LA05.08b

THANKS AND SUPPORT FOR

U.S. SENATOR BARBARA BOXER

 

WHEREAS:  United States Senator Barbara Boxer stood up for us and for all who believed in the right of all voters in the United States of America when she challenged the results of the 2004 presidential election in the State of Ohio; and

WHEREAS:  Senator Barbara Boxer stood up for all of us when she challenged the credentials and credibility of Condoleezza Rice based on substantive issues during the Secretary of State confirmation hearings and opopsed the nomination of White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General; and,

WHEREAS:  Senator Boxer has an exemplary record of defending the environment and protecting the health of humans and other living creatures.

Therefore be it Resolved:  That the California Democratic Party thanks Senator Boxer for her courage and values and asks her to continue standing up for us, and representing the needs of all her constituents and other living creatures.

 

Submitted by: 14th AD Committee; 24th AD Committee; 42nd AD Committee;

Democratic Central Committee of Marin County;

Northern Solano Democratic Club; Rio Vista Democratic Club  

* * *

Adopted by the California Democratic Party

At Its 2005 State Convention

Los Angeles Convention Center

April 17, 2005


LA05.53

STOP GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER'S

SPECIAL INTEREST AGENDA;

SUPPORT ALLIANCE FOR A BETTER CALIFORNIA

 

WHEREAS:  Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared war on nurses, teachers, firefighters, peace officers, public employees and working families - the people who care for, educate, protect and move California forward with their dedication and hard work; and

WHEREAS:  The Governor has spent more time raising money from his own special interests than addressing the real issues that people in our state care about like funding education and health care and fixing our congested roads; and

WHEREAS:  Thousands of Californians in towns and cities across our state have protested against the Governor’s failed agenda

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:  That the California Democratic Party supports every effort to stop Schwarzenegger’s special interest agenda

 

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:  That the California Democratic Party supports the Alliance for a Better California as they work for policies (i.e., Cheaper Prescription Drug Act; Car Buyer’s Bill of Rights; the Equal Voting Requirements and the Repeal of Electricity Deregulation and Black-out Prevention Act) that will benefit the ALL Californians. 

Submitted by Senator Art Torres (Ret.),

Chairman of the California Democratic Party

* * *

Adopted by the California Democratic Party

At Its 2005 State Convention

Los Angeles Convention Center

April 17, 2005


LA05.54

 

OPPOSE GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER’S 

PROPOSED SPECIAL ELECTION

 

WHEREAS:  Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger ran for office on a promise to not raise campaign contributions from special interests; and

WHEREAS: the Governor has broken that promise not to take special interest money and has been criss-crossing the country raising more money than any Governor in the history of California; and

WHEREAS:  The Governor has reneged on his agreement to:  restore education funding; vetoed consumer protection laws and opposed lowering the cost of prescription drugs, and providing a minimal increase in the minimum wage; and

WHEREAS:  Such an election would be held without the voter-verified paper trail that goes into effect in 2006, at a cost of $70 million in taxpayer money the Governor is planning to spend on a special election that should be used for vital public services

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:  That the California Democratic Party opposes the Governor’s proposed special election for his corporate special interest friends.

 

Submitted by Senator Art Torres (Ret.),

Chairman of the California Democratic Party;

13th Assembly District;

14th Assembly District

* * *

Adopted by the California Democratic Party

At Its 2005 State Convention

Los Angeles Convention Center

April 17, 2005


LA05.37

 

REAFFIRMATION OF A WOMAN’S

RIGHT TO CHOOSE

 

WHEREAS:  Personal, private childbearing decisions belong to a woman and whomever she chooses to consult – her family, her doctor, and her God – no one else, especially not with politicians – it is her life, her body, her choice;  and, since anti-choice politicians have firmly taken control of both houses of Congress, the White House and a majority of state houses are at work to pass legislation to restrict or even take away a woman’s right to choose and to turn back the clock on reproductive freedom; and

WHEREAS:  Anti-choice politicians and judges do not believe that patients have a fundamental right to privacy and frequently seek the private medical records of women's sexual, contraceptive and abortion histories; and

WHEREAS:  The anti-choice movement’s attack on a woman’s right to choose is to stack the federal judiciary with ardent anti-choice jurists, which could result in restrictions to reproductive freedom for generations and to build a legal precedent for the overturn of Roe v. Wade

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:  That the California Democratic Party reaffirm its longstanding position that the right to choose is a right of personal privacy – one that must be forever free from government intrusion; and

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:  That the California Democratic Party vigorously defends a woman’s right to choose by sending this resolution to Governor Howard Dean, the Democratic National Committee and to the Democratic members of the California Congressional and Senate delegations and the California Legislature.

 

Submitted by the Democratic Women of the San Fernando Valley

  * * *

Adopted by the California Democratic Party

At Its 2005 State Convention

Los Angeles Convention Center

April 17, 2005


LA05.02

 

SUPPORTING LOCAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY

BUILDING EFFORTS

 

WHEREAS:  It is very important that local party organizations need to continually, on a year-round basis, recruit and train Democrats to register voters, campaign for candidates and legislation; and

WHEREAS:  New technological methods such as email and consumer-friendly party building software make it possible to communicate with and organize, thousands of local Democrats with efficiency and very little capital investment, thereby also significantly increasing their ability to fundraise; and

WHEREAS:  Most of campaign resources now go to advertising through corporate media outlets which are generally less than friendly to the goals and aspirations of the Democratic Party and they are spent, almost entirely, hoping to target and persuade cavalier swing voters

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:  That the California Democratic Party will develop a plan to broadly nurture and support local Democratic Party organizations at many levels by providing funding and resources for their activities to provide tools in a timely manner for local grassroots organizing, local party building with a priority placed on year-round local online organizing, voter registration and personal contact through home visits and other similar activities; and

 

Submitted by:  Rachel Binah, DNC Member

Mendocino County Democratic Central Committee; DNC Members:  Garry S. Shay, Robert "Big Red" Rankin & John A. Perez; San Benito CCC; 27th AD Committee; 28th AD Committee; Humboldt CCC; 33rd AD Committee; Mendocino CCC; Del Norte CCC; San Luis Obispo CCC 

* * *

Adopted by the California Democratic Party

At Its 2005 State Convention

Los Angeles Convention Center

April 17, 2005


 LA05.10b

 

CLEAN MONEY FOR

STATEWIDE & LEGISLATIVE CAMPAIGNS

WHEREAS:  The amount of money needed in order to run for public office and to compete against big-monied interests and PACs has grown phenomenally in politics at the local, state, and national levels in the past several years; and

WHEREAS:  This pay-to-play system hinders the average citizen lacking great wealth from participating effectively in the political arena, thus undermining the democratic process; and

WHEREAS:  Public financing of political campaigns will both improve voters' access to their elected officials and keep elected officials from spending inordinate amounts of their time fundraising

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:  That the California Democratic Party supports a clean money system for elected statewide and legislative offices and looks to systems working successfully in Arizona and Maine for patterns that could be adopted for California’s unique electoral circumstances

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:  That a copy of this Resolution be provided to members of the Democratic Caucus of the California Legislature and Congressional Delegation.

 

Submitted by: Rachel Binah

14th AD Steering Committee; 16th AD Committee;

City of Alameda Demo Club; Gardena Valley Democratic Club;

Santa Clara County Central Committee; Torrance Democratic Club

  * * *

Adopted by the California Democratic Party

At Its 2005 State Convention

Los Angeles Convention Center

April 17, 2005


LA05.19

SUPPORTING IN-HOME SUPPORTIVE SERVICES PROVIDERS, 
 

SENIORS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, AND OPPOSING 
 

PROPOSED STATE FUNDING REDUCTIONS

 

WHEREAS:  In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) workers perform a critical public service to the frail elderly and persons with disabilities, and more than 10,000 seniors and persons with disabilities in California, and more than 350,000 people statewide rely on the IHSS program to continue living safely in their own homes instead of facing institutionalization; and

  WHEREAS:  One of the greatest causes of unnecessary institutionalization statewide is the continued homecare provider labor shortage caused by the low wages (often minimum wage in many counties), and the IHSS program has saved the State of California billions of dollars since the early 1970s by enabling people to avoid more costly institutional-based care (estimated to average $48,000 per year per person.); and

WHEREAS:  That labor shortage has been somewhat abated in California as a result of more recent improvements in caregiver compensation and benefits approved by County Board of Supervisors and funded by a combination of federal, state and local money; however, the Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration has proposed to take a step backwards by removing state cost sharing for IHSS wages above the minimum wage and for health benefits that will create a crisis in homecare provider availability and place IHSS consumers at-risk of institutionalization

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:  That the California Democratic Party supports continued and increased state support of this essential service and opposes the proposed cuts to the IHSS program, and applauds the members of the Legislature who have supported health benefits and a living wage for homecare workers and who further support continued and increased state support for the IHSS program, and oppose the proposed cuts to wages and benefits.

 

Submitted by the Sacramento County Democratic Central Committee  

* * *

Adopted by the California Democratic Party

At Its 2005 State Convention

Los Angeles Convention Center

April 17, 2005


LA05.26b

Supporting Civil Marriage
 and Religious Freedom

 

WHEREAS:  Civil marriage is a legal institution recognized by the state in order to promote stable relationships and to protect individuals who are in those relationships; to provide important protections for the families of those who are married; but the gender-specific definition of marriage that the Legislature previously adopted specifically discriminates in favor of different-sex couples and, consequently, discriminates against same-sex couples; and

WHEREAS:  The California Democratic Party supports equality under the law, regardless of the gender or sexual orientation of the partners; our Party must recognize that benefits that accrue to marriage accrue regardless of the gender or sexual orientation of the partners; and our Party must support efforts to end the pernicious practice of marriage discrimination in California while upholding guarantees of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and of Section 4 of Article I of the California Constitution to free exercise of religion and enjoyment of religion without discrimination or preference; and

WHEREASThroughout American history, California Democrats have been early at the lead against discrimination and for the protection of the rights and liberties of the American people, and our State Democratic Party most recently took a strong position against amending the Constitution of the United States to single out groups of Americans for discrimination.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:  That the California Democratic Party stands against discrimination in any form and in support of equal rights for all families; and

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:  That the California Democratic Party supports public policies guaranteeing civil marriage equality for all people who choose to make a marriage commitment as a couple with full rights, responsibilities, privileges and protections that are conveyed by full legal marital status within the marriage license requirements.

 

Submitted by: the LGBT Caucus; State Senator Joseph Dunn; Desert Stonewall Democrats;

Riverside County Central Committee; San Diego Democratic Club; Stonewall Democratic Club of Greater Sacramento; 

13th Assembly District Committee; 16th Assembly District Committee; 14th Assembly District Steering Committee

* * *

Adopted by the Resolutions Committee

At Its 2005 State Convention

Los Angeles Convention Center

April 16, 2005


LAL05.10 Late

 

Support the Demands of Caregivers at

Sutter Health Hospitals

   

WHEREASIn recent months, many of California's hospital systems have embarked on a new direction, in conjunction with hands-on patient caregivers, to serve the best interests of patients, health care employees, and the community-at-large by agreeing to new system-wide contracts with the members of United Health Care Workers that establish a core set of community standards, most significantly:  a real voice for caregivers to ensure safe staffing, with third-party resolution of staffing disputes; a training and upgrading fund to address workforce shortages, improve quality, and meet our communities changing health care needs; pension improvements and retiree health benefits to retain career caregivers; and the right to choose a union and seek a voice at work without employer interference; and

WHEREAS:  There is one glaring exception to the constructive social compact that has been achieved between hospitals, patients, caregivers, and the community; Sutter Health; and which alone has rejected these basic community standards and continued to put profits before patients; and

WHEREAS:  By imposing substandard working conditions at the expense of quality patient care, shirking its charity care obligations, price-gouging the uninsured, and exercising its enormous market power to drive up costs for all of us, Sutter Health has aggressively led our health care system in the wrong direction.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:  That the California Democratic Party stands together with Sutter Health's dedicated caregivers - the members of United Health Care Workers – at all Sutter facilities across California, as they fight for a contract that would hold Sutter Health to community standards and reverse Sutter's corporate agenda by putting patients first

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:  That the California Democratic Party calls on Sutter to resume good faith negotiations without delay toward a collective bargaining agreement that encompasses the industry-wide workforce standards critical to ensure quality patient care, and encourages the State Democratic Party to take all necessary steps to support all Democratic elected officials who stand with United Health Care Workers in their fight to hold Sutter to community standards.

 

Submitted by the San Francisco County Central Committee 

* * *

Adopted by the California Democratic Party

At Its 2005 State Convention

Los Angeles Convention Center

April 17, 2005


 LAL05.13

RESTORING THE VALUE OF THE STATE MINIMUM WAGE

WHEREASAt $6.75 per hour, the current minimum wage punishes hard work and it is so low that it prevents families from becoming independent and self-sufficient, and increasing the minimum wage will reward work by making it pay more than welfare; and

WHEREASThe majority of the nearly 3 million minimum wage workers are adult primary breadwinners in their families and many are immigrants; and the typical worker at or near the minimum wage is an adult who is permanently attached to the labor force, and 85% of these workers are age 20 or older, and 63% are full-time workers, and women and immigrants make up the bulk of minimum wage workers in our state, and according to a 2002 report by the California Department of Industrial Relations, “though 28 percent of California’s labor force is Hispanic, 55 percent of affected workers claim Hispanic origin, and similarly, 45 percent of California’s labor force is female, while 53 percent of the population affected by the 2001 minimum wage increase is female, and minimum wage workers perform some of the most important jobs in our society, including adding to our economy as homecare workers, nursing home workers, childcare workers, farm workers, restaurant workers, recycling center workers, salespersons, cooks, and many other professions; and

WHEREASExecutive CEO pay increases while the minimum wage continues to fall, and for the minimum wage to match the purchasing power it had in 1968, it would have to be $9.00 per hour, and if it had kept up with productivity gains, it would be over $25.00 today, and, according to Business Week, the average CEO of a major corporation made 42 times the average hourly worker’s pay in 1980, 85 times in 1990 and a staggering 531 times in 2000; and this stagnation in the purchasing power of the California minimum wage has made it very difficult for workers to afford basic necessities such as housing and health care, and the California minimum wage of $6.75 only covers 34% of the cost of a two-bedroom apartment, while Oregon’s wage of $7.25 covers 51%, Washington’s wage of $7.35 covers 51%, and Alaska’s wage of $7.15 covers 42%

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVEDThat the California Democratic Party reaffirms its long-standing commitment to ensuring that hard-working Californians are paid a fair minimum wage with regular increases to offset the growing cost-of-living

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVEDThat the California Democratic Party supports raising the state minimum wage and indexing it to the national inflation rate.

 

Submitted by 25 DSCC Members

* * *

Adopted by the California Democratic Party

At Its 2005 State Convention

Los Angeles Convention Center

April 17, 2005


LA05.29

 
Fighting for the Promise and Protection of
Social Security

   

WHEREAS:  The Democratic Party under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt led the fight to establish Social Security as a fully guaranteed United State government insurance benefit that serves as an insurance supplement to private pension plans; a survivor benefit for spouses and minor children; a solve source of income for many seniors; and a protection for individuals with disabilityand workers disabled on the job; and

WHEREAS: President George W. Bush has embarked on a "privatization" plan that is really a smokescreen to subsidize the stock market and Republican interests with full knowledge that privatization will not increase the longevity or solvency of Social Security and will result in trillions of dollars of debt and interest payments to be paid future generations who will be left with only risky, unsecured stock market investments; and Bush has used his Social Security political appointees to direct agency employees and resources to promote his plan; and 

WHEREAS: Democrats in Congress know that by raising the $90,000 income cap we will increase the longevity of Social Security far beyond the Congressional Budget Office's projected date of solvency of 2052, thus maintaining the "promise and protection" of Social Security for generations of future Americans living in uncertain times 

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:  That the California Democratic Party opposes the Bush plan to privatize Social Security via crisis politics and scare tactics, and supports the raising of the income cap and other adjustments to address the issue of solvency and longevity for this vital and uniquely American program

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:  That all Democrats and fair-minded Americans whose grandparents worked to establish and maintain the promise and protection of Social Security stand up and be counted in opposition to the "gambling and game-playing" of privatization.

Submitted by: City of Alameda Demo Club; Lake County Central Committee.; Madera CCC.; Mendocino CCC.; Sacramento CCC.; San Benito CCC.; San Diego CCC; San Luis Obispo; 1st Assembly District Committee.; 5th AD Cmte.; 6th AD Cmte.; 13th AD Cmte.; 14th AD Cmte.; 16th AD Cmte.;  19th AD Cmte.;  33th AD Cmte.; 38th AD Cmte.; Democratic Club of Central Orange Co.; Democratic Club of Coarsegold; Democratic Club of Oakhurst; Democratic Club of San Fernando Valley; Democrats of North Orange Co.;  Northern Solano Democratic Club; Lake Co. Democratic Club; Rio Vista Democratic Club; San Mateo Co Democracy for America; Ukiah Valley Democratic Club; Wellstone Democratic Club

* * *  

Adopted by the California Democratic Party

At Its 2005 State Convention

Los Angeles Convention Center

April 17, 2005

LA05.39

 

REJECT BOLTON & NEGROPONTE NOMINATIONS

WHEREAS:  President Bush's nominee for Ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, has shown nothing but contempt for the United Nations throughout his entire career and has demonstrated a disturbing propensity to politicize the intelligence-gathering process by making false claims about weapons programs in Cuba and then trying to have an intelligence analyst punished for disagreeing with his incorrect views; and

WHEREAS: President Bush's nominee for Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte had close ties with Honduran strongman General Gustavo Alvarez who was directly linked to the infamous death squads which killed thousands of people in Central America in the 1980's. Negroponte also encouraged illegal, covert activity and was engaged in a policy of deception as to his activities in Central America and the extent of the death squads and their support by the United States; and

WHEREAS: Both Bolton and Negroponte represent the worst possible choices for the United States as we work to repair our relationships with our allies and rebuild our image around the world and also work to clean up and repair the credibility of our intelligence agencies.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the California Democratic Party calls upon U.S. Senators to do their duty and oppose the nominations of Bolton and Negroponte

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That a copy of this resolution be sent to every Democratic U.S. Senator.

Submitted by Patrick Henry Demo Club

* * *

Adopted by the California Democratic Party

At Its 2005 State Convention

Los Angeles Convention Center

April 17, 200

 

 

LA05.40

 

OPPOSING DR-CAFTA

WHEREAS :  The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the blueprint for subsequent U.S. trade agreements, has negatively impacted both workers and the environment in the United States, Mexico and Canada; and


WHEREAS :  NAFTA's Chapter 11 on Investor Protections has been used to challenge legitimate labor, environmental and public health laws in all three member countries and the Bush Administration has included nearly identical provisions in the Dominican Republican-Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA), despite a clear, bipartisan mandate in Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) of 2002 to revise investor rules; and 


WHEREAS :  Bush's CR-CAFTA, despite claims that the agreement constitutes a development strategy, contains provisions on investment, services, and government procurement that would make it virtually impossible for local governments to respond to democratic initiatives to design and implement sustainable and equitable development programs


Therefore be it resolved:  That the California  Democratic Party calls on Democratic members of Congress to develop a forward-looking, pro-democracy trade policy that distinguishes our approach to international trade from that of the GOP, as one that contains the Democratic Party's core values of a strong economy, strong environment, and strong sense of community, as well as individual freedom in the framework of a just society, and political freedom in the framework of meaningful participation by all citizens.

 

Submitted by Santa Clara County Central Committee

* * *

Adopted by the California Democratic Party

At Its 2005 State Convention

Los Angeles Convention Center

April 17, 2005

 

LA05.55

 

NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE

 

WHEREAS:  In March 2003 President George W. Bush, without meeting the conditions imposed by Congress in the Joint Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq, took the nation to war without sufficient resources or plans to conduct such a war, drawing many Californians in all branches and components of the service into indefinite service and endless conflict, yet requiring no sacrifice from any citizens not called to service; and

WHEREAS:  The legislative initiatives and federal policies designed to support our California troops and their families have consistently fallen short, by failing to provide quick and complete pay services, medical care, job protection, pre-deployment training, and post-deployment rehabilitation follow-up services; and

WHEREAS:  The Governor of the State of California is both the elected leader of all Californians in uniform, regardless of service or component, and is the Commander-in-Chief of the California National Guard, and in that position owes due faith and service to all California service persons

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:  That the California Democratic Party calls on all Californians, the Governor, and the State Legislature to support our California troops, regardless of cost, by immediately providing all services that the federal government has failed to provide, including pay support, immediate medical services to service persons and their families, firm job guarantees, post-deployment training, including tuition waivers and other assistance outside Prop. 98, and rehabilitation

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:  That the California Democratic Party requests an end to this particular discrimination in services experienced by the Reserve and National Guard.

 

Submitted by: Sandy Cook, 33rd AD; Art Hicks, 33rd AD; Russ Weed, 33rd AD;

Bob Handy, Region 10 Director; Clark McCartney, Veterans Caucus Chair;

25 DSCC Members

* * *

Adopted by the Resolutions Committee

At Its 2005 State Convention

Los Angeles Convention Center

April 17, 2005


LA05.45a

 

IRAQ

 

WHEREAS:  The Bush Administration using false intelligence estimates, misled the country into an illegal, unnecessary and unwise invasion and occupation of Iraq, against a country that had neither attacked nor posed an immediate threat to the United States, thus jeopardizing our national security; and

WHEREAS:  As a result of that action, more than 1,500 American troops have been killed and more than 10,000 other brave Americans have been maimed or injured, and tens of thousands of Iraqis, including many innocent civilians, have also lost their lives, been injured, and seen their property and country’s infrastructure destroyed; and

WHEREAS:  The invasion and occupation have created a severe burden on our economy, stretched the capacity of our armed forces including Reserve and National Guard troops who are serving unexpectedly long and difficult tours in Iraq, and continues to cause deep concern at home and abroad about the policies and intentions of the United States to the point where the United States is widely regarded with suspicion, hostility and distrust, and elections in Iraq confirmed that Iraqis wish the United States to withdraw

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:  That the California Democratic Party calls for termination of the occupation at the earliest possible time with the withdrawal of American troops, coupled with the creation of an international body that can assist the Iraqi people in freely and peacefully determining their own future, and that we participate in multi-lateral reconstruction.

 

Submitted by: 3rd AD Comm.; 5th AD Comm.; 13th AD Comm.; 16th AD Comm.; 18th AD Comm.; 21st AD Comm.; 27th AD  Comm.; 28th AD Comm.; 33rd AD Comm.; 35th AD Comm.; 38th AD Comm.; 41st AD Comm.; 42nd AD Comm.; 45th AD Comm.; 68th AD Comm.; 69th AD Comm.; 4th AD Steering Comm.; City of Alameda Demo Club; Marin CCC; San Benito CCC; San Mateo CCC; Malibu Demo Club; West Orange Demo Club; Valley Dems United; Dem Club of Conejo Valley; Progressive Dems of America & LA; DSCC members, Ruth Group; Progressive Demo; 

Congresswoman Maxine Waters

* * *

Adopted by the California Democratic Party

At Its 2005 State Convention

Los Angeles Convention Center

April 17, 2005


LAL05.56

 

STEROIDS

 

WHEREAS:  Steroids and other performance-enhancing substances used by students and professional athletes have been medically linked to teenage suicides, premature death, cancer and severe respiratory ailments; and

WHEREAS:  Over 20,000 of California’s 700,000 student athletes have used steroids and many more have used dietary supplements; and

WHEREAS:  Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed legislation in 2004 to set up programs to train high school coaches on how to stop student athletes from relying on use of dangerous steroids and other performance enhancing substances

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:  That the California Democratic Party fully supports, for the health and safety of all students, the continued ban on steroids without a prescription and the imposition of a ban on the use of ephedra, bitter orange, and DHEA, except when prescribed by California-licensed practitioners of Oriental or traditional medicine

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:  That the California Democratic Party calls upon the Governor to support with his pen, his signature on legislation to help school coaches protect the athletes who depend on them; and, furthermore, to support with his personal participation in a campaign against the use of steroids and dangerous performance-enhancing substances.

 

Submitted by State Senator Jackie Speier

* * *

Adopted by the California Democratic Party

At Its 2005 State Convention

Los Angeles Convention Center

April 17, 2005