2008 Proposed Resolutions

These are proposed resolutions which will be discussed and possibly passed at the Green Party of Minnesota Biennial Convention.

You can view all of these as a PDF (5 pages, 2 columns) or the same thing with a smaller font, 3 pages, 3 columns.

Ecology

(1) Bluff Land Protection

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota supports bluff land protection ordinances that contain the following provisions:

1. All future structures on bluff ridgelines along the central Mississippi River are set back so they are not visible from the main channel of the Mississippi River;

2. All future structures on bluff ridgelines in smaller valleys are not visible from the main road serving that valley;

3. On bluff slopes, all future structures and the roads/drives serving such structures are limited to areas with an average slope of under 18% grade over a length of 50 feet;

4. The city of Winona and Winona County allocate staff and funds necessary for enforcement procedures to monitor and regularly inspect bluff land construction sites and structures for adherence to bluff land ordinances; and

5. Violators are held fully responsible for infractions by fines, construction moratoriums and reclamation prior to resuming construction.

(2) Promote Corn Furnaces

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota supports the promotion of corn furnaces as a heat source throughout the Northern United States. We suggest promotion through literature about its benefits, literature about where to buy these furnaces and government loans to citizens who wish to install the furnaces.

(3) Standardize Food Labels

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota supports legislation to standardize labeling for food products in order to identify the health benefits or lack of health benefits of foods. For example, this could be done by color-coding food labels such as, red for extremely unhealthy, orange for unhealthy, yellow for neither healthy or unhealthy, blue for somewhat healthy and green for healthy and organic.

(4) Vehicle Gas Efficiency

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota supports the improvement of fuel efficiency in vehicles through legislation to encourage increased production.

(5) World Emission Reductions

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota demands that the United States signs onto any and all international & United Nations emission reduction protocols.

Social & Economic Justice

(6) Broader Access to Media

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota calls for the development & broadening of access to:

municipal wireless services,
low-power FM radio stations, and
non-English media.

Be it further resolved that we:

oppose federal rules to deregulate media consolidation and
call for the break up of large media conglomerates.

(7) Children’s Health

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota demands that the government be proactive to prevent harm to children, so all children grow up in a safe, healthy environment that is protected by public policies that make children’s well-being paramount.

(8) Close Tax Gap of Rich

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota calls upon the Minnesota legislature to not cut spending to address a budget deficit. Rather, the legislature should close the percentage gap, in total state & miscellaneous taxes, between what upper-income taxpayers pay compared to mid-to-low income taxpayers pay.

(9) Extend Sales Tax to Services

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota supports an extension of the sales tax to include services as well as goods.

(10) Family Planning Funding

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota supports state and federal funding for family planning services.

Be it further resolved that we support age-appropriate, medically accurate, comprehensive sex education programs in schools.

(11) Global Marshall Plan

The Global Marshall Plan is a public policy proposal for bringing about a safe, sustainable, compassionate world by working together as a community of nations to:

completely eliminate poverty once & for all and
solve the environmental crisis that threatens the existence of life on the planet.

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota calls for the United States to lead the G8 nations in dedicating 1-2% of our gross domestic product every year for the next ten years to these goals. Funds would be administered through a nongovernmental body convened explicitly for this purpose, and all funded programs will be:

environmentally & ethically sustainable,
respectful of native cultures and empowering of local people,
designed to embody and foster love, caring, kindness, generosity, nonviolence, ethical and environmental sensitivity, and the ability to respond to the universe with awe and wonder.

(12) Housing Solutions Act

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota supports the Housing Solutions Alliance in a campaign to pass the Housing Solutions Act, which would increase the state’s existing deed surcharge to 0.5% and be used for:

rental assistance for families with incomes $23,000 & below,
construction of new & rehabilitation for existing affordable housing, and
matching funds for local communities.

(13) ICE Immigrant Raids

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota condemns the terroristic raids upon immigrant communities by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

(14) Oppose Patriot Act

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota opposes the Patriot Act.

(15) Oppose Real ID Act

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota opposes the Real ID Act.

(16) Police Response Times

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota calls for the police to measure and keep public records of response times.

(17) Respect the Hamas Government

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota demands that the United States respects Hamas as a democratically elected government.

(18) Restoration of Habeas Corpus

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota demands the immediate restoration of habeas corpus and the nullification of the Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act, and all other legislation & decrees that undermine or contradict provisions of the US Constitution and Bill of Rights.

(19) Single-Payer Universal Health Care Coverage

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota supports legislation, at the state & federal levels, which establishes universal health care coverage and a single-payer, or Medicare-for-all, system.

(20) Stop Building Israeli Wall

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota demands that Israel stop building the apartheid wall in the Palestinian Territories and Israel.

(21) Stop Building US Border Wall

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota opposes building an apartheid wall in the southern US border regions.

Grassroots Democracy

(22) ABC Referendum Campaign

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota supports the Minneapolis School Board governance reform referendum that will be on the ballot this fall, transforming the Board into nine-members with 6 members elected by districts and 3 elected at large, assuring that all families and communities are represented when decisions are made by the Minneapolis School Board.

(23) Funding of Roads

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota opposes the appropriation of any general funds for the purpose of building and maintaining the state's road & highway system and that all funding for that purpose be derived from the gasoline tax.

(24) IRV for All MN Elections

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota endorses Instant Runoff Voting for state and local elections.

(25) IRV for All US Elections

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota endorses Instant Runoff Voting for all national and state elections.

(26) IRV in Mankato

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota supports Instant Runoff Voting in the city of Mankato elections and supports:

1. the Mankato Area Green Party fielding candidates in the 2008 election for the Mankato City Council to support the installation of IRV in Mankato by the 2012 election.

2. the Mankato Area Green party submitting a petition to place a referendum on the 2008 ballot for the installation of IRV in Mankato by the 2012 election.

3. the Mankato Area Green Party requiring the Mankato-based Grassroots democracy project to write the petition for the referendum on the 2008 ballot and a design a well-reasoned plan for the installation of IRV for the 2012 election in Mankato.

(27) Midtown Eco Energy Facility Public Meetings

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota calls for elected officials and neighborhood & business organizations to withdraw all support and rescind all approvals for the projects as it now stands, until:

1. The Environmental Assessment Worksheet now in progress is available to the public, and is acceptable to the residents of the area.

2. Public meetings are held in each affected neighborhood, with an opportunity for all sides to be heard, and a chance for the public to have their questions answered by the developer. Such meetings should be well publicized, including notice in all commonly spoken languages in the area.

3. The public has had an opportunity to express their opinions of the project, at these meetings and in comments to official bodies.

(28) No Funding for Vikings Stadium Without a Referendum

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota opposes any state or local public subsidy for a new or renovated Vikings stadium, unless such subsidy is approved in a public referendum.

(29) No Telecommunication Immunity

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota opposes the retroactive immunity to the telecommunications corporations for the privacy violations of Americans.

(30) Paper Trails for All US Voting

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota calls for voting procedures that will provide for paper trails and auditing in all elections throughout the United States.

Nonviolence

(31) "Interrogation" that is Torture

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota recognizes waterboarding, mock executions, stress positions, forced nakedness, exposure to temperature extremes, and sensory deprivation as among those interrogation techniques practiced by the United States which constitute torture and cruel, inhumane & degrading treatment.

(32) Bring Alliant Tech to Trial

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota endorses bringing Alliant Techsystems to trial at the World Court for crimes against humanity by producing and selling depleted uranium weapons and cluster bombs.

(33) Closure of US Military Bases

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota supports the closure of US military bases abroad.

(34) Interrogations: Minimum Standard of Treatment

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota demands that the US establish the Army Field Manual for Interrogations (FM 2-22.3) as the minimum standard of treatment for all detainees during interrogations conducted by US personnel, including the CIA and government contractors.

Be it further resolved that the US end the extraordinary rendition of prisoners to countries that use torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.

(35) Military Withdrawal from Afghanistan

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota supports an immediate, humane, orderly, rapid, and comprehensive closure of bases and withdrawal of military personnel from Afghanistan.

(36) MN Action to Leave Iraq

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota demands that the State of Minnesota, and its Congressional Delegation, call for the repeal of the congressional authorization of the war in Iraq and that an end to the occupation be initiated, immediately.

Be it further resolved that the State of Minnesota immediately end the funding and sending of Minnesota's National Guard to the war and to the occupation.

(37) No Military Recruitment in Schools

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota calls for the State of Minnesota to prohibit military recruitment in all schools that receive state funding.

(38) Oppose Military Commissions Act

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota opposes the Military Commissions Act and trials under that Act at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

(39) Oppose Military Draft

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota opposes a military draft.

(40) Out of Iraq

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota supports an immediate, humane, orderly, rapid, and comprehensive closure of bases and withdrawal of military personnel from Iraq.

(41) Remove Israeli Troops from Gaza

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota condemns the incursion by Israeli troops into Gaza.

(42) Repeal the Military Service Requirement to Obtain a Driver's License

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota demands the repeal of the law requiring registration with the selective service system (i.e. military service) in order to obtain a Minnesota driver's license.

(43) US Department of Peace

Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota supports the implementation of a cabinet level Department of Peace with a budget at least half the budget of the Department of Defense.