Idaho Democrats adopted platform changes at their biennial convention Sunday, making major shifts to the party’s stance on education, health care and natural resources.
The updated platform will guide the party for the next two years. This year’s changes highlight Idaho Democrats’ reaction to legislation passed in recent years by the state’s Republican-controlled Legislature. Restricting abortion and Library materials Access. The updated platform also expresses the party’s opposition to using public funds for private school vouchers.
On the final day of the party’s convention, held at the University of Idaho, party members spent the first 30 minutes debating inclusive language and finalizing the platform, including how to refer to LGBTQ+ people and minorities. After finishing the debate on inclusive terminology and grammar suggestions, the party voted in favor of the new platform.
What’s in the Idaho Democratic Party’s policy platform?
The Idaho Democratic Party’s policy platform has seven parts: — Let’s start with the preamble: The biggest change to the party’s preamble is the addition of new support for the Second Amendment and gun safety.
In the education section of its platform, the party states:The party pledged to “oppose the diversion of tax dollars to voucher programs for nonpublic schools” and to “protect access to books and materials in libraries and classrooms.” The platform also added lines in support of early childhood education and special education.
Idaho Democrats added an economic section to their platform supporting investments in renewable energy and child care, and lawmakers voted to protect Medicare and Social Security benefits, the right to unionize and promote local agriculture.
The “equality, justice and opportunity for all” agenda remains largely unchanged, but the party says it will promote equal rights, especially for minorities.
The party advocated for major changes in health care and expanded reproductive freedom. – like Legal access to abortion, contraception, and in vitro fertilization. The updated platform states:The right of individuals to make their own medical decisions, including gender-affirming treatment.The updated platform also addresses concerns about health care workers leaving Idaho, saying the party “They fear being criminalized for providing evidence-based care.”
Journalists banned from observing opening day of Idaho Republican Convention
Additions The democracy section of the platform includes measures such as fighting white supremacy and promoting transparency in government. At a platform committee meeting Saturday afternoon, party members agreed to include support for press freedom. Journalists banned from entering the country From two days of activities at the Idaho Republican Party’s state convention in Coeur d’Alene last week. Journalists were allowed to attend all proceedings of the Idaho Democratic Party convention.
Finally, the party changed its position on natural resources, affirming the scientific evidence of climate change and supporting investment in renewable energy. The party also called for protecting Idaho’s water resources and the use of public lands for agriculture and recreation.
The 2024 party platform will be uploaded to the Idaho Democratic Party’s website at a later date.
Idaho Democrats take stances on local, national issues
The party has nine Resolutions that address local and national issues, including the following resolutions:
- Supports funding for public education and condemns private school vouchers
- Blame House Bill 710Codified procedures Idaho libraries must follow if a patron believes library materials are harmful to minors.
- I support immigration reform that would provide a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants and strengthen border security.
- Support the LGBTQ+ community
- Supports funding for Idaho’s domestic violence program
- Supporting reproductive health
- Supporting improvements to veterans’ health care, including support for medical marijuana
- Support Idaho’s democratic process, including state-funded voter guides, open primaries, government transparency, the 17th Amendment and civil dialogue
- Helping mitigate climate change and promoting sustainability policies
The Idaho Democratic Party adopts resolutions that direct the party to act or take a formal position on a particular topic.
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