Agriculture
 

We believe family farmers deserve cost-of-production PLUS a fair profit.

We support the strengthening and enforcement of the existing anti-corporate farm laws. We denounce all types of predatory contracting.

We support the development of value-added agriculture o-ops to enhance the financial return on commodities for family farmers and ranchers. 

We support the diversification of the rural economy and the research and development of new uses for agricultural crops. 

We support public policies that preserve and enhance competition in our agricultural markets and resist the increasing agribusiness concentration.

Natural Resources

We support good stewardship of our land, water, mineral, and other natural resources. We live in relationship with these resources and have a responsibility to conserve and protect our state's natural resources for the benefit of future generations.

We support reasonable state and federal policies that ensure the integrity of the environment balanced with the lawful rights of individuals and the sound development of our natural resources.

We recognize the importance of educating present and future generations about the need to preserve the quality of our environment. 

We support the delivery of clean water to all areas of North Dakota to meet municipal, rural, agricultural, and industrial water needs.

We support the sound utilization of North Dakota's oil, gas, coal, and wind resources and continued progress toward component use of the elements found in these resources. We encourage the development of a state program that would create alternative energy industries to enhance the environment as well as provide economic development. 

Health Care and Human Services

Quality health care services (including public health and mental health) should be available to all of our citizens. Comprehensive health care services should include universal coverage, portability, a broad scope of services, cost containment, quality assurance, and choice of provider, as well as respect for the privacy of doctor-patient relationships, with special emphasis on the needs of rural areas.

North Dakota should utilize the resources from the tobacco settlement to increase the public's awareness of the harmful health effects of tobacco, to fund health care, and to initiate programs to help its citizens, particularly its youth, fight the addiction. 

Labor, Industry, and Business

We recognize that profitable businesses are vital to the prosperity of our state. The needs of business should be3 balanced with the good of our citizens. 

We believe all workers should have the right of free association and the right to organize a union in the workplace.

We believe that the state law prohibiting union-shop agreements should be repealed and that workers should have the right to bargain collectively and when necessary, to exercise their right to a legal strike without fear of losing their jobs.

We believe that all our workers deserve lining wages, safe workplaces, and access to affordable, quality child-care. North Dakotans should be protected by an adequate safety net of unemployment compensation, workers compensation, and pension benefits. We support fair compensation and employment practices for all North Dakotans.

We support maintaining and enhancing the Bank of North Dakota and the North Dakota Mill and Elevator. 

Social and Economic Justice

We recognize we are members of a diverse society and that understanding and acceptance must be the basic values of our society.

We support legislation that enhances civil rights and liberties and prohibits discrimination. 

We support free access to public information and reject efforts to undermine any of our open records and open meeting laws.

We believe citizens should be protected from unwarranted interference in their private lives. 

We believe in honoring treaties with Native Americans. We support Native American programs to preserve their tribal language, culture and promote employment training, education, and job development. 

We support national, state, and local budgets that maintain essential programs and policies that protect the well being of our citizens. 

We are concerned about areas in North Dakota that are losing population and their ability to provide financing for infrastructure improvements. We support federal and state programs, such as the New Homestead Act, to address the needs of these areas.

We support the right of all North Dakotans to have accessible and affordable public utilities.

We support a fair and balanced tax structure at all levels.

Education

Educational institutions play a fundamental role in preparing students of all ages to assume their place as active, responsible, and well-informed citizens.

We believe a state-supported system of higher education is necessary for economic growth and cultural development and must be adequately supported. 

We believe education must be a high priority in our local, state, and federal budgets. The over-reliance on property taxes for education should be reduced and offset by a more fair and equitable funding system for all school districts.

We support legislation that provides educators and other school personnel with appropriate compensation, working conditions, and other professional considerations.

We believe that whole communities as well as families should support our public schools.

While financial support is important, citizen participation in school improvement and reform projects is equally important.

Global Concerns

We believe in human rights and justice fro all.

We support "Fair Trade" policies worldwide.

We affirm our support of the United Nations and other international organizations as instruments for peace.

We support multilateral efforts between countries to work towards social justice worldwide.

We believe in the free-flow of information within and among all countries.

We recognize the fact that food to feed the hungry people of the world reduces the threat of war; thus, we strongly support a national farm policy that ensures the production of this food.

We support a global ban on the production, testing, deployment, and use of nuclear, biological, chemical, and other weapons of mass destruction.

We support a strong national defense that strikes a balance between the interests of our nations, a healthy economy, and the social and economic needs of our citizens.

We support further review of the NAFTA agreement as it exists.

We support policies that move the US toward energy independence without degrading the environment.