TEXAS DEMOCRATIC PARTY
2008 PARTY PLATFORM
JUNE 2008

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Consumer Protection
Texas Democrats believe government has a responsibility to protect the people from dangerous
products and fraudulent, unfair and discriminatory business practices. Consumers should have a
high degree of certainty and an understanding of their rights and protections under laws that are
strongly and uniformly enforced. Texas Democrats believe we must protect Texans from:
• unscrupulous homebuilders, by reshaping the Texas Residential Construction Commission to
include homeowner representation and empowering it with the authority to take meaningful
action on their behalf;
• laws and regulations that restrict redress for buyers of new homes who discover shoddy work
after the purchase is completed;
• unscrupulous telemarketing, internet marketing and price fixing;
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• services that prey on individuals, especially children, the poor, the elderly and persons with
disabilities, including insurance fraud and nursing home abuse targeted at seniors;
• insurance companies, HMOs and drug companies that deny Texans coverage they need;
• unfair business practices by multinational corporations;
• laws and regulations that restrict the ability of communities to provide public utilities at their
discretion, including “wi-fi” internet access;
• any interference with licensed public safety communication frequencies;
• identity theft, notary impersonation, “phishing” viruses and other forms of computer fraud;
• manipulation of the market caused by unscrupulous speculators;
• predatory pricing of utilities by providing a level playing field for regulated industry, through
policy to ensure Texans pay the lowest possible cost for utility services; and
• predatory lending practices, such as unscrupulous payday loans and sale/lease back
transactions.

Housing
The ability to live in secure, accessible and affordable housing, available without discrimination, is
essential to giving families a sense of community, self-respect, and dignity. 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 increase access to housing
opportunities, housing rehabilitation programs, financial education, and down payment
assistance that fits the needs of both rural and urban Texans;
• eliminating all discrimination in the financing and insuring of homes, including lending
practices that prey on the uneducated, the poor, the elderly, and colonia residents;
• establishing a state program to assist local nonprofit organizations develop and administer
individual development account programs for low income individuals;
• increasing the number of Section 8 housing vouchers and the availability of low cost financing
for new and affordable rental housing; and
• increasing programs and financial assistance for local communities relocating citizens who
reside in the 100-year flood plain.
Texas and the country are engulfed in a man-made housing disaster: the collapse of the sub-prime
mortgage market, of housing prices, and of the housing finance system. This calamity is the direct
consequence of ideology and greed that led to lax regulation, abusive and predatory lending
practices and a massive failure of those responsible for policing the banks and the securities
markets. To respond to this crisis, we must:
• help families stay in their homes and thus protect and preserve neighborhoods;
• enact measures to refinance mortgages for affected owner-occupied homes, but not second
homes, high-end mansions or speculative real estate investors in real estate; and
• provide rental assistance for those who must move.

Homelessness
Developing effective solutions to the problems related to homelessness requires a strong
commitment to public-private partnerships and coordinated state, federal, and local efforts. In
addition to the acute problem of homelessness among the mentally ill and their families, runaways,
veterans and other populations, the impact of Republican economic policy has left many families
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just one rent check or mortgage payment away from homelessness. Texas Democrats are
committed to ending homelessness by removing barriers and increasing access to services that
support progress toward self-sufficiency in rural and urban communities.

The Environment
Every Texan has the right to breathe clean air and drink pure water, a right that is essential to public
health, our economy, and our planet’s environment. We believe Texas can protect the environment
while protecting and creating good jobs, and we support efforts to require Texas to meet all
standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency. Texas should do what the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change scientists say is necessary; by 2020, we must reduce global warming
pollution at least 25% below 1990 levels, or as science dictates.
Stronger State Environmental Protection, Regulation and Enforcement is essential to preserve
our quality of life and secure long term economic growth. We must end Gov. Perry’s “revolving
door” practice and demand appointment of state regulatory officials who use will science as a basis
for protecting the health of Texans and enforcing all Texas laws to protect our water, air and land
from those who would degrade our environment for their own selfish interests. We support:
• a requirement that all major permit proceedings include consideration of the feasibility and
cost analyses of less polluting, alternative technology;
• the repeal of state grandfathering provisions that allow circumvention of municipal
regulations that protect health and human safety and the property of nearby landowners;
• the repeal of legislation promoted by Gov. Perry which allows the state to interfere with local
prosecutors’ ability to bring criminals who poison our air and water to justice;
• the right of all citizens to participate in the permitting process and contested hearings to
prevent the quality of our environment from being compromised without public comment;
• mandating a 90% reduction of mercury emissions from coal-burning power plants to protect
the public health and prevent birth defects;
• protecting watersheds, aquifers, schools and neighborhoods from the harmful effects of
transporting dangerous materials through pipelines or other forms of surface transportation;
• the enactment of laws and regulations to protect low income communities and communities of
color from environmental racism and environmental injustice;
• strict “truth in labeling” laws and regulations that mandate the consumer’s right to know what
is present in their food, including genetic engineering involved in product preparation;
• proper management and regulation of landfills that threaten community health;
• strengthening penalties so that it does not pay to pollute;
• providing State and Federal funds to address border environmental problems caused by
inadequate water, wastewater treatment systems and air pollution;
• the prevention of nuclear waste importation from other countries and other states;
• the enactment of state policy that allows local government to protect air and water quality,
public safety, historical sites and health from actions that adversely affect their community.
Clean Air is becoming the exception instead of the rule on too many days in Texas. We support the
adoption, immediate implementation, and strong enforcement of clean air plans by State officials,
including those for the San Antonio, Austin, Dallas-Ft. Worth and Houston areas, to finally comply
with the Clean Air Act to reduce asthma and respiratory illnesses in children and adults. We also
support:
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• new technologies that use clean, Texas based fuels and reduce costs to consumers;
• stricter vehicle emissions standards comparable to standards required in foreign markets;
• encouraging the large-scale planting of trees to absorb greenhouse gases, improve wildlife
habitat, and promote beautification;
• energy efficiency programs that reduce air pollution from power plants; and
• reducing the threat caused by indoor air pollution, including toxic mold, in our schools.
The preservation of recreational and open spaces is essential to a healthy Texas. Unfortunately,
recent actions by Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson have violated the public trust and
highlighted the need to reverse years of Republican neglect of our state parks and public lands. We
must provide adequate funding for the upkeep, maintenance and acquisition of state park land. We
must also reward those who voluntarily protect endangered species on their lands through Safe
Harbor Agreements and similar measures, and we support open space acquisition to protect Texas
aquifers and watersheds that provide sole source drinking water for millions of Texans. We support
strong enforcement of laws that provide full public access and restoration of public lands, parks,
beaches, and waters.
The Availability of Clean Water from publicly managed resources is essential to our future and
our health. We support:
• the implementation of aggressive water conservation and reuse practices;
• protecting Texas bays, estuaries, in-stream flows, and wetlands with regulations that
safeguard offshore reefs, maritime resources, recreational and commercial fisheries;
• giving regional groundwater conversation districts authority to preserve the water within their
districts, protect communities from water hustlers, implement conservation standards related
to the development density, green building, and other measures;
• requiring regional groundwater districts to maintain the historic minimum flows of all springs
and creeks and to protect drinking water supplies, plants, and wildlife;
• thorough analysis of present and future costs and the environmental impact of proposed large
new reservoirs compared to alternative sources of public water supplies;
• increased state funding for local infrastructure to reduce illness-causing bacteria levels in
public waters by meeting EPA standards;
• expanded testing of fish and shellfish for mercury and other contaminants and public
notification of health risks; and
• preventing depletion and exploitation of limited state water resources by "water wildcatters."

Energy
Democrats want what most Texans want for their energy future: a safe, secure, and sustainable
supply of clean energy to reduce our reliance on oil and coal, which have high costs for our
pocketbooks, environment, health, and national security. The watchwords of a comprehensive
energy policy are technology, investment, conservation, efficiency and affordability. We support
increased development of renewable energy technology that will spur the economy, protect the
environment, and create high-paying "green collar" jobs while retraining workers displaced by new
technology. Texas’ natural environment positions us to lead the development of new technologies
that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We must transform energy use to reduce fuel imports and
become a leader in the effort combat global warming. To that end, we support:
• requiring 30% of our state's electricity to come from Texas based, non-polluting renewable
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energy such as wind and solar by 2015;
• incentives for Texas homeowners and businesses to "go solar" and to allow solar system
owners to get credit on electric bills for extra energy such systems produce;
• an initiative to utilize unique Texas facilities and specific resources, including those for
generating base-load electricity and the reduction and remediation of all forms of pollution;
• energy efficiency standards that encourage the wise use of energy in our homes, offices, and
commercial facilities in the place of incentives that encourage inefficiency;
• transportation policy that encourages the development of affordable, fuel efficient vehicles
that can run on alternative fuels;
• reduced reliance on coal-fired plants to produce electricity until adequate technology is
available to capture and store carbon emissions, which contribute to global climate change;
• a serious re-examination of the environmental and economic benefits of corn-based ethanol,
which studies suggest contributes to pollution and global climate change more than it
reduces it, and has caused the global food prices to rise dramatically;
• creating a state panel on global climate change, including all stakeholders, that recognizes this
real and serious threat and recommends a statewide energy policy that will spur economic
development and reduce carbon emissions in Texas by eighty percent by 2050, as
recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC);
• utilization of natural geo-thermal sources for commercial and industrial applications;
• incentives for wind generated electricity;
• removing local legal and architectural restrictions that inhibit using alternate energy sources;
• green building policies by providing tax credits and passing stricter building codes;
• ensuring the availability of affordable energy to protect the health and safety of seniors and
others on fixed incomes.
• immediate funding for research to develop new CAFÉ standards at 50 MPG;
• incentives for homeowners, businesses and state institutions for investment in energy savings
initiatives and for using clean and renewable sources of energy; and
• encouraging all nations to use the best available technologies to develop clean and domestic
energy resources to meet their domestic demand.

Public Safety
Texas Democrats believe protection from crime is a primary responsibility of government essential
to the quality of life in our communities. All Texans are entitled to be safe and secure, free from
fear of violence. The guilty must be justly punished for crimes they commit, the innocent must be
protected, the rights of victims must be ensured, the accused provided due process under law, and
public safety officers must be strongly supported. We believe a community-based approach to crime
fighting makes our streets and neighborhoods safer. Partnerships should be formed with community
groups to assist officers on the streets.
Texas Democrats believe government must provide the necessary tools and equipment law
enforcement personnel need to do their jobs, and we must support officers with higher wages
commensurate with the daily risks associated with the profession.
Texas Democrats applaud the Dallas County District Attorney for working with the Innocence
Project on innovative efforts to discover, exonerate and quickly release innocent people who have
been wrongfully convicted. We urge the Texas Legislature to create an “Innocence Commission” to
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review cases in which innocent persons were convicted of a crime and later exonerated, in order to
identify the causes of wrongful convictions, and determine and implement needed reforms to
prevent recurring systemic problems, including reforms requiring corroboration of eyewitness and
confidential informant testimony and meaningful penalties for prosecutorial misconduct.
Texas faces an imminent crisis in prison space unless we reduce the number of people imprisoned
by using prevention, education and alternative sentencing for nonviolent offenders. We shouldn’t
spend money building more prisons in cases where prevention efforts can keep people from
becoming career criminals. Texas has more people in prison than any other state, even though
California has 13 million more residents. The incarceration rate in Texas is 687 per 100,000
population, compared to a national average of 440. Texas has the second highest incarceration rate
in the nation, second only to Louisiana’s 835. There are too many people in Texas prisons who
could be supervised safely in the community at a much lower cost, while also paying taxes, paying
restitution to their victims and paying child support.
Texas Democrats are leading efforts to make the Texas criminal justice system fairer, more
equitable and less costly. We support reforms passed with Democratic legislative leadership in
2007, which are a striking redirection of Texas corrections policy, including short-term residential
diversion and treatment facilities for low-level substance abusing offenders and additional
outpatient drug and mental health treatment resources.
Texas Democrats also passed legislation to remove the requirement that a person obtain a letter of
innocence from the District Attorney to receive a pardon for innocence; and passed legislation to
increase the level of wrongful compensation to $50,000 for each year of incarceration and $100,000
per year if the person was wrongfully convicted of a capital crime.

Transforming Juvenile Justice in Texas
The Texas Youth Commission scandal showed how desperately Texas needs to make sweeping
changes in juvenile justice policy to stress treatment and reduce ineffective punishment. The “tough
love” approach adopted by former Governor George Bush has failed and led to a shocking 50
percent recidivism rate for juveniles. The state should consider TYC reforms based on the
“Missouri model,” which emphasizes preventive measures, education and training, parental
involvement, treatment for drug abuse and mental health problems and housing troubled juveniles
closer to home in community-based settings instead of large, remote, TYC prisons. The use of
Tasers and pepper-spray at TYC facilities should be banned, unless it is necessary to prevent loss of
life or serious bodily injury.
Juveniles are presumed to be less culpable for their crimes than adults and therefore have a
constitutional right to be treated differently. Prison-style incarceration often does young offenders
more harm than good. Community-based juvenile justice prevention and intervention programs can
ultimately reduce adult crime, Texas’ high incarceration rate and the need for prison construction.
Texas Democrats support the guiding principles of the Texas Youth Commission’s Blue Ribbon
Task Force Report, which recommend a TYC environment that facilitates the appropriate
educational and moral development of youth who would spend the least amount of time possible in
the TYC system; staffing capacity commensurate with the size and needs of the population; and a
child-focused, family-centered, non-violent TYC. These principles would be best realized in a
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regionalized, community-based system that admits youth to TYC using research-based risk
assessment and classification and provides specialized treatment for youth and families.

Adult Corrections
To continue the fight against crime, make our streets and homes safer, and improve the
administration of justice, Texas Democrats support just and smart policies, including:
• revising sentencing guidelines for non-violent offenders, redirecting the “War on Drugs” to
treatment, and reclassifying some offenses considered felonies;
• increased funding for the state prison system’s Windham School District and restoration of
Republican cuts to programs for inmates to take higher education courses, because literacy,
education and job training ensure people leave prison and do not return;
• ensuring prisons are staffed by professionally trained and compensated corrections officers, in
sufficient numbers to achieve safe staffing ratios;
• fully funding mental health facilities and creating more facilities as necessary to provide
appropriate mental health services to redirect individuals from the criminal justice system;
• rewriting the relevant Texas criminal code provisions to take into account modern
understanding of severe mental illness and to broaden the legal definition of insanity to
ensure that the public is kept safe while allowing treatment for mentally ill inmates;
• opposing the further privatization of Texas prisons and mandating a pay scale comparable to
public prisons for prison guards at existing private prisons;
• reducing recidivism rates by increasing rehabilitation and re-entry programs, with special
emphasis on reducing functional illiteracy and drug use among people released from prison,
including the reversal of policies that deny student loans and grants to those who have
completed sentences for drug felonies;
• 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;
• ensuring proper oversight and regulation of crime labs, especially labs that process DNA
evidence, to assure proper analysis of evidence, including timely analysis of evidence from
medical rape kits and entering such evidence in a computerized database;
• placing more police officers on the streets in underserved areas;
• increasing the amount of federal grant money obtained through the Edward Byrne Law
Enforcement Assistance Program used for drug treatment and drug court programs,
homeland security operations, and crime lab upgrades;
• prevention programs addressing drug and alcohol addiction, lack of educational opportunity
and other root causes of crime;
• probation reform to more closely supervise probationers in their communities and provide
alternate means of punishing them, such as local jail time, house arrest, additional
counseling and self-help programs, without sending them to a state prison;
• significantly reducing the number of people reincarcerated for technical violations of parole or
probation, such as missing an appointment with a supervisory officer;
• stronger enforcement of laws and punishment for white collar corporate criminals;
• ending racial profiling in searches and traffic stops;
• the right of every person to be tried by a jury that broadly reflects the ethnic makeup of the
community, including legislation to eliminate the disgraceful practice of using all-white
juries and grand juries in cases involving people of color.
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Sexual Assault and Family and Domestic Violence
Sexual assault and family and domestic violence are violent crimes that disproportionately harm
women and children; crimes that often involve a cyclical, generational pattern, thus affecting entire
communities as long as such crimes continue to be perpetrated. We support:
• strong enforcement of Texas laws to hold offenders accountable and increase the likelihood
that victims will come forward to report these crimes;
• policies that encourage advocacy, support, and safety for victims and their families;
• early prevention efforts focused on youth to decrease the incidence of sexual and domestic
violence prior to victimization;
• training programs for law enforcement, prosecutorial, judicial, health care, mental health and
education professionals to promote increased understanding of and improved response to the
crimes of domestic violence and sexual assault; and
• a strong statewide initiative to reduce the alarming increase of child abuse and neglect through
investment in effective early prevention programs.

Capital Punishment
When capital punishment is used, Texans must be assured that it is fairly administered. Texas
Democrats extend our deepest sympathies to all victims of crime and especially to the families of
murder victims, and we strongly support their rights. The Texas death penalty system has been
severely criticized by religious leaders, appellate courts and major newspapers that have observed
that the current system cannot ensure that innocent or undeserving defendants are not sentenced to
death. Last year, the Dallas Morning News called for abolition of the death penalty in Texas.
In the modern era, Texas has executed over 400 people, far more than any other state in the nation.
The frequency of executions and inadequacies in our criminal justice system increase the likelihood
that an innocent person will be executed. The State of Texas may have already executed at least two
innocent people, according to major newspaper investigations into the cases of Carlos DeLuna and
Cameron Todd Willingham. Another inmate, Ernest Willis, was exonerated and released from
Texas Death Row in 2004 after 17 years of wrongful imprisonment. In order to promote public
confidence in the fairness of the Texas criminal justice system, Texas Democrats support the
establishment of a Texas Capital Punishment Commission to study the Texas death penalty system
and a moratorium on executions pending action on the Commission’s findings.
Texas Democrats support the following specific reforms:
• establishing a statewide Office of Public Defenders for Capital Cases to ensure that every
person accused of a capital crime has equal access to well-trained trial and appellate
attorneys, regardless of income, race or the county of jurisdiction;
• allowing testing of any possibly exculpatory DNA evidence to ensure guilt or innocence
before executions are carried out, and allowing testing of DNA evidence after an execution
to determine if an innocent person has been executed;
• establishing procedures to determine before a trial takes place whether an accused has mental
retardation, in order to be sure that Texas complies with the U.S. Supreme Court’s ban on
executions of people with mental retardation;
• banning death sentences and executions for people with mental illness;
• requiring the Board of Pardons and Paroles to meet in person to discuss and vote on every
case involving the death sentence; and
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• restoring the power to the Governor to grant clemency in death penalty cases without a
recommendation from the Board of Pardons and Paroles

Rural Texas and Agriculture
Texas Democrats understand the obstacles faced in rural Texas and we are committed to providing
our rural communities with the tools necessary to maintain their quality of life and create enhanced
opportunities for future generations of rural Texans. All areas of Texas need access to natural and
economic resources to grow and thrive, yet rural communities’ resources are under increased
pressure from forces beyond their control. We support rural communities in their efforts to protect
the resources necessary for their economic livelihood.
We believe it is essential that Texas meet the water needs of our population, communities and
industries with an absolute minimum of environmental disruption. We support the enhancement of
water conservation programs including programs for wetlands, ground water recharge, desalination,
and storm water runoff and storage.
Texans need to breathe clean air. We oppose artificial attempts to cure pollution with a pencil by
restructuring EPA regions to pull rural air quality points into more urban areas. These actions do
nothing to improve the environment but they do deprive rural areas of economic opportunity.
We believe access to affordable quality health care is particularly important in rural areas. We
support incentives to recruit and retain physicians and other health care providers in rural areas,
including grants and zero interest loans for public hospitals; programs that bring enhanced medical
technology to rural areas; equalizing Medicare reimbursements to rural hospitals; improved
emergency care systems; enhanced medical transport systems; and better utilizing nurse
practitioners and physician assistants in underserved areas.
We believe access to the most up to date technology is essential to the economic well being of all
areas of Texas. We support assistance programs designed to deliver technological resources to our
less populated regions.
We believe Texas agriculture must maintain a position of world leadership that has been tainted for
the last 18 years by a Texas Department of Agriculture that has failed to support the family farmers
and ranchers who are the backbone of the industry. We support:
• new TDA leadership to devise effective global marketing programs to assist our producers sell
their products, including training in the use of new technology and the internet;
• offering Euro-gap certification to all Texas producers at a reduced rate;
• working with Mexican officials to make NAFTA work for, and not against, Texas agriculture;
• legislation to improve weights and measures certification of gas pumps and market scales;
• reclaiming Texas' seat at the table in the formation of national agriculture policy, which was
forfeited when ranking rural Congressmen were forced from office in a partisan power grab;
• legislation against an agribusiness environment that restricts farmers both locally and globally
to using only genetically modified seed;
• federal farm legislation that establishes minimum price support levels and economic
protections for FAMILY farms; and
• preserving proper use of agricultural property tax exemptions and restructuring the current
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land appraisal system to insure a fair property tax system for all Texans

Property Rights and Eminent Domain
We oppose development of the Trans-Texas Corridor. As proposed by Governor Perry, the TTC is
little more than an attempt to transfer ownership of millions of acres throughout the state to a
foreign corporation with close ties to him. The TTC could have a potentially devastating effect on
rural areas, property owners and communities. We support property rights protections that would
prevent uncontrolled development along the corridor.
We also oppose the use of eminent domain and takings to deprive any property owner of the
possession, use, or the ability to control their property for the pure purpose of economic
development; without just compensation; in the absence of an obvious and compelling public need.
We demand the closing of a legal loophole enacted last session that has allowed a private oilman
and water hustler, Republican billionaire and contributor Boone Pickens, to use the power of
eminent domain to acquire private property for a private water pipeline and power lines running
from the Panhandle to the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex.

Transportation
With rising energy costs making it more costly for Texans to go to work and make a living, our
rapidly growing population requires a transportation system that will move more people, goods and
products, and do so safely and efficiently to expand economic opportunity. The guiding principles
for a transportation system that benefits all Texans should include the impact of transportation on
greenhouse gas emissions, safety, affordability, reduced congestion and environmental quality. To
that end, we support:
• feasibility studies for new roads and toll ways that include assessment of the impact on all
factors in surrounding rural or urban environments as well as traffic congestion;
• designing projects to avoid unnecessarily dividing communities or having detrimental
impact on land owners;
• innovative funding mechanisms to provide needed roadways and develop reliable and
affordable public transportation systems as necessary to alleviate congestion and move
people and goods efficiently without damaging communities and the environment;
• reform of the Texas Department of Transportation in the wake of its infamous billion dollar
“bookkeeping error” by creating an elected Transportation Commission;
• a ban on converting existing roads to toll roads, which amounts to double taxation; and
• developing rail and mass transit systems that don’t harm the environment or infringe on
property rights, and utilizing the Mobility Fund to convert existing freight lines into
passenger rail.

Protecting Democracy and Restoring Public Trust
The democratic process is defined by the right to vote in a free and fair election, with the confidence
that every vote will count. Many Republicans say voting is not a right but a privilege, and they have
used the offices of government to erect barriers to voting and reward cronies and contributors. The
public trust has been violated by such abuse and corruption, and Texas Democrats demand change
to restore faith in our government.
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Free and Fair Elections Voters Can Trust
To ensure the right of voters to cast their ballots in a system that is free from intimidation,
discrimination, or abuse by partisans or state and local officials, we support:
• vigorous enforcement of the federal Voting Rights Act;
• passage of a State Voting Rights Act;
• a constitutional prohibition against mid-decade redistricting unless a court order determines
that a redistricting plan violates legal or constitutional standards;
• a redistricting process that respects Voting Rights, does not willfully savage regions and
communities for partisan gain, and gives voters the right to elect their representatives instead
of letting representatives pick their voters;
• improving access to accurate voting system instructions to ensure no one is denied the right to
vote due to language barriers, disability or confusing, new voting systems;
• securing the integrity and outcome of election results by requiring that electronic voting
systems provide a durable paper printout to allow votes to be verified, counted accurately,
certified, and recounted, including a requirement that a voter verifiable paper ballot serve as
the official ballot in recounts;
• a chain of custody for all voting and tabulating machines, with security protocols for transport
to the polling place and returning cast ballots to the counting station.
• opening the certification and selection process for voting systems to public review, testing and
analysis, including rigorous oversight by a non-partisan commission consisting of qualified
computer experts and programmers who would perform logic and accuracy tests prior to
deploying machines for elections, and best practices audit procedures such as parallel testing
and risk-based audits, with county access to all proprietary and /or open source code;
• Replacement of DRE voting systems with optical scan voting systems as they require
replacement, with professional testing and oversight;
• a requirement that the State Party Chairs be allowed to obtain “read and write” access
permission to all Texas Election Administration Management (TEAM) database tables and
fields with complete documentation, and appoint two liaison persons to attend all meetings
called by the Secretary of State on TEAM matters and report findings on data security to the
State Chair; and
• the adoption of a modern 21st century constitution to replace the antiquated Constitution of
1876.

Encouraging Participation and Eliminating Vote Suppression
Although Texas consistently has one of the lowest voter participation rates among the 50 states,
Republican politicians have used public office to suppress the vote and further restrict participation
instead of working to increase it. Texas Democrats support:
• The courageous efforts of Democratic legislators to defeat restrictive Voter ID and proof of
citizenship legislation that would reduce turnout among the elderly, poor, and people of
color, a proposal that addresses a “voter impersonation” problem that doesn’t exist;
• Expansion of the types of identification that can be used to verify residence when a voter does
not have a voter registration card at the polling place;
• Stronger penalties and stricter enforcement to prevent vote suppression
• Enhanced state funding and requirements for voter registration efforts by counties;
• Prohibition of vote caging and full disclosure of county and state processes for purging voter
rolls as well as publishing of lists of those purged;
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• Same day voter registration;
• A requirement that provisional ballots be counted unless a voters’ residence is proven invalid;
• Requiring presidential electors to cast votes consistent with national popular vote;
• Removing restrictions on mail-in voter registration and mail ballot assistance that do nothing
to prevent fraud;
• A mail ballot system open to all voters, with a permanent mail ballot option; and
• Funding for mandatory publication of all early vote and election day polling place locations
and immediate publication of changes in those locations or voting hours.

Restoring Trust and Ethical Government
To ensure that our campaigns are financed legally, fairly, and transparently, and an open and
accountable government that honors the public’s right to know, we support:
• Stronger reporting laws to require the fair market value of gifts to public officials to be listed
to provide access to information to that inform the public about possible conflicts of interest
and those who seek favor from public officials to hide conflicts of interest;
• full and timely disclosure of campaign contributions, expenditures, lobbying and other
activities that can influence elections and government operations;
• a ban on corporate campaign contributions and sham “issue ads” funded by undisclosed
donors within sixty days prior to an election;
• prohibiting former legislators and state agency executives from going through a “revolving
door” to lobby former colleagues or previous employers for a specified length of time after
leaving their office or position;
• enhanced funding and enforcement tools for the Texas Ethics Commission;
• requiring the Texas Legislature to record all votes and not just votes for final passage, comply
with open meetings laws, and provide real-time internet access to voting records and
amendments to provide public accountability;
• adoption of state government policy to allow the public to use the internet to track state
expenditures and activities, similar to the federal program authored by Senator Obama;
• requiring state agencies to follow strict contracting guidelines to eliminate favoritism and
“sweetheart” deals in awarding state contracts and to document any meetings or contacts
with registered lobbyists or paid consultants regarding a state contracts;
• continuing to elect judges while working toward a more diverse judiciary and meaningful
judicial campaign finance reform;
• public financing for general election campaigns for elective office at all levels, beginning with
state judicial elections; and
• strict enforcement of the prohibition forbidding the use of state tax money to pay contract
lobbyists to lobby members of our congressional delegation;

Religious Freedom
Texas Democrats believe government should scrupulously honor every Texan's right to religious
freedom, as guaranteed by the Texas and U.S. Constitutions and protected by the separation of
church and state. We believe:
• government must not inhibit the free exercise of religion;
• entangling government with religion is dangerous to both government and religion;
• America is the most religiously observant country in the West because our founders wisely
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provided for separation of church and state, which allows religion to flourish in freedom;
• that, just as personal faith and values guide and inspire us to further the well-being of our
community; we must never use the power of government at any level to impose our personal
religious observances on others.
Democrats hold political views motivated by deeply held personal beliefs. No political party and no
extremist group hold a lock on religious or ethical beliefs and values. We recognize the importance
of religion and prayer in the lives of Texans and support our Constitution’s guarantee of every
individual's right to practice his or her own beliefs without imposing them on others.
Access to Justice
Democrats believe our legal system is the bedrock that protects and guarantees our rights and
freedoms. Democrats believe that instead of taking the law into their own hands, all people must
have full access to the courts and equal treatment before the law, with confidence that their
grievances will be fairly adjudicated. We support:
• open access to the court system guaranteed by the Texas Constitution, respect by the courts
for jury verdicts, and the right to fair and impartial jury trials which cannot be waived by
any contractual agreement;
• protection from unreasonable limitations on access to the justice system, including mandatory
arbitration proceedings;
• affordable and efficient access to justice for all Texans through the ability to join together to
seek redress for personal injuries and property damages;
• the full protection of due process of law for all Texans in all circumstances;
• improved access to a full range of legal services to assist low-income Texans;
• the unimpeded right to redress grievances to the government and report crime to the
authorities, which was denied by the Governor’s veto of the Anti-SLAPP Bill;
• the nomination and appointment of qualified, competent persons to serve as Judges, and as
members of State Boards and Commissions responsible for carrying out civil and criminal
Justice in this State;
• the reversal of unjust provisions of “Proposition 12” that have denied Texans who have
suffered severe harm the ability to redress their grievances in fair and open courts;
• full access to an open, full and independent Executive Branch review process of a court
decision, as opposed to a “rubber stamp” of a prior decision; and
• the unimpeded right to redress grievances to the government and report crime to the
authorities without retaliation and harassment.
Rights and Freedoms
Texas Democrats believe all people possess inalienable rights that are protected by freedoms
guaranteed by the Constitution, which places responsibility on our government to protect and
defend those freedoms just as those freedoms place responsibilities on us as individuals. We believe
in and support.
• equal opportunity and equal protection before the law for all people;
• full protection of civil and human rights;
• freedom from government interference in our private lives and personal decisions; and
• freedom of religion and individual conscience.
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We believe our Constitution is intended to protect our freedoms. Republicans seek ways to ignore
or deny those protections. Democrats believe our Constitution is intended to prohibit discrimination
in all forms. Republicans wish to make it a tool of discrimination. To protect our rights and
freedoms, we support:
• action against all forms of discrimination and sexual harassment;
• the right to privacy and protecting the confidentiality and privacy of personal, medical, and
financial records - in both paper and electronic formats;
• preservation and enforcement of all state and federal disability rights laws, particularly the
Americans with Disabilities Act;
• full access to governmental records and information on matters of public interest and state
employees' rights and duty to provide factual answers to the public in response to requests
for information on matters of public interest;
• protecting of free speech, including on the Internet, to ensure equal rights are guaranteed for
any individual, business or corporation attempting to access published information;
• prevention of human trafficking and protection for victims of human trafficking;
• repeal of provisions of the Patriot Act inconsistent with the Bill of Rights and the right of
habeas corpus;
• proper court authorization and review of all surveillance and wire-tapping in full compliance
with the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution;
• the adoption of a constitutional amendment to provide all eligible voters an absolute right to
vote in all public elections;
• reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine of the Federal Communications Commission to
prevent using exclusive federal licensing of broadcast frequencies as a prior restraint on
speech;
• rejection of ideological censorship of public libraries and textbooks; and
• Native American nations' rights to self- identification and self-rule.

Immigration
The Texas Democratic Party recognizes that we are a nation of immigrants who came across
borders to build our national society. In Texas, we know immigrants, and their children and
grandchildren, who fought and died to protect our freedom, earning the blessings of liberty for
themselves and all Americans. For that reason, we condemn those who use immigration as a
political wedge issue to incite fear for partisan gain.
We feel no ill will toward those who seek our country as a matter of necessity, but we recognize
that our national security requires us to secure all our borders as part of a clear and uniformly
enforced immigration policy that also emphasizes economic security on both sides of the border.
We support the allocation and use of all necessary resources to equip and maintain a Border Patrol
with sufficient manpower to effectively police our borders, and providing this Border Patrol with
the training, technology and authority to use appropriate measures to accomplish their mission in a
way that respects civil liberties, human rights, and personal dignity.
We oppose the creation of any law that would, through its enforcement, result in scapegoating,
intimidation or victimization of those who may simply "look like immigrants." And we vehemently
oppose any law that would make it more difficult for any qualified citizen to exercise his or her
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right to vote.
We oppose the use of Homeland Security waivers to hastily construct a border fence without regard
to the border economy, the impact on the environment, property rights or other more effective
measures to secure our border.
We support strict enforcement, appropriate punishment and economic sanctions against those who
have profited by knowingly hiring workers at substandard wages, a practice common to many
employers who are major Republican donors.
We believe that national security requires that we determine who is in our country and what their
intentions are, but our nation has the neither the economic nor the emotional capacity to expel
eleven million people. We support the creation of a policy that would establish a path to citizenship
for the majority of those currently here, without undue financial burden, and with priority for those
who have lived or worked here the longest, provided they qualify and seek to become part of our
national community. We strongly oppose Republican proposals that they should be charged with a
felony simply because they are undocumented.
Any cost associated with assimilating this population, including health care, education, increased
infrastructure and cooperative enforcement of national laws, should be primarily assumed by the
federal government. We oppose measures that would limit the ability of our state, religious
institutions or charities to provide for the health, education, safety, and welfare of individuals,
including immigrant members of our communities.
The best interest of the United States requires us to help our neighboring countries find ways to
develop their economies and create better paying jobs for workers in those countries. The lure of a
better paying job in the U.S. would then become less attractive and illegal border crossing would
become less attractive. We believe it is the height of hypocrisy for Republicans who consistently
oppose increases in the minimum wage and worker protections to now claim they are "protecting
American jobs" with extreme immigration proposals.

Foreign Policy
Texas Democrats subscribe to President John F. Kennedy’s description of Foreign Policy:
“Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate.”
Just as we support a strong military, Texas Democrats believe it should be used as an instrument of
foreign policy only as a last resort, authorized by a Congressional declaration of war as required by
our Constitution. The Constitution does not empower the President to undertake preemptive military
strikes against adversaries by simply stating they are hostile to our security.
America can be made stronger and regain confidence and trust among nations by complying with
our Constitution and laws, our obligations under international accords and respecting human rights.
Just as our Declaration of Independence urges "a decent respect for the opinions of mankind," a
foreign policy that addresses urgent worldwide needs and minimizes the potential for hatred and
conflict will restore our leadership role in the international community.
In 2001, America was attacked by an international terrorist group in a heinous act that was a crime
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against the American people and all humanity. With the concern and respect of the rest of the free
world, we launched a “war on terror” with an understood national goal that the intentional targeting
of innocents would be forever eliminated. Today, that immense reservoir of good will has been
drained, the war has been misdirected, and we have failed for seven years to bring our attackers to
justice. The administration responsible for such incompetence and failure and those who support its
policies should be held accountable.

ENDING THE IRAQ OCCUPATION
All Americans recognize that Iraq was ruled by an odious dictator and none mourn his defeat, but
the Bush administration's case for going to war was built on false pretenses and those deceptions
have been exposed. Weapons of mass destruction have not been found in Iraq. The
administration's claim of links between Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein was rejected by the
bipartisan "9-11" commission. Global U.S. security interests have been badly weakened by the Bush
administration’s excessive investment of resources in Iraq.
Texas Democrats stand strongly by all the men and women of our armed forces, as well as
diplomats and others in the service of our country who are often placed in harm's way. We believe
the advice, wisdom and experience of our professional military officers, which has been
subordinated to the ideological and political concerns of the current administration, must be central
to successful military policy in Iraq and elsewhere.
We are committed to developing a clearly-defined policy for Iraq and throughout the world, based
on that wisdom and experience and a respect for sovereignty and international cooperation with our
friends and allies. This administration's "go-it-alone" policy threatens to undermine a legacy of
generations of American leadership that secured a safer and more just world.
Because terrorists are successfully using the continued involvement of U.S. troops in Iraq to rally
support for their war of terror against us and Iraqi civilians, we believe the President should:
• take all steps necessary to provide the Iraqis the opportunity to control their internal affairs;
• immediately develop and implement a plan for reconstructing Iraq's civil and economic
infrastructure;
• convene an emergency meeting of Iraq's leadership, Iraq's neighbors, our allies and the United
Nations to create an international peacekeeping force in Iraq to replace U.S. troops, along
with Iraqi police and Iraq National Guard forces;
• develop and implement a plan for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq in the most rapid
manner possible, consistent with their safety and in a manner that does not destabilize the
region and place more lives in danger; and
• recognize that the effort to rebuild a secure Iraq and the expense of its security should be paid
from the proceeds of its domestic oil production, not solely at the expense of US taxpayers.
THE MIDDLE EAST
Texas Democrats recognize that lasting stability in the Middle East depends on a true, mutually
respectful peace with safe and secure borders and governments dedicated to peace and democracy
for Israelis and Palestinians. We affirm our long-standing policy that such a peace must result from
direct negotiations between willing and responsible partners.
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FOREIGN POLICY OBJECTIVES IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Texas Democrats also believe America must:
• modernize our military and diplomatic organizations to meet the threat of terrorism;
• create a new era of alliances for a 21st Century world and lead international efforts to
eliminate weapons of mass destruction;
• become a leader, not a follower, in reducing worldwide greenhouse gas emissions and in
mitigating the effects of global warming;
• use to the fullest extent our nation's diplomatic, intelligence and economic resources;
• immediately develop and implement a plan for reconstructing Afghanistan's civil and
economic infrastructure;
• withdraw support for agencies and programs that promote hatred and intolerance;
• establish a rapid deployment force to provide immediate assistance to victims and survivors of
national disasters throughout the world;
• adopt policies designed to free us from dependence on the resource of any nation or region,
including foreign oil; and
• consider the trade and human rights practices of other nations before extending aid, security
protections or trade preferences to them.

National Security
We believe the peace and prosperity of our nation is assured by maintaining a strong national
defense. We believe the most important element in our military is the individual soldier, and that it
is absolutely critical that we keep faith with those who serve and defend us. The Texas Democratic
Party asserts that any commitment of Texas National Guard and Texas-based military and air force
units against Iran require first a formal declaration of war by the US Congress, subject to the
provisions of the War Powers Act. In our pursuit of national security, Texas Democrats support:
• a well equipped military with sufficient resources to maintain and enhance our defense;
• a ban on the use of all methods of torture, including waterboarding and other policies that
violate or conflict with the values embodied by the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution;
• enhancing national security through the competent use of nonviolent intervention, mediation,
and conflict resolution at home and abroad to ensure that war is a last resort;
• compliance with the War Powers Act to prevent the reckless use of preemptive military
action;
• an international ban on the use of anti-personnel mines and cluster bombs and efforts to
ultimately eliminate all nuclear, chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction;
• establishing legal oversight over all privatized military security forces operating under U.S.
law or the laws of countries in which they operate, because military security contractors like
Blackwater operate without government oversight and have put America at risk;
• a fully-staffed and equipped air traffic control system that is an inherent function of the
federal government essential to national security in the post 9-11 era, and should never be
subject to privatization;
• efforts to prevent the privatization of the National Weather Service;
• furthering policies for a safe and peaceful world that focus on practical, nonviolent solutions
to the problems of domestic and international conflict; and
• strengthening port security, including inspection of thousands of containers that are currently
left unchecked.
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Veterans
To honor the men and women who serve our country, state and federal policy should demonstrate
respect for their service and sacrifices made by ensuring a smooth transition from military to
civilian life and providing benefits to honor our veterans’ service.
We support the continuation and enhancement of veteran's benefits, including post military training,
medical and disability. We support a new G.I Bill to increase educational benefits for veterans to
fully cover the cost of a college degree and related housing expenses. We support the Texas
Veterans Land Board, which enables veterans to purchase land and homes at favorable terms and
interest rates. We deplore the hypocrisy of arm chair patriots who talk glowingly of war and wrap
themselves in the flag while turning their backs on those who fought and defended that flag.
For years, the Republican Congress has consistently underfunded the Department of Veterans
Affairs. In many VA hospitals and medical facilities, scandalous budget shortfalls have become so
severe that they stopped scheduling new appointments, were unable to replace doctors and nurses
when they left, and were even unable to keep surgical suites operational due to a lack of equipment.
Texas Democrats support:
• professional licensing for skills learned in the military, like “Troops to Teachers;”
• job training for veterans;
• adequate and affordable health insurance coverage and health care services for veterans and
their families, including mental health care services;
• restoring funding and service cuts and expanding clinical services at VA Medical Centers;
• legislation that appropriately addresses the role of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) and Post-
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among members of the armed forces and ensures proper
treatment for all veterans and members of the armed forces with disabilities.
• The full extension of benefits to families of veterans who sustain partial or permanent
disabilities, including post injury and PTSD individual and family counseling, cost of living
monthly allowances, childcare assistance, tuition assistance for dependent children, and
assistance in job training or referral for the spouse of the veteran;
• the establishment of a new, full service VA Hospital in South Texas and restoration of the
Kerrville Veterans’ Administration Hospital to its past status of general medical facility to
care for veterans in the Hill Country;
• extending the right of full citizenship to non-citizen veterans who have served our country;
• programs to encourage and support veterans and their families to obtain higher education,
such as expanding the Hazlewood Act to permit veterans who have not fully utilized their
entitlement to pass on any remainder of the unused credit hours to their children;
• state legislation to allow Texas veterans to use their G.I. Bill benefits and Hazlewood Act
benefits concurrently; and
• student loan forgiveness in exchange for public service, including military service, Peace
Corps, Teach for America, AmeriCorps, and similar programs.
Supporting the Men and Women of the Military
Texas should demonstrate its support for military families and communities. We insist that our
military members on active duty and in the Reserve receive fair pay and allowances. They must be
the best organized, trained, and equipped fighting force possible. We encourage city, county, state,
and federal elected officials to review present benefits and determine how they can be enhanced.
We also demand truth in recruiting, including a provision that parental permission be required to
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authorize the recruitment of minors. Texas Democrats support:
• providing appropriate personal and vehicle protection for all combat military personnel;
• programs that assist families of deployed service members in managing difficulties created by
longer and more frequent deployments of Guard and Reserve personnel; such as counseling,
debt service delays, tax deferrals, and basic needs assistance;
• initiatives to financially assist families of service members who suffer an extended loss of
employment income due to extended or repeated deployments;
• interstate cooperation to enable the successful transition of families forced to move from one
state to another, including changes involving public education, job searches, and health care
continuity;
• preventing predatory lending practices targeted at military personnel and their families, such
as payday loans and sale-leaseback transactions;
• a prohibition of a military draft absent a congressional declaration of war; and an end to
practices that change deployment and other terms of service for existing military personnel
in the middle of the game that amount to a draft in disguise;
• the right of all military personnel to serve without discrimination, sexual abuse or prejudice
and the repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy; and
• the right of female soldiers and dependents to have the same access to the full range of
reproductive choices and related services that are provided to others;
• adequate time off between deployments.

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