Here are some recommendations consistent with reinforcing existing planks and filling in gaps in current county, district and state Republican platforms. Redundancy is not an issue at this stage and the process will consolidate planks as appropriate. Bring these to your caucus Monday February 3rd. Visit https://scottcountyrepublicans.org/ to find your location. Be there before 7:00 PM.
More could be added and we encourage items be sent to our comment section which we will try to have vetted and posted by 10:00 AM. Bring them to your caucus for vetting whether or not we are able to post any more on a timely basis here.
Votes on each resolution can be done in short order calling for a vote individually with the results recorded on each. Alternatively because there is no subject matter limitation at the caucus level a group of resolutions might be passed as “resolution 1 addenda to platform”. Numbers are provided to simplify referencing. Attendees with smart phones can be referred to this site in place of sharing or printing copies but paper resolution(s) must be submitted to the county.
In no particular order: (copy and bring with you)
1. Resolved: Scott County Republican Party opposes any bi-state taxing authority
1.1 We condemn the impeachment of President Trump as a totally partisan coup attempt. As related by Kimberley A. Strassel writing at the Wall Street Journal:
“Democrats broke every standard of due process, transparency and fairness in their House investigation, making a mockery of their constitutional duty.”
“They hid the identity of the original accuser, denying Republicans and the country the ability to judge his motives. They held secret depositions, barring more than three-quarters of House members, as well as the press and the American public. They called 18 witnesses, but blocked the president from calling any in his defense. The White House legal team was excluded from the proceedings—prohibited from cross-examining witnesses, denied the ability to introduce any evidence that spoke to the central question of the president’s focus on Ukrainian corruption.”
2. We call on the Senate of the Unites States to speedily acquit President Trump
3. We oppose wind and solar subsidies and mandates. These are mature industries and should stand or fall based on market based prices for energy.
4. Resolved, We insist that the Republican Party and its candidates stand for honesty and integrity in all political advertising. We expect political campaigns to be conducted in a positive and truthful manner.
5. Resolved, We call on our courts to interpret and apply the First Amendment as the Framers intended. The phrase, “the separation of church and state” as it is commonly used, contradicts the original intent and practice of the Framers of the Constitution. The First Amendment prohibits the establishment of a “state religion” and permits the exercise of religious freedom. Neither the courts nor government agencies should misuse or misunderstand the First Amendment so as to create a “so-called wall of separation” to the voluntary expression of religious belief.
6. Resolved, We affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Iowa and U.S. Constitution and endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children. We oppose using public revenues to promote or perform abortion or fund organizations which perform or advocate it and will not fund or subsidize health care which includes abortion coverage.
7. We oppose the non-consensual withholding or withdrawal of care or treatment, including food and water, from people with disabilities, including newborns, as well as the elderly and infirm, just as we oppose active and passive euthanasia and assisted suicide.
8. Resolved, We support the use of adult stem cells to advance modern medical research. We oppose somatic cell nuclear transfer (human cloning), embryonic stem cell research and any research that involves the destruction of unborn human life, and the commercial use or sale of fetal parts from induced abortion.
9. We support the appointment of judges who respect traditional family values and the sanctity of innocent human life. We call for the appointment of judges who are committed to the original intent of the framers. We oppose judge made law.
10. Resolved: Republican Party at the county, district, state and national levels should hold our politicians to our platform.
12. The metadata collection of American citizens activities is an unreasonable search and seizure and should be ended as a violation of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution.
13. Resolved, Common Core State Standards have less to do with raising standards than lowering standards. They are an inappropriate overreach to standardize and control the education of our children so they will conform to a preconceived ‘normal…’ Common Core Standards are bad for our children and are a gross overreach into the lives of Americans by the federal government.
14. We oppose Common Core State Standards (CCSS), because we do not believe in a one size fits all approach to education and support providing broad education choices to parents and children at the State and local level.”
15. Resolved, Iowa’s community colleges are crucial to both cultural and technological advancement in the state. We support that an overall budget neutral parity (no added taxes) for Iowa’s community colleges be established.
16. Resolved, The voting records and known positions of nominated candidates that are substantially opposed to core principles and positions of this platform shall be used by Republican leadership in decisions about the use of Party resources, and interpreted as negative factors.
17. Resolved, That candidates who receive Republican Party money be required to return to the Republican Party any financial help if the candidate bows out of the race or endorses a Democrat.
18. We support the grass roots nature and development of our county, district and state platforms and believe they should be adhered to and added to as appropriate and not diminished to platitudes.
19. Congress should make mechanisms for limiting the vote to citizens of the United States more uniformly secure and enforceable. Electoral college votes and seating of federal delegations from jurisdictions not in compliance with federal law or that are demonstratively lax in insuring the integrity of the vote under current law, those federal elections results should not be recognized whatever the venue.
20. Resolved, we support citizenship status added to every census questionnaire
Resolved: No Scott County Republican official shall support bi-state taxing authority