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"The Democratic Party is not a collection of diverse interests brought together only to win elections. We are united instead by a common heritage - by a respect for the deeds of the past and a recognition of the needs of the future."

- President John F. Kennedy, from a speech to have been delivered in Austin, Texas, the evening of November 22, 1963

United by a sense of purpose and guided by core values, Texas Democrats are working to elect public servants who will build a better state and nation for our families and children for generations to come.

As citizens and patriots, we take seriously our responsibility to protect our Constitution and Bill of Rights and work with people from all walks of life to make our communities stronger, safer, more just, and more secure. Our state and nation are strongest when we seek common ground that allows government to work for all the people and guarantees open and fair participation in the democratic process.

Texas Democrats offer new ideas based on the most enduring and sacred American values -- opportunity, responsibility, family and community, freedom and fairness. Our vision is clear. We want a Texas where all people can fulfill their dreams and achieve their God-given potential.

Putting Values into Action

Our fundamental beliefs and values guide our efforts to help every Texas family succeed. As we strive to put our mainstream values into action, Texas Democrats believe issues matter because public policy affects our daily lives.

Where others say no and veto important proposals to gain favor with the powerful special interests, Texas Democrats are willing to work with Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike to develop policies and govern for the benefit of all Texans.

Where others seek policies that would have government impose their version of "family values" on everyone, we offer common sense policies that value all our families.

We believe:

In equal opportunity for all Texans to achieve and succeed in their efforts to get a quality education, find a good job, buy a home, provide health care for their families, and exercise their right to vote and participate in our democratic system.

In quality public education that puts our tax dollars to work in the classroom to give all Texans the opportunity to reach their potential.

In rewarding honest hard work with a livable wage and a tax system that is fair to all taxpayers.

In providing economic security for all hardworking Texans through better access to child care, quality health care, affordable insurance, prescription drug coverage, and quality health care for every Texas child.

In neighborhoods and homes made safer and more secure through the cooperative efforts of involved citizens and law enforcement officers equipped with the best available technologies to identify and strictly punish dangerous criminals and protect the innocent.

In preserving our precious natural resources, clean air and water, and our quality of life.

In a strong and secure United States - militarily, morally, economically, and diplomatically.

In providing both the basic infrastructure and advanced technology required to support the needs of working families and businesses in an uncertain economy - especially small businesses.

In the right of all employees, public and private, to organize, collect dues, designate their income voluntarily to organizations and agencies of their choice, and to negotiate freely with their employers through their elected agents.

In freedom from government interference in our private lives and personal decisions and full protection of civil and human rights. · In separation of Church and State to preserve the freedom to pursue our beliefs.

In the benefits derived from the individual strengths of our diverse population.

By working together to develop policies that help us achieve these goals, Texas Democrats believe we can meet today's challenges and build an even greater state and nation for future generations.

Issue Papers

In addition to the values and principles established here, these issue papers describe the commitments of the Party adopted by its convention to put our principles into practice.

EDUCATION

The Texas Democratic Party believes public education is the key to economic opportunity and effective participation in our democracy. We believe that family, school, and community share responsibility for providing every child with a quality public education in a safe, secure school.

Texas Democrats have led the fight to improve public education while others have sought to weaken or destroy it. Through reforms devised and passed by Democrats over Republican opposition, we have:

Raised pay for teachers, librarians, counselors, and school nurses by $3,000 a year to help retain and attract qualified, talented professionals;

Provided state funding for school employees' health insurance for the first time;

Raised pensions for school employees by 15 percent since 1999; · Reduced class sizes and built new classrooms;

Improved school safety and discipline by ensuring a teacher's right to remove disruptive students and by establishing and funding alternative schools;

Raised student performance;

Lowered dropout rates;

Guaranteed parents the right to be involved in the operation of their children's schools;

Established and expanded kindergarten and pre-kindergarten programs; · Developed a strong state accountability system;

Rewarded good work in high school with scholarships to Texas public universities and colleges for students who graduate and maintain good grades; and

Provided scholarship help for college students who choose teaching as a profession.

Despite all we have done, there is still much to do to guarantee our children the quality education and safe schools they deserve. Texas faces a severe teacher shortage because teacher pay and benefits have not been competitive with the private sector. Despite the teacher pay increase passed by Democrats, Texas continues to lag roughly $5,000 below the national average in benefits.

Too many students are taught by teachers required to teach subjects they are not certified to teach, and the number has been growing rapidly. Too many students are not provided the programs and resources needed to make them ready for promotion to the next grade. Too many old, overcrowded, and unsafe school buildings house a growing student population.

An Excellent Public Education for Every Child

Every Texan knows that our children come first. To make our state's education policy reflect that number-one priority, we should:

Raise teacher pay and protect and enhance a quality state paid health insurance program for every educational employee;

Continue strides toward universal access to pre-kindergarten and kindergarten;

Guarantee every class has a teacher certified to teach the subject of that class;

Enforce class-size limits and construct sufficient classroom space to improve discipline and learning by ending overcrowding;

Guarantee every child the educational resources, programs, and services necessary to succeed, recognizing the important need to develop technological skills in the new information age economy;

Provide sufficient and fair state funding so the cost isn't passed on to local property taxpayers;

Provide resources for students with special needs or challenges to learn in mainstream or the least restrictive environment, including those students who live in districts that use distance learning or alternative education centers, and districts that have declining enrollment or fast growth;

Commit the necessary resources to early-intervention programs so every child can read at grade level;

Improve our accountability system by relying on a more complete evaluation than just one standardized test score;

Involve parents in education with appropriate, innovative programs, such as letting parents choose public schools that best meet the needs of their children;

Ensure teacher and parental input into local educational decision-making; · Commit the necessary resources to support the efforts of school districts to lower dropout rates and reclaim dropouts with programs tailored to their needs;

Strongly encourage the recruitment and training of teachers who reflect the state's diversity, because Texas is a multi-ethnic state and education is enriched through diversity;

Respect and safeguard the rights and benefits of education employees, so we can recruit and retain our best;

Reject Republican or any other efforts to destroy bilingual education by supporting both bilingual education and multi-language instruction that allows English-speaking children to learn a second language; and

Oppose any form of private school vouchers because vouchers would drain resources essential to guarantee a quality public education for all our children.

Safe Schools for Every Child

Texas Democrats believe protecting students, teachers, and other school personnel from acts of violence is a fundamental responsibility of school officials. We support swift and certain enforcement of disciplinary standards. Teachers must be supported when they exercise their right to take a disruptive student out of the classroom. Students referred to disciplinary and alternative education programs should be provided strong academic instruction and not just be warehoused in low quality programs. School campuses and functions must be weapon and drug-free.

Post-Secondary and Adult Education

The Texas Democratic Party believes all Texans should have the opportunity to attend public universities, colleges, and technical schools, and we support innovative approaches to ensure diversity in every Texas institution of higher education. Texas Democrats developed the Texas Tomorrow Fund to allow families to pre-purchase college tuition and created scholarship programs to make college a real option for students who make good grades. We passed the law to assure admission at Texas colleges and universities for students who graduate in the top 10% of their class, but we have much more to do to improve access and affordability for all Texans seeking higher education opportunities.

Texas Democrats recognize that public education should extend through college or technical school to prepare each student for a career with dignity. Higher education provides the higher-level skills that are crucial to competitiveness in a global knowledge-based economy marked by rapid technological change. Texas Democrats:

Support funding to assure sufficient classes and adequate financial aid for all students, specifically: expansion of the Texas Grants Program; adequate compensation, security, professional status, and benefits for all faculty; and research to spur economic development;

Support public/higher education partnerships to enhance pre-K through twelve education and teacher preparation;

Support the role of community colleges in providing lifelong educational opportunity;

Encourage enhanced support of both Prairie View A&M and TSU and higher-education opportunities in South Texas and all border communities;

Condemn intolerance on Texas campuses and encourage universities to develop and offer culturally diverse curricula, student activities, and student recruitment policies that promote understanding and tolerance; and

Support efforts to place a voting student regent on the appointed Board of Regents of each state-supported four-year institution of higher education.

STATE FISCAL POLICY

Government exists to help us achieve as a community what we cannot achieve as individuals. Texas Democrats have worked to make state government operate efficiently and effectively and were at the forefront of efforts to protect the interests of Texas families in our state budget.

When Democrats left statewide office, Texas was sitting on the largest budget surplus in state history. In the past four years, despite some of the strongest quarters of economic growth the world has ever seen, that record surplus has become a record budget shortfall. The current budget crisis threatens vital state programs that Texas Democrats have fought to implement. Public schools, college scholarships, access to affordable health care, environmental protection, and small business loans -- all are jeopardized by the inability of statewide Republican officeholders to keep our state finances on track.

The Democratic Party believes the role of modern government is to help Texans manage the profound changes around them as our economy becomes more international. That's why we will fight for modern, effective, accountable government that helps Texans take charge of our future and make a positive difference in their lives.

More specifically, the Texas Democratic Party believes:

The Texas Legislature should pass and ask Texans to approve a constitutional amendment banning a sales tax on food and medicine;

Texans should not be subjected to a state income tax;

State government should not shift an undue responsibility for funding state-mandated programs to local property taxpayers; and

Funding for delivery of vital services should always take priority over funding for administrative expenses of state government.

Security for Our Families

In the same way we support homeland security efforts and a strong military to ensure the peace and provide national security, Texas Democrats support these initiatives to ensure security for Texas families.

Social Security

The Texas Democratic Party believes we must keep the promise of Social Security strong and certain for those who have worked and contributed to the system all their lives. Social Security should continue to be the foundation for working American's income security. Private savings accounts and other pension programs should be additions to the guaranteed Social Security benefit, not a substitute for any portion of it.

We oppose any federal budget plan that would undermine the Social Security Trust Fund, including proposals to carve private savings accounts out of Social Security, which would drain trillions of dollars out of the trust fund and threaten the existence of our country's most popular program. We support the repeal of the "government pension offset and windfall elimination provisions," which reduce Social Security benefits for teachers, police officers, firefighters, and others who receive public pensions.

Retirement Security

In addition to Social Security, millions of workers have invested in public or private pensions to secure their retirement income. Applying the lessons of the Enron debacle, Texas Democrats support measures to:

Provide strong and effective legal protections to secure the investments of workers in public or private pensions that honor the principle that a lifetime of honest work should be rewarded with adequate retirement income; and

Thwart dishonest business and accounting practices, which harm the interests and erode the confidence of all stakeholders in the private-enterprise system.

Long Term Care

Texas Democrats support long term care services that promote independent living in the most integrated setting possible for the elderly and the chronically ill and disabled of all ages. This network of services should include community-based attendant services, in-home health care, adult day care and hospice care. We support:

The transition of our long term care system to a focus on home and community care services as opposed to an institutionally-biased system;

A coordinated network of support services including personal assistance services, respite care, home delivered meals, transportation, homemaker assistance, and caregiver services;

The goal of providing choice in decisions about where elderly, chronically ill, and disabled Texans live and receive support services;

The "de-medicalization" of services to contain costs and allow greater control by the individual; and

Regulation for board and care homes, as well as stringent inspections of nursing homes, state-supported hospitals and schools and the strict enforcement of laws governing these facilities to ensure safety, cleanliness, nutrition and quality health care for elderly and disabled Texans.

Access to Affordable Insurance

The skyrocketing cost of insurance premiums is placing excessive burdens on both individuals and businesses. At the same time, insurance coverage is being cut back, leaving working families and employers alike threatened with a greater risk of catastrophic losses that could devastate a lifetime of earnings and investment. In the face of such crisis, selected groups of Texans are being denied access to the level of coverage needed to secure their homes, persons, motor vehicles, and health care needs. Texas Democrats believe the state should move expeditiously to enact changes that would improve access to affordable and effective insurance coverage for all families who work hard and play by the rules, free from arbitrary bias.

Nutrition and Hunger

Texas Democrats support public and private endeavors to provide programs and nutrition education to assure the absence of hunger and malnutrition in Texas. However, private programs alone cannot adequately address this problem. Texas' dismal ranking among the states in the number of people experiencing hunger is unacceptable. Texas Democrats have worked to increase access to hunger prevention programs through simplified eligibility and aggressive outreach and programs such as the Lone Star Card, which brought efficiency and reliability to the food stamp program.

Child Care that Strengthens Texas Families

Texas families should not have to choose between the jobs they need and the children they love. Affordable, quality child care is good for parents, good for children and vital for the Texas economy. Texas Democrats believe the private sector can do more to improve the availability of affordable child care and we propose the following initiatives to help parents succeed at home and at work:

Corporate tax credits, property tax cuts and entrepreneurial assistance to help Texas businesses invest in child care. We also support programs that pool local, nonprofit and private dollars to attract the maximum available federal child care matching funds for Texas;

Expansion of after-school child care services to improve the safety of child care, the use of quicker, more effective criminal background checks for child care workers, and the provision of better information to parents so they can make informed child care decisions; and

Targeted tax credits and limited grants for investment in caregiver retention, staff training and educational equipment as well as scholarships to train the next generation of quality child care professionals and continue to improve the quality of child care.

Expanding Economic Opportunities for all Texans

Texas Democrats believe the best program to end poverty and welfare is a job that pays a livable wage. Government assistance should be a transitional effort to help people take responsibility for their own lives and become productive members of society. Both those who receive public assistance and those who foot the bill for that assistance have a responsibility to find ways to quickly and permanently move needy families from welfare to self-sufficiency. A society that emphasizes personal responsibility must also strive to create jobs, reward work and provide infrastructure that encourages people to work and to rear children responsibly.

Choice and Family Planning

Texas Democrats believe in every American's right to privacy and the right to make sound, healthy personal choices for ourselves and our families without fear of unwarranted governmental intrusion.

The Democratic Party trusts the women of Texas to make their own decisions about personal matters such as when or whether to bear children. No government, no politician, and no bureaucrat should interfere in an individual's private and personal decisions;

We will work to guarantee every woman the right to have access to and to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive choices, including bearing healthy children and preventing unintended pregnancy; and

We must decrease the rate of adolescent pregnancy and the alarming number of pregnant teenagers dropping out of school -- both of which increase the number of Texas children living in poverty. We must provide child care to allow teenage mothers to continue their education.

Housing

Secure and affordable housing is essential to giving families a sense of security, self-respect, dignity and responsibility as part of a community. Texas Democrats are committed to making the dream of home ownership and clean safe rental housing a reality for more Texas families by:

Encouraging federal, state and local agencies to work together to broaden the reach and increase effective access to housing opportunities, financial education, and down payment assistance that fits the needs of both rural and urban Texas;

Eliminating all discrimination in the financing and insuring of homes, including lending practices that prey on the trusting, the uneducated, the poor and the elderly; and

Increasing the Number of section 8 housing vouchers and the availability of low cost financing for new and affordable rental housing.

Homelessness

Developing an effective solution to the many problems related to homelessness requires a strong commitment to public-private partnerships and coordinated state, federal, and local efforts. This is highlighted by the fact that homelessness is a particularly acute problem among the mentally ill and their families, as well as runaways and other populations whose circumstances demand a well-coordinated response if we are to properly address the issues involved in a common sense manner. Texas Democrats are committed to ending homelessness by:

Removing barriers, and increasing access to services that support progress toward self sufficiency; and

Increasing the availability of services used by people and families that fit the needs of both rural and urban communities.

Consumer Protection

Texas Democrats support the protection of consumers and families from dangerous products and unfair and discriminatory business practices. Texas consumers should have a high degree of certainty and an understanding of their rights under laws that are enforced uniformly. Texas Democrats believe we must protect:

Texans from unscrupulous telemarketing, price fixing and the sale of goods and services that prey on individuals, especially children, the poor, and the elderly;

The rights of Texans against insurance companies, HMOs and drug companies that deny Texans the coverage they need;

Senior citizens from consumer and insurance fraud and nursing home abuse; and

Consumer rights over multinational corporate privilege to do business in Texas.

Health Care

Texas Democrats believe that every family deserves health care they can count on and a health care system that puts family health security first. We believe that all small businesses and the people who work in them should have access to affordable and dependable health coverage. Most importantly, access to affordable health insurance should be guaranteed for all Texans by securing all federal and state funds and waivers that would maximize the amount of federal tax dollars returned to Texas.

A Patient's Bill of Rights

Texas Democrats support a Patient's Bill of Rights to ensure that Texas families have the right to choose the doctor they want for the care they need. Medical decisions must be made by medical doctors in consultation with their patients, not insurance company accountants. Families have the right to know all of their medical options, not just the cheapest. Democrats worked to pass legislation that guaranteed Texans the right to choose their own doctor, secured a woman's right to choose her own OB-GYN, and gave consumers the right to sue HMO's for denying necessary care. Democrats also opened the doors of MD Anderson and other premier cancer care facilities to all Texans. We believe:

Doctors and patients, not HMOs or insurance companies, should make medical decisions, and HMOs and insurance companies should be banned from restricting a doctor's ability to tell a patient about all medical options;

Texas families need a Patient's Bill of Rights Amendment to the Texas Constitution to give every Texas family the right to choose their own doctor;

HMO members should have the right to choose any doctor who is willing to accept an HMO's fee structure; · HMOs should be banned from rejecting doctors for reasons other than criminal wrongdoing, fraud or incompetence;

HMOs and insurance companies should be barred from discriminating against pre-existing conditions such as cancer, HIV infection, Alzheimer's, mental illness, and other chronic diseases; and

Contrary to the unelected Governor's veto, HMO's and insurance companies should be required to fully pay their claims for health care services in a timely manner, in order to ensure quality health care for all Texans.

Protecting Medicare and Medicaid

Texas Democrats support programs, including Medicare and Medicaid that maintain the safety net for vulnerable Texans. We support expanding Medicare to provide a prescription drug benefit. We also support a local and state partnership to maximize funds for Medicaid programs that assure coverage to families, pregnant women, infants and children, as well as people with disabilities and senior Texans.

Texas Democrats also believe our state and federal government should crack down on hospitals and health care providers who file fraudulent Medicare and Medicaid claims that cost billions of tax dollars a year. The needs of the vulnerable must not fall victim to the greed of a few.

Children's Health Insurance

Texas Democrats proposed, fought for, and passed programs that provided health coverage for over 500,000 Texas children. We believe health care coverage should be secured for all children in Texas. We support utilization of all federal funds available through the children's health insurance program (CHIP) and protecting the simplified application process and length of health coverage for all programs that provide coverage for uninsured children. We support applying for and securing federal waivers and using existing state and local resources to allow more working Texas families to enroll in CHIP. We support vigorous outreach efforts to secure access to all available health insurance programs for our children.

Mental Health Services

Family preservation is maintained by enhancing the mental health of individual family members. We support:

Comprehensive mental health services;

Expansion of community centers, home services, and school-based programs to assist children with emotional and traumatic problems and their parents;

Appropriate acute in-patient services for victims of trauma; and

Expansion of programs to deal with Alzheimer's and related illnesses and their caregivers.

Expanding Opportunities for People with Disabilities

Texas Democrats support choices that promote full and productive lives and initiatives affording equal opportunities to the physically, developmentally and the mentally disabled or impaired. We support the Americans with Disabilities Act.

HIV Education and Services

Texas Democrats support increased education initiatives and services to address the HIV epidemic, including increased access to treatment and therapy that improves quality of life and encourages return to the workforce.

An Affordable Health Delivery System in Rural Texas

Texas Democrats support improving access to a functioning and affordable health delivery system to provide health care in critically underserved rural areas. We applaud the creation of the Office of Rural Community Affairs as an agency that can assist in improving rural health care delivery. We support:

Incentives to recruit and retain physicians and other medical practitioners who will practice in rural areas, such as scholarships and forgiveness or interest rate reductions for loans used for education in medical fields;

Grants and zero-interest loans for public hospitals in rural areas;

Programs that bring medical technology to rural areas, including telemedicine and telepharmacy;

A fairer and more equal system for Medicare reimbursements to rural hospitals and health providers to encourage doctors to practice in rural areas and keep rural hospitals from closing;

Improved emergency care systems that provide access to medical care facilities, especially trauma care;

Utilizing nurse practitioners and physician assistants in underserved areas; and

Subsidized transportation systems to deliver patients to facilities and mobile facilities to patients.

GROWING THE ECONOMY: SHARED ENTERPRISE, SHARED REWARDS

To fulfill the promise of equal opportunity, we must cultivate a high-performance economy that rewards entrepreneurs and workers alike for contributing to the prosperity and quality of life of all Texans. Developing the full potential of the Texas workforce, through the creation and retention of good private-sector jobs, remains essential to our economic security. We support:

Economic development policies that promote entrepreneurship, especially by fostering the independent initiative of small businesses that enlists the talents of Texas workers to create new goods and services;

Economic development policies that enhance productivity through the application of computer and information technology;

Trade policies that take into account Texas' interests in generating jobs, affording dignity to working people, and protecting the environment. While encouraging global trade that meets these goals, a trade policy should oppose tactics that ignore these goals, such as child or slave labor, unconscionably low wages, and environmental degradation;

Preference for American and Texas products and protection for local wage standards in government contracts;

Competition and accountability in state government, but we oppose wholesale privatization schemes that result in less competition and less accountability in the delivery of services;

Programs for rapid and comprehensive retraining of workers impacted by layoffs and for improving and updating the skills of workers who want to advance their careers;

Programs that train those entering the workforce to acquire skills and allow them to participate in the economy without pitting these new entrants against other workers in a drive for low wages;

A strong technology-development program;

A bold and sustained human space exploration initiative that complements robotic exploration and provides beneficial scientific research;

The right to a diverse and safe workplace, free from injury and exposure to harmful materials, plus meaningful sanctions against employers who knowingly or negligently expose workers to injury or death;

A workers' compensation system that provides affordable coverage for employers, meaningful compensation to injured workers, the right of those workers to choose their own doctor, incentives for employers to retain injured employees, and due consideration for the rights of workers in the legal system;

The right of all employees, public and private, to organize, collect dues, designate their income voluntarily to organizations and agencies of their choice, and to negotiate freely with their employers through their elected agents;

The right of unions to engage in political activity based on majority rule within the union and free from partisan attempts to limit the ability of unions to participate in the political process;

Freedom from discriminatory employment practices, including support for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act;

Freedom of public employees from arbitrary and capricious treatment in the workplace;

A meaningful increase in the federal minimum wage aimed at giving all workers the ability to live dignified lives, while enforcing the law Texas Democrats enacted in 2001 to make sure the state minimum wage for farm workers keeps up with increases in the federal minimum wage;

Restoring the statewide job bank and utilizing U.S. Department of Labor data for demand of occupational training; and

The equal opportunity for the public to invest in any private ownership of public facilities.

The Environment

We recognize that clean air and pure water is key to protecting public health and the State's economy. Democrats have acted to reverse the years of neglect of the environment in Texas, particularly by Republican administrations. Democrats authored the legislation to end the voluntary program that allowed dirty industrial plants to avoid having to meet modern health standards. We passed legislation to protect Texas drinking water supplies from waste at giant factory feeding operations. And Democrats led the reform of the major Texas environmental agency (TNRCC) to increase the rights of Texans to contest new pollution sources in their neighborhoods and provide stricter regulation of plants that repeatedly violate environmental laws and standards.

We support policies that will clean the air of Texas cities with strategies that will result in smarter and cheaper pollution control than Republican alternatives such as requiring lawn mowing during the heat of the day and lowering speed limits to 55 mph, which we oppose. To reduce the number of asthma cases caused by air pollution, we support:

An increase in the percentage of renewable energy required of electric generators in Texas;

Incentives, such as sales tax rebates, to reward Texans who purchase clean automobiles and motorcycles;

Programs such as the implementation of the mileage based insurance legislation passed in 2001 to reward those who live in non-attainment and near non-attainment areas, and drive and contribute less to mobile source pollution;

An increase in energy efficiency programs that simultaneously reduce pollution and save Texans money; and

Enforcement of clean air laws, including the Clean Air Act and the requirement that plants meet modern standards when they expand.

Rather than the Republican denials and delays that lead to further loss of wildlife and lack of access for ordinary Texans to natural areas, we support:

The use of safe harbor agreements to provide regulatory certainty for those who protect endangered species on their land; and

A park acquisition effort recommended by Texas Tech and Texas A & M. Water plans in Texas should recognize of the importance of sport and commercial fishing in Texas and:

Require a cost-benefit analysis for large new reservoirs and assess the value of proposed reservoirs compared to other alternatives;

Implement aggressive water conservation and reuse practices;

Protect bays, estuaries, in-stream flows, and qualifying wetlands;

Encourage the development of environmentally safe offshore reefs to preserve maritime resources and fisheries; and

Support the protection of public water supplies.

We also support:

Reauthorizing tax penalties for polluters to support Superfund cleanup of toxic waste;

Enhancing State registries for birth defects, cancer, and greenhouse gas emissions;

Eliminating the "volume discount" for big polluters, which is unfair for small business;

Environmental siting rules that protect poor and minority communities;

"Right to know" laws, food safety regulations, and reduced pesticide use;

The prohibition of transportation and disposal of nuclear waste without absolute safeguards for Texans and their communities;

Increased efforts to address border environmental problems, including construction of water and wastewater treatment systems;

Programs to reduce the threat to our children caused by indoor air pollution, including toxic mold, at our State's schools;

State programs to increase conservation of farmland and soil resources; and

Expanded testing of fish and shellfish for mercury and other contaminants and public notification of health risks.

PUBLIC SAFETY

The Texas Democratic Party believes all Texans are entitled to be safe and secure, free from the fear of violence. Criminals must be punished to the full extent of the law for the crimes they commit, the rights of victims must be ensured, the accused must be assured due process under law, and public safety officers must be strongly supported. In addition, restitution must be made to victims and society.

These principles should be enforced everywhere; in urban and rural areas, inner cities and suburbs, and without regard to the ethnic make up of a community. Although many families still do not feel safe in their own neighborhoods, violent crime has decreased overall and Texas Democrats have led efforts to provide law enforcement agencies the tools they need to combat crime. Texas Democrats have:

Passed DNA testing legislation to identify and track serial sex offenders and child molesters and establish the guilt or innocence of suspects;

Cracked down on drunk drivers by passing the 0.08 blood alcohol limit; · Passed the James Byrd Jr. Memorial Hate Crimes Act; and

Passed legislation to guarantee money from the Crime Victim's fund for families of peace officers killed in the line of duty.

Juvenile Justice

We believe prevention is the best solution to the problem of juvenile crime but we also must hold juveniles accountable when they break the law. We support:

Drug prevention programs in our schools and communities, including school-based clinics to provide our children with access to drug counseling, education and outreach programs that stop drug addiction before it begins;

Mandatory background checks of adults working with juveniles in crime and drug prevention programs;

More severe punishment of individuals or groups who corrupt our children by recruiting or enticing them to commit crimes;

The involvement of parents and communities in solutions to juvenile crime; · Efforts to prevent abuse and provide treatment for victims and perpetrators will realize long-term cost savings by reducing prison populations and assuring safer, healthier families; and

Programs that help high-risk kids stay in school and stay positively involved in their communities. The juvenile justice system must teach young people drawn to a life of crime at an early age that they will be held accountable and responsible for their actions.

We support:

Tough but appropriate punishment for juveniles who commit crimes;

Teaching responsibility to nonviolent juvenile offenders through programs such as boot camps and restitution centers; and

Keeping handguns and other weapons away from children.

Adult Corrections

To continue the fight against crime so that our streets and our homes may become safe again, Texas Democrats support tough and smart policies, including:

Ending the mandatory early release of criminals and aggressively appealing any judicial decision which questions the constitutionality of such a statute;

Ensuring the availability of sufficient secure prison space, staffed by professionally trained and compensated corrections officers, to stem the epidemic of prison escapes;

Sensitive treatment for the victims of crime and stronger emphasis on compensation to crime victims by the criminals themselves;

Strong enforcement of the James Byrd, Jr., Memorial Hate Crimes Act;

Severe punishment for repeat and violent offenders, including longer sentences for major drug dealers;

Doing away with deferred adjudication and probation for sex offenders;

Recognition that rape and domestic violence are crimes of violence, that victims and their families need counseling and support, and that more educational programs on sexual assault and abuse prevention are needed;

Stronger enforcement of domestic violence and sexual assault laws in Texas and the encouragement of victims to report such crimes;

Analyzing all DNA evidence and evidence from medical rape kits in a timely fashion and entering such evidence into a computer database;

Placing more police officers on the streets;

Crime prevention programs addressing drug and alcohol addiction and other root causes of crime and stressing the need for educational opportunity;

Effective supervision of parolees and probationers, with a certainty of sanctions for violators;

Tough anti-stalking laws and laws to protect witnesses and parties from harassment and retribution;

Stronger enforcement of Texas' DWI laws;

Stronger enforcement of laws pertaining to and punishment of white collar and corporate criminals;

The right of every person to be tried by a jury that broadly reflects the ethnic makeup of the community;

Expansion of community anti-crime programs and re-prioritization of the War on Drugs to more effectively keep drugs out of our schools and out of our communities; and

Improved pay and benefits for law enforcement and corrections officers who put their lives on the line every day.

RURAL TEXAS AND AGRICULTURE

Rural Texas faces significant challenges that threaten cherished values and a way of life that has provided a livelihood for generations of families. Following a redistricting effort that saw Republican officials push through a redistricting plan that was devastating to rural representation at a time when many rural communities are facing economic collapse, we are strongly committed to meeting the needs of rural Texas.

We applaud the creation of the Office of Rural Community Affairs as a central agency charged with the responsibility of developing a rural policy for the state and improving the condition of rural communities; and

We call on the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) to do its job: to inspect, regulate, and enforce food safety requirements for consumer protection, safe application of chemical treatments, and security from terrorists that pose a danger to our food supply.

Agriculture is unique because of its necessity for our survival, its importance to domestic and international trade, its vulnerability to forces of nature, and its lack of control over pricing. We are committed to maintaining the world leadership role of Texas farmers and ranchers by:

Demanding that TDA devise an effective marketing plan to assist food and fiber producers in selling their products, including training in the use of computers and the internet for Texas agricultural producers;

Encouraging large numbers of family farmers and ranchers to produce food and fiber to ensure a stable market and decrease dependence on imports; and

Supporting federal farm legislation that establishes minimum price support levels and an economic safety net for those engaged in agricultural production because a stable agricultural economy is an investment in our state and nation's safety and security from foreign dependence.

RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS

Full protection and equal opportunity under the law remain bedrock values of the Democratic Party. To that end, we pledge to:

Fight all forms of discrimination;

Enforce laws prohibiting sexual harassment;

Promote the right to privacy;

Support policies that protect the confidentiality and privacy of an individual's personal, medical, and financial records - in both paper and electronic formats;

Reaffirm our unqualified support for the Voting Rights Act and the right of all Texans to participate in the political process, including accurate instruction in the use of voting systems to ensure no voter is denied their right to vote due to language barriers or new and confusing voting systems;

Protect the sacred right of all eligible voters to cast their ballots and have their votes counted in a system that is free from intimidation;

Encourage full voter participation in all elections, including continued selection of Party nominees through primary elections;

Ensure the full protection of due process of law for all Texans in all circumstances;

Support open access to the court system for all Texans, as guaranteed by the Texas Constitution, including the right to fair and impartial jury trials and respect by the courts for jury verdicts;

Protect Texans from any unreasonable limitations on access to the court system, either through the unilateral imposition of mandatory arbitration proceedings, or otherwise;

Support economical and efficient access to justice for all Texans through the ability to join together to seek redress for personal injury and property damage;

Support the continued election of judges, while working toward meaningful judicial campaign finance reform and the election of a more diverse judiciary;

Improve access to a full range of legal services to assist low-income Texans;

Reject efforts to arbitrarily censor materials in public libraries and efforts to censor textbooks to reflect narrow ideologies and discriminatory or sectarian beliefs;

Support Native American nations' rights to self-identification and self-rule; and

Support legislation to overcome the unelected Governor's veto of SLAPP legislation that was passed by an overwhelming majority in both houses.

ETHICS AND GOVERNMENT REFORM

Texas Democrats support comprehensive ethics and campaign finance reforms. Important public policy decisions, including gubernatorial vetoes and appointments, should not be for sale in return for large campaign contributions. Effective reforms should restore public confidence by diminishing the influence of wealthy special interests in the democratic process without hampering the ability of political parties to engage in legitimate activities to deliver their message and get out the vote. We support:

Efforts to reform state ethics laws to assure full reporting and disclosure of campaign finance, lobbying, and other activities that influence the operation of government;

Streamlined reporting and disclosure of campaign contributions;

Limits on campaign contributions provided they are accompanied by meaningful provisions that would limit campaign spending and avoid unintended consequences that could harm candidates who play by the rules;

Legislation to provide the Texas Ethics Commission with the authority to fully enforce the laws under it's jurisdiction as specified by the Texas Election Code;

Reinstatement of the fairness doctrine of the Federal Communications Commission; and

Proposed legislation to restore integrity to the office of Governor of Texas.

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

The Texas Democratic Party endorses the religious freedoms guaranteed by the state and federal Constitutions and calls upon government to scrupulously honor every Texan's right to religious freedom while respecting the separation of church and state. Many Democrats hold political views that are motivated by deeply held personal beliefs. No political party and no extremist group hold an exclusive lock on such beliefs. We recognize the importance of religion and prayer in the lives of Texans and support every individual's right to practice his or her own beliefs without imposing them on others, including the recognized right of public school students to a "moment of silence."

IMMIGRATION

The Texas Democratic Party recognizes the responsibility of the United States to secure its borders. Legislation and policies must effectively respond to the current state of affairs without compromising national security.

At the same time, the United States has been, and always will be, the land of opportunity. The immigrants who come to our state and nation not only renew this idea of opportunity, but also strengthen our nation's spirit and economic well being, especially in Texas. In that spirit, Texas Democrats support immigration policies that ensure economic opportunities for all individuals and businesses, strengthen families, and protect people against discrimination and violations of their civil liberties and human rights.

We continue to oppose any measures that would limit our state's ability to provide for the health, education, safety, and welfare of our people, including immigrant members of our communities, and we oppose efforts to turn state agencies into branches of immigration enforcement. Immigrant bashing, scapegoating, and the unfair retroactive use of petty criminal history are not only misguided, but inevitably polarize our society while failing to solve problems. Since its founding, our nation's strength has been its diversity and our future success depends upon it.