TITLE: FINALLY AND FULLY INFORM THE PUBLIC WHERE THE GRP STANDS ON THE ISSUES, BY AUTHORIZING THE GRP PLATFORM COMMITTEE TO DRAFT A COMPREHENSIVE GRP PLATFORM THAT USES A FORMAT SIMILAR TO THE GPUS PLATFORM

SPONSORS: Lois Gargon and Danny Factor

VETTING COMMITTEES: All GRP Committees and Chapters FLOOR MANAGER: Lois Gagnon

SHEPHERD: Danny Factor

SUMMARY: In order to grow the party, the GRP needs a clear and more detailed statement regarding where it stands on the issues than currently exists. This proposal authorizes the GRP Platform Committee to draft a GRP State Platform using the format of the existing GPUS platform as a model, while referring almost entirely to statewide matters. The platform would be drafted with transparency and maximum feedback from chapters and committees, and must be approved by State Com to go into effect. The GRP's ratification of this platform will help provide clarity and much needed direction to our members, supporters, and candidates.

BACKGROUND: The GRP has no platform. The closest document that we have that resembles a platform is our outdated and insufficient 'Party Agenda], which is now more than ten years old, ratified by State Com in 2013. While it can be accessed at the GRP Website on https://www.green-rainbow.org/platform, the GRP Platform Committee which drafted it intentionally chose to call it a Party Agenda rather than a platform, because it is more a collection of general views on issues rather than specific stances. Someone reading our Party Agenda might learn from it that the GRP supports "universal health care" a term which is not further explained as to whether this is similar or different to the same meaning as used by Democrats to describe market-based health care. No sections or statements in the Party Agenda exist about women rights, LGBT rights, immigrant rights, disability rights, indigenous rights, reproductive rights, proportional representation, reparations, settlement of refugees in Massachusetts, ethical treatment of animals, rights of nature, the recent movements for police and prison abolition, and specific tax policy. Its one reference to 'fossil fuels' calls for " Reducing use of energy from fossil fuels" without the current urgency and metrics necessary to attend to the climate emergency or adequately addressing the issue of unsustainable growth. Being a pre-pandemic document, there is no adequate section to address public health. The above are only some of the shortcomings of the Party Agenda. One reading this Party Agenda would not know how the GRP stands on the current single payer health care bill, the Safe Communities Act, whether we support reducing or closing any of the more than a dozen military installations in Massachusetts including the recently established Space Force base on Cape Cod. There are many more examples of omitted and outdated statements and issues.

Now that a new Platform Committee has formed. we seek to create a GRP state platform with the following goals

1. The platform will be COMPREHENSIVE enough to take specific stances on all major issues using the template of the GPUS platform to cover the full spectrum of issues

2. The platform will be LOCAL enough to uniquely speak to what needs to be done in Massachusetts.

3. The platform will be SPECIFIC enough for those reading the platform to know what regularly occurring pieces of legislation we support such as the Single Payer Health Care bill, The Safe Communities Act, and which if any of the current climate plans that are discussed in our Commonwealth.

4. The platform will be BOLD enough to differentiate itself from milquetoast neoliberal stances

5. The platform will be a DEMOCRATICALLY DRAFTED document drafted transparently within the party with a clear process to how it can be amended, ensuring that it remains a LIVING DOCUMENT.

TEXT OF PROPOSAL:

1. THE GRP PLATFORM COMMITTEE IS AUTHORIZED TO DRAFT A COMPREHENSIVE GRP STATE PLATFORM THAT PRESENTS THE GRP'S POSITIONS ON MASSACHUSETTS STATEWIDE MATTERS, USING A FORMAT SIMILAR TO THE GPUS PLATFORM.

2. SAID PLATFORM MUST BE APPROVED BY STATECOM TO GO INTO EFFECT, AND ONLY AFTER ALL GRP COMMITTEES AND CHAPTERS HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE FEEDBACK TO PLATFORM COMMITTEE.

IMPLEMENTATION: The Platform Committee will commence work on this project immediately, hold regular meetings in which all GRP members are welcome to attend, while also attempting to grow the committee to maximize resources and diversity.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: None.

REFERENCES AND ATTACHMENTS: https://www.green-rainbow.org/platform, https://www.gp.org/platform