Party Platforms Show Opposing Views On Democracy

 In 2024 there is a marked difference between the directions of the Democratic and Republican parties in Texas. The Republican Party of Texas (RPT) platform urges that majority rule be taken away and replaced with essentially rule of the minority, which happens to align with conservatism and Republican’s in control. The Texas Democratic Party (TDP) platform insists upon greater respect for voting rights and the very concept of democracy, majority rule. In this week’s column I’ve provided quotes from both platforms that specifically address how each party views democracy and the value of it.

“We further resolve that all amendments to the Texas Constitution require a majority of the voters in at least 191 counties (three-fourths), instead of a simple majority of the votes.” Here's what this really means, the smallest 191 counties in Texas each had populations less than 55,000 people. The actual total population of those counties in 2023 was approximately 3 million while the state population is 30.5 million so less than 10% of the state's population lives and votes in those 191 counties. There were over 11 million votes cast in Texas in 2020. You can see that the Republican party doesn't believe in majority rule, they want the 10% of Texans living in rural counties and who vote overwhelmingly in favor of Republicans and conservative policies to have full control of the Texas constitution. This is anti-democratic, and I don’t mean anti-Democratic Party, I mean in opposition to democracy, also known as majority rule.

"The State Legislature shall cause to be enacted a State Constitutional Amendment creating an electoral college consisting of electors selected by the popular votes cast within each individual state senatorial district, who shall then elect all statewide office holders." We know from history that the national electoral college was originally created as a compromise with the lower population slave-holding states in order to allow them to prevent free-states from outlawing slavery. We know from presidential elections that since 1988 when George H.W. Bush won his single term in office that there has only been one other Republican to win a majority of the popular vote and that was George W. Bush won his second term in the 2004 election while we were at war in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Republicans have not won the popular vote for president in the last 20 years. Texas Republicans see the handwriting on the wall and are determined to prevent control of state government changing hands regardless of what a majority of the state's voters might desire. How un-American?

Conversely the Texas Democratic Party platform demands more respect for one person, one vote and majority rule. The platform states: “Support elimination of the Electoral College and join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, and until the compact is effective, proportionally award Texas's presidential electoral votes based on the U.S Presidential results within the state.” Short of passing a constitutional amendment participating in the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is the only way to insure majority rule in this country.

The Democratic Party platform also calls for the elimination of “barriers to voting and encourage full participation in elections and governance.” Recognition of “November’s Election Day as a state and federal holiday.” In addition our platform recommends combining “local, state, and federal elections to minimize how often voters have to go to the polls each year.” To improve voter turnout among young Texans the platform insists on removal of “undue burdens on students by placing polling locations at all institutions of postsecondary education.”

The TDP wants to provide more democracy. Who will you choose in November?

Published in the Seguin Gazette - June 19, 2024

Texas Democratic Party Continues Progressive Turn

The Texas Democratic Party continued its turn to toward a more progressive stance at Saturday October 12 State Democratic Executive Committee (SDEC) meeting. The full committee unanimously approved a series of potential referenda items for the March Primary ballot. The proposed referenda are expected to appear on the party site in the near future and in order to be placed on the Primary ballot will have to receive support from 50,000 people by signing online on each referenda item.

These are the 19 potential referenda:

1. On a Living Wage for all Texans – The Texas Legislature should raise the minimum wage to a livable wage and Congress should pass legislation raising the federal minimum wage to 110% of the federal poverty level for a family of four without exception.
2. On Medicaid Expansion – The Governor and the Texas Legislature should accept federal funds, as provided in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, for expansion of Medicaid to provide coverage to millions of uninsured and under-insured Texans.
3. On the Texas Dream Act – The Legislature should allow any Texas high school student, who has lived in the state for at least three years and lived here continuously for the last year, to be eligible for in-state tuition for higher education and be able to eligible to earn legal status through a higher education or military service.
4. On Fair Pay – The United State Senate and House of Representatives should pass the Paycheck Fairness Act to ensure that women lawfully receive equal pay for equal work and grant legal redress over gender based pay discrimination.
5. On Reproductive Rights – The Texas Legislature should repeal all legislation prohibiting women, in consultation with their doctors, from making their own health care decisions and affirm that the access to reproductive and contraceptive care cannot be abridged by an employer for any reason and must be free of harassment and discrimination.
6. On Comprehensive Sex Education – The Texas Legislature should fund targeted efforts to reduce Texas’ high teen pregnancy rates, through the provision of evidence based, accurate and effective, comprehensive age-appropriate sex education programs with abstinence and contraception components.
7. On Non-Discrimination Legislation – The Texas Legislature should adopt legislation that expands protections against discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
8. On Marriage Equality – The Texas Legislature should allow for the repeal of the Texas Marriage Constitutional Amendment and discriminatory marriage laws and grant the right of marriage equality to all Texans.
9. On Immigration Reform – The United States Congress must pass immigration reform, including an earned path to citizenship for individuals contributing to the economy and the dependents of those individuals.
10. On Reversal of Citizens United – The Congress of the United States shall pass a constitutional amendment that establishes that money is not speech, and can thus be regulated, and that only human beings, not corporations, are entitled to constitutionally protected rights.
11. On Global Climate Change – The Texas Legislature must encourage the use of alternative forms of energy and encourage environmentally-friendly energy resources and speed development of energy-efficient technology, vehicles appliances and green buildings.
12. On Education – The Texas Legislature and Office of the Governor must realize that public education is a right to be enjoyed by all students, not the privileged few, and ensure that funding levels are sufficient so that every student has access to the highest quality teachers, facilities, and supplies.
13. On Redistricting – The Texas Legislature should adopt fair political boundaries – respecting the notion of one person, one vote – while providing opportunities to minority candidates and voters to have their opinions valued and heard.
14. On Veterans – The Texas Legislature should advocate for veterans; including programs to assist veterans find meaningful employment and ensure benefits, including education, housing and medical care, worthy of their sacrifices.
15. On Buy American – The Office of the Governor should reconsider its stance and veto of the “Buy American Act”, recognizing the importance of Texan made goods to the economy, and not bend to the whims of international business conglomerates producing inferior products overseas with poorly paid labor.
16. On Broadband Access – The Legislature should enable usable, affordable high speed internet for every family across Texas, allowing all to participate in the twenty-first century’s technology-based economy and providing every child the opportunity to learn the necessary skills to compete in the competitive global environment.
17. On Texas Enterprise Fund – The Texas Legislature should implement oversight of the Enterprise Fund, halting the flow of taxpayer money to some of the largest, most profitable companies in the world as favors to political donors of elected officials.
18. On Statewide Transportation – The Texas Legislature should ensure that safe, efficient transportation throughout the state is a priority – especially in rural areas – appropriating sufficient funds to maintain paved roads that allow the state’s people and products to flow across them efficiently and quickly.
19. On Unions – The Texas Legislature should allow for workers, including public sector employees, to have the rights to collective bargaining and unionization, providing them with an important voice over workplace issues affecting their quality of life.

The Texas Democratic Party hopes to promote participation in the March Primary especially in those areas with uncontested primaries.