As you all know, some LP members have expressed a desire for a more concise platform document. I've suggested the creation of an Executive Summary, as used in the 2002-2004 Libertarian Party national platform (see https://lpedia.org/wiki/Document:National_Platform_2004) as a consensus/compromise way to achieve this without the wholesale deletion of the valuable detailed descriptions of our positions contained in our current platform, so that people not wanting to read through the full document will have an abbreviated guide.
Here is some proposed summary language for the planks in Section IV of our current Libertarian Party of California platform. In writing these brief summary descriptions, I've tried to emulate the national platform example linked above and capture the main thrust of each current plank in a sentence or two. I have not yet written a summary for the planks in Section V, but will do so, or someone else is welcome to take a stab at it. (You don't need to be on the Platform Committee to offer proposed wording.)
Please let me know if you have any suggested changes, questions, notice any typos, or have other feedback. Calling me at the phone number below is always welcome too, if you'd like to discuss!
For reference, the PDF of our current platform is onlline at – or for the main LPC platform page, see https://ca.lp.org/platform/ (https://u1myo26o1t789cb2l4fjwcx8-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Platform-of-the-Libertarian-Party-of-California-as-amended-5.16.21.pdf).
Love & Liberty,
((( starchild )))
LPC Platform Committee alternate (San Francisco county)
(415) 573-7997
···
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
IV. INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND CIVIL ORDER
1. VICTIMLESS “CRIMES”. “Victimless crimes” are not crimes at all. All state and local laws against “crimes” without victims should be repealed.
2. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION. Freedom of speech and expression must be upheld in California so long as they are peaceful.
3. PROTECTION OF PRIVACY. Governments should neither violate individual privacy nor compel its violation by other institutions.
4. FREEDOM TO THINK. We reject the concept of “thought crimes” and deny any government role in regulating how information is processed, stored, or handled, including via technology.
5. DISCRIMINATION. The law must neither discriminate itself, nor mandate or prohibit private discrimination.
6. IMMIGRATION. Restricting peaceful migration and freedom of movement across California’s border with Mexico violates the rights of both immigrants and current residents.
7. OFFICIAL LANGUAGE. There should be no official language or languages in California. Governments should communicate using whatever languages are commonly used in their jurisdictions.
8. JUDICIAL SYSTEM. We support restitution as the proper aim of criminal justice in California, and oppose attempts to circumvent the rights of either accused persons or victims.
9. JURIES. California juries should be empowered to judge not just the facts of a case, but the law and its enforcement, and they rather than judges should set sentences. Jury service should be voluntary.
10. DUE PROCESS. Due process and the presumption of innocence are the underpinnings of a fair system of justice that does not do wrong in its attempts to make right.
11. CRIME AND PUNISHMENT. Punishments must be proportional to the crimes committed as well as fair and humane.
12. JUVENILE JUSTICE. Minors accused of crimes should be afforded all the rights of adult defendants, and should never be prosecuted for actions that would be considered legal if committed by an adult.
13. POLICING. Police officers and other government employees must be individually accountable for their actions and held to the same standards as ordinary Californians.
14. EMERGENCY POWERS. Powers granted on an emergency basis should have strict time limits and not be abused to violate individual rights or permanently expand the power of government. Normalcy should be restored as quickly as possible.
15. SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY. We call for an end to the doctrine of “sovereign immunity” and insist that government and its agents must be fully liable for their actions and not enjoy any special exemptions.
16. HEALTH CARE. Medical decisions are a matter of personal choice, and individuals should control their own medical records. State medical regulations, and programs such as Medi-Cal, should be abolished to allow a free market for health care in California.
17. PANDEMICS. We oppose mandates on masking, vaccination, business closures, and restricting public events. Only individuals proven contagious should be subject to quarantines.
18. REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS. We defend the individual right of bodily autonomy. Abortion and other medical procedures must not be regulated, prohibited, or subsidized.
19. MILITARY. We oppose any form of military draft or compulsory service, support the creation of volunteer militias independent of the National Guard, and reject the federalization of the Guard or its military use in the absence of a congressional declaration of war.
20. MARRIAGE. Marriage is a private relationship that should not be defined or regulated by the state. We assert the rights of all consenting adults to marry, regardless of the gender or number of persons involved.
21. FAMILY LIFE. We call for state and local agencies to respect the integrity of families and households as contractual institutions free from government interference. Families should have neither special privileges nor burdens under the law.
22. THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS. We support the right to self-defense and the defense of others as key to the primacy of the People over the State and a bulwark against tyranny. All laws infringing upon this right must be repealed, and individuals – not sellers or manufacturers – held responsible for their use of firearms.
23. FREEDOM OF RELIGION. We advocates a strict separation of Church and State, and assert the right of individuals in California to engage in any religious activities that do not violate the rights of others.
24. INVOLUNTARY COMMITMENT. The institutionalization of a person who has not been convicted of a crime is a gross violation of human rights. People must not be punished under the guise of psychiatric or medical treatment.
25. ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO. We oppose all efforts to expand the “War on Drugs” to include alcohol or tobacco.
26. DRUG WAR AND RECREATIONAL DRUGS. We demand the repeal of all California laws criminalizing or regulating the manufacture, cultivation, sale, or use of drugs, and call on state or local government officials to end all cooperation with federal drug enforcement.
27. POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS. Laws restricting donations to political campaigns are a violation of free speech. We likewise oppose forced public financing of campaigns, as well as efforts to regulate political content in the media or press coverage of elections.
28. CANDIDATES AND PARTIES. Political parties have the right to establish their own rules for how they select, nominate, and endorse candidates, but these activities should not be subsidized by taxpayers.
29. VOTING SYSTEMS. Elections should be transparent, auditable, and designed to ensure that outcomes represent the full range of public opinion. We specifically support proportional representation and the inclusion of “None of the Above” as an option in all elections, and demand repeal of the unfair “Top Two” law.
30. LEGISLATURE. The number of legislative districts should be increased so that there are fewer constituents per state senator and assembly member. Serving in the California legislature should be a part-time job with drastically reduced salaries, staff, and expenses.
31. SECESSION. We recognize the right of any majority on any piece of land, down to the level of the individual, to secede and make it a new political jurisdiction, without obtaining permission.