8) A Resolution Supporting a Nonpartisan …€¦ · Web viewThat the Chatham County Democratic Party stand in favor of the North Carolina Democratic Party supporting this resolution

North Carolina Sixth Congressional District Democratic Convention

Pittsboro, NC

4/27/2019

Resolutions from Sixth District Counties for Consideration at the Convention.

Table of ContentsREGARDING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY – Page 4

1) Resolution in Support of Keeping Elected Officials and Law Enforcement Accountable and Further Developing Local Communities for Long Term Democratic Party Success (Guilford) Page 4

2) Resolution in Support of Rural Outreach (Guilford) Page 4

3) Resolution in Support of Continuing Community Conversations (Guilford) Page 4

REGARDING NORTH CAROLINA – Page 5

POLITICAL REFORM SECTION – Page 5

4) A Resolution Regarding Elections (Randolph) Page 5

5) A Resolution Calling on The North Carolina Legislature to Enact a Nonpartisan Independent Redistricting Commission by The Year 2020 (Person) Page 5

6) A Resolution Calling on The North Carolina Legislature to Enact a Nonpartisan Independent Redistricting Commission by The Year 2020 (Randolph) Page 6

7) Resolution in Opposition to Gerrymandering (Alamance) Page 6

8) A Resolution Supporting a Nonpartisan Redistricting Process (HB 69) In 2019 (Chatham) Page 69) Resolution in Support of An Independent Commission for The Fair and Equitable, Non-Partisan, Redistricting of N.C. Voting Maps (Guilford) Page 7

10) Resolution to Oppose Partisan Gerrymandering, To Support Efforts of Common Cause and The League of Women Voters in Opposition to Partisan Gerrymandering and To Encourage the NCDP To Keep the Electorate Informed on This Issue (Guilford) Page 8

11) A resolution calling on the North Carolina Democratic and Republican parties to send the contributions from Greg Lindbergh to North Carolina-based non-profit groups (Chatham) page 812) Resolution on Political Corruption (Chatham) Page 9

13) Resolution in Support of Legislative Transparency (Guilford) Page 9

14) Resolution Calling for The Incumbent President and All Future Presidential Candidates to Release Their Personal Income Tax Returns to The Public For Scrutiny Prior To Being Eligible To Appear As A Candidate For The Office Of The President Of The United States On Any North Carolina Ballot (Guilford) Page 10

HEALTHCARE SECTION – Page 1015) A Resolution to Expand Medicaid in North Carolina (Chatham) Page 10

NC6CD Democratic Party Submitted Resolutions

16) A Resolution Calling for Access to Affordable and Effective Healthcare for All North Carolina Citizens (Guilford) Page 11

17) A Resolution in Support of Closing the Health Insurance Coverage Gap in North Carolina (Guilford) Page 11

ENVIRONMENT SECTION – Page 1218) A Resolution to Ban Horizontal Hydraulic Fracturing (Chatham) Page 12

19) A Resolution Regarding Environmentally Friendly Ways to Remove Coal Ash (Chatham) Page 12

20) Resolution in Support of Protecting North Carolina’s Environment (Guilford) Page 13

21) A Resolution Encouraging North Carolina Local Government Entities to Promote 100% Clean Renewable Energy (Guilford) Page 13

LEGAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE SECTION – Page 1422) Resolution Calling for Immediate Testing of All Sexual Assault Kits (Alamance) Page 14

23) A Resolution Calling for Eliminating the NC Department of Transportation $3.00 Transaction Fee (Chatham) Page 1524) A Resolution In Support Of Ending Jail Fees For Periods Of Detention (Guilford) Page 15

25) A Resolution in Support of Ratification of The Equal Rights Amendment (Guilford) Page 16

26) A Resolution in Support of Broadband for All (Chatham) Page 1627) Resolution in Support of Reducing the Eviction Rate in Guilford County (Guilford) Page 16

28) A Resolution to Support HB 10, Repeal 2015 Law Relating to Monuments (Randolph) Page 17

EDUCATION SECTION – Page 1729) Resolution Calling for the Reduction of Public Tax Dollars Being Allocated for The Support of Charter Schools and Elimination of Vouchers for Tuition to Private Schools (Guilford) Page 17

SPECIAL ITEMS SECTION – Page 1930) Resolution in Support of The Gubernatorial Appointment of Erica Standfield Brandon to the Position of Judge for District 17a, Seat 3 (Rockingham) Page 19

REGARDING NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ISSUES – PAGE 20POLITICAL REFORM SECTION – PAGE 20

31) Make General Election Day a Paid Time-Off Holiday (Chatham) Page 2032) Resolution Urging North Carolina's U.S. Senators and Representatives to Pass Continuing Resolutions and End Government Shutdowns by The Executive Branch of The U.S. Government (Guilford) Page 20

33) Resolution Calling for Members of The U.S. Congress to Be Required to Hold Regular, Non-Prescreened, Town Hall Meetings in Their Districts, The Same to Be Open to The Public for All Their Constituents (Guilford) Page 21

34) A Resolution in Support of The Abolition of The Electoral College (Guilford) Page 21

35) Resolution in Support of Responsible Representation (Guilford) Page 22

36) Resolution in Support of an Amendment to The Constitution of The United States Providing that the Rights Extended by The Constitution Are the Rights of Natural Persons Only (Guilford) Page 22

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37) A Resolution to Reaffirm “Resolution in Support of Fair Local Representation” (Guilford) Page 24

GUN CONTROL SECTION – Page 2638) A Resolution to Support the Enactment of Common Sense Gun Regulation (Randolph) Page 26

39) A Resolution Calling for Responsible Requirements for Gun Ownership (Chatham) Page 27

40) Resolution Calling for Reasonable Gun Control and Banning Military Assault Type Rifles (Guilford) Page 27

ENVIRONMENT SECTION – Page 2841) A Resolution to Support Renewable Energy in North Carolina (Chatham) Page 28

42) A Resolution for Immediate, Sustained and Extraordinary Action to Combat Climate Change by Transitioning Our Economy to Clean Energy Sources (Chatham) Page 29

HEALTH SECTION – Page 2943) Resolution Calling for Imposing Price Caps on Non-Current Research and Development Pharmaceutical Drugs (Guilford) Page 29

44) Resolution in Support of The Disability Integration Act HR 555 And 117 (Guilford) Page 30

45) A Resolution Calling for Universal Health Care (Chatham) Page 31

46) Resolution in Support Of "Medicare For All" Legislation (Guilford) Page 31

47) Resolution in Support of a New Paradigm in Veterans’ Healthcare (Guilford) Page 32

LEGAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE SECTION – Page 3348) Resolution in Support of The Reinstatement of Net Neutrality (Guilford) Page 33

49) A Resolution to Renew the Daca (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) Program and A Path to Citizenship for Daca Recipients (Randolph) Page 33

FOREIGN POLICY SECTION – Page 34

50) A Call for The Application of The Leahy Provisions to Military Aid for All Security Forces (Chatham) Page 34

51) A Resolution to Restore Payment for Venezuela’s Oil Exports (Chatham) Page 34

OTHER RESOLUTIONS SECTION – Page 3552) Resolution in Support of Banning Mandatory Pre-Dispute Arbitration Agreements from Contracts (Guilford) Page 35

53) Resolution in Support of The Creation of Jobs Which Repair or Improve the Infrastructure of The United States Of America (Guilford) Page 35

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REGARDING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

1) RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF KEEPING ELECTED OFFICIALS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT ACCOUNTABLE AND FURTHER DEVELOPING LOCAL COMMUNITIES FOR LONG TERM DEMOCRATIC PARTY SUCCESS (Guilford)

WHEREAS, elected officials should be held accountable to serve the people in their communities, listen to their concerns and act accordingly;

WHEREAS, elected officials should serve with transparency and honesty, for it is in the best interest for their constituents;

WHEREAS, elected officials should work towards facilitating the process of voting with fair and reasonable processes and requirements that do not adversely affect any group or community;

WHEREAS, law enforcement should be held accountable for the mistreatment of people, be it unequal or excessive;

WHEREAS, law enforcement should make it a priority to develop positive relationships with the people in at-risk communities;

WHEREAS, law enforcement should make it a priority to receive unconscious/implicit bias training and understand how this affects the actions police officers take on a daily basis;

WHEREAS, law enforcement should make it a priority to further develop and utilize de-escalation methods; and

WHEREAS, precincts are responsible for encouraging our youth to exercise their right to vote and participating in the democratic system.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party should encourage its precinct meetings to be committed to prioritizing the above principles and garnering the support of the community to ensure success for Democratic Party candidates and elected officials.

2) RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF RURAL OUTREACH (Guilford)

WHEREAS, Guilford County has many voters living in rural areas, and

WHEREAS, Democrats need to more effectively engage those rural voters, and

WHEREAS State Democratic Party Chair Wayne Goodwin has called for more outreach to rural voters, and

WHEREAS, the rural outreach program contributed to improved Democratic participation in the 2018 elections;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party shall continue our program of outreach to Guilford County’s rural voters.

3) RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF CONTINUING COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS (Guilford)

WHEREAS, politics should be characterized by a positive and constructive conversation among citizens;

WHEREAS, the current political conversation is increasingly divisive; and

WHEREAS, Democrats aspire to be a party of responsibility, reason, and inclusion;

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THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party is committed to continuing community conversations in which we shall listen respectfully to all viewpoints and respond with reasonable and constructive proposals to solve our shared problems.

REGARDING NORTH CAROLINA

POLITICAL REFORM SECTION

4) A RESOLUTION REGARDING ELECTIONS (Randolph)

WHEREAS, Partisan politics has no proper role in the selection or the work of judges, the selection or work of county sheriffs, the selection or work of county or city boards of education, the selection or work of municipal councils, or the selection or work of soil and water conservation district board members; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That judges of all courts in North Carolina should be elected by the voters in non-partisan, staggered elections for terms of four to eight years depending on the level of the court they are running for; and be it further

RESOLVED, That all candidates for county sheriff should be elected by the voters in non-partisan elections; and be it further

RESOLVED, That all candidates for county or city boards of education should be elected by the voters in non-partisan elections; and be it further

RESOLVED, That all candidates for municipal councils should be elected by the voters in non-partisan elections; and be it further RESOLVED, That all candidates for soil and water conservation district boards should be elected by the voters in non-partisan elections;

5) A RESOLUTION CALLING ON THE NORTH CAROLINA LEGISLATURE TO ENACT A NONPARTISAN INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSION BY THE YEAR 2020 (Person)

WHEREAS maps are drawn by the political party in power every ten years following completion of the census, allowing them to increase their chances of re-election while stacking the deck against voters of the minority party; and

WHEREAS the practice of ‘double-bunking’ candidates places candidates of the same party in the same district, forcing them to run against each other or causing one to drop out; and

WHEREAS millions of our tax dollars are spent in litigation sometimes lasting the entire 10 years. There have been more than 30 court interventions in North Carolina redistricting cases since 1980; and

WHEREAS voters in these gerrymandered districts are harmed by legislators who choose their voters. Over 40% of state legislative seats had no opposition in the 2016 general election, and

WHEREAS previous bills opposing gerrymandering in North Carolina passed in the NC house with bipartisan support because the majority of North Carolina citizens support nonpartisan independent redistricting; therefore, be it

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RESOLVED, that the North Carolina legislature enact a nonpartisan independent redistricting commission that is fair and that follows the North Carolina constitution that requires that state legislative districts be apportioned without reference to political affiliation

6) A RESOLUTION CALLING ON THE NORTH CAROLINA LEGISLATURE TO ENACT A NONPARTISAN INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSION BY THE YEAR 2020 (Randolph)

WHEREAS maps are drawn by the political party in power every ten years following completion of the census allowing them to increase their chances of re-election while stacking the deck against voters of the minority party; and

WHEREAS the practice of ‘double-bunking’ candidates places candidates of the same party in the same district forcing them to run against each other or causing one to drop out; and

WHEREAS millions of our tax dollars are spent in litigation sometimes lasting the entire 10 years (there have been more than 30 court interventions in North Carolina redistricting cases since 1980); and

WHEREAS voters in these gerrymandered districts are harmed by legislators who choose their voters (over 40% of state legislative seats had not opposition in the 2016 General Election); and

WHEREAS previous bills opposing gerrymandering in North Carolina passed in the NC House with bipartisan support because the majority of North Carolina citizens support nonpartisan independent redistricting; therefore be it

RESOLVED that the North Carolina Legislature enact a nonpartisan independent redistricting commission that is fair and that follows the North Carolina Constitution that requires that state legislative districts be apportioned without reference to political affiliation.

7) Resolution in Opposition to Gerrymandering (Alamance)

WHEREAS, hyper partisan gerrymandering of the US Congressional Districts,

General Assembly seats and now Judicial Districts in North Carolina has rendered mute the voices of 26% of the electorate,

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Alamance County Democratic Party requests that the

drawing of all district lines in North Carolina be drawn by a non-partisan redistricting commission.

8) A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING A NONPARTISAN REDISTRICTING PROCESS (HB 69) IN 2019 (Chatham)

WHEREAS, The system for redistricting in North Carolina has historically been unfairly manipulated by the party in power and overwhelmingly unfavorable to incumbent candidates; and

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WHEREAS, District maps drawn for partisan advantage have led to years of expensive legal wrangling, divisive politics, and voter dissatisfaction; and

WHEREAS, Election districts created by the current partisan-drawn maps do not fairly represent the people of North Carolina and actually subvert the voting power of its citizens; and

WHEREAS, The Supreme Court of the United States is currently reviewing the constitutionality of partisan redistricting in North Carolina and other states; and

WHEREAS, A nonpartisan, independent redistricting process is currently being successfully used in numerous other states; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Robert Reives II is a co-sponsor of House Bill 69, which calls for the establishment of a nonpartisan redistricting commission; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Chatham County Democratic Party support House Bill 69; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Chatham County Democratic Party call upon the North Carolina Democratic Party to endorse this legislation.

9) RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF AN INDEPENDENT COMMISSION FOR THE FAIR AND EQUITABLE, NON-PARTISAN, REDISTRICTING OF N.C. VOTING MAPS (Guilford)

WHEREAS, our Nation and our State are experiencing serious divisions and mutual distrust between political parties;

WHEREAS, it is human nature for the party in power to seek to perpetuate its power; and

WHEREAS, the perception by others of that perpetuation of power serves to further that division and mistrust;

WHEREAS, elected officials representing gerrymandered safe districts tend to only be replaced from within their own party by persons with even more extreme views, accentuating the polarity in our legislative bodies, perpetuating gridlock, and reducing opportunities for compromise;

WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina remains one of the most gerrymandered states in the country;

WHEREAS, partisan influence dominates the overall process of drawing N.C. House, N.C. Senate, and/or U.S. Congressional Districts to curry favor with election outcomes instead of due process to hear and recognize the opinions and voices of citizens living in a viable demographic area; and

WHEREAS, ongoing voter voices are suppressed, no longer reflect the collective majority of needs within our communities, or given weight in determining positive outcomes for citizens impacted as opposed to a candidate securing a partisan victory;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party urges the North Carolina General Assembly to establish an independent, non-partisan Commission charged with redistricting at, redistricting process that provides a transparent, concise, bipartisan process in which impartial, geographical, demographics impact the electoral outcome across North Carolina; and

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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party urge the North Carolina General Assembly to adopt the process to ensure fair constituent representation for future mapping disparities, and to adopt mapping integrity for future elections.

10) RESOLUTION TO OPPOSE PARTISAN GERRYMANDERING, TO SUPPORT EFFORTS OF COMMON CAUSE AND THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS IN OPPOSITION TO PARTISAN GERRYMANDERING AND TO ENCOURAGE THE NCDP TO KEEP THE ELECTORATE INFORMED ON THIS ISSUE (Guilford)

WHEREAS, partisan gerrymandering creates a government that is not representative of the electorate;

WHEREAS, partisan gerrymandering by either party does a disservice to the voters of our state by eliminating a meaningful choice at the polls;

WHEREAS, an analysis of N.C.'s 2018 Election results show a near equal divide among Democrat and Republican votes cast, but the 2018 Election yielded a near supermajority of Republicans elected at the State level and a 10-to-3 majority of Republicans elected to the U.S. House of Representatives; and

WHEREAS, Republican legislators have brazenly stated on the record that they carefully crafted the Congressional map “to give a partisan advantage to 10 Republicans and 3 Democrats”;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party urges the North Carolina Democratic Party to work to keep our voters informed of the progress made in our State and Federal Courts regarding the various partisan redistricting case(s) brought before them;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party urges the North Carolina Democratic Party urges the North Carolina Democratic Party to work to keep our voters informed of the progress made by the North Carolina Legislature on non-partisan redistricting legislation;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party supports the efforts of Common Cause and the League of Women Voters to bring the North Carolina gerrymandering cases before the court(s); and

FINALLY, BE IT RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party and its members continue our commitment to keep the general public informed of the basic unfairness of partisan gerrymandering in our state through sustained issue advocacy.

11) A RESOLUTION CALLING ON THE NORTH CAROLINA DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN PARTIES TO SEND THE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM GREG LINDBERG TO NORTH CAROLINA-BASED NON-PROFIT GROUPS (Chatham)

WHEREAS, The platform adopted at the NCDP convention in 2016 supports tough campaign finance laws; and

WHEREAS, The same platform adopted at the 2016 convention states that "the North Carolina Democratic Party will continue to support measures to reduce the cost of campaigning for public office, including the gradual introduction of a public financing option"; and

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WHEREAS, In the post -Citizens United political landscape the United States of America has witnessed the growth of dark money, independent expenditure groups, mega-donors and superpacs that have injected the will and intentions of corporate interests and very wealthy families and individuals into all political parties and political processes, to the detriment of democracy and in many cases the will of the people; and

WHEREAS, The North Carolina Democratic Party has been a recipient in 2018 of at least two$250,000 contributions ($500,000) from mega-donor Greg Lindberg and at least one $250,000 contribution from one of Greg Lindberg's companies to the North Carolina Democratic Party building fund, for a total of $750,000 of related funds; and

WHEREAS, The North Carolina Republican Party has been a recipient of at least three million dollars from mega-donor Greg Lindberg; and

WHEREAS, The mega-donor Greg Lindberg is under investigation by the Charlotte U.S. Attorney's Office; and

WHEREAS, The Charlotte U.S. Attorney has also issued subpoenas to the North Carolina Republican and Democratic Parties regarding the investigation of its office into mega-donor Greg Lindberg and his companies; and

WHEREAS, The Charlotte U.S. Attorney has alleged in the subpoenas that the office is investigating "drug offenses, crimes against financial institutions, or money laundering crimes" and has reissued updated subpoenas regarding the case on January 23, 2019; now, therefore, be it resolved,

RESOLVED, That the Chatham County Democratic Party respectfully request that the North Carolina Democratic Party (NCDP) develop a plan to send the equivalent funds to non-profit organizations and seek donations to replace the tainted funds; and that North Carolina Republican Party (NCGOP) immediately remove the funds from mega-donor Greg Lindberg and his companies from their treasury and send the funds to non-profit groups based in North Carolina that assist the victims of Hurricanes Florence and Michael.

12) Resolution on Political Corruption (Chatham)

RESOLVED, That the North Carolina Democratic Party strive to remove and reduce corruption in politics.

13) RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATIVE TRANSPARENCY (Guilford)

WHEREAS, the right of the People to effectively participate in the governmental process is paramount to democracy;

WHEREAS, such participation cannot be effective without the opportunity to know what laws are proposed and to provide feedback to lawmakers;

WHEREAS, the Republican leaders of the N.C. General Assembly have regularly adopted legislation with no notice and upon a "midnight vote";

WHEREAS, such legislative processes erode the very foundation of liberty and participatory democracy; and

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WHEREAS, electoral gerrymandering has impaired the opportunity for responding to such actions through the ballot box;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party encourages the members of the N.C. General Assembly to not allow any legislation to come up for a vote without prior public notice and a sufficient period for public and legislative review.

14) RESOLUTION CALLING FOR THE INCUMBENT PRESIDENT AND ALL FUTURE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES TO RELEASE THEIR PERSONAL INCOME TAX RETURNS TO THE PUBLIC FOR SCRUTINY PRIOR TO BEING ELIGIBLE TO APPEAR AS A CANDIDATE FOR THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES ON ANY NORTH CAROLINA BALLOT (Guilford)

WHEREAS, since the 1970’s, candidates for the Office of the President of the United States have regularly, routinely, and voluntarily released their full tax return, some going back fifteen years or more, for public examination; and

WHEREAS, a candidate’s tax returns, when considered with required financial disclosure forms, present a more complete picture of a candidate’s financial dealings, financial positions, financial partnerships, financial interests, personal character and credibility, values and priorities, and how their judgment might be affected by their financial interests, transactions and debts, as well as any conflicts, both domestic and foreign, which may impact the individual’s position on specific issues of public policy;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that delegates of the Guilford County Democratic Party Convention urge the North Carolina General Assembly to pass legislation requiring the incumbent President of the United States and all future presidential candidates to produce their most recent ten (10) years of tax filings to the Federal Election Commission for disclosure to the public; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that any presidential candidate who fails to release his or her tax returns to the public should not be allowed to appear on the ballot as a candidate for President of the United States in the State of North Carolina.

HEALTHCARE SECTION

15) A RESOLUTION TO EXPAND MEDICAID IN NORTH CAROLINA (Chatham)

WHEREAS, The health and well-being of North Carolinians is paramount and non-partisan; and

WHEREAS, Statewide Medicaid expansion would provide health care coverage to approximately 1,038,000 uninsured adults in our state (U.S. Census Bureau, Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2016); and

WHEREAS, The Federal government will cover at least 90 percent of the state’s costs of expanding Medicaid in North Carolina, bringing increased employment and increased

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revenue to the state; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the North Carolina Democratic Party advocate for Medicaid expansion within the State of North Carolina to take advantage of Federal matching funds, increasing access to health care for North Carolinians.

16) A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE AND EFFECTIVE HEALTHCARE FOR ALL NORTH CAROLINA CITIZENS (Guilford)

WHEREAS, access to healthcare is a fundamental human right as is, by extension, access to affordable and effective healthcare insurance regardless of pre-existing conditions ;

WHEREAS, citizens of North Carolina should be able to secure healthcare provider services to maintain individual health, seek preventive care, and afford acute care for emergency situations, or long-term, supportive care;

WHEREAS, healthcare can be accessed without discrimination in any manner that does not impede care to the patient;

WHEREAS, access is available to patients with a mutual understanding between parties of fees to be predetermined based on level of care, duration of care, expertise of care, in accordance with fair and reasonable local market rates; and

WHEREAS, access to affordable and effective care is an independent right regardless of medical healthcare/insurance held by the State or the Union, such as single payer, employer contribution programs, Affordable Care Act, Medicare/Medicaid;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party urges the North Carolina General Assembly to mandate access to healthcare as right of every citizen of North Carolina.

17) A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF CLOSING THE HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE GAP IN NORTH CAROLINA (Guilford)

WHEREAS, North Carolina has the opportunity to expand affordable health insurance to 400,000 people of the 1 million uninsured people;

WHEREAS, several hundred thousand of the approximately 400,000 of these individuals and families are childless adults and have no other affordable insurance options available to them, which has created a coverage gap;

WHEREAS, the development of a North Carolina strategy for closing this coverage gap in our state will allow us to strengthen and protect our economic prosperity and preserve the freedoms and opportunities that are cherished by the people and businesses of our state;

WHEREAS, covering the uninsured means better premium value for North Carolinians with private health insurance by lowering costs for everyone;

WHEREAS, providing health insurance coverage will help people, especially women of child bearing age, gain access to the care they need, which improves health outcomes;

WHEREAS, closing the coverage gap will provide health care for a significant number of very low-income, childless adults who are not eligible for any state or federal health care assistance;

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WHEREAS, closing the coverage gap will promote access to behavioral and physical health therapy and treatment for low-income citizens struggling with mental illness, developmental disabilities, and substance use disorders;

WHEREAS, a North Carolina plan to close the coverage gap could create as many as 43,000 new jobs statewide, according to a study by the Center for Health Policy Research at The George Washington University;

WHEREAS, closing the coverage gap in North Carolina will bring $5 billion a year in federal funding to the state;

WHEREAS, the state’s cost in closing the coverage gap will be mostly offset by savings in the state budget plus additional government revenue generated by economic and job growth; and

WHEREAS, closing the coverage gap could strengthen the economy and bolster job growth in counties all across North Carolina, as well as improve health access for almost half a million North Carolinians;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party strongly encourages its legislators to pass legislation closing the coverage gap for all North Carolina citizens earning at or below 138 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, in accordance with provisions of the federal law.

ENVIRONMENT SECTION

18) A RESOLUTION TO BAN HORIZONTAL HYDRAULIC FRACTURING (Chatham)

WHEREAS, Section 5 of North Carolina’s Constitution states that “It shall be the policy of this State to conserve and protect its lands and waters for the benefit of all its citizenry, and to this end it shall be a proper function of . . . North Carolina and its political subdivisions . . . to control and limit the pollution of our air and water and in every other appropriate way to preserve as part of the common heritage of this State its forests, wetlands, estuaries, beaches, historical sites, open lands and places of beauty”; and

WHEREAS, Horizontal hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is exempted from parts of at least seven major Federal environmental statutes, including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act; and

WHEREAS, Shale-gas formations in North Carolina lie in areas prone to droughts; and

WHEREAS, Fracking harms the long-term well-being of communities by contaminating water, putting municipal water sources at risk, increasing local air pollution hazards, and releasing a potent greenhouse gas (methane); now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Chatham County Democratic Party advocate for a ban on hydraulic fracturing in North Carolina.

19) A RESOLUTION REGARDING ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY WAYS TO REMOVE COAL ASH (Chatham)

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RESOLVED, That the Chatham County Democratic Party continue to pressure Duke Energy to find environmentally friendly ways to remove coal ash.

20) RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF PROTECTING NORTH CAROLINA’S ENVIRONMENT (Guilford)

WHEREAS, Democrats have a long history of protecting and defending the environment;

WHEREAS, the General Assembly has in recent years ignored scientific research on climate change:

WHEREAS, the Trump administration and the NCGA has in recent years consistently deregulated previously successful environmental protections;

WHEREAS, the General Assembly has in recent years consistently pushed for offshore oil drilling;

WHEREAS, the General Assembly has in recent years consistently supported “fracking”;

WHEREAS, the National and North Carolina Democratic Party recognize the urgent importance of protecting human life through amply-funded governmental, science-based policies that maintain and enhance the resources essential to healthy living—clean water and soil, clean air, and healthy food; and

WHEREAS, we recognize the urgency of immediate action needed to push back against the entities that would damage or take away these essential resources we can see the horrific consequences that will come if we do nothing;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the GCDP act to influence the NCGA to restore stringent environmental controls based upon scientific research to preserve, protect, and defend North Carolina’s environment for the health and well-being of our children and grandchildren. This includes, but is not limited to, clean air and water, safe storage and disposal of toxic materials, an end to fracking and the threat of offshore drilling; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED to make it our goal in this century that all children, everywhere, shall enjoy the benefits of clean water, clean air, and healthy food; for we recognize the humanity of all peoples and understand the need to restore the health of the environment.

21) A RESOLUTION ENCOURAGING NORTH CAROLINA LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENTITIES TO PROMOTE 100% CLEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY (Guilford)

WHEREAS, the North Carolina Democratic Party resolved in 2018 to support a statewide goal of moving towards 100% clean renewable energy by 2030, because 100% renewable energy can benefit all communities, especially low income communities and communities of color, which are disproportionately impacted by fossil fuel production, and because a just transition to 100% renewable energy will create significant numbers of high quality jobs;

WHEREAS, the residents of Guilford County recognize that protecting our natural resources, promoting conservation, and improving the environment is fundamentally important to the quality of life of all its citizens and is essential to maintaining a vibrant economy;

WHEREAS, investing in renewable energy will improve social mobility and economic advancement and further the growth of technological hubs, encourage the growth of the renewable industry, and create jobs in Guilford County and across the state; and

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WHEREAS, local government policies and practices related to energy sources can have a substantial influence on the actions of citizens and businesses;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party and the North Carolina Democratic Party support the adoption of local government policies and practices that promote the construction and retrofitting of governmental facilities by local government entities to be powered by 100% clean renewable energy, to the maximum extent feasible;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party and the North Carolina Democratic Party support the adoption of local government policies and practices that promote the acquisition by local government entities of vehicles and equipment that are powered by 100% clean renewable energy, to the maximum extent feasible; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party and the North Carolina Democratic Party support the adoption of local government policies and practices that promote construction by private developers of homes and buildings that are powered by 100% clean renewable energy, to the maximum extent feasible, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party and the North Carolina Democratic Party support the adoption of local government policies and practices that condition the use of government funds and benefits for supporting economic development and community services on the applicants’ commitment to the use and adoption of 100% clean renewable energy in their government-supported activities, to the maximum extent feasible.

LEGAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE SECTION

22) RESOLUTION CALLING FOR IMMEDIATE TESTING OF ALL SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS (Alamance)

WHEREAS, North Carolina has one of the largest backlogs of unsubmitted sexual assault kits in the nation at 15,000 untested kits; and

WHEREAS, Sexual assault kits are a crucial part of solving criminal cases; and

WHEREAS, Justice cannot be served until survivors’ kits are tested promptly; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, The Alamance County Democratic Party requests that the North Carolina Attorney General and all relevant policymaking entities allocate full funding to test backlogged sexual assault kits in the state of North Carolina; and

RESOLVED, The Alamance County Democratic Party requests that all backlogged sexual assault kits are tested immediately; and

RESOLVED, The Alamance County Democratic Party requests that policies are set in place so that all future sexual assault kits are tested promptly; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, The Alamance County Democratic Party advocates for policies and budget measures from all levels of local and state government that ensures all sexual assault survivors can be confident in the prompt testing of sexual assault kits.

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23) A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR ELIMINATING THE NC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION $3.00 TRANSACTION FEE (Chatham)

WHEREAS, In the past there was no fee for renewing an automobile registration online when paying by a bank transfer; and

WHEREAS, The current $3.00 transaction fee amounts to a tax; and

WHEREAS, It is cheaper and more efficient for the NC Department of Transportation to accept a payment via bank transfer rather than checks and forms that must be processed manually; and

WHEREAS, The state instantly receives the funds from a bank transfer as opposed to checks; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the NC General Assembly and/or the Governor direct the NC Department of Transportation to stop charging the $3.00 transaction fee when people renew their automobile registrations online.

24) A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF ENDING JAIL FEES FOR PERIODS OF DETENTION (Guilford)

WHEREAS, in the State of North Carolina the court system penalizes the underserved, disadvantaged, and poverty-stricken citizen with excessive court costs and fees;

WHEREAS, fees are further assessed against individuals who are detained in jail pending a judicial hearing and/or who have been sentenced to probation with an active term of incarceration;

WHEREAS, such fees are excessive as imposed against defendants who are economically disenfranchised and typically considered indigent;

WHEREAS, citizens who are detained in legal custody for acts deemed as violations against civil, state, or federal laws should not be required to pay a financial penalty merely for being detained in said custody;

WHEREAS, detention centers are thus operating as a kind of debtors’ prison, a form of social penance found to be unjust and discontinued at the federal level in 1833;

WHEREAS, when a defendant is determined to be financially unable to pay jail fees, the court indiscriminately transfers the fees to a civil judgment; and

WHEREAS, when jail fees are transferred to a civil judgment the defendant is placed in a double-jeopardy situation, subject to the collateral consequence of having their credit score negatively affected and so lose out on opportunities to qualify for financial assistance for student loans, car loans, apartment rental approvals, mortgage loans, etc.;

WHEREAS, when citizens are hindered from improving their social-economic situation as a result of such a double-jeopardy situation the citizen, family, and entire community suffer by way of increased taxes to pay for an increasingly overburdened social service safety net;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that statutory guidelines governing the imposition of jail fees against defendants who are found criminally liable shall be eliminated; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the judicial practice of charging defendants jail fees for periods of detention should cease henceforth and forevermore.

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25) A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF RATIFICATION OF THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT (Guilford)

WHEREAS, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was first proposed in 1923 to affirm that women and men have equal rights under the law;

WHEREAS, the ERA was passed by Congress in 1972 but is still not part of the U.S. Constitution because the required 38 States have not yet ratified the ERA; and

WHEREAS, it is a moral imperative that people of all genders be afforded equal rights as men in our Constitution;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party calls upon the North Carolina Democratic Party, City Councilors, County Commissioners, and other local representatives to advocate with our State Legislators and United States Congressional Delegation to support the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, which will guarantee that equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of gender and that Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of the ERA.

26) A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF BROADBAND FOR ALL (Chatham)

RESOLVED, That the North Carolina Democratic Party continue to work with the North Carolina General Assembly to ensure that everyone has affordable access to broadband internet.

27) RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF REDUCING THE EVICTION RATE IN GUILFORD COUNTY (Guilford)

WHEREAS, the rate of eviction filings at 19.4% in Guilford County is one of the highest in our State according to the Budget & Tax Center analysis of ADCVCAP data, Fiscal Year 2016-2017 and ACS 5-year estimates, 2012-2016;

WHEREAS, evictions have major negative impacts on tenants’ access to adequate housing, including denial of housing by future landlords and rendering tenants and their families ineligible for housing assistance;

WHEREAS, living in substandard housing conditions puts families at a higher risk of poor health due to structural deficiencies and environmental contaminants, which can have lasting consequences for young children;

WHEREAS, evictions also negatively impact the mental health of both adults and children, contributing to public health crises such as addiction;

WHEREAS, unstable housing arrangements are particularly threatening to the wellbeing of children, who are consequently more likely to seek treatment in emergency rooms for medical services, be underweight for their ages, be at higher risk for developmental delays, and have to change schools and social groups mid-schoolyear; and

WHEREAS, keeping people in their homes is a healthier, more economical alternative to eviction, with fewer negative outcomes for tenants and their families, our communities, and society at large;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party strongly encourages the Guilford County Commissioners, members of the Greensboro City Council, members of the High Point City Council, and members of the North Carolina General

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Assembly to provide the funding for diversion assistance and for evaluation and study of the return on investment savings to local government, economy, social services, landlords, and families;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Guilford County Democratic Party strongly encourages the North Carolina General Assembly and the Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court to revise District Court procedures so that they no longer favor landlords; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party encourages the North Carolina Democratic Party to advocate for programs that will keep residents in their homes and landlords paid their due without the negative impacts resulting from eviction filings.

References Idzikowski, Sydney. “Evictions: An Ongoing Epidemic in North Carolina.” NC Policy Watch. January 8, 2019.

http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2019/01/08/evictions-an-ongoing-epidemic-in-north-carolina/ Accessed February 24, 2019.Barron, Richard M. “Report: Greensboro Among Top Cities in the Nation for Evictions.” News & Record. May 4, 2018.

https://www.greensboro.com/news/local_news/report-greensboro-among-top-cities-in-the-nation-for-evictions/article_79009d48-27e3-546c-ba96-3dcb04d5cd93.html Accessed February 24, 2019.

Stasio, Frank, and Dana Terry. “Greensboro Eviction Rates Are Among the Highest in the Country,” The State of Things. WUNC: May 10, 2018. http://www.wunc.org/post/greensboro-eviction-rates-are-among-highest-country Accessed February 24, 2019.

Desmond, Matthew, et alia. Eviction Lab. Princeton University, [2017?] https://evictionlab.org Accessed February 24, 2019. Sills, Stephen J., Phillip Sheldon, and Kelsi Hobbs. “Greensboro’s Eviction Crisis." UNCG Center for Housing and Community Studies. University of North Carolina, Greensboro. April 13, 2018. https://chcs.uncg.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Eviction-Interviews-Report-docx.pdf Accessed February 24, 2019.

28) A RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT HB 10, REPEAL 2015 LAW RELATING TO MONUMENTS (Randolph)

WHEREAS Session Law 2015-170 requires that any alteration, relocation or removal of an object of remembrance must be approved by the N. C. Historical Commission; and

WHEREAS the local community where a monument or other object of remembrance stands may find that the monument does not accurately represent the actual historical record and no longer meets the needs of the local citizens; and

WHEREAS a monument or other object of remembrance may pose a safety hazard to the local community where it stands; and

WHEREAS having the state Historical Commission have authority over the wishes of local communities is a blatant government overreach of power, now therefore be it

RESOLVED that the NC Democratic Party supports HB 10, an act to repeal the 2015 law relating to the protection of monuments and memorials.

EDUCATION SECTION

29) RESOLUTION CALLING FOR THE REDUCTION OF PUBLIC TAX DOLLARS BEING ALLOCATED FOR THE SUPPORT OF CHARTER SCHOOLS AND ELIMINATION OF VOUCHERS FOR TUITION TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS (Guilford)

WHEREAS, well-funded public school education is essential to our democracy;

WHEREAS, the N. C. General Assembly passed legislation in 1996 that allowed tax dollars to be allocated to support a maximum of 100 charter schools;

WHEREAS, in 2017 Senate Bill 8 removed all limits on the number of N.C. charter schools;

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https://www.greensboro.com/news/local_news/report-greensboro-among-top-cities-in-the-nation-for-evictions/article_79009d48-27e3-546c-ba96-3dcb04d5cd93.html

https://www.greensboro.com/news/local_news/report-greensboro-among-top-cities-in-the-nation-for-evictions/article_79009d48-27e3-546c-ba96-3dcb04d5cd93.html


WHEREAS, the state passed legislation allowing tax dollars to be allocated for vouchers for private school tuition;

WHEREAS, traditional public schools are thus deprived of money essential for paying teachers, teacher aids, up-to-date technology, teaching materials and supplies as well as valuable enriching experiences for students;

WHEREAS, charter and private schools may choose to accept or decline a student; and

WHEREAS, public schools are required to accept and meet the needs of all students in their respective districts;

WHEREAS, charter and private schools are not required to offer free and reduced-price lunches for students;

WHEREAS, charter schools and private schools are not required to provide student transportation; and

WHEREAS, individual charter schools create their own standards and curriculum as part of their autonomy;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that to preserve tax dollars for traditional public schools, the Guilford County Democratic Party calls on the N.C. General Assembly to reinstate the cap of 100 charter schools in the state and to reinstate the original purposes of charter schools, i.e. to emphasize expanding learning experiences for students who are at risk of failure or academically talented; to encourage creative teaching methods; and to share best practices with traditional public schools;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic party urges the N.C. General Assembly to preserve tax dollars for traditional public schools by passing legislation that eliminates the use of tax dollars to fund tuition vouchers to private schools;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party urges the North Carolina Democratic Party to use every avenue available to educate legislators in the General Assembly about the need to reinstate the original 1996 cap of 100 charter schools in North Carolina and eliminate using tax dollars to fund tuition vouchers for private schools; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party urges the North Carolina Democratic Party to provide information to Democrats across N.C. about the detrimental effect on traditional public schools of giving tax dollars to fund charter schools and vouchers for private school tuition and encourage Democrats to contact their legislators in the General Assembly to pass legislation that will eliminate use of tax dollars to support vouchers for private schools and to reinstate the cap of 100 charter schools in the state.

Information Sources “Public Schools First NC/The Facts on Charter Schools” (Quick Facts on Charter Schools) htpp://.ncpublicschools.org/information/topics?role=parents&&topic=Curriculum http://ww.ncpolicywatch.com/2019/001/30/in-some-north-carolina-counties-traditional-schools-are-being-squeezed-by-charters/ (NC Policy Watch)

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http://ww.ncpolicywatch.com/2019/001/30/in-some-north-carolina-counties-traditional-schools-are-being-squeezed-by-charters/

http://ww.ncpolicywatch.com/2019/001/30/in-some-north-carolina-counties-traditional-schools-are-being-squeezed-by-charters/


SPECIAL ITEMS SECTION30) RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE GUBERNATORIAL APPOINTMENT OF ERICA STANDFIELD BRANDON TO THE POSITION OF JUDGE FOR DISTRICT 17A, SEAT 3 (Rockingham)

Whereas mandatory retirement age will cause a vacancy of office for District Court Judge for District 17A, Seat 3, before the elected term of office expires, requiring a gubernatorial appointment to fill that vacancy, and

Whereas in the 2018 Mid Term Election, Erica Standfield Brandon demonstrated her commitment to this post by campaigning for and placing second, leading the third place candidate 32.7%, and

Whereas Erica Standfield Brandon is a lifelong resident of Caswell County, and

Whereas Erica Standfield-Brandon is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science, and

Whereas Erica Standfield Brandon is also a graduate of North Carolina Central University, with a Juris Doctorate of Law, and

Whereas Erica Standfield Brandon has a wide range of legal experience, running a general law office and serving for a decade as Assistant District Attorney prosecuting thousands of cases ranging from rape, drug trafficking, serious assaults, habitual felons, driving while impaired, and child sex offense cases, and

Whereas Erica Standfield Brandon has demonstrated her dedication to our communities by serving as Trustee and Youth President at Greater Brandon Chapel Missionary Baptist Church;

Rockingham County Child Fatality Team; Rockingham County Community Child Protection Team; Mental Health/Drug Court Committee; Former member of the Arson Task Force, and

Whereas this experience and service earned her the endorsement of Republican District Attorney, the Honorable Jason Ramey, under whom she now serves as Senior Prosecutor, and the endorsement of numerous retired members of the Law Enforcement Community, and

Whereas Erica Standfield Brandon’s vote share lead all Democratic candidates in Rockingham and Caswell Counties, demonstrating her Bipartisan support, and

Whereas Erica Standfield Brandon is known to the citizens of Rockingham County as having a record for "firm, yet fair" prosecution in a large number and broad scope of cases in her capacity as Assistant District Attorney, and,

Whereas the appointment of the first Female African American to the Courts in Rockingham County would be of historic significance, and

Whereas the Democratic Party Platform supports diversity and judicial equity;

Now, Therefore Be It Resolved, that members of the Rockingham County Democratic Party support and encourage the appointment of Erica Standfield Brandon to the position of District 17A Judge, Seat 3, by NC Governor Roy Cooper.

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NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL RESOLUTIONS

POLITICAL REFORM SECTION

31) MAKE GENERAL ELECTION DAY A PAID TIME-OFF HOLIDAY (Chatham)

RESOLVED, That the North Carolina Democratic Party make it a priority to establish the General Election day as a recognized paid time-off holiday.

32) RESOLUTION URGING NORTH CAROLINA'S U.S. SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES TO PASS CONTINUING RESOLUTIONS AND END GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNS BY THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT (Guilford)

WHEREAS, due to political party disparities or budgetary gaps, Congress is not always able to meet spending bill deadlines; however, during such incidents, the Federal government usually continues to run through the passage of continuing resolutions, rather than through a government shutdown;

WHEREAS, workers within the Federal government, contract workers for the Federal government, essential and non-essential Federal workers and essential and non-essential Federal agencies can all be negatively impacted by the lack of funding resulting from a government shutdown;

WHEREAS, such negative impacts occur in secondary agencies on the Federal and State level causing economic harm to state and federal workers, agencies and programs and the all citizens;

WHEREAS, leadership in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate did not lose wages during the most recent government shutdown while many United States citizens lost wages and faced economic hardship and uncertainty; and

WHEREAS, during the most recent government shutdown, vital components of our country, including our National Park Service, TSA, FAA, Border Security, the Intelligence community, the Federal Judiciary, the IRS, the FDA, and countless other agencies, were neglected and adversely affected;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party urges our Senators and Representatives in the U.S. Congress to stop government shutdowns by the Executive Branch and to utilize continuing budgetary resolutions (CR) to maintain full funding to alleviate dangerous and negative impacts across the United States while they work to resolve funding disagreements.

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33) RESOLUTION CALLING FOR MEMBERS OF THE U.S. CONGRESS TO BE REQUIRED TO HOLD REGULAR, NON-PRESCREENED, TOWN HALL MEETINGS IN THEIR DISTRICTS, THE SAME TO BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR ALL THEIR CONSTITUENTS (Guilford)

WHEREAS, members of the U.S. Congress represent the constituents of their respective districts and serve at the pleasure of those constituents;

WHEREAS, there is a need for a deliberate and civil dialogue between citizens and their elected officials in order to assure appropriate, fair, and mindful representation of all constituents, not just the constituents who are aligned with the Member’s party affiliation;

WHEREAS, constituents should be allowed a period of time during such Town Hall Meetings to make inquiries regarding pending legislative action that may occur and to provide input into said pending legislative action that may be voted on at a later time to ensure their Representative is aware of the constituents concerns and positions regarding such legislation; and

WHEREAS, members of the U.S. Congress should take positions on the issues based on the concerns and needs of their constituents and should more fairly reflect positions held by their collective constituents rather than reflecting the demands and pressures of their political parties, donors, lobbyists, and lobbying groups;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party urges its members of the U.S. Congress to hold regular, open-to-the-public, Town Hall Meetings for their constituents and that such meetings not be prescreened or orchestrated to prevent an open exchange of opinions and ideas; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party urges all voters to hold their Congressional members accountable on Election Day when those members pass legislation that is in direct opposition to the needs, benefits, and desires of their constituents and that creates a negative impact on the majority of their constituents.

34) A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE ABOLITION OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE (Guilford)

WHEREAS, the Electoral College came into existence to insure that there were candidates for President, and after 1800 candidates or Vice President, from all sections of the United States;

WHEREAS, the Electoral College came into existence at a time when mass communications did not exist and when people in one section of the country were less likely to know other sectional leaders;

WHEREAS, political parties have now long performed the function of candidate selection;

WHEREAS, the formula for selecting Electors to the Electoral College, i.e. two Senators plus the number of Representatives based on population from each State, favors smaller, less-populated states; and

WHEREAS, several times in U.S. history, the popular vote winner has lost the election to the Electoral College vote winner;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party supports the abolition of the Electoral College.

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35) RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF RESPONSIBLE REPRESENTATION (Guilford)

WHEREAS, adherence to the Constitution, personal integrity, respect for science and historical precedent, and responsiveness to citizens’ views are crucial to the political process; and

WHEREAS, displaying personal integrity and cooperation are increasingly difficult in our currently polarized political climate;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party supports elected officials, judicial officials, and law enforcement personnel who uphold the Constitution, display personal integrity and respect scientific research and historical precedent to effectively represent their constituents’ views.

36) RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES PROVIDING THAT THE RIGHTS EXTENDED BY THE CONSTITUTION ARE THE RIGHTS OF NATURAL PERSONS ONLY (Guilford)

WHEREAS, resolutions are an important part of the North Carolina Democratic Party and its proceedings;

WHEREAS, concentration of wealth and power endangers our democracy and threatens to turn our government into an oligarchy1;

WHEREAS, corporations are not natural persons;

WHEREAS, money is not speech;

WHEREAS, artificial entities are subject to the rule of law;

WHEREAS, service men and woman put their lives and health at risk to defend democracy;

WHEREAS, it is incumbent upon the populace to assure that the sacrifices of our service men and women are not made "in vain, that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth";2

WHEREAS, House Joint Resolution 125 (HJR 125) of the 2015 session of General Assembly of North Carolina proposed that the General Assembly call on Congress to propose and send to the states for ratification an amendment to the Constitution to affirm that constitutional rights belong only to natural persons; that spending money "to influence elections is not protected free speech under the First Amendment"; "that the privileges of artificial entities" are not "inherent or inalienable and are subject to regulation by the people, through federal, State or local law"; and that nothing in the proposed amendment would "abridge the freedom of the press."; 3

WHEREAS, HJR 125 was referred to the Committee on Rules, Calendar and Operations on March 3, 2015; and

WHEREAS, HJR 125 missed the legislative crossover deadline;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party has determined that artificial entities, such as corporations and labor unions, are legal entities

1

2

3

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that government regulates and that the privileges they enjoy under the United States Constitution should be more narrowly defined than the rights that are afforded to human beings; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party encourages the members of the US Congress that represent Guilford County to co-sponsor legislation whose sections listed below will be effective “upon ratification by three-fourths of the several States:”

“ SECTION 1. THE RIGHTS PROTECTED BY THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES ARE THE RIGHTS OF NATURAL PERSONS ONLY. ARTIFICIAL

ENTITIES, SUCH AS CORPORATIONS, LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANIES, AND OTHER ENTITIES, ESTABLISHED BY THE LAWS OF ANY STATE, THE UNITED STATES, OR

ANY FOREIGN STATE SHALL HAVE NO RIGHTS UNDER THIS CONSTITUTION AND ARE SUBJECT TO

REGULATION BY THE PEOPLE, THROUGH FEDERAL, STATE, OR LOCAL LAW. THE PRIVILEGES OF ARTIFICIAL

ENTITIES SHALL BE DETERMINED BY THE PEOPLE, THROUGH FEDERAL, STATE, OR LOCAL LAW, AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED TO BE INHERENT OR

INALIENABLE.

“ SECTION 2. FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT SHALL REGULATE, LIMIT, OR PROHIBIT CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPENDITURES, INCLUDING A

CANDIDATE’S OWN CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPENDITURES, TO ENSURE THAT ALL CITIZENS,

REGARDLESS OF THEIR ECONOMIC STATUS, HAVE ACCESS TO THE POLITICAL PROCESS, AND THAT NO

PERSON GAINS, AS A RESULT OF THAT PERSON’S MONEY, SUBSTANTIALLY MORE ACCESS OR ABILITY TO

INFLUENCE IN ANY WAY THE ELECTION OF ANY CANDIDATE FOR PUBLIC OFFICE OR ANY BALLOT

MEASURE. FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS SHALL REQUIRE THAT ANY

PERMISSIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPENDITURES BE PUBLICLY DISCLOSED. THE JUDICIARY SHALL NOT

CONSTRUE THE SPENDING OF MONEY TO INFLUENCE ELECTIONS TO BE SPEECH UNDER THE FIRST

AMENDMENT.”;4

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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party urges the North Carolina Democratic Party to encourage members of the North Carolina General Assembly to propose and submit a joint resolution to the General Assembly which contains the two sections listed above and that requires the Secretary of State to send certified copies of this resolution to all members of the North Carolina congressional delegation;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party urges the North Carolina Democratic Party to call upon the Democratic legislative delegation to the General Assembly to call upon the committee assigned to the proposed resolution to insist that the committee release the proposal in a timely manner bringing it to a vote before the end of the legislative session; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party urges all Democrats to commit their actions, time, ideas, energy, treasury and prayers toward ensuring integrity of the electoral process and the democracy that it serves, henceforth and forevermore.

1Gilens, Martin. Affluence and Influence Economic Inequality and Political Power in America. Princeton University Press.Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, November 19, 1863, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania3House Joint Resolution 125, General Assembly of North Carolina, Session 2015 4 H. J. Res 48, in the House of Representative, January 30 2017

37) A RESOLUTION TO REAFFIRM “RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF FAIR LOCAL REPRESENTATION” (Guilford)

WHEREAS, a resolution was introduced, and passed at the District 13 Convention of 2018;

WHEREAS, that resolution is now hung up at the State Democratic Resolutions Committee;

WHEREAS, that resolution has been ‘tweaked’ by the original author to comply with the above committee’s recommendations;

WHEREAS, one of the Democratic Party’s beliefs, as stated on https://democrats.org/about/our-party/ is “that this country succeeds when everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same rules”;

WHEREAS, a disproportionate majority of office holders are older, white males;

WHEREAS, racial minorities and women are underrepresented in the State and Federal governments;

WHEREAS, in order for unrepresented people to garner that representation, they need to run against the incumbents in primary elections;

WHEREAS, the DCCC, in its “Standards for DCCC Political Vendors” has stated “…the DCCC will not conduct business with, nor recommend to any of its targeted campaigns, any consultant that works with an opponent of a sitting Member of the House Democratic Caucus,” which undermines the ability of non-incumbents to run for office; and

WHEREAS, that policy is undemocratic and underscores the need for last year’s resolution to be accepted by the committee and presented to the State Executive Committee.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party urges the State Resolution Committee to approve the “RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF FAIR LOCAL REPRESENTATION”, as amended, a copy of which is immediately below, and present it to the State Executive Committee at the next meeting, tentatively scheduled for June of 2019.

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https://democrats.org/about/our-party/


(REF) RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF FAIR LOCAL REPRESENTATION

(RESOLUTION AT STATE COMMITTEE)

WHEREAS, the Democratic Party Voters of this great nation want to keep their votes as control over their local representation, as provided under the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution; and

WHEREAS, the North Carolina Plan of Organization paragraph 10.03 specifies provisions for vacating and temporarily relinquishing holding party office when acting as campaigning manager in primaries; and

WHEREAS, the support of local democratic candidates in a contested primary by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) may be considered an outside forces interfering in local political races; and

WHEREAS, the financial support and endorsement of local democratic candidates in a contested primary by the DCCC may be considered an outside force by Democratic Party elected representatives outside their district; and

WHEREAS, this influence by people or groups not being represented by the eventual winner subverts the democratic process by undermining the purpose and function of primaries; and

WHEREAS, those outside forces cause division within the district of that local election being affected by these outside forces, as visibly evidenced by animosity on social media in arguments about the US House race in Guilford County, NC and other races; and

WHEREAS, it can be argued that these outside forces usurp the protection afforded, under the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution, the one-person, one-vote rule; and

WHEREAS, the Democratic party needs to claim the moral high ground by supporting free and fair elections, noting that outside support of candidates during the primary election process can lead to disruptive and undemocratic suppression of local voters;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Delegates to the 13th Congressional District Democratic Party deems the DCCC support of local candidates during the primary election process to be a disruptive and undemocratic force; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Democratic Party to stay committed to eliminating outside forces from influencing local elections; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Delegates to the 13th Congressional District Democratic Party request that the NC Democratic Party demand that the DCCC and DSCC support of candidates in the primary election that have other Democratic candidates, to be stopped.

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GUN CONTROL SECTION38) A RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT THE ENACTMENT OF COMMON SENSE GUN REGULATION (Randolph)

WHEREAS, we recognize that the right to bear arms has been held to be an individual right of the citizens of this country by the United States Supreme Court, as the remainder of the rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights, however that same Court does permit reasonable and necessary limits to that right, and

WHEREAS, a 2017 CDC study found that gunfire kills about 1,300 children each year and injures nearly 5,800 more; and

WHEREAS, a 2003 study by Jacquelyn C. Campbell, et al published in the American Journal of Public Health found that the presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of the woman being killed by five times; and

WHEREAS, America’s gun homicide rate is more than the average of other high-income nations; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the North Carolina Legislature should enact common sense legislation to protect the safety of N.C. residents and families as follows:

1. Enacting the Extreme Risk Protection Order, which allows families and law enforcement to ask the courts to temporarily remove guns from individuals who endanger themselves or the community.

2. Enhance the National Instant Criminal Background Check (NICS) by requiring any public agency in North Carolina to enter all relevant data in their custody into NICS in a prompt and timely manner.

3. Develop a method of coordinating the entry of relevant mental health data that would prohibit an individual from legally possessing a firearm into NICS, while maintaining the confidentiality of the individual and providing an avenue for judicial redress for that individual as required to ensure due process.

4. Mandate that any individual within the State who intends to transfer possession of a firearm into the custody of another individual ascertain that the receiver of that firearm is not prohibited by law to possess the firearm being transferred.

5. Increase the age to legally purchase a semiautomatic centerfire firearm with a capacity in excess of ten rounds to 21 years of age.

6. Making tip lines available statewide.

7. Provide funding to increase the number of school psychologists and counselors.

8. Directing the Center for Safer Schools to recommend more funding for trained school resource officers and coordination with local law enforcement agencies.

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39) A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR RESPONSIBLE REQUIREMENTS FOR GUN OWNERSHIP (Chatham)

WHEREAS, Research demonstrates that gun laws that restrict access to high-powered weapons reduce gun-related deaths; and

WHEREAS, The rate of firearm-related deaths (homicide, suicide, unintentional deaths) in the United States is 7 times higher than in other developed countries, and, for youth ages 15 to 24, the gun homicide rate is 49 times higher than in other countries (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26551975); and

WHEREAS, Our lack of responsible gun ownership, as well as the undue influence of gun manufacturers and gun lobbyists, has needlessly endangered our citizens and violated one of the principal goals of the U.S. Constitution, as outlined in its preamble, "to insure domestic tranquility"; and

WHEREAS, Recent polling demonstrates that a majority of the American public, including legal gun owners, support a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines, extensive background checks for gun ownership, as well as other measures; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Democratic Party support enacting a ban on military-style weapons for civilian use (“assault weapons”) and high capacity magazines; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Democratic Party support responsible requirements for gun licenses and universal background checks for any and all firearms purchases.

40) RESOLUTION CALLING FOR REASONABLE GUN CONTROL AND BANNING MILITARY ASSAULT TYPE RIFLES (Guilford)

WHEREAS, safety training, background checks, age limits are positive factors that do not impede 2nd amendment rights;

WHEREAS, the majority of U.S. citizens support reasonable factors that can allow gun ownership in a safer manner;

WHEREAS, securing accurate data is imperative which requires the U.S. Congress to appropriate funding for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to conduct research on gun violence and maintain the 1996 Dickey Amendment which prohibits CDC funds to be used for lobbying;

WHEREAS, private studies and research indicate that states with less restrictive laws have more gun violence than those states with more restrictive laws, thus it can be extrapolated that tighter background checks, safety training; age requirements, and liability laws can impact these outcomes in a positive manner;

WHEREAS, collected numbers shows that there are approximately 40,000 gun related deaths in 2017; of those 60% are suicides and 2% are accidental;

WHEREAS, mass shootings due to large quantity of ammunition has a taken unrivaled toll on our country, a number of the shootings taking place in our schools;

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WHEREAS, there is no discernible sporting or self-defense justification for military-style assault rifles,WHEREAS, the lethality of these weapons has been demonstrated in multiple mass shooting events;

WHEREAS, the weapon of choice of mass shootings is an assault weapon, with high capacity clips and in one case a “bump stock”, none of these (assault weapons, high capacity clips, or “bump stock”) are constitutionally protected;

WHEREAS, evidence shows that Child-Access Prevention laws decrease both suicides among children and accidental death/injuries; evidence also indicates that background checks reduce gun violence while Stand-Your -Ground laws increase violent crimes;

WHEREAS, studies show that homes with guns show a 41% higher chance of homicide; a 224% increase in the chance of suicide; 2 times the chance of a member of the household being murdered – this evidence shows that more guns do not mean more safety; and

WHEREAS, gun violence or accidents cannot totally be prevented, reasonable actions can be taken to reduce the amount of gun violence;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Guilford county Democratic Party urges the N.C. General Assembly to increase the minimum age of persons eligible for gun ownership - to be determined with committee input, create gun safety training with increased practice hours; and require households with guns to purchase and maintain liability insurance due to guns being listed as deadly weapons such as we do with automobiles;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party requests our N.C. General Assembly, U.S. Congressional Representatives, along with our U.S. Senators, provide adequate funding for gun violence research for the CDC;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party urges the N.C. General Assembly and our U.S. Representatives and Senators to support legislation that requires background checks on gun purchasers, that closes the gun-show loophole by requiring background checks on all gun sales, and that advocates for Child-Access Prevention laws; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party urges the North Carolina General Assembly to pass legislation banning the sale and possession of military-style assault rifles in North Carolina.

ENVIRONMENT SECTION41) A RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT RENEWABLE ENERGY IN NORTH CAROLINA (Chatham)

WHEREAS, The Shearon Harris Nuclear Plant, now 25 years old, sits less than two miles from a fault-line and houses one of the largest spent-fuel storage facilities in the U.S.; and

WHEREAS, More than two million people live within 50 miles of this nuclear power plant, and the threat of earthquakes from fracking is real; and

WHEREAS, Renewable sources of energy are becoming more and more viable and affordable; and

WHEREAS, Green technologies offer the potential for creating good-paying,

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permanent jobs; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the North Carolina Democratic Party advocate for additional state and Federal support for research and implementation of renewable energy.

42) A RESOLUTION FOR IMMEDIATE, SUSTAINED AND EXTRAORDINARY ACTION TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE BY TRANSITIONING OUR ECONOMY TO CLEAN ENERGY SOURCES (Chatham)

WHEREAS, Earth is warming at an alarming and accelerating rate due to human-produced greenhouse gas emissions, changing regional and global climate with impacts felt worldwide; and

WHEREAS, International scientific assessments estimate we have a small window of time, as short as 12 years, in which to implement effective corrective actions to avoid the worst effects of climate change; and

WHEREAS, Massive investments in clean energy generation and distribution systems, including associated research and development and workforce training to support this transformation will be required to achieve these goals; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Chatham County Democratic Party stand in favor of dramatic and forceful action to rapidly transition our economy to sustainable, reliable and clean sources of energy, working with leaders in education, business, labor, communities and governments at all levels; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Chatham County Democratic Party stand in favor of the North Carolina Democratic Party supporting this resolution and calling for it to be a top priority of the Democratic Party platform.

HEALTH SECTION43) RESOLUTION CALLING FOR IMPOSING PRICE CAPS ON NON CURRENT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS (Guilford)

WHEREAS, data collected from various reports, namely used: Global Health Justice Partnership Policy Paper (Yale, 2017), indicate such resolutions would benefit American citizens, overall healthcare costs, and access to medicines which support health across the nation;

WHEREAS, in key report findings States should target excessive pricing for both generic and brand-name drugs, both by prohibiting unfair launch prices and by capping annual price increases;

WHEREAS, findings stress states should mandate the public release of as much information as possible about pricing, as well as development, manufacturing, and marketing costs on a drug-by-drug basis;

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WHEREAS, more than one in four Americans currently taking prescription medications report difficulty affording them, which impacts our fellow citizens across the nation as well as our North Carolina state;

WHEREAS, one in eight report that they or a family member have cut pills in half or skipped doses due to high drug costs;

WHEREAS, nearly two-thirds of Americans – regardless of political affiliation – believe

that lowering the cost of prescription drugs should be a top policy priority; and

WHEREAS, these findings are indicative of healthcare in the United States, each State within the Union can legislate policies in which they hold Congressional/Senate leadership accountable in aiding big pharmaceutical companies responsible for unreasonably pricing structures;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party urges the N.C. General Assembly to draft legislation that will seek and define Fair Pricing, Lobbying and Political Donations Transparency, and Legal Resources for N.C. citizens manipulated by price gouging; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the delegates from the Guilford County Democratic Party urges the Congressional/Senate Leadership to actively pursue legislation that requires top pharmaceutical companies to impose restructuring models to curb exorbitant pricing, or face Federal regulation.

https://law.yale.edu/system/files/area/center/ghjp/documents/curbing_unfair_drug_prices-policy_paper-080717.pdf

44) RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE DISABILITY INTEGRATION ACT HR 555 AND 117 (Guilford)

WHEREAS, nursing homes and other institutions are often abusive, including rape, to the elderly and disabled young;

WHEREAS, nursing homes are vastly more expensive than community-based care, when community-based facilities are struggling to stay afloat;

WHEREAS, nursing homes may leave people to die in natural disasters;

WHEREAS, the current Congress is rolling back protections for the disabled;

WHEREAS, funding has been threatened;

WHEREAS, passing the Disability Integration Act (S. 117 H.R. 555) would reverse decades of institutional bias and give people access to in-home care so they can stay in their communities; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we must stand with nursing home residents to fight for their rights and protections to reduce abuse; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we must fight to keep and even expand funding to better care for the disabled and elderly; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Home Health Care Services should be included into the Disability Act with The Disability Integration Act; and

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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Guilford County Democratic Party calls on our Congressional representatives to pay attention to and support The Disability Integration Act (S.117, H.R. 555); and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that it’s time to pass The Disability Integration Act (S.117, H.R. 555); and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we will hold our Senators and Representatives accountable to pass the Disability Integration Act by holding them accountable in their next election.

45) A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE (Chatham)

WHEREAS, Thousands of our residents die or suffer debilitating lives because they do not receive quality health care; and

WHEREAS, Every other advanced democracy delivers equal or better health care to all its citizens at significantly lower costs; and

WHEREAS, It is our moral duty and an inalienable right to each individual resident, as well as prudent economic practice; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Democratic Party stand in favor of a health care policy that guarantees quality care to all residents and is delivered in the most cost-effective way regardless of a resident’s ability to pay.

46) RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF "MEDICARE FOR ALL" LEGISLATION (Guilford)

WHEREAS, our current medical system leaves millions of people uninsured or underinsured, thereby severely limiting their access to medical care;

WHEREAS, limited access to medical care can be deadly;

WHEREAS, our current medical system rations care based on the ability to pay;

WHEREAS, under our current system of care, private corporate health insurers, often chosen by our employers, stand between us and our care providers by:

determining which physicians and hospitals we can see; setting the amounts of deductibles and co-payments at levels that often make

appropriate treatments impossible; and by denying claims for medical care that our medical providers judge medically

necessary;

WHEREAS, many families with insurance have gone bankrupt because of the costs of a catastrophic illness and many families fear that they are one illness or accident away from financial ruin;

WHEREAS, employers in the United States who provide sound, comprehensive medical policies, with low deductibles and co-pays place themselves at a competitive disadvantage with foreign companies whose countries use a single payer systems as well as with those American companies that provide less comprehensive packages;

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WHEREAS, the current health care system creates a perverse incentive to companies to avoid having an “aging workforce” which would raise insurance premiums1; and

WHEREAS, residents of the United States spent far more on health care per capital in 2015 than 15 other high income countries including Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom but did not have better outcomes2; and

WHEREAS, Gerald Friedman, Ph.D., Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, found that under the expired bill HR676, the US would have saved approximately 592 billion dollars per year:

Under the single-payer system created by HR 676, the U.S. could save an estimated $592 billion annually by slashing the

administrative waste associated with the private insurance industry ($476 billion) and reducing pharmaceutical prices to European levels ($116 billion). In 2014, the savings would be enough to cover all 44 million uninsured and upgrade benefits for everyone else. No other

plan can achieve this magnitude of savings on health care.3

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party encourages all state and federal legislators to support a bill that would: cover every resident for all medically necessary care including vision, dental and long term care at the best standard of care; provide enrollees a full choice of providers; eliminate cost barriers; levy a predictable, stable medical payroll tax whose rate will be the same for all employers and provide a transparent mechanism for determining what care is covered and defining the best standard of care;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that such a bill be termed “Medicare for All”;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party send a copy of its statement supporting Medicare for All to every congressman representing Guilford County; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party urges the North Carolina Democratic Party to encourage the North Carolina General Assembly to issue a joint resolution calling upon the United States House of Representatives to pass Medicare for All and requiring that the Secretary of State send a certified copy of this joint resolution to every member of Congress representing North Carolina.

1Richard Masters, CEO of MCS, “Medicare for All” Town Hall 1/23/20182 http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2015/oct/us-health-care-from-a-global-perspective3Funding H.R. 676: The Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act How we can afford a national single-payer health plan By Gerald Friedman, Ph.D. July 31, 2013

47) RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF A NEW PARADIGM IN VETERANS’ HEALTHCARE (Guilford)

WHEREAS, Veterans’ healthcare is in multiple ways a vital part of this nation’s security;

WHEREAS, current Veterans healthcare too often requires extensive travel to available facilities;

WHEREAS, current facilities [VA Hospitals] too often maintain excessively long wait lists for care;

WHEREAS, referenced wait lists most often result in serious negative outcomes to veterans' health, including sometimes unnecessary and premature death; and

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WHEREAS, virtually all VA acute care hospitals are affiliated with Medical Universities;THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Guilford County Democratic Party urges the Veteran's Administration to adopt a new paradigm for the care and treatment of our Veterans;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that every veteran of the US Armed Forces be given a paid Medicare Account [Parts A, B, C, D, e.g.,] so that veterans may experience the same access to care as every other citizen; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party supports a plan by which all VA acute care hospitals and associated staff, equipment and supplies are absorbed by their affiliated medical universities over a period of five years.

LEGAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE SECTION48) RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE REINSTATEMENT OF NET NEUTRALITY (Guilford)

WHEREAS, Net Neutrality is defined as: the principle that Internet service providers should enable access to all content and applications regardless of the source, and without favoring or blocking particular products or websites;

WHEREAS, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission dismantled Net Neutrality on June 11, 2018;

WHEREAS, access to the internet is no longer a luxury service and has become a necessity in education, employment, personal finance, consumer awareness, and information literacy; and

WHEREAS, the government policy of Net Neutrality protects the internet as a free market place, and the absence of net neutrality violates a fundamental American principle of free trade. The absence of free trade puts small businesses at a disadvantage and gives businesses who can pay for search engine placement at an unfair advantage which allows consumer prices to rise in the absence of a competitive market place;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party urges the North Carolina Democratic Party to research the effects of the dismantling of Net Neutrality and take steps to restore Net Neutrality to the United States of America henceforth and forevermore.

Information SourcesSmall business, big impact: Far-reaching effects of net neutrality repealhttp://techgenix.com/repeal-of-net-neutrality/Net Neutrality Has Officially Been Repealed. Here’s How That Could Affect You. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/11/technology/net-neutrality-repeal.htmlNet Neutrality Explained: What It Means (and Why It Matters)http://fortune.com/2017/11/23/net-neutrality-explained-what-it-means-and-why-it-matters/

49) A RESOLUTION TO RENEW THE DACA (DEFERRED ACTION FOR CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS) PROGRAM AND A PATH TO CITIZENSHIP FOR DACA RECIPIENTS (Randolph)

WHEREAS, Undocumented individuals brought to the US as children know no other country than the US, and

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http://fortune.com/2017/11/23/net-neutrality-explained-what-it-means-and-why-it-matters/

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/11/technology/net-neutrality-repeal.html

http://techgenix.com/repeal-of-net-neutrality/


WHEREAS, DACA recipients generally have been long-term members of our local communities, and

WHEREAS, DACA recipients work, attend school, and participate in society, and WHEREAS, society makes an important long-term investment of many of its resources in the raising of children to be productive, healthy and well-integrated members of society, and the rejection of DACA children and youth once such a significant investment has already been made in their education, acculturation and well-being would betray a wasteful disregard for their great value to our society; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the NC and Randolph County Democratic Parties support continual support of DACA recipients by extending the DACA program and providing them with a pathway to citizenship.

FOREIGN POLICY SECTION50) A CALL FOR THE APPLICATION OF THE LEAHY PROVISIONS TO MILITARY AID FOR ALL SECURITY FORCES (Chatham)

Background: First framed in 1997, the Leahy amendment to the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act, made permanent in the Foreign Assistance Act of 2008, prevents U.S. funds from going to security forces that have committed serious human rights violations. It provides for a vetting apparatus and process for accused units.

WHEREAS, The Leahy provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act prohibit disbursement of funds from the State Department and the Department of Defense to foreign security forces that violate human rights; and

WHEREAS, Many of the countries to which the United States gives military aid—for example, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Israel, the Gulf Monarchies, Myanmar—have a history of committing human rights violations; and

WHEREAS, The Leahy provisions have been applied inconsistently; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That military aid to any unit of the security forces of a foreign country that has been accused of committing a gross violation of human rights be suspended as specified in U.S. law until allegations are investigated and human rights violations stopped.

51) A RESOLUTION TO RESTORE PAYMENT FOR VENEZUELA’S OIL EXPORTS (Chatham)

WHEREAS, The number of families seeking entry from countries south of the U.S. land border with Mexico is significantly boosted by past U.S. interventions in those countries; and

WHEREAS, The mixed economy of Venezuela dedicates major oil revenues to housing, education, and medical care and necessitates importing many essential goods historically bought with oil revenues; and

WHEREAS, U.S. sanctions prevent CITGO Petroleum Corporation from paying

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Venezuela the money it is due from the sale of Venezuelan fuels in the U.S.; and

WHEREAS, Complex U.S. sanctions policy contributes to deepening Venezuela’s plight; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Democratic Party call on Congress to release and restore the payment for Venezuela’s oil exports to strengthen the Venezuelan economy and improve the quality of life for Venezuelans.

OTHER RESOLUTIONS SECTION52) RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF BANNING MANDATORY PRE-DISPUTE ARBITRATION AGREEMENTS FROM CONTRACTS (Guilford)

WHEREAS, private companies have been able to override Congress’s decisions and sidestep accountability under the law, and millions of consumers have found the courtroom doors locked through mandatory arbitration clauses1;

WHEREAS , these clauses are found in many types of agreements: employment, health, internet services, etc.,2; and

WHEREAS, these contracts are not negotiated by parties of approximately equal bargaining power but are usually written by corporations who have the power to require acceptance of the clause as a condition of receiving services or being hired3;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party finds banning mandatory pre-dispute contracts necessary to redress consumer and employee harm and incentivize corporate legal compliance;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party shall issue a statement in support of legislation banning mandatory pre-dispute arbitration clauses in contracts;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party shall send a copy of this statement to every Congressperson representing Guilford County; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the North Carolina Democratic Party calls upon the North Carolina General Assembly to issue a joint resolution calling upon the United States House of Representatives to pass legislation banning pre-dispute arbitration clauses from contracts and to require the Secretary of State to send a certified copy of this joint resolution to every member of Congress representing North Carolina.1 Wilmerhale.com, CFPB Releases Final Rule Banning Certain Pre-Dispute Arbitration Agreements CFPB Releases Final Rule Banning Certain Pre-Dispute Arbitration Agreements, Wilmerhale.com, July 12, 2017, https://www.wilmerhale.com/en/insights/client-alerts/2017-07-12-cfpb-releases-final-rule-banning-certain-pre-dispute-arbitration-agreements (quoting Richard Cordray, Former Director, CFPB.2 Reich, Robert B. Saving Capitalism. New York: First Vintage Books, 2015, pp. 55-56.3Ibid. p. 564 Wilmerhale.com

53) RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE CREATION OF JOBS WHICH REPAIR OR IMPROVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (Guilford)

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https://www.wilmerhale.com/en/insights/client-alerts/2017-07-12-cfpb-releases-final-rule-banning-certain-pre-dispute-arbitration-agreements

https://www.wilmerhale.com/en/insights/client-alerts/2017-07-12-cfpb-releases-final-rule-banning-certain-pre-dispute-arbitration-agreements


WHEREAS, the American Society of Civil Engineers in its 2017 Infrastructure Report Card estimated that $4.6 trillion in infrastructure work over ten years, needs to be accomplished, and that less than half of that amount is funded now;

WHEREAS, direct public investment in the United States public transportation network can meet the Nation’s infrastructure needs without selling off roads and bridges to private citizens and foreign entities;

WHEREAS, direct public investment in high speed rail transportation between cities could help eliminate congestion on highways, eliminate the necessity of more lanes, and save energy;

WHEREAS, any infrastructure package should include building high speed internet to ensure that this increasingly essential resource is available to all Americans in all areas of the country to promote economic development and public safety;

WHEREAS, any investment in the Nation’s roads and bridges must support the repair and rehabilitation of existing assets, improving their ability to withstand more extreme weather conditions, including relocating structures, targeting expansions to reduce congestion, improving air and water quality, and enabling job growth;

WHEREAS, infrastructure improvement will reduce accidents and reduce catastrophic spills and releases into the environment and communities of harmful substances, saving expensive cleanups and preventing harm to living things;

WHEREAS, the Nation must ensure that every child who attends a public school has safe facilities that contribute to a high-quality education, the Nation must invest in the construction, renovation, repair and modernization of its schools;

WHEREAS, public investment should aim to build resilient communities and infrastructure protection to ensure that the nation’s infrastructure can withstand cyber-attacks, physical attacks, and extreme weather conditions;

WHEREAS, no group of the Nation’s inhabitants should be left out of infrastructure improvement, public investment includes Tribal transportation and facilities;

WHEREAS, that this plan prioritizes public investment;

WHEREAS, that it advances the public good and safety along with better environmental protection;

WHEREAS, that it prioritizes racial and gender equity and environmental justice; and

WHEREAS, the plan engages with private industry to find new ways to expand passenger rail service for work and pleasure;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Guilford County Democratic Party supports an infrastructure plan that will invest in creating millions of new jobs through investments in infrastructure; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this plan embraces 21st century clean, sustainable energy, including expanding solar and wind power, promoting energy efficiency, modernizing the electrical grid, and avoiding support for projects and jobs that promote fossil fuel use, hastening the disastrous effects of climate change.

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Documents

8) A Resolution Supporting a Nonpartisan …€¦ · Web viewThat the Chatham County Democratic Party stand in favor of the North Carolina Democratic Party supporting this resolution