broadd-sp spec ectr trum um,, ac acro ross ss the the ● board overhaul of the Department of family and Protective services; ● Gre Great ater er ove verrsigh sightt  of priva rivate te and and st stat atee fa faci cili liti ties es and and inst instit itut utio ion ns th that at se serv rvee child hildre ren n and and  vulnerable adults; Suff Su ffic icie ient ntly ly fu fund ndin ingg  CPS CPS to re redu duce ce ca case selo load ads, s, ensu ensure re comp compli lian ance ce with with fe fede dera rall gu guid idel elin ines es ● for for ca case sewo work rker er/c /cli lien entt  meet meetin ings gs and and adeq adequa uate tely ly comp compen ensa sate te ex expe peri rien ence ced d ca case sewo work rker erss to reduce turnover; Chil Ch ild d prot protec ectiv tivee prog progra rams ms th that at prov provid idee safe safe,, secu secure re envi enviro ronm nmen ents ts for for chil childr dren en an and d ensu ensure re ● there is no discrimination in the foster care system; privatization of the child protective system including in intake take services; ●  We oppose any privatization ●  We support  adoption of children by loving qualified parents regardless of marital status, sexu sexual al orien rienta tati tion on,,  gend gender er iden identi tity ty or ex exp pre ress ssio ion n, and and th thee righ rights ts of fa fami mili lies es cr creeat ated ed by  those adoptions. Long-term Services and Support  Texas Democrats  believe that elderly and disabled Texans of all ages should have access to long long-t -ter erm m serv servic ices es  and and supp suppor orts ts th that at prom promot otee inde indepe pend nden entt livi living ng in the the most most inte integr grat ated ed se sett ttin ing  g  po poss ssib ible le.. We  be beli liev evee th thee stat statee must must comp comply ly with with the the Amer Americ ican anss with with Di Disa sabi bili liti ties es Ac Act. t. Ther Theref efor oree

 we support: ● tran transi siti tion onin ingg th thee  long long-t -ter erm m care care syst system em to focu focuss on ho home me and and comm commun unit ityy ba base sed d se serv rvic ices es (HCBS); creating a national HCBS program where funding for services "follows the person"; ● ● fully funding all HCBS programs and ending all waiting lists for community services; protecting individual  homesteads from repossession when recovering the cost of  ● long-term care; ● provi rovid ding ing elder lderly ly  and and disa isable bled Te Texa xan ns with ith cho hoic icees abo bout ut wher wheree th theey want ant to live live and and receive support services; coordination of accessible, affordable, integrated housing and other support services; ● ● establishi shing a  registr tryy of direct ser service and providers and developing a training and certification program that interfaces with similar initiatives; ● access to non-medical services to contain cost and allow greater individual control; ● provide at least a $15-an-hour living wage and health benefits to all direct care workers; effective oversight of the Dept. Of Aging Ag ing and Disabilities; ● ● appropriate Medicaid reimbursement rates for long-term care; and 31

 

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the the prov provis isio ion n  of suff suffic icie ient nt re reso sour urce cess for for addi additi tion onal al ra rand ndom om au audi dits ts,, faci facili liti ties es insp inspec ecti tion onss and ombudsmen.

Social Security  Texas Democrats  believe that we must maintain the promise of Social Security and keep the system strong and certain for all working Americans. Therefore we support: ●  That all  Americans who have paid (or whose family members have paid) into the system sho should uld rec eceeive ive  th thee benef enefit itss th tho ose pay ayme men nts sh sho ould uld enti entitl tlee th them em to re rega gard rdle less ss of oth ther er systems they may benefit from including but not limited to Texas Teacher Retirement; ●  As the vast majority of earners pay into the system from the first to last dollar earned that a more level playing field requires raising or removing the income caps; CPI-E should be used for calculating cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) for the elderly; ● town Social Security off offices; ices; ●  The maintaining of smaller town ●  The maintaining of Social Social Security as a program of the federal government. government. Retirement Security Mill Mi llio ion ns of  worke orkerrs hav avee inve invest sted ed in publi ublicc or priva rivate te pe pens nsio ions ns to se seccur uree th theeir re reti tirremen ement. t. We believe it  is a legitimate role of government to protect the position of stakeholders in these pension systems. Therefore we support; ● lega legall prote rotect ctio ions ns  for for pa part rtic icip ipan ants ts in any re reti tire reme men nt sy syst steem for for th thee fu full ll amo amount unt to whic hich they are entitled; au auto toma mati tica call llyy fr free eezi zing ng  fu fund ndss of comp compan anie iess fili filing ng for for ba bank nkru rupt ptcy cy or enco encoun unte teri ring ng lega legall ● problems to keep funding for the pension plan in place; puttin ting in  place tim time limit mits to allow the expedient transfer of pensioners' funds to the ● pensioner within the confines of IRS regulations; ● sta state Ret etir irem emeent  Sy Syst stem emss be pre rese serv rved ed as def efin ined ed benef enefit it sy syst stem emss cons consis iste tent nt with ith th thee  Texas Constitution; and ● fed federal eral emp employ loyee eess  re reti tiri rin ng und nder er Fede ederal ral Em Emp ploye loyeee Ret etir irem emeent Sy Syst stem em be tr trea eate ted d th thee same as Civil Service retirees for purposes of sick-leave credit. Access to Affordable Property Insurance Democrats believe  that Texans must have access to insurance protecting our homes and

businesses an affordableofrate. Therefore we support: ● strictatenforcement policies requiring companies to justify rates or roll them back; ● providing the Insurance Commissioner the authority to deny or approve rates; elim elimin inat atin ingg unfa unfair ir  unde underw rwri riti ting ng prac practi tice cess such such as re redl dlin inin ing, g, th thee us usee of cr cred edit it sc scor orin ingg and and ● other discriminatory practices; and greater consumer representation on the Insurance Commission. ● Utility Regulation Demo De mocr crat atss unde unders rsta tand nd  th that at Te Texa xans ns must must ha have ve af affo ford rdab able le ut util ilit itie iess an and d de dere regu gula lati tion on ha hass fail failed ed to drive down  rates and has produced an always confusing and often times misleading   marketplace. Therefore we support: Requ Requir irin ingg th thee  Publ Public ic Util Utilit ityy Comm Commis issi sion on to cons constr truc uctt po poli lici cies es th that at forc forcee all all prov provid ider erss to ● disp displa layy all all  prod produc ucts ts us usin ingg th thee same same lang langua uage ge te term rmin inol olog ogyy and and indu indust stry ry meas measur urem emen ents ts,,

incl includ udin ingg canc ancella ellati tio on  polic olicie ies, s, to de desc scri rib be th tho ose pro rod ducts ucts so th that at th they ey migh mightt be ea easi sily  ly  understood and compared. 32

 

 

Consumer Protection  Texas Democrats  believe government has a responsibility to protect the people from dangerous products and fraudulent, unfair and discriminatory business practices. Therefore we support: ● repe repeal alin ingg laws laws  and and re regu gula lati tion onss th that at re rest stri rict ct re redr dres esss for for bu buye yers rs of ne new w ho home mess th that at disc discov over er shoddy work after the purchase is completed; stricter laws targeting unscrupulous telemarketing, internet marketing and price fixing; ● ● the the ri righ ghts ts  of comm commun unit itie iess to prov provid idee pu publ blic ic ut util ilit itie iess at th thei eirr disc discre reti tion on incl includ udin ingg "wi"wi-fi fi"" internet access; and the the eli limi mina nati tio on  of pred predaato tory ry lend lendin ingg pra ract ctic ices es par arti ticcular ularly ly pa payyda dayy loan loanss and se sell ll/l /lea ease se ● back transactions. Housing  Texas Democrats  believe quality, affordable housing strengthens families and revitalizes comm commun unit itie ies. s. As  th thee po popu pula lati tion on of Te Texa xass cont contin inue uess to grow grow,, th thee im impo port rtan ance ce of ho hous usin ingg po poli licy  cy  ext xteends beyond  the critical value of shelte terr. Quality, affordable housin sing improves school performance, diminishes  health problems for both children and adults, and decreases psychological stress – among other benefits. We support: support: incr increa easi sing ng inve invest stme ment nt of pu publ blic ic fu fund ndss to ex expa pand nd th thee su supp pply ly of hous housin ingg th that at is affo afford rdab able le ● and accessible to lowest income households; ● esta estab bli lish shin ingg ho hous usin ingg  stab stabil ilit ityy as th thee prima rimarry pu purp rpos osee of low low-inc -incom omee hous usin ingg po poli licy cy,,  which views  allowing Texans to live in the neighborhood of their choice as foundational to  good health, employment, educational achievement, and child  well-being; cont contin inui uing ng and and  im impr prov ovin ingg pr prog ogra rams ms that that prom promot otee conc concre rete te re reso sour urce cess to ad adva vanc ncee th thee ● dream of homeownership for all Texans; and ● ensuring the  housing needs of our most vulnerable Tex Texans, including persons with disabilities, person sons  experiencing homelessness ss,, persons living with HIV IV/ /AI AID DS, seniors, youth, children, and families, is a priority in all housing policy decisions.

RURAL TEXAS AND AGRICULTURE  Texas Democrats  understand the obstacles faced in rural Texas, and we are committed to pro provid viding ing ou ourr  ru rura rall comm commun unit itie iess with ith th thee to too ols ne nece cess ssar aryy to main mainta tain in th thei eirr qu qual alit ityy of lif life and and crea create te enha enhanc nced ed  op oppo port rtun unit itie iess for for fu futu ture re ge gene nera rati tion onss of ru rura rall Texa Texans ns.. All All ar area eass of Te Texa xass need need ac acce cess ss to  na natu tura rall and and ec econ onom omic ic re reso sour urce cess to grow grow and and thri thrive ve,, ye yett ru rura rall comm commun unit itie ies' s' as asse sets ts ar aree unde underr incr increa ease sed d  pres pressu sure re from from forc forces es be beyo yond nd th thei eirr cont contro rol. l. We su supp ppor ortt ru rura rall comm commun unit itie iess in their efforts to protect the materials necessary for their t heir economic livelihood.  Water is  a necessity for both the private individual, agricultural business, and emergency  mana ma nage geme ment nt.. We be beli liev evee that that it is esse essent ntia iall that that Te Texa xass meet meet it itss citi citize zens ns wa wate terr ne need eds, s, espe especi cial ally ly in the face of climate change, ongoing droughts, and threatened aquifers. In order to do so: create a  subst staantive plan to mediate th thee threat of mega droughts tha that is plausible and environmentally sensible; crea create te prog progra rams ms  for for bo both th indu indust stry ry,, ag agri ricu cult ltur ure, e, and and indi indivi vidu dual alss to ra rati tion on wa wate terr in time timess of  extended drought; preserve our environment from damages from well development; •





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establish sensible and effective water conservation districts in rural areas; create groundwater  recharge programs, build and maintain desa sallination plants with proper salt water concentrate sequestration programs; promote rainwater reclamation programs to use in traditional gray water systems; control stormwater runoff in order to slow erosion and keep water systems healthy; recycle hydro  fracking and other high volume industrial water ter use systems through subsidies if needed; prov provid idee gran grants ts-i -inn-ai aid d  for for ru rura rall comm commun unit itie iess to cons constr truc uctt and and main mainta tain in re reve vers rsee os osmo mosi siss plants, and train personnel to staff them.

 Texas Democrats  understand that the backbone of our food supply should be local farms, and no nott mass massiv ivee  indu indust stri rial al fa farm rmin ing. g. Th Ther eree ca can n be a he heal alth thyy ba bala lanc ncee be betw twee een n ensu ensuri ring ng th that at ou ourr food food is sa safe fe  for cons consum umeers to eat wi with thou outt any lon long te term rm hea ealt lth h ef efffec ects ts,, and and allo allow wing ing fa farm rmer erss to us usee petroc pet rochem hemica icals/ ls/pes pestic ticide ides/a s/anti ntibio biotic ticss to  en ensur suree good good crop crop and livest livestock ock yields yields.. There There must must also also be a  conc concer erte ted d ef effo fort rt by th thee Te Texa xass De Depa part rtme ment nt of Ag Agri ricu cult ltur uree to su supp ppor ortt the the loca locall fa farm rmer er ov over er the industrial. In order to do so: s o: decrease the the  cost and bureaucracy to small scale farming associated with becoming  USDA Organic certified; str stron ongl glyy enco encour urag agee  lar large scal scalee agri agrib busin usineess to limi limitt blan lanke kett us usee of pet etro roch chem emic ical alss on produce especially susceptible to absorption (strawberries, tomatoes, etc.); •



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pass a farm bill that t hat subsidizes the local farmer over agribusiness; support the legalization of hemp for agricultural purposes; esta estab bli lish sh cons consis iste tent nt  po poli licy cy with ith respe espect ct to sup suppo port rt for for lan land con conse serv rvat atio ion n eas aseemen ments to al allo low w ru rura rall land landow owne ners rs to ac acce cess ss priv privat atee foun founda dati tion onss an and d gove govern rnme ment nt matc matchi hing ng fu fund ndss for for preservation of open space and family land holdings;  work with  the Texas Parks and Wildlife to manage the wild hog population, and provide small scale farmers subsidies to construct deer/hog fences using local labor; in coor coordi dina nati tion on  with with th thee TDA, TDA, esta establ blis ish h ef effe fect ctiv ivee glob global al and and loca locall mark market etin ingg pr prog ogra rams ms using updated technology to sell products; offer GLOBAL G.A.P certifications to all Texas producers at a reduced rate; pass legislation to improve weights and measures at gas pumps and market scales; su supp ppor ortt USDA USDA  ef effo fort rtss to to toug ughe hen n meat meat indu indust stry ry anti antitr trus ustt laws laws to prot protec ectt the the smal smalll sc scal alee farmer from large scale agribusiness; pa pass ss fede federa rall  fa farm rm legi legisl slat atio ion n th that at esta establ blis ishe hess mi mini nimu mum m pric pricee su supp ppor ortt leve levels ls an and d ec econ onom omic ic protections for family farms; str stren ength gthen en an and d  supp suppor ortt OSHA OSHA heal health th & safe safety ty re regu gula lati tion onss in th thee indu industr stria iall meat meat-p -pac acki king  ng  industry; prot protec ectt fa fami mily ly  farm farmss fr from om pred predat ator oryy lend lendin ing, g, and and allo allow w a grea greate terr abil abilit ityy for for th thee indi indivi vidu dual al to refinance farm related business debt; pres preser erve ve prop proper er  use use of ag agri ricu cult ltur ural al prop proper erty ty ta taxx ex exem empt ptio ions ns and and re rest stru ruct ctur urin ingg th thee cu curr rren entt land appraisal system to insure a fair property tax system for all Texans; dema demand nd the the  fu full ll coop cooper erat atio ion n by Te Texa xass stat statee offi offici cial alss and and ag agen enci cies es,, incl includ udin ingg th thee TDA, TDA, in international agricultural activities; forbid the patenting of any genetic material; esta establ blis ish h prot protec ecti tion onss  th that at safe safegu guar ard d smal smalll scal scalee farm farmer erss from from laws lawsui uits ts file filed d ag agai ains nstt th them em for for the the  ac acci cide dent ntal al us usee of pa pate tent nted ed/p /pro ropr prie ieta tary ry se seed eds, s, and and allo allow w th them em to coll collec ectt se seed ed from from season to season regardless of their proprietary nature; 34

 

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expand programs  that allow consumers to use WIC/SNAP/ETB at local farmers markets; regulate the  sale of horses to Mexico for the purpose of consumption, and ban the round-up of wild horses for slaughter; support the labeling of GMO products; and move mo ve to  ba ban n ne neon onic icot otin inoi oids ds,, a pe pest stic icid idee chem chemic ical al link linked ed to mass massiv ivee ho hone neyb ybee ee diedie-of offs fs.. Loss Loss of  be bees es jeop jeopar ardi dize ze on onee-th thir ird d of th thee U.S. U.S. fr frui uitt and and ve vege geta tabl blee su supp pply ly;; so some me 14 1400 frui fruits ts and vegetables depend on bee pollination.

 Access to  quality healthcare in rural Texas is critical; many areas in rural Texas are underserved because of budget cuts from the state legislature. In order to remedy this: move mo ve to  cons constr truc uctt leve levell 2 tr trau auma ma ce cent nter erss and and ho hosp spit ital als, s, with with wome women’ n’ss he heal alth th faci facili liti ties es,, in underserved areas with a supporting populations; crea create te prog progra rams ms  to ince incent ntiv iviz izee phys physic icia ians ns,, nu nurs rses es,, nu nurs rsee pr prac acti titi tion oner er,, an and d EMT' EMT'ss to work  work  and stay in underserved areas give give gr gran ants ts-i -inn-ai aid d  and and zero zero inte intere rest st loan loanss to ru rura rall coun counti ties es to cons constr truc uctt pu publ blic ic clin clinic icss and and hospitals; and Encourage insta talllation  of video teleconference systems in public hospitals to allow  specialist in  higher level hospitals to quickly communicate to outly tlying facilitie ties or to remote patients; and •









expand Med Medicaid  under the Affordable Care Act gu guiidelines, in order to alleviate the the pressure to close additional rural hospitals.

Education in  Texas is an important priority in rural areas. Lack of jobs and economic opp ppo ortun rtunit itie iess has  forc forced ed many many ta tale lent nted ed youn youngg peopl eoplee to leav leavee ru rurral comm commun unit itie ies. s. To re reme medy  dy  this, Texas Democrats support policies that would: incentivize teachers to work in underserved communities; par artn tneer high high  scho school olss wi with th loca locall bu busi sin ness ess and comm commu unity nity colle ollege gess to allo allow w st stud udeent ntss to re rece ceiv ivee sc scho hool ol  cr cred edit itss an and d indu industr stryy ce cert rtif ific icat atio ions ns from from ap appr pren enti tice cesh ship ipss in vo voca catio tiona nall tr trad adee programs; oppose the Republican call for the consolidation of rural school districts; support community based schools over large, centralized school districts in rural areas; ut util iliz izin ingg re remo mote te  lear learni ning ng an and d dist distan ance ce educ educat atio ion n to fa faci cili lita tate te lear learni ning ng in ru rura rall ar area eas, s, with within in •









• •

the public school system; free vaccinations for low-income families; and maintain the Top 10% rule that levels the opportunity playing field for rural kids.

 The founders  of Texas and America understood that the protection of personal property is a cornerstone of  freedom and liberty. The use of eminent domain for the benefit of the corp corpor orat atio ion n woul would d  be some someth thin ingg th that at th they ey woul would d no nott st stan and d for, for, and and the the Texa Texass Demo Democr crat atic ic Part Party  y   will not  either. Texas Democrats understand that seeking personal property should be in cases  where extreme action is needed. In regards to eeminate minate domain: eminent domain  should be used as a last resor sort, and only for programs su succh as public highways, hospitals, and other programs that serve the public interest; thos thosee fa faci cing ng  cond condem emna nati tion on must must be prov provid ided ed with with qual qualit ityy lega legall re repr pres esen enta tati tion on,, and and the the process of said condemnation must be transparent; •



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all pipeline  requests to the Texas Railroad Commission need to be independently  re revi view ewed ed in  coor coordi dina nati tion on with with th thee St Stat atee Of Offi fice ce of Admi Admini nist stra rativ tivee Hear Hearin ings gs,, with with th thee righ rightt to appeal said findings to a local judge; amend the  Texas Constitution and relevant law laws to eliminate giving private entitie ties comm common only ly unde unders rsto tood od gove govern rnme ment ntal al au auth thor orit ityy to ex exer erci cise se th thee powe powers rs of emin eminen entt doma domain in in condemnation of private property; and before eminent  domain condemnation occurs, it must be shown in a state court proc roceedi eedin ng th that at  it is, is, in fa facct, a legi legiti tima mate te pu publ blic ic use and and pu publ blic ic pu purp rpos osee und nder erly lyin ingg th thee proposed seizure of private property.

WOMEN’S RIGHTS  The Texas  Democratic Party stands for the complete inclusion of Texas women in our state’s af affa fair irss and and  resp respec ectt th thee pres preser erva vati tion on of th thei eirr au auto tono nomy my and and th thei eirr righ rights ts.. Equa Equali lity ty and and just justic icee for for al alll Texa Texass  wome omen, in ev eveery par artt of our st stat ate, e, in ev eveery circ circum umst staanc nce, e, in ev eveery cond condit itio ion n, is a core ore  value of  our party. Texas is the proud home of pioneering women: who have blazed new trails in bu busi sine ness ss,,  entr entrep epre rene neur ursh ship ip,, cu cult ltur ure, e, and and po poli liti tics cs.. The The Texa Texass Demo Democr crat atic ic Part Partyy is comm commit itte ted d to endi ending ng  the the dama damagi ging ng po poli lici cies es and and laws laws th that at th thre reat aten en Te Texa xass wome women’ n’ss ec econ onom omic ic and and ph phys ysic ical al he heal alth th.. We  prou proudl dlyy and and vigo vigoro rous usly ly supp suppor ortt a woma woman’ n’ss righ rightt to choo choose se ho how w to us usee her her bo body dy and and hermocr tim ti m eatic .  ic TePa xarty s yD em ocnstr ratrat tsates res espe sp eccomm t w omen me n ant s to fullTe pxas artsnwome ersmen in nfath mroug ilyugh ahndwome somen’ cien’s tys.Tlead e ersh Teship xaips De Demo crat Part   demo de mons its co mmit itme ment Texa wo thro wo lehader at al alll  leve levels ls of pa part rtyy ac acti tivi vity ty and and by work workin ingg for for po poli lici cies es,, laws laws and and elec electe ted d offi offici cial alss that that sh shar aree our our commitment to women’s full, equal, and essential role in Texas’ future success.  The Texas  Democratic Party recognizes Texas women are strong, independent and powerful.  The Texas  Democratic Party seeks to address persistent inequalities that make women’s economic, physical  and legal well-being subject to circumstance, prejudice, sexism and anti antiq qua uate ted d vi view ewss  of women omen’s ’s role ole in soc society iety.. As th thee Party arty th that at tr trul ulyy va valu luees Texa Texass wome women n and and their families, the Texas Democratic Party will: ● support and  affirm equal rights for all women, and oppose any attempts to limit those rights; ad addr dres esss disp dispar arit itie iess  in he heal alth th ca care re,, cr crim imin inal al just justic ice, e, and and educ educat atio ion n ex expe peri rien ence ced d by wome women n of  ● ●





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color and transgender women; sup suppo port rt equ qual al  acc cces esss for women men of all all ag ages es to tr trai aini nin ng, job jobs and and promo romoti tio ons ns,, and and eq equa uall pay  for equal work, and the right to sue s ue for equal pay, capital, equity and contracts; supp suppor ortt af affi firm rmat ativ ivee  ac acti tion on,, the the righ rights ts ac acco cord rded ed to wome women n in Titl Titlee IX, IX, th thee U.N. U.N. Conv Conven enti tion on on the  Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Aga gaiinst Women (CEDAW), and the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the U.S. Constitution; pres preser erve ve conf confid iden enti tial al,,  unre unrest stri rict cted ed ac acce cess ss to af affo ford rdab able le,, high high qual qualit ity, y, cu cult ltur ural ally ly se sens nsit itiv ivee hea ealt lth h car aree  serv servic icees, inc includ luding ing th thee fu full ll range ange of re rep pro rodu duct ctiv ivee se serrvice vices, s, cont contrrac aceept ptio ion n and and abortion, without requiring guardian, judicial, parental, or spousal consent; opposes any and all attempts to overturn Roe v. Wade; prom promot otee he heal alth th  insu insura ranc ncee and and medi medica call cove covera rage ge of the the fu full ll ra rang ngee of ment mental al he heal alth th se serv rvic ices es,, incl includ udin ingg Plan Plann ned  Pare Paren nth tho ood, and and tr trea eatm tmeent for for women men, incl includ udin ingg ea earrly sc scre reen enin ingg and and intervention for postpartum depression; incr in crea ease se pa pare rent ntin ing g  and and who job job skil sk ills ls formerly for for wo wome men n th thro roug ugh h av avai aila labl ble, e, comp compre rehe hens nsiv ivee educ educat atio ion n and training for women were incarcerated; 36

 

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expa expand nd work workpl plac acee  righ rights ts for for wome women n incl includ udin ingg flex flex time time,, comp compen ensa sato tory ry time, time, an and d preg pregna nanc ncy  y  and paid family leave in all employment contracts; promote the  engagement of young women in our politic tical process in order to develop a pipeline for new leadership; and, opposes changes to voting laws that unfairly/disproportionately affect Texas women.

LGBTQ RIGHTS  Texas Democrats  take pride in and support the continued progress of the LGBTQ movement. Since Lawrence  v. Texas, our country has continued to take steps towards achieving full equality for  LGBTQ citiz tizens. However, our work is not done when someone can st stiill face discrimination for  being LGBT GBTQ and harassed sed or harmed for represe sen nting their auth theentic selv selves es.. Te Texa xass  Demo Democr crat atss supp suppor ortt and and we welc lcom omee all all pe peop ople le re rega gard rdle less ss of thei theirr se sexu xual al orie orient ntat atio ion n or gender identity. We therefore: ● ●





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support the passage of the Equality Act by Congress; support the  right of all people to use facilities and participate in all aspects of life in a mann ma nner er th that at  is cons consis iste tent nt with with thei theirr ge gend nder er iden identi tity ty,, irre irresp spec ecti tive ve of th thee gend gender er th they ey we were re assigned at birth; sup suppo port rt stre streaamlin mlineed  proc proces esse sess for for tr tran ansg sgen ende derr ind individ ividua uals ls to ob obta tain in lega legall doc ocum umen ents ts consistent with their gender identity, including state IDs, regardless of surgical status; su supp ppor ortt th thee  clas classi sifi fica cati tion on of disc discri rimi mina nati tion on ag agai ains nstt tr tran ansg sgen ende derr indi indivi vidu dual alss as be bein ingg on the basis of gender; support the inclusion of gender g ender reassignment surgery in Medicaid; denounce efforts  to not comply with the U.S Supreme Court court decisions which guaranteed marriage equality to all couples; sup suppo port rt muni municcipal ipal,,  stat statee, and and fe fed der eraal non ondi disc scri rimi mina nati tio on law laws whic hich prot proteect LGBTQ GBTQ individuals in  all aspects of their lives including housing, employment, adoption, education, commerce, and public accommodation; support a ban on so-called “reparative” therapy; support the the  use of best practices in the delivery of services to all Texans regardless of  sexual orientation  or gender identity by social, health care, and public service professionals; sup suppo port rt th thee  fac actu tuaal incl inclu usio sion of th thee LGBT LGBTQ Q move moveme men nt and ind individ ividua uals ls in hist histor oryy and and social studies classes; support programs to combat suicide and homelessness among LGBTQ youth; su supp ppor ortt prog progra rams ms  to prov provid idee incl inclus usiv ivee and and comp compre rehe hens nsiv ivee ho hous usin ingg and and he heal alth thca care re for for LGBTQ seniors; de deno noun unce ce th thee  use of hat atee spee speech ch,, disgu isguis iseed as fr free ee sp spee eech ch and and re reli ligi gion on,, th that at fost fosteers and and promotes bigotry and violence against LGBTQ citizens; and deno denoun unce ce Te Texa xass  elec electe ted d offi offici cial als’ s’ laws lawsui uitt ste stemm mmin ingg fr from om Pr Pres esid iden entt Ba Bara rack ck Ob Obam ama’ a’ss May  May  13, 2016   directive which states that a school “must not treat a transgender student differently from  the way it treats other students of the same gender identity” and enco encour urag agee scho school olss  to foll follow ow th thee fe fede dera rall admi admini nist stra rati tive ve guid guidel elin ines es re rega gard rdin ingg tr tran ansge sgend nder er children.

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DISABILITY RIGHTS  The Texas  Democratic Party believes in the right of every Texan to lead a productive life, enjoy  lib liberty erty,, and and  to pur ursu suee ha happ ppin ineess. ss. Te Texa xass Demo Democr crat atss want ant all Texa Texan ns with ith disa disab bilit ilitie ies, s, incl inclu udin ding   veterans, to  have a sustainable quality of life in the least restrictive environment possible and to hav avee acce ccessib ssible le  comm commun unit ityy sett settin ings gs th that at ar aree fu fun nct ctio ion nal to th thei eirr ev eveery ryd day lif life. Th This is is no nott on only ly a bas asic ic civ ivil il  ri righ ght, t, bu butt is also lso par artt of th thee ec econ ono omic mic vita vitali lity ty and and inte intere rest st of Texa Texas. s. No pe pers rson on sh sho ould uld face discrimination based on disability status.  Texas Democrats  support the following to impact this sector of our population and enact necessary change to promote social justice for all disabled persons: ● the the pres preser erva vati tion on and and enfo enforc rcem emen entt of all all stat statee an and d fe fede dera rall di disab sabil ilit ityy righ rights ts laws laws,, pa part rtic icul ular arly  ly  the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act; access to  Medicaid in Texas to cover an estimated 1.8 million disabled Texans, and ● help helpin ingg Medi Medica caid id  to supp suppor ortt home home an and d comm commun unity ity-b -bas ased ed se serv rvic ices es to ke keep ep pe peop ople le in th thei eirr communities functioning  in their natural environment. Essential to maintaining  independence is the availability of caregivers who are paid a $15/hr minimum wage; ● promoting and  educating all Texans about early diagn gno osis sis of diverse disa sab bilities and acce access ss to  adeq adequa uate te tr trea eatm tmen entt and and adeq adequa uate te home home ca care re su supp ppor ortt for for child childre ren, n, ve vete tera rans ns,, and and other disabled Texans; ●











ensu end suri ring ng th that at   st stud uden tsucat with wi th diin sabi bili liti esast re rece iveeicti an ap appr prop opri riat ateeents ea earl rly,yincl chil chclud ildh dhoo ood, se seco cond y,e and an posts po stsec econ onda dary ryents   educ ed atio ion ndisa th the eties leas le t ceiv re restr stric tive ve envi en viro ronm nmen ts, in udin ing g d, ac acce cess ss ndar to ary, th the full range  of ser services and supports called for in their individual education plans at all learning institutions; promoting and  broadening financial aid or loan assistance for accessible housing,  vehicles, durable  medical equipment, and technology which would give much-needed assistance for individuals to pay for improvements to their life functionality; op oppo posi sing ng th thee ha hars rsh h cu cuts ts to Medi Medica caid id th that at ar aree lead leadin ingg to no or si sign gnif ific ican antl tlyy less less he heal alth th care care for for mill millio ion ns  of Te Texa xans ns wi with th disa isabili biliti ties es,, work workeers with ith disa disab bilit ilitie ies, s, and and fa fami mili lies es raisi aising  ng  children with autism, Down Syndrome, and other serious disabilities; the the Help Help  Amer Americ icaa Vote Vote Ac Actt and re remo movi vin ng th thee obst stac acle less and and oner ero ous bur urd den pla place ced d on  Texans with disabilities to obtain a valid Texas I.D. card; the Convention  on the Right of Persons with Disabilitie ties, its expansion and ongoing  fmission ull exteto nsideliver on  of quality benefitssupport to vetetoraall ns disabled and famTexans; ilies of and vete terrans who su sust staain partial or permanent disabilities,  including post injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder indi indivi vidu dual al an and d  fa fami mily ly coun counse seli ling ng,, cost cost of livi living ng mo mont nthl hlyy allo allowa wanc nces es,, chil childc dcar aree as assis sista tanc nce, e, tuit tuitio ion n assi assist stan ance ce  for for depe depend nden entt chil childr dren en,, and and as assi sist stan ance ce in job job tr trai aini ning ng or re refe ferr rral al for for th thee spouse of the veteran.

VETERANS’ AFFAIRS  Texas Democrats  believe that our veterans should be awarded all the benefits they have been promised, honored for their service, and accepted back into society with open arms.

P ovrati idtion inon g eof d ulead caader tioers, ns,   bbu ensine efness itsss toowne etrs, er,anand s dfohigh r ghly thlyeirsk sille eled rvdicwork e rker eners. abs.leHi s tstor horic emical tly, o , bempo e powe theweri nring  eng  xt gene gernera le busi owvners an hi skil wo Hist ally em 38

 

  returning veterans  to obtain education, at any level, has benefitt tteed America as a whole, and ushered in eras of prosperity. prosperity. Texas Democrats wish to see this continue, continue, and will do so by: supporting and maintaining the Post 9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) in its entirety; su supp ppor orti ting ng an and d  main mainta tain inin ingg th thee VA Voca Vocati tion onal al Re Reha habi bili lita tatio tion n Pr Prog ogra ram m (Cha (Chapt pter er 31 31), ), an and d allowing the 42 months of benefits to be non-consecutive; enabli ena bling ng the dir direct ect tra transl nslati ation on of milita military ry job tra traini ining ng (EMT, (EMT, vocati vocationa onal,l, com commun munica icatio tions, ns, etc) to be recognised by states and federal programs; ●









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fully fund  the Hazelwood Act entitlements, allow the transfer transfer of those entitlements to  dependents, and study allowing non-Texas enlistees to use those entitlements; support and  encourage school cooperation with veterans struggling with physical disabilities and PTSD, and provide reasonable accommodations; encourage every school, public and private, to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program allow for  the transfer of remaining Chapter 31 and Chapter 33 entitlements to dependents, regardless of time in service; allow Basic  Allowance for Housing (BAH) to be collected in both Chapter 31 and Chapter 33 programs.

 Veterans put  both their bodies and their minds on the line when they answered their call to serv servic icee. Many Many  ret etur urn n home ome with ith phy hysi sica call wou ound nds, s, and and man many more more re retu turrn home with ith wou ound ndss invi invisi sibl blee to  thei theirr fe fell llow ow citi citize zens ns.. Te Texa xass De Demo mocr crat atss kn know ow th that at th thee deat death h of ev even en on onee ve vete tera ran n on the the homefront,  be it self inflicte ted d or by lack of access to healthcare, is a tr traagedy to the the entire na nati tio on, and and  hav avin ingg vet eter eraans live live on th thee str stree eets ts is sham shamef efu ul. Texa Texass Demo Democr craats wis ish h to re reme medy  dy  this by: exte exten ndi din ng th thee  Oper Operaatio tion Endu Endurring ing Fre reeedo dom/ m/Op Oper erat atio ion n Iraq Iraqii Fr Free eed dom coor coordi din nat ator or program to all separated service members, regardless if they served in a conflict; increase Combat Related Special Compensation entitlement payments; exte extend nd Tr Tric icar aree  St Stan anda dard rd/E /Ext xtra ra/P /Pri rime me he heal alth th insu insura ranc ncee elig eligib ibil ility ity to all all se serv rvic icee memb member erss  who served in any conflict or hazardous hazardous duty area; con contin tinue and  sup support ort th thee Ve Vete tera rans ns Ch Choi oicce Pro Program gram,, and and enc ncou oura rage ge ac acce cept ptan ance ce of th thee program by all private medical providers; strive for 100% enrollment of separated service members; expa expand nd and and  supp suppor ortt th thee VA Domi Domici cili liar aryy Care Care Pr Prog ogra ram m and and th thee as asso soci ciat ated ed Ment Mental al Heal Health th ●

















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Residential Rehabilitation and Treatment Programs (MH RRTPs); esta estab bli lish sh comm commun unic icat atio ion n  link linkss bet etw wee een n loc local ho home mele less ss sh sheelter lterss and and th thee VA to id iden enti tiffy  homeless veterans; esta establ blis ish h comm commun unit ityy  serv servic icee prog progra rams ms to iden identi tify fy ho home mele less ss ve vete tera rans ns,, and and faci facili lita tate te th thei eirr integration into an associated VA Domiciliary Care program or MH M H RRTPs; con contin tinue ue,, exp xpan and d,  sup suppo port rt,, and and fu full llyy fu fun nd th thee U.S. U.S. Dep Depar artm tmen entt of Hous Housin ingg and and Urb Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program; allow VA disability payments to increase based on the t he rate of inflation; hold individual VA hospitals, providers, and administrators to high standards; st andards; audit VA hospitals with failing performances; support crisis hotlines for veteran suicide; and upgrade the  status of any LGBTQ service members discharged for their sexual orientation to Honorable and allow them to receive appropriate benefits.

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  Empowering veterans  economically allow them to successfully reintegrate into their communities, and  provides them with the stabili ility needed post service separatio tion. Texas Demo De mocr crat atss be beli liev evee  th thaat ena nab blin ling vete vetera ran ns to bu buyy ho hous usees, lan land, and and st star artt bu busi sin nes esse sess no nott on only  ly  helps them, but helps their community, state, and country. In order to do so: continue the VA Secured Home Loan program in its entirety; continue the Veterans Land Board program in its entirety; establish a  VA sec secured loan program similar to the the Secured Home Loan progr graam for ●











small business start up; prov provid idee low low cost cost chil child d ca care re to rece recent ntly ly sepa separa rate ted d se serv rvic icem emem embe bers rs tr tran ansi siti tion onin ingg to work work or attending school; sup suppo port rt and and  exp xpaand ve vete tera rans ns serv servic icees cou ourt rtss in ord rder er to add address ress ve vete terran-s an-sp pec ecif ific ic lega legall needs; and support homestead exemptions for disabled veteran and surviving spouses.

TRANSPORTATION Li Like ke most most  Texa Texan ns, Demo Democr crat atss sup suppo port rt an inc incre reaase in tran transp spo ort rtat atio ion n fu fund ndin ingg to alle allevi viat atee our congestion and  saf safety crisis. is. Mo Morre traffic accidents on highways as well as highways in our urban core  between cars and cyclist stss and cars and pedestrians call for us to take a new loo look at  where our  transportation dollars go. The growth we have been experiencing has had negative effects on  our traffic congest stiion - raising concerns about air quality, tr traaffic safety and lost productivity from commute wait times. Texas Democrats support: ●

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investing state  dollars in mass transportation projects with public support and the potential for matching federal funds; land use policies that create walkable bikeable and transit oriented communities; transportation projects to encourage building safe sidewalks and bicycle lanes; reviewing creative  programs like telecommuting and buses on shoulders of major highways to  encourage mobility and incentives for increased usage of mass transportation; legislation to  demand tr traansparency in how tol toll roads are financed and how funds are managed; and the development  of a state rail plan for Texas to be eligible for federal high-speed rail fu fun ndi din ng, and and  ra rail il and and mass mass tr tran ansi sitt syst system emss th that at do not har arm m th thee envi enviro ronm nmeent or infr infrin inge ge on property rights.

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM  Texas Democrats  believe that religious freedom is a fundamental right for all Americans as pro provid vided by  the the Texa Texass and and U.S. U.S. Con Constit stitu utio tions. We re reccog ogn nize ize th thee imp importa ortanc ncee of reli religi gio on and and pray prayer er in the the li live vess of Te Texa xans ns an and d supp suppor ortt ou ourr Cons Constit titut utio ion’ n’ss guar guaran ante teee of ev ever eryy indi indivi vidu dual al's 's righ rightt to practice  his or her own beliefs without imposing them on others. We support the U.S. Con Co nstit stitu utio tional provi rovisi sion on  th that at no re reli ligi gio ous te test st shal shalll be requ equired ired as a qua uali lifi ficcat atio ion n for for pu publ blic ic office. We believe:

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that that,, just just  as pe pers rson onal al fa fait ith h and and value aluess gu guid idee and and insp inspir iree us to fu furrth ther er th thee wellll-be bein ingg of ou ourr community, we  must never use the power of government at any level to promote one religion or denomination over others or to impose our personal religious observances; go gove vern rnme men nt must must  no nott inh inhibit ibit th thee fr free ee exe xerc rcis isee of re reli ligi gio on, but re reli ligi gio on ca can n nev eveer be use sed d as an excuse to discriminate against or harm others; government must not use public resources to support purely religious positions or activities; entangling government with religion is dangerous to both government and religion;  America is  the most religiously observant country in the West because our founders wisely  pro rovi vide ded d for for  sep separ arat atio ion n of chur churcch and stat state, e, whic hich allo allow ws relig eligio ion n to flo flour uris ish h in fre reeedo dom m and respects those who have no religious faith; and the religious test for public office in the t he Texas Constitution must be removed.

Democr Demo crat atss hold hold poli politi tica call view viewss mo moti tiva vate ted d by deep deeply ly held held pers person onal al beli belief efs. s. No poli politi tica call pa part rtyy and and no extremist  group hold a lock on religious or ethical beliefs and values. We believe that religion should not be invoked to supersede the rights of others. These rights include: ● nondiscrimination laws including those protecting LGBTQ Texans; non ondi disc scrrimin iminat atio ion n for for  ind individ ividua uals ls in ser service vice or pu publ blic ic acc cco ommod mmodat atio ions ns in th thee priva rivate te ● sector; regarding wages and compensation; compensation; ●  workplace laws regarding laws protecting children’s welfare; ● ● ●

laws ensuring access to healthcare, particularly for women and families; and provision of goods and services by government directly or through grants and contracts.

FOREIGN POLICY  Texas Democrats  believe peace, prosperity, and national security are assured by maintaining a stro strong ng na nati tion onal al  defe defens nse, e, prom promot otin ingg demo democr crac acy, y, and and ad adva vanc ncin ingg deve develo lopm pmen entt abro abroad ad.. Mi Mili lita tary  ry  ac acti tion on sho should uld  be used used only nly as a last last re reso sort rt,, au auth thor oriz ized ed on only ly as allo allow wed by our Con Const stit itut utio ion. n. We supp suppor ortt cons consis iste tent nt  dipl diplom omac acyy and and deve develo lopm pmen entt ef effo fort rtss abro abroad ad in coor coordi dina nati tion on with with ou ourr alli allies es..  We believe  the most important element in our military is the individual service member, and it is absolutely critical that we keep faith with those who serve and defend us. Security and Development  Texas Democrats  believe that protecting our national security requires maintaining robust mili mi lita tary ry capa capabi bili liti ties es  and and stro strong ng alli allian ance ces, s, whil whilee also also ad addr dres essi sing ng th thee so sour urce cess of se secu curi rity ty risk riskss th that at stem stem fr from om  sta state wea eakn kneess, ss, po pove verrty ty,, corru orrup ption tion,, and so soci cial al bre reak akdo dow wn abro abroad ad.. Ther Thereefore fore we believe America must: prioritize working with allies whose values promote freedom and justice: ● main ma inta tain in and and  im impr prov ovee th thee ca capa paci city ty of ou ourr mi mili lita tary ry and and dipl diplom omat atic ic or orga gani niza zati tion onss to meet meet ● the threats  from non-state gr gro oups and th tho ose nations tha that provide them support and protection; ●  work closely  with allies and lead international efforts to prevent the further spread of  nuclear arms and to eliminate weapons of mass destruction; su supp ppor ortt ou ourr  go gove vern rnme ment nt’s ’s ef effo fort rtss to ob obta tain in th thee as assi sist stan ance ce of th thee coun countr trie iess in th thee Mi Midd ddle le ● East in helping to stabilize the region;

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enco encour urag agee Ir Iraq aq  to ensu ensure re secu securi rity ty with within in its its bord border erss by re reno noun unci cing ng se sect ctar aria ian n viol violen ence ce an and d promoting a  responsive and inclusive democracy that ensures minority rights and equitable access to resources; opp ppos osee th thee  re regi gime me-s -spo pon nsore sored d viol violeenc ncee occ ccur urrring ing in Sy Syri riaa by exp xpaand ndin ingg as assi sist stan ance ce to  vetted opposition  groups, expanding humanitarian aid, leading efforts to facilitate a nego negoti tiat ated ed poli politi tica call solu solutio tion n with within in Sy Syri ria, a, leve levera ragi ging ng alli allian ance cess in th thee re regi gion on to cons constr tric ictt th thee flow of  resources to radical gr gro oups, and leading regional efforts to counter the crisis emanating from Syria; con contin tinue to  sup suppo port rt dev eveelop lopmen ment of Af Afgh ghan anis ista tan n's civil ivil and and econo conomi micc inf infra rast stru rucctu ture re through sustained  support for economic development, governance capacity, and corruption reduction; mini mi nimi mize ze civi civili lian an  ca casu sual alti ties es to th thee maxi maximu mum m ex exte tent nt po poss ssib ible le cons consis iste tent nt with with th thee sa safe fety ty of  our troops in Afghanistan and elsewhere;  withdraw U.S.  troop support from Afghanistan as rapidly as possible, consistent with the their sa safe fety ty  and and in a man manner th that at do does es not de dest staabili bilizze th thee re regi gio on and and place lace mor more live livess in danger; main ma inta tain in our  lon long-st g-staand ndin ingg po poli licy cy th that at a tr true ue,, mutu mutuaally lly re resp spec ectf tful ul pe peac acee wi with th sa safe fe and and secu secure re borde rders for for tw two o stat states es dedi dedica cate ted d to pe peac acee and and demo emocr craacy – a Je Jew wis ish h homela melan nd in Is Isrrael and  a Palesti stinian homeland – can only resu sullt from direct negotiations between  willing and responsible partners;  work to  ensure that new governments and societies become true democracies that promote responsive  governance, ethnic and religious minority rights, individual freedoms, and economic opportunity; su supp ppor ortt th thee  pa pass ssag agee of the the Gl Glob obal al Re Resp spec ectt Ac Act, t, th thee Inte Intern rnat atio iona nall Huma Human n Righ Rights ts Defe Defens nsee  Act, and revising the World Bank’s Safeguard Policy.  work with  our allies to assure safe haven for the millions of refugees fleeing conflict and persecution, to  welcome these vulnerable people in the United States when properly   vetted to maintain our national national security, and to assist in the their ir eventual safe return h home; ome;  withdraw support for for agencies and programs programs that promote hatred an and d intolerance; develop a  new st strrategic approach to fragile sta tate tess that prioritize izes prevention, aligns polic olicie iess ac acro ross ss  U.S. U.S. ag agen enci cies es,, and and leve leverrag ages es th thee fu full ll range ange of U.S. U.S. di dip ploma lomacy cy,, def efeens nsee, development, and democratic engagement tools; make ma ke ever everyy  re reas ason onab able le ef effo fort rt to ut util iliz izee ou ourr cons consid ider erab able le mi mili lita tary ry,, ec econ onom omic ic,, dipl diplom omat atic ic,, and technological capabilities to assist victims of natural disasters worldwide; secu secure re ou ourr  info inform rmat atio ion n and and te tele leco comm mmun unic icat atio ions ns te tech chno nolo logy gy infr infras astr truc uctu ture re from from cy cybe berr pir irac acyy and and  att ttaack by supp suppo ort rtin ingg coo coope pera rati tio on ac acro ross ss pu publ blic ic and and priv privat atee se sect cto or ag agen enci ciees, supporting development  of a unified national cyber strategy, and ensuring critical infrastructure meets baseline security standards; assist economic  development of our allies, particularly neighbors where high unemployment creates immigration pressures; contin con tinue ue the Presid President ent’s ’s leader leadershi ship p in reduci reducing ng U.S. U.S. greenh greenhous ousee gas emissio emissions, ns, promot promoting  ing  clean energy, and mitigating the effects of global climate change; adop adoptt polici licies es  th thaat adv dvan ance ce ou ourr nat atio ion nal sec secur urit ityy by fr free eein ingg us from rom depen epende denc ncee on th thee resource of any nation nation or region, including including foreign oil;  work with  the African Union and the UN to bring stability to the continent by defeating  terr terror oris istt orga organi niza zati tion onss  such such as Bo Boko ko Hara Haram, m, Al Shab Shabab ab,, and and ot othe herr Cent Centra rall Af Afri rica can n te terr rror or groups; 42

 

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enco encour urag agee unive nivers rsit itie iess  and and coll colleg egees to pa parrtic ticipa ipate in forei oreign gn ex exccha han nge prog progra rams ms and and conduct joint research projects with foreign institutions; and remove legal  barriers th thaat prevent highly ski skilled foreign nationals educated in U.S .S.. universities from continuing to work and live in the Unites States.

Trade Policy  Texas Democrats  believe that our foreign policy must also enhance the economic and emp em ploy loymen ment cond condit itio ion ns  of Amer Americ ican an work rker erss and and re rest sto ore our ba bala lan nce of tr trad adee. Ther Thereefore fore,,  American policies must: ●







encourage the the  sale of domestic tic products and services in foreign markets and oppose foreign practices that effectively restrict access to markets for American businesses; support a  fundamental rethink of how we approach trade agreements, because we sup suppo port rt th thee  str strengt ength henin eningg of la labo borr and and human uman righ rights ts prot protec ecti tion onss and st stro ron nge gerr hea ealt lth h, envi enviro ronm nmen enta tal, l, an and d  cons consum umer er safe safety ty sta stand ndar ards ds in fu futu ture re ag agre reem emen ents. ts. NAFT NAFTAA-sty style le tr trad adee ag agre reem emen ents ts like like  the the Tr Tran anss-Pa Paci cifi ficc Pa Part rtne ners rshi hip p - whic which h ha have ve led led to mass massiv ivee U.S. U.S. job job loss losses es,, sweatshop conditions  and human rights abuses in developing countries, and environmental degradation - must be opposed; protect American  companies from intelle llectual property theft, especially from st staate spo sponso nsore red d comp compan anie ies, s,  and and file file law lawsuit suitss th thro roug ugh h th thee Worl World d Trad Tradee Organ rganiz izat atio ion n whe hen n theft occurs; and prot protes estt th thro roug ugh h  th thee Wo Worl rld d Tr Trad adee Orga Organi niza zati tion on when when coun countr trie iess ar arti tifi fici cial ally ly ma mani nipu pula late te their currency to maintain trade imbalances.

National Security  Texas Democrats  believe that our national security is advanced by legitimate conduct, strong  inte intern rnat atio iona nall lead leader ersh ship ip,,  an and d sust sustai aine ned d inte intern rnat atio iona nall enga engage geme ment nt.. Th Ther eref efor ore, e, Amer Americ ican an poli polici cies es should: su supp ppor ortt th thee  cont contin inue ued d ba ban n on th thee us usee of all all meth method odss of to tort rtur ure, e, incl includ udin ingg wate waterb rboa oard rdin ing, g, ● inde indefi fini nite te de dete tent ntio ion n  of pers person onss with withou outt char charge gess or le lega gall re repr pres esen enta tati tion on,, an and d ot othe herr poli polici cies es that violate  or conflict with the values embodied by the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution; ●





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supportcourt th thee  ito mm ediathe te ccases losurfor e ofdetainees; the Guantanamo Bay detentio tion facility and set up a special hear establish lega gall  oversight over all privatized mil military se seccurity forces, because milita tarry  security contractors operating without government oversight have put America at risk; focu focuss on  prac practi tica cal, l, no nonv nvio iole lent nt solu soluti tion onss to th thee prob proble lems ms of dome domest stic ic and and inte intern rnat atio iona nall conflict; support the mission and efforts of the United States Peace Corps; fund fund an  air air tr traf affi ficc cont contro roll syst system em,, esse essent ntia iall to na nati tion onal al se secu curi rity ty,, th that at is fu full llyy eq equi uipp pped ed and and staffed by public employees; strengthen port security, including inspection of currently unchecked containers; and support the  repeal of the detention bed quota, as it targets indigenous peoples and undermines domestic and national security.

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