Republican Party Platform

» Download in PDF Format

Platform 2008 - 2011

Adopted February 24, 2008

Preamble:

The California Republican Party envisions a vibrant, prosperous, and safe California defined by a robust and growing world-class economy, strong and healthy families, and reformed and responsive state and local governments serving the people while protecting individual liberty. We are boldly confident about California's future and hold dearly all that is good about California's people.

• Aging Californians

We are committed to protecting the lives and resources of aging Californians.

Californians who have retired, or are close to retirement, are legitimately worried that the resources they have built through their own work will be siphoned off by inflation or government action. We therefore support laws to prevent state or local governments from increasing property taxes on personal residences after owners reach 65. We oppose state taxes on Social Security income.

The California Republican Party is committed to promoting opportunity for aging citizens to enjoy their retirement with the means they have accumulated throughout their working lives.

• Agriculture

Agriculture is California's leading industry.

The California Republican Party recognizes agriculture as one of California's leading industries and essential to the future of California's economy and the health and well-being of its citizens.

Government should create a favorable policy environment supportive of California's farmers and ranchers, maximizing their ability to receive the reward for the risks they take year after year while strengthening their ability to provide quality products at reasonable costs to consumers. California's approach, rather, has been one beset by over-regulation, environmental extremism, and restricted access to water, the agriculture sector's lifeblood.

The California Republican Party supports current efforts to increase the amount of water available for agriculture, therefore we support the construction of water delivery systems to bring water from the Sacramento River and its tributaries to the Central Valley in an environmentally responsible manner.

In addition, we believe in developing more water storage, high rates of appropriate recycled water usage, and desalination plants, the dredging of our rivers for flood control and maintaining our levee and weir-floodplain systems.

We support cutting in wasteful state government spending in order to support state infrastructure investment in above-ground storage using general fund dollars.

• Crime and Justice

The California Republican Party believes one of the fundamental duties of government is to enhance public safety and welfare by crafting and enforcing laws in a fair, just, and efficient manner.

We believe the state, not the federal government, should govern and dictate criminal statutes.

The California Republican Party believes that the rights of crime victims are paramount in a just criminal process. We support the rights of crime victims to give statements and be heard by courts, to collect restitution from defendants as enumerated by law, and receive notification upon release of prisoners.

Legislation backed by the California Republican Party including "Three Strikes and You're Out," "One Strike and You're Out," "10-20-Life," "Jessica's Law," "Sexually Violent Predators Law," and "Juvenile (Gang) Crime Initiative" has kept the most dangerous and recidivist criminals off our streets and in prisons where they belong.

We support the section of the California Penal Code stating that the primary purpose of incarceration is punishment. Therefore, prisoners should not be allowed gratuitous perks as outlined in the "Prisoners' Bill of Rights." We support prisoner work programs to help prisons become self-supporting.

We believe that in order to keep dangerous criminals off our streets, we must build more prisons. We support the immediate construction of new prisons and sufficient utilization of private prisons in order to eliminate prison over crowding and to avoid early release.

We support the death penalty for special circumstances murders as more than an effective deterrent. These murders are so heinous and depraved that the only just punishment is death. These special circumstances include: murder for financial gain, multiple murders, murder with the use of a bomb, murdering a peace officer, a witness, a judge, a prosecutor or a juror, murder while lying in wait, murder during kidnapping, torture, or sexual assault including child predation and murder to enhance gang activity.

In the larger War on Terror, the California Republican Party supports the criminalization of activities that advocate acts of terrorism, violent conduct, or the killing of innocent people in the United States. We further support the death penalty for anyone convicted of carrying out a terrorist attack on the United States.

The California Republican Party commends President George W. Bush in his wisdom of nominating highly qualified judges who understand the need to protect public safety, victims' rights, and will enforce the death penalty. California should follow President Bush's example. Citizens have the right to expect the state and the judiciary to protect them from criminals who impugn their core freedoms and prey on their ability to live safe and secure lives.

We endorse stiff penalties for those who abduct, exploit and abuse children or seniors or commit domestic violence and spousal abuse.

We support effective anti-drug education programs, stiff punishment for alcohol and drug-impaired drivers, and stiff penalties for drug dealers and drug users.

• The Economy

We believe people make better decisions than government. Free enterprise should be the guiding force, not government regulation.

Freedom and free enterprise are fundamental to the American way of life; indeed, they are the backbone of our nation. Economic freedom leads to opportunity; opportunity leads to growth; growth leads to progress. This is the story of America.

Economic growth depends on individual liberty and enables all citizens to maximize the opportunity to retain the rewards of their labor. Californians are among the hardest working and most industrious people in the world. Unfortunately, Californians also face a daunting burden of government over-regulation and micro-management.

We believe people make better decisions than government. We believe the embodiment of people making decisions is the operation of the free market. The government should work to ensure that markets are free and that there is genuine competition. Government should protect our citizens from international cartels and piracy of their intellectual property. In all of these, free enterprise, not government regulation, should be the guiding force.

We support the elimination of regulatory barriers and subsidies, where possible, on the businesses and workers of California. We support right-to-work laws and reject mandatory closed union shops where workers are coerced to join unions against their will. We also reject union workers being forced to make political contributions to candidates or causes they oppose.

For California's businesses to grow, thrive, and create wealth, a first-class physical infrastructure is necessary. California's politicians have, instead, elected to spend California's income on unnecessary social programs and have given little money for critical infrastructure. These same politicians then insist that the only way to fund infrastructure is bonded indebtedness. We reject that and call for reductions in unnecessary government spending so more money is available for the infrastructure our economy needs. Infrastructure should be "pay-as-you-go" as soon as possible.

• Education

Every child legally in California is entitled to the opportunity for a first-class education. Education is the great elevator in American society. It provides the opportunity for any child to be raised up in our society based upon hard work and achievement.

California's schools have deteriorated due to domination by union officials, contributing to the degradation of the curriculum and the marginalization of involvement by parents. We support all reasonable measures to strengthen academic standards and maximize the influence and involvement of parents in schools.

We believe parents will make better choices than government in almost every case. Consequently, we support school choice programs, school voucher programs, magnet schools, charter schools, homeschooling, educational savings accounts, and the right of parents to abolish bilingual education in their school district if they so choose. We support the abolition of all regulatory barriers that interfere with parents availing themselves of these options.

Our schools should be safe places where learning basic competencies dominate and social engineering is eliminated. We oppose social promotion and support basic competency, including exit exams. We call for local schools to be controlled by parents and local school boards. We reject the current domination of schools by union officials to the detriment of parents, students, and teachers.

Schools cannot function unless they are safe. After the provision of a rigorous course of study, safety in schools at all grade levels should be the highest priority.

Admission and programs to all public colleges and universities should be based solely on merit.

We believe all children, who are in California legally, should have access to quality education whether they matriculate to higher education or are motivated and inspired by vocational and career technical education opportunities.

We oppose any attempt by any municipality and/or its elected officials to take control of the local school board and remove the right to select school board members from the voting public.

We support incentives to reward quality educators.

• The Environment

The California Republican Party is the party that believes in long-term responsible stewardship of California's bountiful natural resources for future generations.

We believe we can have both a healthy economy and a healthy environment and support environmental policies based upon sound science, innovation, new technologies, and incentives rather than regulation, taxation, and litigation. Environmental regulations must be balanced and tempered by the effect they will have on workers and on the economy. We believe that the Kyoto Treaty is fundamentally flawed because it ignores the fact that the largest source of pollution in the world is China, which is exempt from the requirements of Kyoto.

We believe California industry should be the world's leader in developing and manufacturing safe, renewable, and sustainable energy. We encourage the development of these new technologies and systems for use in the domestic market, as well as for export to large polluters like India and China.

We believe that entrepreneurs using technology, innovation, and incentives are more likely to solve environmental problems than are bureaucrats. We support the creation of tax credits to homeowners and builders who incorporate alternative energy systems into their homes, and also support offering tax credits to people who turn in older, high-polluting cars.

Our current dependence on foreign oil threatens both our national security and economic prosperity by making us vulnerable to the will of dangerous foreign dictators. Through private initiative and enterprise, we support the development of energy independent from foreign sources.

To protect lives and property, we must thin many of our forests using modern, environmentally sound methods to reduce the extremely high fire hazard. Our overgrown forests cannot safely be allowed to burn "naturally," since they are in an unstable and unnatural condition.

We believe city governments should be held to the same standards of cleaning waste water that apply to private industry.

• Equal Opportunity

The Republican Party is the historical party of equal opportunity. It is the Republican Party that abolished slavery, introduced the first civil rights legislation, and was responsible for the passage of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments, plus women's suffrage. The Republican Party stands for the right of all persons to succeed based on merit rather than non-merit based considerations. We oppose quotas, set asides, or guaranteed equality of results. We support laws prohibiting discrimination in employment and housing based on race, ethnicity, nationality, sex, or religion. We oppose any special rights based on sexual or behavioral preferences.

• Ethics By Government Officials

We believe that public service is a trust -- one of the highest callings to which any man or woman may aspire. Ethics in service to one's fellow citizens goes beyond the letter of the law. Republican elected and appointed officials are called upon by the California Republican Party to use their offices always to serve others, always to act with the highest standards of morality and honesty, and never to use their offices for personal gain. Republican officeholders are called upon to inspire others to serve and to give their utmost to our American society.

We support prohibiting the use of mandatory union dues and fees to support or oppose candidates for public office or ballot initiatives. We support each Californian's freedom to work without being compelled to pay dues or fees to a labor union.

• Family

The California Republican Party affirms the family as the natural and indispensable institution for human development. A strong and healthy family unit is the heart of the home - a safe surrounding where family decisions are made, children are raised, and morality is taught. The family is a foundation upon which American society has grown and prospered for over 200 years. We support the two-parent family as the best environment for raising children, and therefore believe it is important to define marriage as being between one man and one woman. We believe public policy and education should not be exploited to present or teach homosexuality as an acceptable "alternative" lifestyle. We oppose same-sex partner benefits, child custody, and adoption.

• Federalism

We believe that political matters should be resolved by the local or state governments unless such matters are expressly reserved for the Federal Government by the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

The Federal Government has repeatedly violated the Tenth Amendment of the United States Constitution by encroaching on the rights that are reserved and delegated to the states and to the People. The California Republican Party firmly believes that the best governments are those most accountable to the People. We heed Thomas Jefferson's warning: "When all government, in little as in great things, shall be drawn to Washington as the center of all power, it will render powerless the checks provided of one government on another."

For more responsible government, nonessential federal functions should be returned to the States and localities whenever prudent. The governments closest to the people have the capability, knowledge, and sensitivity to local needs required to better administer and deliver public services. Their diverse problems require local understanding. The transfer of rights, responsibilities, and revenues to local jurisdictions will recognize the abilities of local government and the limitations of a distant federal government.

• Healthcare

The California Republican Party believes the United States health care system delivers the finest medicine in the world and supports the concept of freedom of choice in health care.

We oppose government mandated health care plans that restrict freedom of choice and the bureaucratic restrictions imposed in single payer plans. We support a restructuring of Medical that restricts elective medically unnecessary surgeries while increasing the compensation to doctors and hospitals for necessary surgeries and other treatments. We also oppose any universal healthcare plan for California that would involve taxes on doctors or hospitals, coverage for illegal aliens, or tax subsides. Finally, we support private sector solutions such as small business insurance pools, employment pricing reductions, guaranteed insurability and health savings accounts.

• Immigration

Our history is a story of immigrants. The California Republican Party welcomes and values each and every legal immigrant. We are proud that after 400 years, America continues to symbolize hope and promise to people from around the world. Immigrants have helped to make our great nation greater still.

We affirm our country's absolute right to control its borders. We support legal immigration and the immigration laws that are already in place, and call on the government to enforce all laws on the issue. To take any other position would be a great unfairness to those who have complied with the legal system, and would expose California's citizens to national security risks.

Once one enters the United States as a legal immigrant and desires to become a citizen, one should work actively to become an American - we should grant citizenship only to those who embrace American values and culture. New immigrants should be required to learn English, and businesses should be able to require employees to speak the English language while on the job.

English should be the official language of government. All election ballots and other government documents should be printed in English only. Government should offer intensive English language instruction to all who need it, including stipends to help immigrants attend the programs.

We call for the cross-deputization of state and county law enforcement personnel so that illegal aliens who are also criminals can be deported immediately upon completion of their sentences. We call on the Federal Government to reimburse California for the costs of federally mandated immigration programs and federally mandated benefits to illegal aliens. Finally, we call for the termination of all federal and state benefits to illegal aliens other than emergency medical care.

• The Litigation Crisis

Justice is an American virtue. To make justice available to every person, we support legal innovations such as arbitration, mediation, and reasonable limitations on unnecessary discovery and motions. Both individuals and businesses are besieged by baseless and overly burdensome litigation. In order to ensure the availability of quality care, we support reasonable limitations on general damages awards (e.g., as contained in the bipartisan "Malpractice Insurance Crisis Reform Act"). We favor reasonable and consistent standards for punitive damages awards, which should only be available for intentional, egregious misconduct.

• National Defense and Veteran's Affairs

The California Republican Party stands for a strong national defense. The first duty of government is to provide for the common defense. It is imperative that we retain our military superiority in order to deter any potential adversary, and that under no circumstances would it be wise to initiate conflict at any level with the United States. Yet, we affirm that our military forces exist to deter our enemies and not to initiate war.

We should never allow our armed forces to be put under foreign command nor should they be committed to a foreign conflict unless U.S. national interests are directly at stake and there is a clear military goal and a firm exit strategy.

International terrorism is increasingly a new form of warfare waged against western democracies by state and non-state actors, and no one country can successfully combat it alone. While reasonable minds can disagree regarding the original decision to send ground troops into Iraq, it is imperative that we and our allies now support our armed forces in every aspect of their mission. We object to a "surrender first" policy. We also reject either unilaterally withdrawing or announcing the date upon which we will surrender.

We believe compensation for our armed forces should be fair and support a state income tax exemption while our armed forces are on active duty.

We are free because of those who have answered the call to serve. We owe our veterans more than our thanks; we owe them our support for retirement benefits and healthcare. We support fair efforts to privatize the operations of the Veteran's Administration in order to increase efficiencies and the quality of care.

• Private Property Rights

We stand for the principle that condemnation and government restriction on private property must only occur for public uses. One of the purest forms of tyranny is government confiscation of its citizens' private property. We reject condemnation or government restrictions on property without full compensation for such condemnations or restrictions. We also reject condemnation by governments of private property to be used for non-public uses.

• The Right to Keep and Bear Arms

The United States Constitution guarantees the right of its citizenry to keep and bear arms. One of the first acts of a totalitarian society is to disarm its people. California's gun control laws only serve to disarm law abiding citizens, not criminals. We oppose any further gun control legislation and support the right of all California citizens to own and bear guns and ammunition for any lawful purpose. We call for statewide legislation to allow qualified law abiding citizens in California to carry concealed weapons. We support allowing citizens to use deadly force to protect lives and property. We also support including all of these rights in the California constitution.

Finally, we call for the elimination of waiting periods to purchase firearms and instead support complete implementation of instant background checks.

• The Right to Life

The California Republican Party is the party that protects innocent life because we believe life begins at conception and ends at natural death. We support laws that protect unborn children from partial birth abortions, sex selection abortions, tax-payer funded abortions, abortions performed as a form of birth control, or abortions on minor girls without their parent's notification and consent.

We believe that the question of abortion is a matter that should be left to the people through their elected representatives, not usurped by the United States Supreme Court, and believe that Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided and should be reversed.

We support adoption as an alternative to abortion and call on lawmakers to reduce the bureaucratic burden placed on adoptive couples.

As a part of respecting the sanctity of life for disabled persons, we oppose efforts to legalize assisted suicide or euthanasia.

We support a comprehensive ban on all human cloning.

The California Republican Party supports ethical stem cell research that focuses on cures, not destroying innocent human Life.

• Taxes and Government Spending

The California Republican Party is the party of balanced budgets, limited government, and fiscal responsibility. We believe that taxes in California are too high, and that state government spends too much. We stand for the wise stewardship and responsible use of the people's money. We support without exception and without apology a two-thirds vote requirement for the passage of tax increases, tax increases labeled as fees, bonds, and the state budget. We call for a constitutional ban on any bonded indebtedness to cover general operating deficits. We are against unfunded federal and state mandates. We support the efforts of our Republican legislators to have California's government live within its means.

We call upon our government officials to join a pledge to stand together against any new taxes. Through expanding population and our economic strength we already have in place a system which automatically raises all of the revenue needed to properly meet California's needs. The problems with California's budgets stem from lack of fiscal accountability and control. The answer is not now, and will not be in the future, to increase the tax burden on Californians. We believe that Democrats have not prioritized infrastructure investment with general operating funds leading us to a dangerous amount of bonded indebtedness, further imperiling our state's financial situation, and needlessly passing financial responsibility for current needs over to our children.

We acknowledge a responsibility to those California citizens who cannot take care of themselves. We support reasonable work requirements for welfare recipients who can work, and the termination of welfare benefits for those that can work but refuse to do so. We reject any welfare or social benefits for those who have criminally immigrated into California.

We recognize that unfunded public employee pension liabilities are currently the greatest threat to the financial security of our economy and government. We support the conversion of all public employee pension plans to 401(k)-style plans that provide only the benefits that have been funded by the actual contributions received.

We support the adoption of an optional single-rate system to give taxpayers the convenience of filing their taxes with a 1-page form. We also support the abolition of the death tax.

Government is not equipped to participate, and should not compete, in the free market. Wherever the public's money can be saved and the level of service increased, we call for the privatizing of services now delivered by government.

We reject the unjustified use of rhetoric like "shared responsibility" as justification for an increase of state government spending and wrongly expanding the role of government at the expense of individual responsibility.

We oppose additional bonded indebtedness.

We oppose new taxes on Internet access or online commerce.

• Conclusion

The California Republican Party recognizes the truth that government is meant to serve the people. As such, government is solemnly charged with responsibility to craft long-term solutions rather than short-term fixes. We will hold our government responsible for securing the safety of our families, for expanding our world-class economy, and for promoting fairness and justice to every Californian.

» Back to About The Party