Jefferson County Democrats Resolutions

2010 Resolutions

May 2002: Resolution for Instant Runoff Voting

March 2010: Resolution on Tax Revenue for Washington State

January 2010: Resolution to Protect Farmers from Drift of Genetically Engineered Material

2009 Resolutions

January 2009: Border Patrol Resolution

February 2009: Land Swap Resolution

August 2009: Health Care Resolution

September 2009: Washington State Democrats Health Care Resolution

2008 Resolutions

1. Environment and Energy Independence

RESOLUTION TO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT AND FOSTER ENERGY INDEPENDENCE

WHEREAS, the world is facing life threatening climate change from greenhouse
emissions resulting from global warming; and
WHEREAS, the use of fossil fuels is the major contributor to the production of greenhouse gases; and
WHEREAS. environmental problems are due to wasteful and unsustainable
consumption; and
WHEREAS, the United States has not joined the international community in signing the Kyoto agreement; and
WHEREAS, the United States continues to despoil precious WILDERNESS to extract polluting fuels; and
WHEREAS, the preservation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is necessary for all inhabitants; and
WHEREAS, fossil fuels have reached "peak production"; and
WHEREAS, conservation of energy has proven affect in reducing pollution; and
WHEREAS, bio-accumulative toxins including heavy metals, PCBs, phalates, and dioxin causes poisoning of all organisms in the food web including fish, wildlife and humans; and
WHEREAS, the restoration of Puget Sound ecosystem is essential for salmon survival; and
WHEREAS, a national energy policy should lead to independence from foreign resources
WHEREAS, growing, transporting and refining of corn for ethanol purposes requires more energy that ethanol produces; and
WHEREAS, farmers are, and will be growing crops for ethanol purposes on land once used for food crops; and
WHEREAS ethanol crops will result in higher food prices, less food products, and more carbon dioxide; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT The Democratic Party of these several regional, state and federal parties support the signing of the international treaty on Global Warming, preserve the pristine state of remaining wilderness and keep public lands in the trust of the public. Pursue policies of rational and sustainable use of resources that maintain ecosystem integrity, species preservation and the general health of the planet. Make a priority of legislation to develop a sustainable energy policy relying on renewable energy sources such as wind, wave, solar and geothermal. Make illegal the sale of lead shot. Implement a grand plan for solar energy to achieve 100% of electrical energy by 2050. Encourage the development of ethanol only through biomass sources, such as sugar cane and swamp grass resulting in a net benefit to the country and not higher food cost or an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Submitted to the WSDCC for consideration at its June 14, 2008 meeting in Spokane by the Jefferson County Democrats

3. Public Financing of Electoral Campaigns
WHEREAS our political system at all levels is increasingly dominated by the influence of large sums of private money to finance electoral campaigns, whereby: 1.)-Large special interest donors have undue political access to lawmakers and influence over public policy , 2.) -The current system of privately financed campaigns actually selects for candidates who are proficient at raising money - regardless of their commitment or ability to represent voters in their district, and 3.)-Main Street desires of ordinary citizens are too often trumped by Wall Street influence, the demands and quid-pro-quos of large campaign donors;
WHEREAS whenever the influence of private money affects election results, there is unlikely to be significant progress on issues that concern many Americans, such as affordable health care for all, full funding for education, living wages, safety on the job, sustainable energy policies, respect for small business and family farms, protection of habitat and our ecosystem, and an environment we can proudly leave to our children;
WHEREAS several states such as Arizona and Maine have pioneered "Clean Elections" (public financing of campaigns), whereby more diverse, qualified citizens can afford to run for office - and win - without personal wealth, and as a result elected lawmakers are less beholden to wealthy special interests and their lobbyists, spend less time "dialing for dollars" to fund election campaigns;
WHEREAS public financing of election campaigns would save taxpayers millions of dollars now wasted by poor public policy decisions, by the practice of earmarking and on corporate giveaways, due in large part to the influence and quid-pro-quo demands of large campaign contributors;
WHEREAS in Washington State, support for public campaign financing is being organized by Washington Public Campaigns, a non-partisan nonprofit organization, through a public awareness campaign, grassroots organizing and lobbying of state legislators, and planning for a ballot initiative in the future, if needed;
WHEREAS the Washington legislature is considering legislation, similar to programs enacted in Arizona and Maine, to allow cities and other local jurisdictions to provide public financing for campaigns for local offices and for the state to provide public financing for statewide and state legislative campaigns;
WHEREAS a comprehensive system of public financing of campaigns at all levels within the state would cost less than $4 per year per resident of the state - an amount totally affordable and reasonable to level the financial playing field for candidates who wish to represent the people's interests;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we, the Jefferson County Democrats, endorse public financing of electoral campaigns, and call on public officials and lawmakers at local, state and national levels to enact laws enabling public financing of electoral campaigns; and that copies of this resolution be sent; that organizations be encouraged to adopt similar resolutions; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we, the Jefferson County Democrats, pledge to send a copy of this resolution to Washington Public Campaigns at P.O. Box 45088, Seattle, WA 98145-0088.
Submitted to our Washington State Legislators in support of SB 5278 by the Jefferson County Democrats. Approved by the JCD membership on February 26, 2008. Submitted on Feb. 26, 2008

4. Resolution for a Universal Publicly Funded National Health Program
WHEREAS, Over $2 trillion ($2,000,000,000,000) is spent on health care in the U.S. each year, yet over 46 million of our people lack health care coverage, and many millions more have inadequate coverage; and

WHEREAS, Each year more than 18,000 people die due to lack of health insurance; and

WHEREAS, The United States is the only industrialized nation without a streamlined single national financing system for health care; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. pays 50 percent more of our Gross Domestic Product on health care than nations with national health care programs, yet according to the World Health Organization, ranks a mere 37th in the world in quality of health care; and

WHEREAS, Approximately 25% of every health care dollar spent in the U.S. goes to private health care administration compared to just 3% for Medicare. That means over $400 billion each year is spent on paperwork and cost add-ons charged by private health care administrators, primarily to create and manage regulations to screen out high risk patients; and

WHEREAS, two bills pending in Congress - HR 1200, The American Health Security Act and HR 676, The United States National Health Insurance Act - would ensure that every person in the United States has comprehensive health insurance and would actually save hundreds of billions of dollars on unnecessary duplication, administrative costs and insurance company profits; and

WHEREAS, Corporations have repeatedly claimed that the cost of providing health care to U.S. workers requires that products and services produced here must be sold at higher prices than what foreign corporations charge, and that these higher prices render the U.S. non-competitive. Under HR 1200 and HR 676 most businesses in the U.S. would pay much less for employee health care coverage, thus alleviating that problem; and

WHEREAS, HR 1200 and HR 676 would provide equal access to all necessary medical care regardless of the income level of individuals/families and citizens would be free to choose their own private doctors and hospitals; and

WHEREAS, HR 1200 and HR 676 would cover prevention and early disease detection services, hospitalization and office visits, prescription drugs, dental care, vision care, home health, nursing home and long term care, mental health care and rehabilitation. HR 1200 and HR 676 would remain in place even if one lost a job or retired; and

WHEREAS, under HR 1200 and HR 676 the financing of the national health program would be based on combinations of employer and self-employment taxes, individual taxes, existing sources of federal government revenues for health care; and

WHEREAS, HR 1200 and HR 676 would provide health care coverage equal to or better than that of each member of Congress; would adopt different approaches to the design of a national health program, but both are based on universal coverage and taxpayer-funded financing;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, Members of Congress are hereby instructed to support both HR 1200 and HR 676 and to design and enact a national health program consistent with the principles of universal publicly funded health care coverage.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Submitted to the WSDCC for consideration at the meeting on June 14, 2008 by the Jefferson County Democrats

5. Resolution for the Public Utility District (PUD#1) to Provide Electrical Power Service to Jefferson County

Whereas Puget Sound Energy (PSE) has two franchises, one to provide electricity to the City of port Townsend and another to provide electricity to much of eastern Jefferson County; and

Whereas the franchise to provide electricity in portions of Jefferson County, outside the city of Port Townsend, expires in July of 2006; and

Whereas the franchise to provide electricity in the city of Port Townsend expires in 2010; and

Whereas publicly owned electrical power is already provided in parts of Jefferson County by Public Utility Districts from Mason, Clallam and Grays Harbor counties; and

Whereas voter approval would be requires for the Jefferson Public Utility District to offer electric service; and

Whereas with that voter approval our Public Utility District could construct electric facilities or could acquire those owned by PSE; and

Whereas the city of Port Townsend could become an electric provider without further voter authorization; and

Whereas Kitsap County recently eliminated many of its union-represented field jobs, with associated good wages and benefits, and now contracts out its line work to a non-union organization in Kitsap County; and

Whereas local public control would primarily employ workers residing in the county and that residency could reasonably be expected to offer faster response and recovery; and

Whereas a change to a publicly operated system could renew the opportunity for union representation, and the good wages and benefits associated with that representation; and

Whereas a recent study indicated that a locally based public electric service can create good-paying jobs in Jefferson County that would contribute to the “multiplier effect” that, by the paying of electric bills within Jefferson County, leaves more money in the county; and

Whereas it is reasonable to assume that PSE would oppose the change to local citizenship ownership; and

Whereas because, as noted above, the County’s franchise will soon expire, now is a very logical time to begin efforts to secure public ownership of our electrical power service; and

Whereas it is reasonable to assume the change in electrical provider from PSE to public ownership would take several years to complete;

Therefore Be It Resolved the Jefferson County Democrats, recognizing the need to allow time for study and Planning the steps to transfer electric service to a publicly owned system, encourage the county to consider a “roll over” of its expiring franchise with PSE for not more than two years; and

Be It Further Resolved the Jefferson County Democrats encourage the city of port Townsend to prepare for acquiring the existing system serving the city and enable the PUD to perform this service, we support the necessary legal step of placing a citizen initiative on the next general election ballot to authorize the PUD to offer electric service by the vote of the people.

Submitted to the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners and the City of Port Townsend City Council by the Jefferson County Democrats      May 2, 2008

6. RESOLUTION TO OPPOSE THE PIT TO PIER PROJECT
RESOLUTION TO OPPOSE THE PIT TO PIER PROJECT

WHEREAS Hood Canal is a beautiful, yet fragile, gift of nature and a treasure to the citizens of Washington;

WHEREAS threats to the future of this wonderful ecosystem are becoming more known and better understood;

WHEREAS Fred Hill Materials, a Poulsbo gravel company, plans to vastly expand strip mining operations near the shores of Hood Canal;

WHEREAS Fred Hill Materials plans to build an industrial port facility on Hood Canal to load gravel onto huge ships and barges;

WHEREAS this plan would threaten the shellfish industry and recreational uses of the canal;

WHEREAS the proposed project would have enormous detrimental impacts on the environment and regional economy;

WHEREAS the proposed project would threaten the Hood Canal Bridge;

WHEREAS the U.S. Navy has expressed serious concerns about numerous adverse impacts on their operations in Hood Canal;

WHEREAS the Kitsap County Realtors Association opposes any industrialization of Hood Canal because of negative impacts upon our quality of life;

WHEREAS 2700 citizens, 62 organizations, Congressman Norm Dicks and Senator Maria Cantwell and four tribes have joined together in opposition to this project;

WHEREAS if approved, this project would be the first step in the industrialization of Hood Canal and runs directly counter to the landmark 1976 decision of the Shorelines Hearings Board that rejected a much smaller, but similar project at the mouth of the Hamma Hamma River in Mason County;

WHEREAS the Jefferson, Kitsap and Clallam County Democrats have previously stated their opposition to the pit-to-pier project;

WHEREAS all three Jefferson County Commissioners ran for office on a platform opposed to the pit-to-pier project;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Jefferson County Democrats, again, strongly declare their opposition to the Fred Hill Materials "pit to pier" Hood Canal mining proposal.

Submitted to the WSDCC for consideration at the June 14, 2008 meeting in Spokane by the Jefferson County Democratic Central Committee, and to the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners Feb 26, 2008

13. Permit Death with Dignity through Assisted Suicide
WHEREAS it should be the right of any individual to decide when their life has reached a point that a decent quality of life is unsustainable because they are terminally ill and/or in high levels of intolerable, chronic pain;

WHEREAS people who are terminally ill and/or in high levels of intolerable, chronic pain can be legally protected so that their life and death decisions are not unduly influenced by those who might exploit their plight or benefit from their death;

WHEREAS the treatment of some terminal illnesses involves invasive, painful, debilitating, and/or humiliating techniques;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we, the Washington State Democratic Central Committee, call on the Washington State Legislature to adopt legislation, similar to the 1997 Oregon law upheld by the US Supreme Court and the Death With Dignity Act initiative recently filed by former Washington Governor Booth Gardner, that would allow people to obtain lethal prescription drugs and guidance for ending their own lives if they are terminally ill, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we, the Washington State Democratic Central Committee, call on the Washington State Legislature to incorporate a provision in this legislation that will allow people to obtain lethal prescription drugs and guidance for ending their own lives if they are in such high levels of intolerable, chronic pain that a decent quality of life is unsustainable.
Submitted to the WSDCC for consideration at its June 14, 2008 meeting in Spokane by the Jefferson County Democrats May 2, 2008

14. Ensure Accurate Vote Recording and Counting

WHEREAS free and fair elections, in which every vote is recorded and counted according to the voter's intent, are a vital component of a representative democracy;

WHEREAS it is a common practice by public and private organizations to regularly audit information systems data, hardware and software to ensure their integrity, and there is no national or state mandate for auditing of electronic vote tabulation systems;

WHEREAS the notion that any private company should own voter registration and election results data is an assault on the meaning of public, representative democracy;

WHEREAS in the 2004 Washington gubernatorial race many voters in Snohomish county complained that they believed their computer-tabulated votes for Christine Gregoire were switched to Dino Rossi, but votes were not recounted because the data was proprietary and there was no verifiable record of votes cast;

WHEREAS in the 2004 presidential election, 98% of the tabulated complaints about machine malfunctions concerned attempts to switch John Kerry's votes to George Bush;

WHEREAS in 2006, Minnesota successfully implemented a mandatory auditing system for its optically scanned paper ballots;

WHEREAS in the words of computer security expert David Dill "It is not enough that elections BE accurate, we have to KNOW that they are accurate, and we don't";

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that until the integrity of electronic vote recording and counting can be guaranteed, we, the Washington State Democratic Central Committee, call on the Washington State Legislature and the US Congress to adopt, and the governor and president to sign, legislation that requires paper ballots to be used and counted twice by two separate methods in small batches at the precinct, auditing of the results, that only non-partisan public organizations shall take part in handling and counting votes, and that prohibits public officials involved in counting votes from active roles in political campaigns, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we, the Washington State Democratic Central Committee, call on the Washington State Legislature and the US Congress to adopt, and the governor and president to sign, legislation that requires replacement of proprietary voting software with open source software developed by a public consortium, that bans direct electronic recording of votes other than touchscreen technology used in conjunction with a paper audit trail that can be separately tabulated, and that permits the use of optically scanned paper ballots which must be audited by random hand counts following the procedure currently used in Minnesota.

Submitted to the WSDCC for consideration at its June 14, 2008 meeting in Spokane by the Jefferson County Democrats. May 2, 2008

15. Declare General Election Day a Legal Holiday

WHEREAS some citizens may wish to vote in a general election, but cannot due to their responsibilities for work or family;

WHEREAS many citizens wish to perform public, non-partisan election activities during a general election, such as volunteer as a precinct worker and vote counter, but cannot due to their responsibilities for work or family;

WHEREAS many citizens wish to participate in their party's election activities during a general election, such as volunteer as a precinct poll watcher or a precinct caucus chair or leader, but cannot due to their responsibilities for work or family;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we, the Washington State Democratic Central Committee, call on the United States Congress to adopt legislation to declare the national general election day a legal holiday, and call on all of Washington State's US legislators to co-sponsor this legislation.

Submitted to the WSDCC for consideration at its June 14, 2008 meeting in Spokane by the Jefferson County Democrats.

17. Establish an Instant Runoff Election System

WHEREAS our nation is a representative democracy and our present system of voting makes inadequate provision for citizens to vote their conscience;

WHEREAS our present system of voting does not represent the views of the citizenry;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we, the Washington State Democratic Central Committee, call on the Washington State Legislature to adopt and the governor to sign legislation to establish an instant runoff primary general election system that allows each voter to choose candidates for local, state, and national elective offices on the basis of order of preference, and if their first choice does not receive the majority of votes, their vote will go to the next candidate in their order of preference, and so on until one candidate achieves a majority of all votes cast; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we, the Washington State Democratic Central Committee, call on the US Congress to adopt and the president to sign legislation to amend the US Constitution to establish a national instant runoff primary general election system for presidential elections that allows each voter to choose candidates on the basis of order of preference, and if their first choice does not receive the majority of votes, their vote will go to the next candidate in their order of preference, and so on until one candidate achieves a majority of all votes cast.

Submitted to the WSDCC for consideration at its June 14, 2008 meeting in Spokane by the Jefferson County Democrats.   May 2, 2008

27. Hold Washington State Democratic Elected Officials Accountable for Following the Washington State Democratic Party Platform

WHEREAS the Washington State Democratic Party has a process for creating the Party's platform;

WHEREAS the platform process includes Party members and elected officials throughout Washington State;

WHEREAS our Party's platform is an expression of the values and mission of the Party;

WHEREAS Democrats elected to national office from Washington State or to represent jurisdictions within Washington State agree to support and work for the tenets of our Party as laid out in the platform;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we, the Washington State Democratic Central Committee, pledge to develop a scorecard based on our Party's platform, and that elected officials who do not support the Party platform with their votes.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we, the Washington State Democratic Central Committee, pledge to place the platform scorecard on the official web site of the Washington State Democratic Party, to refer all county Democratic Party organizations to the scorecard and to advise the county Democratic Party organizations when support for an elected official should not be given.

Submitted to the WSDCC for consideration at its June 14, 2008 meeting in Spokane by the Jefferson County Democrats     May 2, 2008

29c. Ban Provision of Security in Public Places by Armed Private Contractors Within the Boundaries of the United States
WHEREAS, armed private security contractors were reported to have been operating on public property and thoroughfares without restraint or under the jurisdiction of local law enforcement during the Hurricane Katrina disaster response, and

WHEREAS, there has been increasing use of armed private security contractors to provide security in publicly-accessed places such as shopping malls, sports arenas and public universities, and

WHEREAS, actions by members of these armed private security contractors can spill over onto adjacent publicly-owned properties, facilities and thoroughfares;

WHEREAS, the rights of citizens to access records of interactions between themselves and members of these armed private security contractors are unclear in civil law; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the 111th (2009) Congress pass laws banning all armed private security contractors from receiving any Government contracts for providing security to publicly-owned properties, facilities, and thoroughfares within the borders of the United States.

Submitted to the WSDCC for consideration at its June 14, 2008 meeting in Spokane by the Jefferson County Democrats.

32. Past and Future Military Uses of Depleted Uranium

WHEREAS very serious health damage has been done both to foreign populations and to U.S. military personnel by past testing and combat use of weapons containing depleted uranium; and

WHEREAS weapons containing depleted uranium continue to be manufactured, shipped, and deployed by U.S. military forces for anticipated future use; and

WHEREAS residue from depleted uranium weapons continues to threaten both foreign populations and U.S. military personnel;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Washington State Democratic Party (WSDCC) calls on the U.S. government to (a) clean up all locations, at home and abroad, where depleted uranium residues continue to threaten people’s health, and (b) provide medical help for those already damaged by the use of depleted uranium weapons, and (c) formally apologize to those affected by this weaponry, and (d) ban the manufacture, shipping, and deployment of depleted uranium munitions by U.S. forces, and their export to other nations.

Submitted to the WSDCC for consideration at the meeting on June 14, 2008 in Spokane by the Jefferson County Democrats   May 2, 2008

43. Resolution Against Torture and Indefinite Detention Without Due Process

WHEREAS, THE United State has long served as an example to the world for its standards of conduct in providing due process and humane treatment to criminal suspects, and enemy combatants under both civil and military laws; and

WHEREAS, the reputation of the United States has suffered irreparable harm in the international community for its conduct in handling detainees encountered during the “War on Terror” and the military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that we support the criminalization in both federal and military law of any form of torture by any agent on behalf of the United States government during interrogation, detention or imprisonment of any individual regardless of citizenship, and that at minimum, the standards set within the Geneva Convention shall at all times apply,

FURTHERMORE, we support laws prohibiting the transfer of any prisoner accused or being held for any crime or investigation to any other international jurisdiction for the purpose of torture or “extraordinary rendition” as part of an investigation, detention or interrogation.

Submitted to the WSDCC for consideration at the June 14, 2008 meeting in Spokane by the Jefferson County Democratic Central Committee   May 2, 2008

47. Declare Corporate Personhood Rescinded

ASSURING VOTERS THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE WILL DECLARE CORPORATE PERSONHOOD RESCINDED

WHEREAS: Corporations now write much of our legislation resulting in benefit to those corporations; and,

WHEREAS: Corporations now head up most of our federal agencies created for our protection and instead make decisions based on the corporate bottom line; and,

WHEREAS: Corporations now receive a form of welfare in the guise of tax breaks; and,

WHEREAS: Corporations now control much of our electoral system making it impossible for average citizens to run in presidential elections; and,

WHEREAS: Corporations have taken their jobs and taxes to foreign lands with no consideration for the welfare of the nation and It's citizenry, thereby facilitating a position from which corporations encourage and promote wars around the globe with their private armies immune from any laws; and,

WHEREAS: Most of America's media, television, radio and the most influential newspapers are owned by large corporations thereby stabling the ability to tell the American people what candidates will be allowed in Presidential debates;

THEREFORE. BE IT RESOLVED; The Democratic nominee will denounce personhood for corporations and swear to fight for the American people over corporations. If Elected will work with the Congress to enact a constitutional amendment taking personhood away from corporations

Submitted to the WSDCC for consideration at its State Convention in Spokane, WA June 14, 2008 by the Jefferson County Democrats May 2, 2008

48. A Resolution to Limit Corporate Powers and Corporate Life Terms

WHEREAS natural, (real) persons existed well before the creation of the artificial entity, the corporation; and,

WHEREAS corporations are artificial entities created by natural persons; and,

WHEREAS corporations are artificial entities created by natural persons specifically for the benefit and welfare of natural persons; and,

WHEREAS the concept of "corporate personhood" was bestowed upon corporations long after the first creation of corporations within this nation; and,

WHEREAS the concept of "corporate personhood" was bestowed upon corporations by the

actions of a few people for the sole benefit of corporations and a few select people at the expense of all natural persons and is, therefore, illegitimate; and,

WHEREAS, owing to the fact that corporations never die, whereas natural persons do,

corporations have accrued over time unequal access to wealth, unequal access to power, unequal access to the commons and unequal influence over the judiciary, the legislatures, the executives of our governance; and,

WHEREAS corporations do not pay their fair share of taxes but more benefits accrue to these artificial entities than to natural persons from the proceeds of our tax dollars; and,

WHEREAS corporations now have more privacy rights than natural persons; and,

WHEREAS corporations are not held responsible for their crimes in the same way that natural persons are held; and,

WHEREAS corporations, artificial entities created for the benefit and welfare of natural persons, now do great harm, in many cases, to natural persons; and,

WHEREAS the invasion and occupation of Iraq by George W. Bush was brought about for the specific benefit of corporations, at a cost of the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, the deaths of at least 4,000 Americans and other nationals, the destruction of the infrastructure of

Iraq, the near destruction of the infrastructure of the United States, the destruction of the

United States military, placing great financial burdens upon the natural persons of both Iraq and the United States, destabilizing the United States dollar; and,

WHEREAS, in Bhopal, India, malfeasance by United Carbide Inc. in 1984 brought about the immediate deaths of 8,000 Indian persons, 500,000 other persons were affected, with long-term impact on the reproductive, immune and nervous systems of natural persons, poisonous breast milk, lowered birthrates and increased birth defects, prolonged menstruation, sterility, low sperm count and repeated miscarriages and other illnesses; and,

WHEREAS there are many other instances of artificial entity malfeasance which has caused the deaths and incredible suffering of natural persons;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Democratic Party as a champion of natural persons act to protect these same natural persons from the malfeasance and evils done by artificial entities; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that artificial entities which cause death or great suffering to natural persons be instantly dissolved and the assets of these artificial entities shall be distributed amongst survivors and sufferers; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the concept of corporate personhood be stricken from the laws of the United States; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that people of the United States call for a Constitutional Convention that takes away citizenship or personhood of corporations.
Submitted to the WSDCC for consideration at its State Convention in Spokane, WA June 14, 2008 by the Jefferson County Democrats       May 2, 2008

53. Resolution to Abolish the Death Penalty in Washington State and the Federal Death Penalty

WHEREAS evidence supplied by DNA analysis has, as of 6 March 2008, exonerated 214 innocent persons convicted of violent crimes in the United States, 16 of whom were sentenced to death (source: Innocence Project);

WHEREAS one of the 16 persons freed from death row was in the State of Washington (source: Death Penalty Information Center);

WHEREAS death sentences are irreversible;

WHEREAS life sentences without possibility of parole are an existing alternative in Washington State (source: Death Penalty Information Center);

WHREAS DNA evidence has highlighted the problems of eyewitness misidentification, false confessions, reliance on criminal informants, and inadequate legal assistance to those with lesser incomes;

WHEREAS, in the words of former U.S. Senator Paul Simon (D-IL), co-chair of the Illinois Governor's Commission on Capital Punishment, “In reality the death penalty is reserved for people who do not have enough money to defend themselves”;

WHEREAS all 27 member nations of the European Union have abolished the death penalty, as have Canada, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand (source: Amnesty International);

WHEREAS U.S. embrace of the death penalty puts our nation in unflattering company, alongside China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia (source: Amnesty International);

WHEREAS New Jersey abolished its death penalty in 2008, joining Alaska, Hawaii, North Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, West Virginia, New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, and the District of Columbia (sources: New York Times and Death Penalty Information Center);

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we, the Washington State Democratic Central Committee, call on each and every member of the state legislature to join the aforementioned states in abolishing the death penalty;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we, the Washington State Democratic Central Committee, call on each and every member of our state's U.S. Congressional delegation to support repeal of the federal death penalty.

Submitted to the WSDCC for consideration at the meeting in Spokane on June 14, 2008, by the Jefferson County Democrats May 2, 2008

54. Resolution to Grant Full Marriage Equality

  WHEREAS the institution of marriage has evolved dramatically over the history of the United States to reflect our growing understanding of civil and human rights;

marriage in the Colonies was seen as a business agreement between wealthy families, poorer couples simply declared themselves married;

marriages used to require the approval of the oldest male of the bride’s household;

until the mid 1800s, women, once married, were stripped of their legal rights to own property, control any wages they might earn, enter into contracts, sue, or acquire credit in their own name;

rape in marriage was legal in every state in the union, and remained so in some states until the 1980s;

WHEREAS marriage is a civil institution whose purpose is to recognize and support two people who love each other and who have made a lifelong commitment to be the most important people in each other’s lives, bundling state and federal protections and responsibilities to aid and protect their marital unions and loved ones;

WHEREAS there are over 400 Washington State and over1000 Federal benefits, rights, and responsibilities of civil marriage, exclusively offered to heterosexual couples, many of which cannot be duplicated by legal agreement;

WHEREAS the Constitution guarantees separation of church and state, protecting any religion from having to perform any marriage it chooses not to, and likewise requiring that no religion dictate to the government who gets a civil marriage license;

WHEREAS the State of Washington does recognize full civil rights and non-discrimination protection for gay lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, it has yet to fulfill that commitment by ending sexual orientation and gender identity exclusion from marriage;

WHEREAS the principle of equality under the law is every American's birthright; and the US Supreme Court has ruled that “separate but equal” treatment is unconstitutional;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that neither the State of Washington nor Federal Government the should interfere with couples who choose to marry and share fully and equally in the rights, responsibilities, and commitment of civil marriage, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Martha Trolin, Andrew Reding