2020 State Convention Resolutions

1. Change to the Ongoing Platform - Tribal Sovereignty:

Amend the Ongoing Platform by adding: "supports full recognition of Tribal Nations and their citizens' sovereignty." [7 CDs, 11 OUs]

2. Change to the Ongoing Platform - Remove manditory sentencing:

Amend the Ongoing Platform by removing: "we support mandatory sentencing of drug dealers" and replace it with "we oppose mandatory sentencing practices for drug-related crimes". [4 CDs, 6 OUs]

3. Border-to-Border Broadband:

Support implementation and expansion of the Border-to-Border statewide Broadband initiative. (1) by providing stable multi-year funding. (2) by eliminating corporate-monopoly sponsored restrictions, obstacles and preemptions. (3) by encouraging municipalities and, (4) by requiring all state-subsidized installers to go “the last mile” ensuring that every Minnesotan has access to today’s and tomorrow’s technology and that no one is left behind. [8 CDs, 56 OUs]

4. Affordable Housing:

Support expanding resources for a range of affordable housing: apartments, townhouses, and starter/small homes for individuals, families, and seniors throughout the state. Protect public housing and balance the rights of renters with the interests of property owners. [8 CDs, 28 OUs]

5. GreenNew Deal:

Support the federal Green New Deal goals of ending greenhouse gas emissions; establishing millions of high wage jobs and ensuring economic security for all; investing in sustainable and affordable housing and transportation for all; securing clean air and water, climate and community resiliency, healthy food, access to nature, and a sustainable environment for all; and promoting justice and equity with a ten-year mobilization effort. [8 CDs, 19 OUs]

6. Declare Climate Emergency:

Declare a climate emergency. Mandate 100% carbon free electricity throughout Minnesota by 2030 and meet or exceed “net zero” emissions by 2050. Transition to an equitable, economically-just and clean energy economy that provides high paying jobs in rural and urban areas while reducing racial, gender and economic disparities. [8 CDs, 63 OUs]

7. Moratorium for Fossil Fuel Construction:

The DFL opposes the construction of Enbridge’s Line 3 and supports a moratorium on any new fossil fuel power generation capacity whose economic life extends beyond 2030, including any new or replacement crude oil pipelines in Minnesota. [5 CDs, 12 OUs]

8. End Veteran Homelessness:

Support Minnesota becoming the next state to end Veteran homelessness. [5 CDs, 7 OUs]

9. Veterans Health Care:

Support full funding and staffing of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to ensure continuation and expansion of high-quality health care to veterans including adequate staffing, necessary facility upgrades and expansions. [5 CDs, 6 OUs]

10. Background checks for firearm sale:

Support common sense gun violence prevention measures to keep guns out of the hands of people who've proven themselves to be dangerous, including criminal background checks on all gun sales and extreme risk protection orders (often referred to as red flag laws). [8 CDs, 40 OUs]

11. Driver's Licenses for All:

Support the state authorization of a driver’s license for any resident who wishes to apply and comply with all requirements of testing, insurances, vision, and other necessary items. Eligibility shall not be denied on the basis of immigration status or non-status. [5 CDs, 14 OUs]

12. Assault Weapons Ban:

Support banning the sale and private ownership of military style semi-automatic weapons with high capacity magazines. [6 CDs, 12 OUs]

13. Social Security / Medicare:

Oppose cuts to Social Security and Medicare, improve the solvency of the Social Security trust through more accurate cost-of-living adjustments and eliminate the regressive cap on taxable income. [4 CDs, 13 OUs]

14. Pension Benefits Guaranty Corp.:

Support full funding of the Pension Benefits Guaranty Corporation, revise the corporate bankruptcy laws so that pensions, 401 (k) and similar plans are placed higher in the order of creditors. Workers must be granted a separate class action claim in bankruptcy proceedings [3 CDs, 5 OUs]

15. Pension Oversight:

Support legislation aligned with the intent of the Butch Lewis Act to protect and improve oversight of both defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans and the beneficiaries of said plans. [3 CDs, 5 OUs]

16. Tax Fairness for Working Families:

Support tax fairness for working families and opposes tax cuts to corporations and the wealthy. [5 CDs, 9 OUs]

17. Divestment from Fossil Fuel:

Support divestment from fossil fuels funds by the Minnesota's Board of Investment. [4 CDs, 6 OUs]

18. Carbon Dividend Act:

Support federal legislation such as the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act that puts a steadily rising fee on carbon dioxide and returns the revenue generated to households through monthly dividends to offset the increased cost of energy while dramatically reducing emissions, and preserving a livable climate. [4 CDs, 5 OUs]

19. Sustainable Public Transportation:

Support efforts to develop sustainable public transportation, including mass transit, commuter rail, light rail, and buses, as well as viable options for pedestrians, bicycles, and other non-motorized transportation options. [7 CDs, 15 OUs]

20. Electric Vehicles:

Support electrification of public and commercial vehicle fleets; the transition to electric vehicles in all sectors; the deployment of bi-directional charging technology, utility managed charging, and multi-unit dwelling charging . [4 CDs, 7 OUs]

21. Transportation Bonding Bill:

Urge the Minnesota Legislature to pass a large bonding bill that invests in state infrastructure and creates thousands of jobs. [4 CDs, 5 OUs]

22. Expand Passenger Rail Services:

Supports the expansion of state corridor passenger rail services between Duluth, St. Cloud, Mankato, and the Twin Cities to Chicago with direct state appropriation and bonding, at the Minnesota Legislature and assure all passenger rail construction, operation and maintenance work is performed by union labor. [3 CDs, 5 OUs]

23. Redistricting Commission:

Support a nonpartisan Independent Redistricting Commission be established to draw fair district boundaries at local, state and federal levels, after the 2020 Census, and for all future redistricting. [8 CDs, 33 OUs]

24. Ranked Choice Voting:

Supports statewide Local Options legislation to permit Ranked Choice Voting in all municipal elections. [6 CDs, 22 OUs]

25. Free, Open and Trustworthy Elections:

We support elections that are free, open and trustworthy, using transparent processes that are secure from outside influence and supported by an archival paper ballot backup, guarantee ballot access and ease of voting to all eligible voters, and allow the results to be rapidly and publicly verified. [7 CDs, 15 OUs]

26. Prohibit For-Profit Prisons:

Supports the prohibition of for-profit incarceration corporations from operating or leasing facilities in the State of Minnesota. [6 CDs, 10 OUs]

27. Income tax returns and President:

Support rules to require candidates for both President and Vice-President to reveal all income tax returns and schedules, including charitable donations, for a period of 10 years. This information shall be made public at least 6 weeks before the nominating convention. [4 CDs, 6 OUs]

28. Election Day National Holiday:

Our November Elections date should be a state and/or national holiday so everyone can participate. [3 CDs, 5 OUs]

29. Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML):

Supports legislation that would provide up to twelve weeks of Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) for the birth or adoption of a child, parenting of a child or the care of a seriously ill family member. [8 CDs, 19 OUs]

30. $15 Minimum Wage:

Supports a statewide minimum wage of $15.00/hour with a One Fair Wage for all workers with no Tip Penalty. [7 CDs, 16 OUs]

31. Universal Child Care:

Support Universal Child Care with no family childcare expense exceeding 7% of their family income and with childcare educators and childcare providers paid a living wage. [6 CDs, 7 OUs]

32. OSHA:

Support the standards of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and rejects attempts to weaken OSHA laws and standards. [5 CDs, 7 OUs]

33. Set overtime pay at 40 hrs/not 48:

Support legislation to provide overtime pay above a 40 hour work week. Minnesota is the only state that has a 48 hour week in state law. [5 CDs, 6 OUs]

34. Oppose Right-To-Work:

Oppose Right-To-Work legislation which makes it harder for working people to form unions and collectively bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions. [4 CDs, 5 OUs]

35. Quality Public Education:

Support ensuring all public school students have access to local, quality public education through an equitable funding formula in Minnesota and maintain a uniform high quality of public schools throughout the state. [8 CDs, 46 OUs]

36. Funding MN Higher Education:

Support Minnesota commiting to investment in the state's future by fully funding public higher education including: University, college, technical, vocational programs, and affordable student loans. [7 CDs, 32 OUs]

37. Universal Pre-Kindergarten:

Support school-based pre-kindergarten, taught by licensed professionals, being made available to all Minnesota four-year olds. [7 CDs, 20 OUs]

38. Public school sustenance funding:

38. Support full funding for all sustenance at public schools including, but not limited to, breakfast, lunch and snack time. [6 CDs, 12 OUs]

39. Reduce student loan debt:

Support legislation that aims to reduce or eliminate Minnesotan’s student loan debt. [6 CDs, 8 OUs]

40. Licensed School Support Staff:

Support adequate funding and staffing of licensed support staff (including school counselors, social workers, nurses, psychologists, and chemical health professionals) for every student in the state of Minnesota. [3 CDs, 8 OUs]

41. Early Childhood Education:

Support fully funding the Childcare Assistance Program and Early Learning Scholarships taught by licensed professionals. [6 CDs, 7 OUs]

42. Protect MN Aquifers and Fresh Water:

Protect Minnesota aquifers and fresh water sources from pollution, commercialization, and export; upgrade our drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure. [8 CDs, 32 OUs]

43. Moratorium on Copper-Sulfide Mining:

Support a moratorium banning copper-nickel sulfide mining in Northeastern Minnesota’s watersheds, for the protection of some of America’s greatest treasures including but not limited to Lake Superior, the BWCAW and Voyageurs National Park, until such time as such mining is proven first to be safe in water-rich environments. [8 CDs, 29 OUs]

44. Unsafe Pesticides:

Support policies to reduce or eliminate the use of unsafe pesticides (such as glyphosate, neonicotinoids and chlorpyrifos). [6 CDs, 19 OUs]

45. Ban Use of Lead:

Ban the use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle containing lead or other toxic materials. [8 CDs, 11 OUs]

46. Oppose Weakening Environmental Law:

Oppose any effort to circumvent or weaken state or federal environmental laws or protections involving administrative procedures and permitting. [5 CDs, 10 OUs]

47. Single-Use Plastics:

Support eliminating the use of single-use plastics in government operations, meetings, and events by 2022. [5 CDs, 8 OUs]

48. Paris Climate Accord:

Support the US re-joining the Paris Climate Agreement. [6 CDs, 7 OUs]

49. Aquatic Protected Areas:

49. Support establishing a system of aquatic protected areas. [3 CDs, 5 OUs]

50. Expand Public Health Care:

Support expanding public healthcare coverage, with a public option buy-in plan like MinnesotaCare (protecting it from funding cuts) with its current actuary value, that directly helps people face unaffordable costs and poor coverage. [7 CDs, 45 OUs]

51. Lower Drug Prices:

Support the negotiation of lower prescription drug prices by Minnesota Care at the state level and Medicare at the Federal Level. [8 CDs, 31 OUs]

52. Patient-Centered Healthcare:

Support a patient-centered healthcare system with legislation that enacts the Minnesota Plan at the State Level and the Medicare for All Act of 2019 at the National Level. [8 CDs, 21 OUs]

53. Women's Health Care:

Support comprehensive, affordable health care choices for women, ensuring unrestricted access to reproductive health care services throughout the state with the understanding that all health care choices are made by the individual and that the decision to continue or terminate a pregnancy should be personal, private, safe and legal with no interference from politicians or health insurance providers. [5 CDs, 11 OUs]

54. Elder Care:

Support policies that protect the rights of elders and vulnerable adults, including mandating a living wage for all direct-care providers (including family members), increasing reimbursement rates for elderly waiver and other state assistance programs, mandating adequate staffing ratios at long-term facilities, and increasing funding for regulatory oversight. [5 CDs, 9 OUs]

55. Mental Health:

Support providing supportive services including subsidized housing for those experiencing chemical dependency, mental illness, and/or homelessness [5 CDs, 6 OUs]

56. Insulin:

Support legislation that ensures insulin is affordable and accessible, including emergency sources. [3 CDs, 6 OUs]

57. Mental Health:

Support full parity for mental and physical health, meaning coverage of mental health is equal to physical health. [5 CDs, 5 OUs]

58. Public Emergency Preparedness:

Support increased funding for infectious disease planning (including data collection), like COVID-19, and maintaining emergency preparedness including but not limited to pandemic planning, natural disasters and terrorism. [3 CDs, 5 OUs]

59. Forever Green:

Provide $6 million per year in long term funding to the University of Minnesota’s Forever Green Project, working to develop crops that provide continuous living cover. [46 Ous, 8 CDs]

60. SNAP:

Raise current funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and support promoting local farmers and their efforts within the confines of that program. [5 CDs, 29 OUs]

61. Moratorium upon Large Dairy:

Place a moratorium on issuing permits for construction of any dairies over 1,000 animal units until the supply management system is working and the water pollution threats posed by these larger operations to our environment. [6 CDs, 22 OUs]

62. Farm Debt Refinancing:

Support financially stressed small and mid-size farmers by covering the origination fees required when refinancing farm debt and obtaining guaranteed loans through the USDA Farm Service Agency. [4 CDs, 21 OUs]

63. Farmers' Legal Action Group (FLAG):

Substantially increase the funding for the Minnesota Farm Advocate program and provide $400,000 in financial funding to the Farmers’ Legal Action Group (FLAG) that advises financially distressed farmers with expertise and legal resources. [5 CDs, 20 OUs]

64. Traditional Farm Policies:

Pursue policies that result in more traditional farmers on the land raising crops and livestock, and support policies that encourage farmers to build soil, protect clean water and prevent erosion. [5 CDs, 20 OUs]

65. True-Cost Accounting Program for Agriculture:

Develop a true-cost accounting program for an agricultural system that considers climate, Sustainability, carbon footprint, fossil fuels, and promotion of small and mid-sized farms. [4 CDs, 13 OUs]

66. Sustainable Farming:

Eliminate corporate farm subsidies and support sustainable farming by promoting local sourcing of food, funding education, and providing added incentives for pesticide-free crops. [6 CDs, 12 OUs]

67. Sequester Carbon:

Provide financial incentives to farmers and ranchers who implement practices that sequester carbon in the soil. [4 CDs, 6 OUs]

68. Transition from Chemical Agriculture to Sustainable:

Fully support a transition from chemical agriculture to sustainable agriculture and the transition process for each farmer. [4 CDs, 6 OUs]

69. Country-of-Origin Food Labeling:

Support country of origin labeling (COOL) a food labeling system for all agricultural products sold as food, supporting sustainable farming by promoting local sourcing of food. [4 CDs, 5 OUs]

70. Farm-to-School Program:

Support continuation and expansion for the "Farm to School" lunch programs, a local economic tool, that prioritizes investing in small and mid-size farms, developing local rural economies, keeping the food supply local. [4 CDs, 5 OUs]

71. Overturn Citizens United:

We call for an amendment to the United States Constitution to establish that: (1) Only human beings are endowed with constitutional rights and (2) Money is not speech and therefore regulating political contributions and spending is not equivalent to limiting political speech. [8 CDs, 51 OUs]

72. National Popular Vote for President:

The Minnesota Legislature should enact the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which bypasses the Electoral College to guarantee the Presidency to the candidate receiving the most popular votes among the 50 states and District of Columbia, until/unless a constitutional amendment eliminates the Electoral College in favor of the popular vote. [8 CDs, 47 OUs]

73. Equal Rights Amendment:

Support banning discrimination on the basis of gender by aggressively advocating for removing the Equal Rights Amendment's (ERA) arbitrary ratification deadline, and adding an Equal Rights Amendment to Minnesota's Constitution. [8 CDs, 42 OUs]

74. Voting Rights of Felons:

DFL supports legislation to grant full voter enfranchisement regardless of a person’s past incarceration or criminal record. [8 CDs, 30 OUs]

75. Conversion Therapy Ban:

Supports a total ban on the practice of "conversion therapy" (also known as sexual orientation/gender identity change efforts, or reparative "therapy") as a therapeutic practice. [7 CDs, 25 OUs]

76. Pathway to Citizenship:

We support Comprehensive Immigration Reform providing a fair & compassionate Pathway to Citizenship, such as the Dream Act of 2019, which gives present DACA recipients a pathway to citizenship & permits new undocumented immigrants to apply for DACA. [8 CDs, 23 OUs]

77. Full Reproductive Rights:

Support legislative or constitutional protection for the full reproductive rights of women: including full access to affordable birth control and safe and legal abortions, protections against discrimination in hiring pregnant women, and legal guarantees for access to parental leave. [8 CDs, 20 OUs]

78. Immigrant Bill of Rights:

Support an Immigrant Bill of Rights for ALL to include: access to Driver’s License, all Public Benefits, childcare assistance funds, MinnesotaCare, Paid Family & Medical Leave, Earned Sick & Safe Time, and establish Minnesota as a Sanctuary State. [6 CDs, 19 OUs]

79. Marijuana Use:

Support legalization & decriminalization of marijuana, and expungement of nonviolent cannabis-related criminal records. [8 CDs, 17 OUs]

80. End-of-Life Options:

Affirm that terminally ill adults should have access to a full range of end-of-life options, including medical aid in dying, so mentally capable Minnesotans are free to make end-of-life decisions that are best for them and their families. [6 CDs, 17 OUs]

81. First Nations land use Sovereignty:

Support the right of sovereign nations to determine what construction projects take place in their respective territories and treaty lands. [7 CDs, 15 OUs]

82. Pledge to Uphold Treaties:

Pledge to uphold our treaties with First Nations, which are defined as the "supreme law of the land" under the U. S. Constitution, and failure to uphold treaties is considered a violation of human rights under international law. [6 CDs, 14 OUs]

83. Automatic Voter Registration:

Support automatic voter registration at age 18, or when an eligible voter applies for or renews their driver’s license or state ID, unless they choose to “opt out.” [5 CDs, 10 OUs]

84. Dismantle Racial & Gender Injustice:

Call on our elected and appointed officials to take bold action to dismantle racial, gender, and economic injustice in our democracy, institutions, and our public programs. [5 CDs, 10 OUs]

85. Immigrant Legal Resources:

Support policies to help fund immigrant legal resources to allow state & local governments to protect our communities by preventing the conscription of state & local resources for federal immigration enforcement work. [4 CDs, 5 OUs]

86. Make Minnesota a Sanctuary State:

Urge the State Legislature & Governor to declare Minnesota a Sanctuary State and implement policies to protect immigrant community members statewide. [2 CDs, 5 OUs]

87. Restrict Cooperation with ICE:

Support statewide legislation or policy restricting law enforcement cooperation with ICE in Minnesota to protect our immigrant neighbors. [2 CDs, 5 OUs]