POLITICAL PARTIES            
                                831



                      1996 WISCONSIN DEMOCRATIC PARTY PLATFORM

                Adopted at the State Party Convention, Appleton, June 15,
1996

   The Democratic Party of Wisconsin stands open to all citizens, responds
sensitively, promotes outreach and inclu-
sion of all segments of our society, and works actively for open and honest
government responsive to the will of the
people.
   We expect Democratic candidates and officials to support and work to implement
our platform so it may become
the law of the land.
                                          HUMAN CONCERNS
   We reaffirm the Democratic Party's commitment to the equality of rights,
privileges, and opportunities for all indi-
viduals, without regard to race, color, sex, marital status, age, occupation,
national origin, disability, physical appear-
ance, living arrangements, sexual orientation, and political or religious
preference. We support expansion and en-
forcement of civil rights and anti-discrimination legislation.
   We oppose gender stereotyping, particularly in education, jobs, wages,
and the written and spoken word. We sup-
port equity in pay and benefits.
   We support strict enforcement of the Constitutional principles of separation
of church and state.
   We assert that everyone should have the opportunity to lead a dignified,
healthy, useful and secure life, free of abuse,
with the assurance of adequate health care, safe, accessible, affordable
and sanitary housing, equal access to public
education, and an acceptable standard of living. We support the right of
individuals to make their own independent
moral, religious, philosophical and medical decisions. We support death with
dignity.
   Family planning services should he readily accessible, and rendered confidentially
without government interfer-
ence. We reaffirm our support of the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision
and freedom of choice. We demand
that abortion be kept safe, accessible and legal; we demand the repeal of
Wisconsin's criminal abortion statute 940.04;
we oppose mandatory parental and spousal consent and notification laws, and
any other restrictions violating the spirit
and intent of Roe v. Wade.
   We support a sound and adequate system of human services, including a
health care system providing coverage
for all, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and unemployment compensation.
We favor the establishment and sup-
port of programs for the aging and for the developmentally, mentally or physically
disabled, including subsidized in-
home care and long-term nursing home care.
   We call for reform of the welfare system so that whenever possible persons
on welfare be gainfully employed in
the private or public sector. There must be "safety net" provisions
to ensure humane treatment of adults and children
who are victims of circumstances beyond their control. We oppose the use
of federal block grants for welfare reform.
   We demand availability of accessible and affordable quality licensed day
care centers, supported by state and feder-
al governments and private industry.
   We demand adequate funding for rehabilitation, housing, education, and
employment opportunities for all veterans
needing assistance.
   We call upon the federal, state and local governments to abide by all
treaties with Native American Nations.
   We support addressing the drug issue as primarily a social problem. Full
employment with adequate pay, and gov-
ernment funded education, treatment and rehabilitation programs ultimately
will produce better results than merely
building and filling more prisons.
   We demand adequate funding for research, treatment, humane care and informational
programs aimed at halting
the AIDS epidemic. We support legislation to prevent discrimination against
persons with AIDS or with positive hu-
man Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and their families.
   Public education is critical to democracy. Quality education underlies
a healthy economy, a secure country, a strong
system of justice, and freedom from poverty. We urge the federal government
to assume greater responsibility for
improving the funding of public education, both directly and by means of
student financial aid. We oppose the privati-
zation of any educational institution or function, including vouchers, charter
schools and block grants, which are cur-
rently publicly funded.
   State public education policy should promote increased cooperation among
local school boards, teachers, parents,
students and state government in educating children to develop their full
intellectual, emotional, physical and social
potential. State government should provide more funding for the UW system,
the vocational, technical and adult
education system and other public state colleges.
   Children have the right to educational opportunities in public schools
and in self-supporting certified private
schools. We encourage students' rights in the governance of post-secondary
institutions.
   People of all ages must be guaranteed access to information available
in publicly supported libraries.
                                    THE ECONOMY AND TAXES
   We favor policies fostering environmentally sound economic growth and
property development. We support a tax
system based on ability to pay with a progressive income tax as its core.
   The property tax is a most regressive tax. State and federal governments
must fund mandated programs. The state
must grant municipalities and school districts more equitable funding sources.