Texas Democrats believe all people possess inalienable rights that are protected by freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, which places responsibility on our government to protect and defend those freedoms just as those freedoms place responsibilities on us as individuals. We believe in and support:
- equal opportunity and equal protection before the law for all people;
- full protection of civil and human rights;
- freedom from government interference in our private lives and personal decisions; and
- freedom of religion and individual conscience.
We believe our Constitution is intended to protect our freedoms. Republicans seek ways to ignore or deny those protections. Democrats believe our Constitution is intended to prohibit discrimination in all forms. Republicans wish to make it a tool of discrimination. To protect our rights and freedoms, we support:
- action against all forms of discrimination and sexual harassment;
- the right to privacy and protecting the confidentiality and privacy of personal, medical, and financial records – in both paper and electronic formats;
- preservation and enforcement of all state and federal disability rights laws, particularly the Americans with Disabilities Act;
- repeal of discriminatory laws and policies against members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community;
- full access to governmental records and information on matters of public interest and state employees’ rights and duty to provide factual answers to the public in response to requests for information on matters of public interest;
- protecting of free speech, including on the Internet, to ensure equal rights are guaranteed for any individual, business or corporation attempting to access published information;
- prevention of human trafficking and protection for victims of human trafficking;
- repeal of provisions of the Patriot Act inconsistent with the Bill of Rights and the right of habeas corpus;
- proper court authorization and review of all surveillance and wire-tapping in full compliance with the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution;
- the adoption of a constitutional amendment to provide all eligible voters an absolute right to vote in all public elections;
- reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine of the Federal Communications Commission to prevent using exclusive federal licensing of broadcast frequencies as a prior restraint on speech;
- rejection of ideological censorship of public libraries and textbooks; and
- Native American nations’ rights to self- identification and self-rule.
