By Mary Westwood, Chair of the Yellowstone County Platform Committee
(Any opinions expressed in this article are those of the individual author, but the words of the Montana Democratic Platform are available to all and should encourage discussion and understanding among all Montanans.)
Yellowstone County Democrats were very successful in having their changes to the Montana Democratic State Platform incorporated into that important document during the State Platform Convention in Butte on July 29-30th in Butte. Thanks to our outstanding delegation, almost every proposal coming out of our County Convention was included in the Platform.
We made important changes to school funding, health care, labor practices, and justice issues that will now be part of Democratic Party values. With other convention delegates from around the State, our representatives found common ground and enjoyed an amiable and spirited debate on all the important issues of the day. As chair of the County Platform Committee, I continue to be proud of the contributions our County makes to the State Platform and the progress we make every two years in helping Montana become a better place for our citizens to live and thrive.
After the Convention, it usually takes a while for the full Platform to be edited. But Mary Moe, our chief editor, has already completed that job on the basic principles of our Platform and that result is below. This is where you come in as your neighborhood’s local Democratic source. You have the power to educate your neighbors on what your party believes and supports, like full public participation, legislation that begins at the grassroots, and open and responsive governance.
Please help your fellow citizens learn about the real values your party supports. Share our platform with your friends and neighbors. We are many who have become one in this great experiment in democracy, which must be based on truth.