Resolution for Senate to Return from Recess

WHEREAS gun violence in the United State of America has been growing for decades, reaching a new and intolerable level with the mass shooting in Gilroy, El Paso, Dayton, and Chicago during a one week period. On an average day, 100 people die from gun violence, accidental shootings, or suicide, and

WHEREAS the House of Representatives passed HR 8, the Bipartisan Background Check Act, and HR 1112, the Enhanced Background Checks Act, during February 2019. Senate Leader McConnell, who carries the self-designated nick name as “The Grim Reaper,” refuses to allow a vote in the Senate. This month, McConnell has refused repeatedly to call the Senate back into session during the August Recess and deny Republican Senators a vacation even though Senators in his own party and all Democratic Party Senators support returning to work in order to take up this important legislation, and

WHEREAS Speaker Pelosi and the entire Democratic Party delegation is prepared to return to Washington, DC during the August recess to reconcile differences in the bills already passed in the House with legislation that would be passed in the Senate so that a bill could be sent to the White House for signature before the end of this month.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Sonoma County Democratic Party (SCDP) calls on Senator Mitch McConnell to immediately call the Senate back into session for the purpose of passing HR 8 and HR 1112 which were passed by the House of Representatives during February and are pending consideration in the Senate right now, and

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the SCDP will send this resolution with a cover letter calling for immediate action to Senator McConnell, all members of the California Delegation in both the Senate and House, Senator Grassley, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, and President Trump.

Resolution adopted by the Sonoma County Democratic Party on August 13, 2019

Resolution Supporting Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in Sonoma County

WHEREAS in 2002, San Francisco voters adopted Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) at the ballot, a system that allows voters to rank their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd candidate choices and initiates an instant run-off election if no single candidate reaches over 50% of the vote, thereby eliminating the need for voters to return to the polls for a second election; and

WHEREAS other Bay Area communities including San Leandro, Berkeley and Oakland have successfully adopted Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) as the method used in Mayoral and Council seat races; and

WHEREAS in addition to preventing costly and low-turnout run-off elections, Ranked Choice Voting has led to more positive and substantive campaigning and less mudslinging in a number of races, with candidates recognizing the need to appeal to the broader electorate for support; and

WHEREAS compared to winner-take-all systems, Ranked Choice Voting encourages more diversity in candidates and voters, and generally has resulted in an increase in election victories by candidates of color in counties that have adopted it while more than doubling voter turnout in some counties;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Sonoma Democratic Party hereby affirms its support of Ranked Choice Voting, as stated in the 2018 California Democratic Party Platform, for selecting Mayor and city council members in all of the cities in Sonoma county, and that it also be used in selecting the county supervisors; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Sonoma Democratic Party calls upon the elected representatives and administrators in each of the city and county jurisdictions mentioned above to take immediate steps to begin the assessment of Ranked Choice Voting, and its implementation as early as the 2022 election cycle for the aforementioned offices.

Resolution adopted by the Sonoma County Democratic Party on July 9, 2019

Resolution opposing DCCC’s blacklisting of firms working with primary challenges against incumbent U.S. House Democrats

WHEREAS the possibility of being challenged in a primary is one of the most effective way of holding our incumbent Democratic representatives accountable; and

WHEREAS shielding Democratic incumbents from Democratic primary challenges can be seen as an attempt to stifle our party’s democratic process in choosing the best candidates to assertively work for and uphold Democratic values, and principles as expressed in our Platform; and

WHEREAS the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), the House Democrats’ campaign arm, is a PAC that has issued a rule that by effectively restricting campaign resources gives incumbents who already enjoy immense advantages, even further advantage over Democratic party primary challengers;

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Sonoma County Democratic Party disapproves the undemocratic rule that weakens our party’s ability to nominate and elect the strongest leadership possible, and further erodes Democratic voters’ confidence and faith in our party’s adherence to fair election contests; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Sonoma County Democratic Party calls upon our representatives to the DNC to urge the DNC to demand that the DCCC rule be amended to only apply to challenges to incumbents in swing districts, or be withdrawn entirely.

Resolution adopted by the Sonoma County Democratic Party on April 9, 2019

Resolution from 350 Bay Area’s Youth vs. Apocalypse program, urging Democratic Party support for GND Resolution.

WHEREAS the time to address the adverse impacts caused by humans on earth’s climate, and the adverse impacts caused by inequality on society is urgent, and

WHEREAS the observable signs of climate change – sea rise from the melting of the earth’s ice caps,massive fires, intensified storms, and droughts – hurt everyday people, wildlife, and the vital ecosystem functions upon which we all depend, and

WHEREAS the young people of our world will bear the consequences of actions not taken, inaction today represents generational theft on a scale previously unseen and unimaginable;

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Sonoma County Democratic Party thanks the student members of 350 Bay Area’s Youth vs. Apocalypse program, Sonoma County CA, for their urgent call to support the concept of the Green New Deal as an environmentally and economically sound solution to address adverse impacts of climate change and income inequality, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Sonoma County Democratic Party calls upon the California Democratic Party to urge our elected representatives at the state and national level to work towards ensuring that all future acts, laws, and regulations of state and federal governments are consistent with the tenets of the Green New Deal by signing on to and actively supporting the principles and goals it expresses.

Resolution adopted by the Sonoma County Democratic Party on March 12, 2019