Gulf Coast Party Platforms Project

The Gulf Coast Civic Works Campaign is leading an initiative to introduce and pass state level party resolutions in the Republican and Democratic Parties of the Gulf Coast states (AL, LA, MS) and, with the help of supporters like you, in other states across the nation, mandating party officials and delegates to the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis and Democratic National Convention in Denver to include Gulf Coast rebuilding priorities in the national party platforms.

Party platforms are written at national party conventions every four years to determine the national priorities for federal action of each parties members of Congress and Presidential candidate. The process presents an opportunity for state level party activists to influence these priorities. In addition to working to pass these resolutions, the Gulf Coast Civic Works Campaign plans to work with Gulf Coast and national NGOs, and allies on a national advocacy campaign to push these platform planks on Gulf Coast rebuilding to be a priority at each convention.

The Gulf Coast Civic Works Campaign developed a multi-issue Gulf Coast rebuilding platform plank written with input from a bi-partisan mix of leading community groups in the Gulf Coast, including ACORN, BISCO, Equity & Inclusion Campaign, Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations, and more, as well as national groups like Amnesty International USA, RFK Memorial Center for Human Rights, and the Gulf Coast Civic Works Project.

The plank demands:

1) the federal government fulfill its moral obligations to rebuild and help the displaced realize their human right to return;

2) local community planning in how federal funds are used to rebuild communities;

3) enactment of HR 4048, the Gulf Coast Civic Works Act;

4) increased funding for building and providing access to affordable housing; and

5) funding for equitable Category 5 flood protection and coastal restoration.

The resolution campaign is focused currently on the political parties and eventually the conventions but similar supportive resolutions could be presented by your local municipal, county/parish and/or state level government body as well in support of these federal actions.

We need supporters to present resolutions to their state Democratic and Republican Parties in hopes of being passed by vote thereby mandating delegates from as many state parties as possible to support these planks in the national party platforms.

Any member of a state party can present a resolution or platform amendment. Still each state party has different rules and timelines for presenting resolutions and platform planks and how and when the resolutions are voted on. You will have to call your state party office (Find State Republican Party Contacts here: http://www.gop.com/Connect/States.aspx Find State Democratic Party Contacts here: http://www.democrats.org/local.html ) to request the timeline and how best way to present a resolution and state party platform plank for your particular state party. In most states resolutions are voted on in June state party conventions or meetings of the state party central committee. In some states you must submit resolutions one month before they will be considered.

If you are interested in submitting a resolution, please call your state party office as soon as possible for details! If you have submitted a resolution or have questions, please write to Scott Myers-Lipton (smlipton@sjsu.edu) to inform the campaign of your participation so we can coordinate and help coordinate support for the resolutions within your state party.

best, scott

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Dr. Scott Myers-Lipton

San Jose State University