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Preamble

We hold these Truths to be self evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness - That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed.

- Declaration of Independence

The Snohomish County Republican Party reaffirms the words of our founding fathers that we are one nation under God, dedicated to preserving the integrity of the principles in the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution.

Republicans believe good government is based on individual rights; each person's ability, dignity, freedom, and responsibility must be honored and recognized. The role of the traditional family as the basic unit of our community must be respected and nurtured. We believe free enterprise, private property rights, and encouragement of individual incentive are fundamental to our free society.

Purpose

This platform is a statement of the goals and purposes of the Snohomish County Republican Party; it is an action plan on policy matters. These are the principles that define the proper role of government, the limits to its reach to protect our freedom, while addressing current issues.
Republicans dedicate time, talent and efforts to electing Republicans, expecting they will represent these principles and implement them into public policy.

SECTION 1: NATIONAL DEFENSE

A strong national defense is necessary for government to fulfill its primary function, which is protecting its citizens and their individual rights.

1. The security of our nation is the responsibility of our federal government, military, law enforcement agencies, and a vigilant public. Peace comes through strength and deterrence. We reaffirm standing with foreign nations, such as Israel, that have the same ideals to defend themselves.
2. We honor all past and current obligations to our troops, veterans and their families. We support improving pay, allowances and benefits to surviving military dependents.

SECTION 2: BORDERS AND IMMIGRATION

The U. S. Constitution's core priorities of national sovereignty and domestic tranquility rest on impermeable international borders, upheld by justice predicated on enforced regulation of immigration. Without strong borders and enforced immigration regulation, there can be no national sovereignty, domestic tranquility or ability to "secure the Blessings of liberty to ourselves and our Posterity". The federal and state governments are responsible for:

1. Securing our international borders and coastlines
2. Enforcing existing immigration laws, including arrest and deportation of unauthorized persons
3. Sanctioning employers who hire illegal immigrants
4. Reinforcing the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, disallowing "birth-right citizenship" utilized by non-citizens for entire families
5. Ending all entitlement access to illegal immigrants
6. Making English the official language of the United States

SECTION 3: LIBERTY, LAW AND JUSTICE

The priority of government is to protect the individual rights of its citizens. We believe the government must act within its constitutional authority to protect our liberties. It is the responsibility of our lawmakers to enact only minimal regulations that are necessary to serve and protect the citizens.

1. An individual's unalienable rights, as defined by the U.S. and Washington State Constitutions, are supreme to the work of the legislature and judiciary.
2. All constitutional laws should be enforced. Those individuals choosing not to abide by such laws should receive punishment appropriate to the offense.
3. The individual's right to self-defense, including the right to keep and bear arms under the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, must be affirmed and upheld, shall not be infringed - even against all treaties - and be allowed to carry guns across state lines.
4. Justices must determine the constitutionality of our laws based on the original intent and must not legislate from the bench.
5. A registered voter must meet established eligibility standards and show proof of U.S. citizenship.
6. We oppose a national identification card or system.

SECTION 4: LIFE

Life is an unalienable right, which shall not be infringed. Public funding should not be used to fund any act, which violates the right to life.

1. Life begins at conception. Legislation should so state.
2. We oppose abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide.
3. We support medical research that does not exploit or destroy life for the benefit of others through practices such as human cloning and embryonic stem cell research.
4. We oppose abortion, and believe there must be a requirement for a 72-hour waiting period before an abortion, and parental consent for minors before an abortion is required.

SECTION 5: FAMILY AND MARRIAGE

The family is the safest and most nurturing environment for children, their upbringing, care, and moral training, and provides a foundation for a healthy community and a strong nation. Adoption laws should support this belief.

1. Marriage is defined as the legal union between one man and one woman. We support an amendment stating such to both the U.S. and Washington State Constitutions.

SECTION 6: HEALTH

America has the best health care system in the world. To sustain and grow medical care:

1. We oppose government run and mandated health care. We believe the health care plan passed by the Obama administration is unconstitutional and must be repealed and replaced.
2. We support the right of employers, employees, and medical providers to define their benefits package without government intrusion.
3. We support the right of physicians, pharmacists and all health care workers to refuse to perform or participate in medical procedures, prescribe drugs, or supply drugs based on their professional, moral, philosophical or religious beliefs.
4. We support parental consent for minors who seek medical procedures, treatments, or pharmaceuticals. Parents have a right to access health care information about their minor children.
5. We support cost control through tort reform, and the competitive market that allows people to purchase health insurance across state lines.

SECTION 7: EDUCATION

We believe education should prepare our children to enter adulthood with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to be competitive in a global economy and market. Parents must have the primary right, responsibility, and choice in the education of their children.

1. Education must focus on the basics, including math, science, history, civics, financial literacy, reading and English. An emphasis on U.S. history, the U.S. Constitution, and all founding documents is required. We believe in higher educational standards.
   1. We support charter schools, home schooling, or public and private schools, giving parents the right to choose where to educate their children.
   2. Washington State currently has set consistent standards for graduation requirements. We believe curriculum to achieve those requirements should be set at the local level and should be consistent in the schools.
   3. We oppose education and information in schools regarding the promotion of sexual behaviors and alternative lifestyles - this education belongs in the home.
   4. We support an emphasis on driving education funds to the schools by reducing bureaucracy.
2. We support using standardized testing such as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) as a check on schools and districts.

SECTION 8: COMMUNITY

America's private institutions are best at serving the needs of the community.

1. We value integrity, morality, commitment, patriotism, civility, gratitude, service, thrift, and industry. We expect the promotion of these American values in schools and other publicly funded programs and events.
2. We favor local controls and governance close to the people. Community problems are best avoided or resolved through families, local agencies, schools, churches, and charities.

SECTION 9: ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

Promoting economic opportunity is the way to ensure a business friendly environment.

1. We support the reduction of excessive taxation regulation on business and individuals.
2. We support free market solutions to promote economic growth and prosperity.
3. We recognize the importance of organized labor; union members must have the ability to decide the political use of their dues and informed of their rights with respect to those dues.
4. Union votes should be by secret ballot.
5. We support collective bargaining and oppose compulsory union membership, which restricts individual liberty.

SECTION 10: TAXES AND SPENDING

Elected officials have a responsibility to control taxation and eliminate wasteful or inappropriate government spending. Spending must be aligned with priorities of government, as defined by the state and federal constitutions.

1. We support a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
2. We support requiring the 2/3 majority of the legislature to vote for any tax increase (as defined in I-960); if overridden by the legislature, require a vote of the people to pass any tax increase.
3. We oppose a state income tax.
4. We support reinstating tax and spending limitations passed by the voters of Washington State (I-601) and repealed in 2005.
5. We support openness and transparency in governmental and fiscal decision making, including a third party audit from time to time to assure tax dollars are being spent appropriately. It is the responsibility of our lawmakers to enact only minimal regulations that are necessary to serve and protect the citizens.

SECTION 11: PROPERTY RIGHTS

Private property infers the legal and personal ownership of title or exclusive right to the control of property, protected by our government, and is the basis for the free market system, providing freedom, prosperity, and stability.

1. We support the Washington State Constitution's protection of individual private property rights as a core function of state, county, and local government must be reinforced and upheld.
2. We support the U.S. Constitution's priority of individual private property rights over collective policy such as environmental mandates or government tax-based interests must be re-established and maintained.
3. We support repealing the Washington State Growth Management Act, which infringes on private property rights endowed by the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
4. We support stopping eminent domain abuses, including the taking of private properties since these violate the private property rights guarantees of the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
5. We support individual appeal and due process regarding private property ownership and utilization must be strengthened and upheld to protect individuals against government intrusion.

SECTION 12: ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

We have a duty to protect the environment without violating individual property rights; private land ownership enhances good stewardship of the land through each owner's responsible oversight.

1. We support environmental policy based on the best available science, sound evidence, and good judgment. Environmental regulations that deny property owners the use of their land should require the jurisdiction to bear the cost of litigation if property owners successfully appeal the regulation.
2. We support reductions of dependence on foreign energy. We support offshore and domestic drilling, keeping in mind the need for sound environmental controls. We support safe nuclear power development and making use of all available energy resources that are economically and scientifically validated.
3. We support reducing regulations and costs that may hinder re-licensing of any energy producing facility.

SECTION 13: TRANSPORTATION

A robust transportation system is necessary for the safe use by our citizens and the prosperity of commerce in the State of Washington.

1. We support reduction of traffic congestion as a top priority.
2. We support transportation improvements that keep pace with population growth for the efficient movement of people and freight.
3. We oppose adding tolls to the state highway system; it is a double taxation. We oppose all additional taxes and regulations until the State Department of Transportation becomes a better steward of the dollars already provided to them.