The 2024 Texas Democratic Party Platform

An In-Depth Look at the Key Planks and Proposed Changes for 2024

Okay, we’re finally to it. The Texas Democratic Party Platform and the proposed changes went through the Platform Committee. The Texas Democratic Party (TDP) platform is a critical document that outlines the party’s values, principles, and policy goals. It serves as a roadmap for Democratic candidates and elected officials, providing a clear vision for the future of Texas. The platform reflects the collective voice of party members and sets the agenda for the party’s legislative priorities.

The platform also plays a significant role in mobilizing voters. It provides a comprehensive guide to what the Democratic Party stands for, making it easier for voters to understand its positions on critical issues. (Or at least that’s how it’s supposed to work.)

If you missed the previous articles about the TDP’s updated rules and resolutions:

• Key Rule Changes at the Texas Democratic Party’s 2024 Convention

• Equality, Inclusivity, And Justice: Inside the Texas Democratic Party's Resolutions

Personally, I love the Texas Democratic Party Platform and have kept up with its evolution over the years. The previous platform is online, which you can see here:

• 2022 Texas Democratic Party Platform

Loving a party platform? That’s weird.

Earlier this week, I was mindlessly scrolling on TikTok, and I came across some dipshit from Los Angeles who has several hundred thousand followers; her video was all about how “both parties are the same,” and she was discouraging people from voting. The privileged position of living in a blue state, right?

People like this piss me off because NO Democrats and Republicans are not the same.

While the Republican Party of Texas debated giving women who have abortions the death penalty, this week, the Texas Democratic Party added a platform plank that says, “Restore the right of all Texans to make personal and responsible decisions about reproductive health.”

Republicans want unfettered end-stage capitalism with no healthcare, no public education, no Social Security, no Medicaid, and vast wealth inequality. Democrats want universal healthcare, well-funded public education, robust social safety nets, and economic equality.

The Texas Democratic Party platform is a testament to our commitment to creating a fairer, more just society for all Texans. Seeing such misinformation spread online is frustrating, especially when it can lead to voter apathy. However, our platform represents a clear and progressive vision for the future.

It’s a comprehensive document outlining our priorities for a better Texas. We must continue to show these differences between the blue and the red to counteract the cynicism and misinformation that is prevalent today.

What are some of the positive highlights?

Education:

The platform changes maintained the emphasis on protecting and improving Texas public education. They also retained strong language prohibiting school choice scams, such as using vouchers, including special education vouchers, and opposed these programs. The platform kept the requirement that every class have a teacher certified to teach that subject. It clarified that teachers should not be expected to provide financial support through classroom supplies and other essentials at their own expense.

Some of the planks I thought were good:

• Oppose discriminatory policies affecting special education funding. (It’s an ongoing problem in the Republican-led legislature.)

• Offer dual credit and early college programs that draw at-risk students into vocational, technical, and collegiate careers.

• Ensure all public school children are provided free school meals.

Higher education:

The TDP platform includes several favorable planks in higher education to make college more accessible and affordable. These include advocating for student loan debt relief, providing free college tuition for low-income qualified students, and offering paid internships and debt-free apprenticeship programs. Additionally, the platform supports eliminating standardized testing requirements like the SAT and ACT for college admissions.

Voting and elections:

The platform supports electronic voting systems that utilize paper backups and an auditable paper trail, ensuring election integrity. This particular plank led to some debate. While some supported it for ensuring election integrity, others were wary of potential vulnerabilities and preferred more traditional voting methods. Ultimately, it passed.

Another fundamental plank supported the establishment of a limit on campaign donations in Texas elections to ensure fairness and transparency. We badly need campaign finance reform in Texas. Democrats see this need and are taking it seriously.

They also supported establishing a code of judicial ethics for the Supreme Court of the United States and efforts to recalibrate the court by tying the number of justices to the number of federal circuit courts (13).

The Case For Expanding The Supreme Court

Healthcare:

If you missed my previous article, the Texas Democratic Party Resolution supports universal healthcare. This has also been part of their platform for several years. Unfortunately, we’re still fighting for basic healthcare access in Texas, so it’s a part of the Texas Democratic Party platform that doesn’t get enough attention.

Here are some (not all) other interesting planks added this year:

• Protect doctors and hospitals from politically motivated attacks that hinder them from providing the best care possible.

• Legalize and expand access to harm reduction supports such as fentanyl testing strips, Narcan, and safe syringe programs.

• Support policies that reduce pollution and protect clean air and water.

• Ensure that veterans have access to high-quality mental health services and support for substance use disorders.

Reproductive healthcare:

We all know what the GOP is doing. Besides restoring the right of Texans to make personal and responsible decisions about reproductive health, other new TDP platform planks include:

• Protect the right to access in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment.

• Uphold the right to travel to another state for legal medical services.

• Offer comprehensive, age-appropriate sex education.

• Hold medical providers accountable for withholding information about a pregnancy based on their presumption that the pregnancy would be terminated.

• Safeguard reproductive health and gender-based care patient privacy, including protection from law enforcement.

The environment and climate.

Sometimes, I wonder if we spend enough time talking about this issue. It’s terrible right now, and the next several months could bring devastating weather.

Issues regarding the environment and climate change are life-threatening, and with Texas being the number one producer of greenhouse emissions in America, it’s an issue that Texans should take very seriously.

The new planks, which add to the TDP’s previous commitments to clean energy, address many of these concerns. Including supporting policies that develop clean energy resources, promoting alternative fuel vehicles, promoting more energy-efficient buildings and appliances, streamlining the permitting process for building new electric transmission lines, and adding charging stations for electric cars at all state highway rest stops.

Dawn Buckingham, the Texas Land Commissioner, and oil and gas shill has promised to fight the federal administration from connecting offshore windmills to Texas. However, the TDP platform supports federal legislation to share offshore wind lease and production revenues with Texas and other states, incentivizing state and local governments to facilitate successful siting processes and funding coastal infrastructure and flood resiliency projects.

They also emphasized creating and enforcing stringent state and federal regulations on oil and gas operations, including methane release monitoring and enforcement without exceptions.

All of these planks are fantastic, and maybe by the time the 2026 Convention rolls around, we’ll be ready to add support for legislation that holds fossil fuel companies responsible for climate change.

Criminal justice reform.

The TDP platform includes significant changes in the criminal justice reform plank, stressing a more humane approach to law enforcement. The platform proposes raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 13 years, ending the prosecution of juveniles in adult courts, and closing the remaining youth prison facilities while investing in community infrastructure to support children. Additionally, it aims to enforce the constitutional mandate against imprisoning individuals for debt, promote alternatives to incarceration for non-threatening offenses, and eliminate mandatory minimum sentences to allow for judicial discretion—notably, the platform advocates for abolishing the death penalty and instituting a moratorium on executions.

Foreign policy.

Foreign policy is the most contentious plank this year, and for the same reasons, it was a contention in the Resolutions Committee. Of course, there were some non-controversial items, like advocating for strengthening the Leahy Act to ensure US foreign aid upholds human rights and democratic values, with provisions for robust monitoring, enforcement, and penalties for violations. They also emphasized that US foreign aid should be conditional based on a State Department assessment.

These planks reflect decisions made during the committee meeting. They focus on the conditions for US foreign aid, the role of the US in promoting human rights and democracy, and specific foreign policy positions related to Israel, Palestine, Iran, and other international issues.

• Restore the US to a leadership role in supporting universal human rights, including freedom of speech, assembly, and the press, and oppose foreign policies that compromise human rights for economic gain.

• Reject strikethroughs that dilute the emphasis on reinstating the Iran nuclear deal and maintaining conditions for lifting sanctions.

• Reinforce the US’ role in leading international efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear arms, explicitly targeting Iran and North Korea.

• Endorse language that supports the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and emphasizes the importance of humanitarian aid while addressing concerns about allegations against UNRWA employees.

• Support the repeal of Texas’ anti-BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) law, arguing that it infringes on the constitutional rights of free speech.

• Endorse establishing an independent and sovereign Palestinian state.

• Advocate for holding countries accountable for human rights violations through international mechanisms like the International Criminal Court.

• Continue to support economic sanctions against countries that violate human rights or international law, explicitly targeting Russia for its actions against Ukraine.

Assessment.

The Texas Democratic Party platform represents a comprehensive and progressive future roadmap that seeks to create a more just, equitable, and sustainable society. I am proud to support a platform that aligns closely with the values and priorities that matter most to Texans.

What’s next?

This morning, I got this email from the TDP:

It seems like tonight, they’ll have all of their big speeches, and then tomorrow, they will vote on the Platform, Resolutions, and Rules. I expect all of them to pass.

If you’re looking for where to watch the big speeches tonight, click here: Livestream link.

As we move forward, we must continue engaging with the platform, spreading awareness about its key planks, and mobilizing voters to support these transformative policies. The upcoming votes on the Platform, Resolutions, and Rules are critical steps in solidifying our collective goals and ensuring that the party remains aligned with the values and priorities that matter most to Texans.

Stay informed, stay engaged, and let’s work together to make this vision a reality. Your participation and support are vital in shaping a brighter future for Texas.

• 151 days left until the November 5 election!

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