Party platforms are the heart and soul of a political party. Written resolutions tell voters what to expect from candidates. The Idaho Democratic Party (IDP) bases its platform and resolutions on local facts and national research. Voters expect elected lawmakers’ actions to be based on this data. Here are some highlights from the 2022 IDP Convention.

Compared to other states, particularly in rural areas, Idaho has more mental illness, less access to care, and higher than average suicide rates. The IDP supports increased funding for mental health services, especially in rural communities. Funding for school counselors must be expanded to protect our next generations. Further, the IDP supports common sense gun laws to increase responsible gun ownership, to reduce both gun deaths (up 43% between 2011-20) and gun suicides (84% of gun deaths among children and teens are suicide).

Freedom of choice is a fundamental American right. The Democratic platform states that all reproductive health care choices must be available, without government interference. The IDP supports policies that respect privacy, bodily autonomy, and increased access, particularly for medically underserved areas of Idaho.

Public education garnered five of 18 resolutions. The IDP resolves action as follows:

1. Guarantee safe school facilities by pushing for a permanent statewide public school building fund. In 2005, the Idaho Supreme Court declared the state school funding system unconstitutional because it left the full cost of school construction to local property taxpayers. The Legislature was ordered to fix the issue; they haven’t.

2. Increase funding for K-12, including pre-school.

3. Uphold the right of parents to make decisions regarding what their own children can read, but not to decide what others’ children may read.

4. Support individual intellectual freedom; commit to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of librarians and library collections by fighting censorship through book bans.

5. Ensure that American history curricula not be “filled with errors and partisan politics”. Democrats strenuously oppose the adoption of the 1776 (private Hillsdale College, Michigan) Educational Curricula as a screening tool for American history in public schools. We also oppose this screening tool for public office candidates.

Good citizenship requires voter participation. Democrats will promote voting rights by supporting actions such as motor-voter automatic voter registration programs, retaining ID requirements, same day voter registration, and early voting.

We support local-option (city, county) taxation authority and minimum wage guidelines. Democrats support the adoption of multiple actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change. We will promote the interests and concerns of rural Idaho by engaging community leaders, creating equitable distribution of funds to stimulate economic development in our rural communities’ essential infrastructure, requiring we enhance our connections to rural voters.

The IDP strongly opposes SJR102, the proposed Idaho Constitutional Amendment allowing the Legislature to call itself into special session. For over 130 years, Idaho governors have controlled this privilege as a form of checks and balances. If this amendment passes, Idaho’s part-time, citizens’ Legislature threatens to become a full-time, high-cost Legislature for career politicians.

I recommend every Idahoan take the time to read the IDP platform and resolutions. Compare them to the Idaho GOP platform written in 2022 under leadership of chairperson Moon and approved by the majority at their convention. Democrats believe our concise, fact-based, commonsense, smaller government approach to problem-solving best represents all Idahoans. I think moderate Republicans and Independents will agree with that assessment.

Finally, please vote on Nov. 8. Candidates and issues can be won or lost by one vote. Don’t allow a minority of voters to make decisions that affect you. Your vote matters. Your vote counts!