Article 3: Climate & Environment 5
Article 4: Foreign Policy and National Security 8
Article 5: Healthcare & Public Health 10
Article 8: Protecting Democracy 17
Article 9: Science and Technology 19
Preamble
The Democratic Party of Oregon commits itself to the principles and positions contained in
this platform in order to secure a more just and prosperous future for all Oregonians across
our 36 counties. We recognize and embrace our shared rights and responsibilities. We
affirm that every person is guaranteed rights to life, liberty, equity, and the pursuit of
happiness. In exercising these rights for ourselves and guaranteeing them for others, we
respect the interdependent web of life on this planet.
We promise to work to uphold the protections granted to us by our state and national
constitutions and to act on our responsibilities to ensure that “We the People” govern this
nation. We steadfastly oppose any attempt to dilute those rights and liberties in the name
of political convenience or security. We affirm that the greatness of our nation is in its
diversity and its ability to move forward with full understanding of our historical strengths
and weaknesses. We invite all Oregonians, wherever they may be, to join us in affirming our
determination to make and keep Oregon a beacon of opportunity, acceptance, and
Freedom.
Oregon’s economy works when workers do well. For too long, the wealthy and powerful have used their money to make rules that help themselves while hurting workers and families. They have rigged the system—exploiting labor, protecting corporate profits, and leaving families struggling. We believe economic policies should support workers, empower small businesses, and dismantle barriers based on race, gender, and age discrimination. Everyone, especially the wealthy and well-connected, should pay their fair share to build a better society. We oppose government and business working to make profits for a few, because we want an economy where hard work and innovation lead to real rewards for everyone.
We believe workers are the backbone of our economy. Every worker has the right to organize, join a union, and collectively bargain without barriers or fear of reprisal. We honor the dignity of work and support workers’ rights which include worker safety, fair wages, and union rights across all industries.
We believe fair pay is a matter of justice. Everyone deserves a living wage and equal pay for equal work, regardless of who they are or where they live. No one who works should live in poverty. Ensuring fair wages is essential to building a more equitable and thriving Oregon.
We believe poverty threatens freedom and dignity. Everyone deserves lifelong economic security supported by a strong, accessible safety net. We oppose poverty policies and commit to closing gender- and race-based wage gaps and eliminating wealth inequality through fair, progressive taxation that protects working and middle-class families.
A lack of affordable childcare is a barrier to work and education. To reduce poverty and support rural and urban communities, all workers and students must have access to safe, publicly funded, high quality daycare and early childhood education for all infants and children.
We believe the government has a key role in regulating the economy and investing in infrastructure based on Oregonians’ present and future needs—not corporate interests that evade labor laws and shift worker costs onto public assistance—ensuring fair treatment and shared responsibility for a just economy.
We believe all must pay their fair share to fund vital public services and support strong government regulation that prevents monopolies and unfair business practices, ensuring competitive markets and protecting Oregonians from economic risks posed by “too-big-to-fail” corporations.
We support equitable, high-quality, and diverse educational pathways to fulfilling careers for Oregonians. We continue to support the creation and preservation of apprenticeship programs for a wide range of occupations. We value partnerships that promote collaboration among public educational institutions, and businesses.
We support efforts that will expand economic opportunities across Oregon, with a focus on creating sustainable clean energy jobs that provide growth for employers and employees alike. We support incentives for businesses to meaningfully transition to clean energy and environmentally protective operations.
We affirm small businesses and worker cooperatives as vital to a strong economy. We support fair access to grants, loans, and other resources—especially for those led by historically excluded groups—in order to foster democratic ownership, economic justice, and an economy that works for everyone.
We believe companies must be held responsible for their impacts on Oregon’s people and environment. We support meaningful and effective criminal and financial consequences for companies that cause pollution, death, or harm.
We support programs that provide assistance and funds to help Oregon’s seniors in need. Seniors built Oregon—support for housing, medical, food, and financial security is paying them back. All Oregonians deserve a good quality of life. Poverty and homelessness among our seniors are unacceptable.
We support grant and loan programs that facilitate ownership and sustainable operation of local, family-run farms, ranches, forests, fisheries, and wineries. We support public banking, land banks, trusts, land-matching programs, and price supports, especially for those engaged in carbon sequestration and water conservation. We oppose land speculation.
We recognize the deep importance of immigrant labor to Oregon’s economy. Farmworkers are critical to the vitality of Oregon’s agricultural industry. We support safe working conditions for farmworkers, protection from extreme heat and wildfire smoke, eligibility for overtime compensation and benefits, and fair treatment from labor contractors.
We believe workers should not be perpetually employed at-will. We believe workers’ rights include due process to provide job security. We support good faith notice and interaction between employees and employers about disciplinary action. We recognize discipline may only fairly be imposed with just cause.
Oregon Democrats believe that public education and a well-educated electorate are the foundation of a just, healthy, and inclusive democracy. Education gives people the tools needed to succeed, strengthens communities, and sustains our democratic institutions. We believe that secular, free, and fully funded public education is a basic right for everyone. Every student, no matter where they are on their learning path, should have the chance to learn in a safe, welcoming, high-quality school.
Education is a right, not a privilege. From universal full-day preschool through post-secondary education, including trade and apprenticeship programs, we support free, high-quality public education that fosters critical thinking and prepares students to be well-rounded, informed members of society. We oppose diverting public funds to private, parochial, or charter schools.
Public education must reflect and affirm the diversity of our communities. We support culturally responsive teaching practices that honor all races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, cultures, languages, faith traditions, abilities, and economic backgrounds. We oppose discrimination, harassment, censorship, and any effort to erase diverse histories or marginalize student identities.
We believe in the use of consistent, transparent and evidence-based educational standards taught by licensed, professional educators. Students deserve to receive support from educational assistants and professionally licensed counselors, social workers, school nurses, mental health providers, school psychologists, speech pathologists, librarians, physical therapists, and occupational therapists.
Curricula must reflect diverse perspectives and prepare students for proactive civic engagement. We support science-based, developmentally appropriate instruction in literacy, mathematics, science, history, civics, languages, arts, technology, media and climate literacy. We oppose book bans and any other politically motivated restrictions on curricula content.
Systemic barriers to learning, such as poverty, hunger, housing instability, and lack of childcare, transportation, broadband, or mental health services, must be addressed. We support free year-round meals, affordable childcare, broadband expansion in rural areas, and full support for English learners, neurodiverse students, and students with disabilities.
We support targeted investment in rural and frontier school districts to ensure equitable access to advanced coursework, arts education, extracurricular activities, mental health services, and college or career preparation, regardless of zip code.
We believe schools and campuses must be safe and accessible, and uphold strong protections for student civil rights, privacy, and data security. We support creating an educational environment free from gun violence.
We oppose the school-to-prison pipeline, as it disproportionately affects Black, Indigenous, and other students of color, causing irreparable harm to their education. Police presence in schools leads to increased trauma, arrests, and intimidation of students, starting as young as age five. We support trauma-informed and restorative justice practices.
We oppose predatory student loan practices and support the elimination of existing student debt.
Public schools thrive when rooted in community collaboration. We support shared-governance models that engage and involve students, families, educators, staff, and community members in decision-making.
High-quality public education depends on professional, well-compensated educators and staff. We support the rights of educators and staff to collectively bargain for fair compensation, safe working conditions, and adequate staffing ratios. We oppose eliminating tenure, over-relying on underpaid adjunct faculty, and devaluing educators through inappropriate use of artificial intelligence.
Oregon Democrats know that climate change is a real emergency that needs quick and strong action to prevent lasting and serious harm. We believe everyone, including future generations, has the basic right to a clean and healthy environment. This means having clean air, clean water, healthy ecosystems, and a stable climate. Oregon’s natural resources—like forests, rivers, and public lands—belong to all of us. We must protect, care for, and restore these resources so they are not permanently damaged for future generations. We must make sure that our environment stays safe and healthy for everyone, now and in the future. No one should have the right to pollute or harm our shared resources, and strong regulations are needed to keep our environment clean and safe for all.
We believe that no one has the inherent right to pollute or impair natural resources. We recognize the need for strong and effective regulation.
Communities historically harmed by pollution—especially those with less financial or political power, including tribal nations—must have a decisive voice in environmental decisions. We support fair and meaningful involvement of all people in environmental decision-making, including fully integrating environmental justice organizations and programs, to protect all communities.
We support aggressive reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, robust carbon storage, and reject using Oregon’s natural carbon sinks as offsets for polluters elsewhere. We believe policy must be grounded in independent, evidence-based science, and we support transparent monitoring of air, land, and water, and public reporting to hold polluters accountable.
We believe in using evidence-based science to understand risks to human and ecological health. This includes monitoring air, soil, and water quality to assess trends, sources of pollution, and the effectiveness of pollution prevention programs.
We are committed to protecting native, keystone, endangered, and threatened species and their habitats, with the free, prior, and informed consent and sustained collaboration of Oregon’s tribal nations. We oppose destructive practices like bottom trawling and deep-sea mining and support sustainable harvesting that preserves ocean ecosystems and wildlife.
We support statewide waste reduction and the expansion of recycling and reuse programs, including rights to repair. We support eliminating pollution, fossil fuel-based plastics and other non-degradable products, beginning with non-recyclable and single-use plastics, while ensuring that disability access needs are fully protected and respected. We encourage innovation and sustainable alternatives.
We believe land use regulations are essential, including but not limited to preserving farmland, range, wildlands, and forests, and managing transportation. Natural resources must be managed for the public good.
We support policies that instill the sustainable management of Oregon’s resources through regenerative practices. We believe aggressive action is needed to manage Oregon’s water crisis, protecting watersheds and aquifers, enacting water conservation, and ensuring policies are in place for periods of water scarcity.
We believe our state’s railways, rivers, and communities should not be threatened by the possibility of explosive derailment of frequent oil trains or hazardous storage conditions. We oppose massive storage and transport of fossil fuels through our state because of the risk that spills represent to human and ecological health.
We support action to reduce the contamination of Oregon’s groundwaters, and stronger outreach to potential victims of water contamination to provide safe drinking water. All wells contaminated with nitrates, arsenic, pesticides, or other toxic contaminants pose a significant health risk to well users.
We oppose the sale of federal public lands. Privatization of public lands limits access for hunters, outdoor enthusiasts, campers, research scientists, and others who currently enjoy our publicly owned lands while opening up said lands to environmental degradation.
We support working with farmers and landowners to mitigate the causes of climate change and adapt to its ongoing and anticipated impacts. With information, collaboration and assistance, various strategies including Indigenous practices will reduce water use, improve water quality and soil health, and help prevent and manage wildfires.
As the original stewards of this land, representatives from all Oregon tribal nations should have permanent seats of representation made available to them on all state-level environmental decision-making committees and departmental organizations.
We support investment in rural climate resilience, ensuring small towns and agricultural communities have access to clean water, wildfire protection, climate resilient infrastructure, emergency services, and sustainable energy resources.
Oregon Democrats believe true security starts at home—protecting our democracy from extremists, guaranteeing rights for all, and keeping families safe—but we’re not naive: bullies and threats exist, both foreign and domestic. We support smart defense, including a strong military, robust cyber security, and a government that always puts diplomacy first. Our vision is a world where no parent has to send a child to war, where America leads with aid instead of arms, and where basic human rights are recognized as non-negotiable across the world.
We honor those who serve our country. They deserve full benefits: healthcare, housing, education, job training, and support to adjust back to civilian life. Our armed forces must reflect our nation’s diversity. No one should be denied service or earned benefits because of identity, background, or beliefs.
We uphold universal human rights and democracy—supporting international treaties, prosecuting war crimes, defending free elections, press freedom, and asylum rights, and sanctioning foreign interference—because human dignity and democratic freedoms are non-negotiable, both at home and abroad. We believe that sanctions must be carefully targeted to minimize harm against civilian populations.
We pledge ironclad support for NATO, the United Nations, and vulnerable democracies worldwide. Diplomacy—not aggression—comes first. Our alliances with free nations are our strength against autocrats.
We oppose and condemn terrorism, genocide, torture, human trafficking, sexual exploitation, discrimination, religious persecution, political persecution, and wrongful detention/imprisonment. We believe that all state actors must be held accountable to international humanitarian laws and laws of war. We support active U.S. participation in the International Court of Justice.
The U.S. has a unique role and responsibility as the “arsenal of democracy.” We should provide appropriate support to allies in genuine need, and withhold it from those committing war crimes, human rights abuses, or unprovoked aggression. Our resources must be leveraged to prevent those outcomes.
We affirm that the power to declare war belongs exclusively to Congress, and that military force must always be a last resort, grounded in law and democratic oversight.
We support the G7 Leaders’ Hiroshima Vision on Nuclear Disarmament and share their “commitment to achieving a world without nuclear weapons with undiminished security for all.” We must work globally and diplomatically, without the use of force, toward nuclear disarmament and the abolition of all weapons of mass destruction.
We oppose weapons and munitions that harm civilians and the environment—such as napalm, white phosphorus, depleted uranium, and dirty bombs—because they prolong war trauma and damage. These must be eliminated globally to achieve and sustain durable peace.
We affirm that only human beings, not machines, must make decisions to deploy weapons. Accountability, ethics, and responsibility must remain at the center of all defense technologies, including artificial intelligence.
We support reallocating spending from wasteful defense contracts to our communities. Every dollar saved from the Pentagon is one that can instead go to supporting local schools, repairing crumbling roads and bridges, and ensuring that every Oregonian has the housing and healthcare they need to thrive.
We support competitive defense procurement processes to promote fair pricing, save taxpayer money, and provide our armed forces with the best quality equipment and services. We support the responsible disposition of military equipment.
We condemn the closure of USAID, which supports the use of foreign aid for purposes such as global health, nutrition, education, cultural expression, technological innovation, and anti-corruption and anti-terrorism efforts. Aid should support local, resilient, sustainable development.
We stand with immigrants and support clear pathways to citizenship—no more family separations, kidnapping, and illegal deportations. Those fleeing violence, climate and other disasters, or persecution deserve fair asylum access. All asylum requests should be processed, allowing the applicants their day in court to remain in the United States.
We oppose the militarization of local law enforcement, including the use of drone surveillance on civilians. All law enforcement must be fully identifiable with a name tag and a badge.
We support global trade given consumer, labor, anti-corruption, and environmental protections that guarantee the health and well-being of affected people and places. We oppose sales of weapons to repressive regimes.
Healthcare is a right, not a privilege. We believe every person has the right to high quality equitable healthcare-including access to a diverse healthcare workforce and necessary treatment-without financial hardship. Too many people are suffering from mental health crises, addiction, and untreated illnesses. We think this is moral malpractice, so we are committed to building a system that puts patients first, saves lives, and helps all Oregonians. To lower costs, we support bulk buying of medicine, negotiating prices, eliminating bureaucracy, and ensuring access to preventative care and early treatment. These policies will help Oregon families avoid high medical bills and debt while we work toward a better healthcare system for everyone. No one should have to choose between their health and their home.
We believe everyone should be covered by high-quality, evidence-based healthcare. We support the adoption of a seamless, equitable, comprehensive single-payer healthcare system that includes general, preventative, emergency, gender-affirming, abortion, fertility, and full-spectrum reproductive care, plus medications, vision, dental, hearing, and behavioral and mental health services.
We believe in prioritizing the prevention of childhood traumas, including exposure to family and domestic violence; neglect; and mental, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse.
We support developing mental health court opportunities with appropriate treatment options for people who commit crimes as a result of their mental illness. We understand it is cheaper and more effective to treat people than to incarcerate them. Mental illness is a treatable condition.
Oregon Democrats stand with the people, not the powerful. We believe in real freedom—the right to live, work, vote, marry, and love without fear. Everyone deserves basic human rights, including those in the Bill of Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We insist on fair treatment and respect for all, with due process and justice for everyone. We fight for a just society where equity and opportunity are guaranteed, and racism and oppression have no place in housing, healthcare, policing, or education. We champion those who have been denied justice—Black, Indigenous, people of color, LGBTQ+, disabled, gender expansive, neurodivergent, and all who have been marginalized or “othered.” Oregon Democrats welcome everyone into our Big Tent, where we are working together for true equity, belonging, and self-determination, so every Oregonian has the opportunities they want.
We believe white supremacy is a deeply-rooted moral failing in our society and justice system. We condemn all systems of oppression and demand hate crime accountability and the dismantling of racism, especially in policing, education, housing, and healthcare. None of us are free until all of us are free.
We recognize the systemic, institutionalized, and societal gender inequity and discrimination still present in our communities. We support investments into women's economic programs and equal-pay standards, strengthening workplace protections regarding maternal leave and anti-harassment measures, safeguarding bodily autonomy, and fostering access to equitable healthcare and contraception.
We support full equality for all LGBTQ+ community members and strenuously oppose the accelerating federal administration efforts to ostracize the LGBTQ+ community by eliminating LGBTQ+ protections, erasing LGBTQ+ history, removing LBGTQ+ content from virtual and physical federal sites, banning transgender military service, and demanding that institutions cancel DEI programs.
We believe people with disabilities, including immigrants and incarcerated individuals, retain their bodily autonomy and must have access to the full spectrum of care they need, including medical support services, home care services, employment advocacy, accommodation, and unflinching enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act. We oppose ableism and eugenics.
We reject systems that criminalize poverty, housing status, or disability. We believe in replacing punitive justice with restorative models, labor rights for the incarcerated, funding public defenders equally, and decriminalizing homelessness. We want to preserve due process rights while holding law enforcement accountable.
We believe that no person is illegal and all people have a basic right to all necessities of life. These necessities include a liveable planet, clean air, safe drinking water, quality food, adequate housing, excellent healthcare, and sufficient recreation and rest.
We believe no one should go hungry. Hunger is a policy failure, not a personal one. We are committed to expanding food assistance programs, strengthening local and sustainable food systems, and protecting the rights of workers and families across the food supply chain.
We acknowledge the long history of broken treaties, land theft, and cultural erasure inflicted on Indigenous peoples by governments in the United States. We affirm that tribal nations are sovereign governments whose rights, jurisdictions, and treaty obligations must be honored. We support efforts to return stolen land.
We acknowledge the cultural needs of Indigenous children and other identity groups, within the foster care system, and believe each child’s connections to their cultural communities and identity should be supported. Placements that reflect cultural and linguistic identity, and state-supported fulfillment of their basic needs are in their best interest.
We affirm the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Children have universal rights to safety, survival, education, healthcare, family, and self-expression. Public policy must uphold the best interests of every child and protect their right to grow in dignity, free from abuse, violence, exploitation, and discrimination.
We believe it is in every foster child’s best interest to remain closely connected with their family and culture. We support investments in family reunification, preservation, and prevention programs to avoid unnecessary removals, and call for systemic reforms that address racial and economic disparities in child welfare.
We acknowledge the historical genocides, forced removals, relocations, and incarcerations of Black, Indigenous, and Asian people and cultures in the United States. We recognize that these actions are and always were wrong. We support reparations and rebuilding for survivors and their affected descendants.
We affirm that rural and urban communities across Oregon are interdependent on our state’s human and natural resources. Indigenous and rural Oregonians are stewards of our forests, farms, and watersheds, yet they face a significant lack of access to healthcare, childcare, and emergency and mental health services.
We affirm that the decades of underinvestment experienced by rural, Indigenous, Black, and Asian-American communities are rooted in discrimination and must be recognized and addressed through sustained public investment, equitable policy design, and collaboration with their communities for the benefit of all Oregonians.
We believe that the slaughter, systematic removal, or forced emigration of distinct cultural groups, known as genocide, is a stain on the global conscience. We have a moral and strategic responsibility to intervene. National and international policy should never enable, fund, provide diplomatic cover to, or ignore crimes against humanity.
Everyone deserves protection from unfair police searches or questioning. We support strong Fourth Amendment rights for personal and digital privacy. We also support Fifth Amendment rights so people can stay silent without fear. Law enforcement should never threaten, intimidate, or violate our basic rights to privacy and silence.
We value accountability, justice, and community safety. We support comprehensive police reform that ends unjust police action, ensures independent oversight, demilitarizes policing, and centers restorative justice—prioritizing diverse, community-led alternatives that uphold civil rights and foster trust, dignity, and safety for all. Officers must be held accountable for using excessive force.
Oregon Democrats support keeping our nation’s infrastructure strong and up to date. This includes water, transportation, energy, communication systems, schools, housing, food supply, waste management, health and social services, and parks. We support new projects that prepare us for climate change, new technology, and a more connected world. We back programs that reduce pollution and help us switch to clean energy. We believe decisions about infrastructure should be based on the best science and technology. It is important to protect our systems from natural disasters, health emergencies, and other threats. We believe that key parts of our infrastructure—like water, transportation, the internet, and emergency response—should stay in public hands, not sold to private companies. Our goal is to make sure everyone has access to safe, reliable, and modern infrastructure.
We support infrastructure that provides housing to meet the needs of all Oregonians. We believe housing is a human right, and support evidence-based housing policies to reduce human suffering and maintain stability. We support residential high-density zoning, infill, and urban growth boundaries. We oppose gentrification and urban sprawl.
We support the transparent allocation of public funds to pay for public infrastructure development, maintenance, and upgrades. We oppose the privatization of public infrastructure. We believe our communities should be designed for all people and that infrastructure shouldn’t be used to deter or hinder equity priority communities or unhoused people.
We believe all infrastructure projects must be undertaken with full attention to economic impact, equity, cost-benefit, and environmental impact and justice. We believe in righting historical injustices impacting Black, Indigenous, Asian, and other communities of color, including environmental racism, pollution, and exposure to carcinogens.
We believe society and government must work to end, and compensate for, historical exploitation of the planet. We believe in infrastructure that supports a climate-friendly future, such as reestablishing tree canopy in urban areas, developing public parks and open spaces, and cultivating more walkable communities.
We support strong energy efficiency and solar access standards in residential, commercial, and industrial construction, and incentives to reduce energy use. We support rapid transition to clean, renewable energy infrastructure, including electric vehicle charging stations, rooftop solar, and water reclamation. We oppose any expansion of fossil-fuel infrastructure, including pipelines.
We support ending corporate factory farming to protect clean water, air, and farmland. We stand with Oregon's farmers and believe in supporting sustainable, local agriculture that keeps rural communities strong and our environment healthy for future generations.
We support publicly funded, modern, and climate-resilient water and wastewater systems. Rural and under-resourced communities must receive targeted support to replace aging infrastructure and ensure that all residents have access to clean, safe water.
We support making high-speed, secure, broadband internet a public utility, accessible to all Oregonians across all 36 counties, because it lowers barriers for all of us to learn, connect, work, and access services that increase economic opportunities and quality of life.
We support the comprehensive implementation of safe, reliable, active transportation routes, and expanding accessible and low-emission public transit systems. We support fareless public transportation and walkable, transit-oriented design and construction of infrastructure. We support infrastructure that improves safety for cyclists and pedestrians.
We support creating safe streets for active transportation, including walking and cycling, to support healthy lives and reduce pedestrian deaths. We support the development of multi-use path networks for pedestrians and cyclists.
We believe infrastructure projects should be resilient to seismic events, floods, wildfires, malicious attacks, and other natural and human-caused disasters. We believe the government should support community-focused prevention and recovery efforts and encourage individual preparedness.
We believe public infrastructure should be financed for the common good, not corporate greed. We encourage the development of innovative, community-centered financial systems and tools that keep public dollars working locally, strengthen communities, and ensure equitable, affordable investment in Oregon’s future.
Oregon Democrats believe government gets its power from the people. Every citizen of voting age should have the right and duty to vote in all elections. No one should be blocked from voting because of their income or background. We want government to be open, honest, and fair to everyone. We believe that corporations are not people and money is not speech. Only people should decide what rights corporations have, and those rights must be limited by law. Government should help build an economy and society where everyone can succeed. We know that keeping our democracy strong takes hard work and teamwork. We must always be alert and work together to protect our rights and freedoms.
The Constitution protects the native-born and immigrant alike from any government reprisal for criticizing the actions or philosophies of any group or country. There are no exceptions to this, both constitutionally and ethically.
We believe that all age-eligible citizens should have full access to voting, including citizens convicted of crimes and those living in equity priority, and rural communities.
We support accurate, secure elections, increasing voter participation and eliminating voter suppression. We will promote Ranked Choice Voting as a method that prevents vote splitting and results in elections that truly reflect what voters want.
We support Oregon’s universal, secure, and verifiable vote-by-mail elections and commit to protecting it from any attempts at repeal.
Because we believe voting requires an informed electorate, we believe every county and state elections division should produce a voters’ pamphlet for every election, open to all candidates and ballot measures, to be provided at least on the county's website.
We believe money is not speech and its influence must be regulated to ensure fair elections. We support campaign financing reform and public financing of elections. People, not money, should determine election outcomes.
We believe that the protections of the First Amendment are fundamental to the health of American democracy. These include the separation of religion and government, freedom of religion, free speech, a free press, freedom of assembly, and the right to petition our government.
We believe public officials are integral to a functioning democracy. We support fair compensation for elected officials at all levels of government, and condemn harassment, threats, and violence against elected and appointed public servants.
We condemn behavior by any public official, regardless of party, who uses their office for private gain, overlooks misconduct, or uses their position to coerce or intimidate others. We support accountability measures, including recall, for elected officials who denigrate the public or encourage corruption, voter nullification, suppression, and terroristic threats.
We believe democracy comes with responsibilities. Including the Democratic Party, we believe all political parties, including party officers and staff, must meet the same ethical standards we expect of government.
We believe that the separation of governmental powers is crucial to the long-term success of our republic. We support protecting the judicial branch, legislative branch, and independent agencies from executive interference.
Oregon Democrats believe government should proactively seek and fund science and technology research and related services essential to the common good. We support new ideas and research in all fields, with the understanding that science should never be used to harm or exploit people or planet. Policy must both be guided by accepted science community opinion and ensure that the objectives and practices of science and technology, both in and outside government, are ethical and secure. We know that science helps us make informed policy decisions about health, climate, technology, the economy, and more. We call on scientists and experts to participate in teaching the public and developing quality legislation and public policy.
We believe humanity benefits from basic research in all areas of science regardless of possible commercial applications. We support state and federal funding programs, including public-private partnerships, for basic and applied research at public and private academic institutions. Publicly funded research should be openly shared and publicly accountable.
We support racial, cultural, and gender equity in peer-reviewed medical and behavioral health research. We support diversification of funding and oversight committees to increase access to funding and quality of implementation.
We believe Artificial Intelligence (AI) poses both benefits and risks to individuals and communities. We urge public discussion and cautious regulation of AI advances and their applications. Developers and users must honor intellectual property rights, human labor and creativity, privacy, and the environment, and minimize racial, gender, or cultural bias.
We believe an open and democratic internet is critical to both technological progress and maintenance of our democracy. We support net neutrality.
We support strong privacy protections for personally identifiable, financial, and medical data, using robust encryption for information both stored and shared, without backdoors or key escrow. All medical data should be easily and securely transferrable between clinics. Seamless, protected access is key to maintaining privacy in an increasingly digital world.
We support publicly funded, peaceful space research and exploration. Space should stay a safe, shared place for all humanity, free from weapons, military use, private control, and corporate greed. Continued international cooperation is needed to keep the moon and solar system open to everyone, now and in the future.
We support efforts to combat disease and correct genetic errors through innovative technologies, including mRNA, organ cloning, and stem cell research. Affordable treatment regimens should be a significant priority in this research.
We believe that cryptocurrency schemes must have algorithm transparency and be fully regulated to protect against criminal use, address the environmental and energy impacts of use and mining, and protect privacy of financial data.
We support advancing and adopting energy, waste management, and transportation technologies that reduce or eliminate greenhouse gas emissions.
We support expanded funding and infrastructure to enhance climate modeling and earth systems research and their related technologies, in order to better predict and mitigate natural disasters caused by weather, volcanic, or tectonic forces.
We believe that free and open source software (FOSS), as defined by the Open Source Initiative, is critical, cost-effective public infrastructure. We support fully funding FOSS initiatives.
We support public, transparent, and easily accessible fact-checking platforms to limit the spread and negative impacts of errors and misinformation. We support programs to educate the public on critical thinking, scientific method, and how to identify misinformation and disinformation.
As the spread of disinformation only increases with AI, we believe we must address propagandized political issues with evidence-based information and awareness. Disinformation threatens our democracy, leads to catastrophic public health outcomes, fosters crimes against humanity, and empowers an authoritarian government by exploiting uninformed citizens.
We recognize that data and cloud storage centers are an essential component of our economy, especially for rural communities. We support strong regulation of these centers to address their environmental and energy impacts.
As society continues to shift toward more electronic transactions, it is essential to ensure accessibility and protect privacy for everyone. We believe that the increasing reliance on digital payment methods offers significant convenience, but also risks excluding rural communities, the elderly, the poor, and others.