2024 Republican Party Platform
Black Hawk County, Iowa
Preamble
As Republicans, we believe, as our Founders, that we are all created equal, and our fundamental rights are bestowed upon us by our common Creator. It is in adherence to this Natural Order that we recognize our rights to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness come not from mankind or government (ordained through any Earthly process) but from God. These rights of the Created are enjoyed and worthy of protection at the moment of physical conception. We believe that these rights, and all others enumerated in our Constitution, are preserved through the right to Freedom of Religious expression. We uphold the principles of liberty and individual responsibility, adherence to traditional moral values, a strong national defense, and the American free enterprise system.
Platform Principles
I. Our nation is a Constitutional Republic whose Foundation is the Declaration of
Independence and the Constitution.
We acknowledge our rights derive from God, our Creator, and are therefore unalienable and include Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Further, the Right to Life is understood to include all people from conception to natural death. Private property ownership is essential for freedom and the basis upon which a great civilization is built. We are a nation governed by representatives elected to public office by its citizens. We uphold the constitutionally limited and prescribed roles of the three branches of government. Our Constitution provides enumerated, limited powers—and only those powers—to the federal government. All other powers are left to the individual States or to the people. We are concerned about the erosion of religious liberty, privacy, free speech, our right to free assembly, private ownership of property and gun ownership rights.
II. We are a Sovereign Nation.
Our Sovereign Nation is defined by its borders, governed by a set of laws duly established by our representatives as guided by our Constitution, and protected by a military strong enough to defend our nation and its interests against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Foundational to our Republic is equality before the law of all its citizens.
III. The Oath of Office of all civil servants, elected and employed, defines their actions.
As citizens, we hold accountable our elected officials to their individual Oath of Office.
IV. Fiscal Responsibility is a fundamental function of any local, state or federal entity.
It is imperative that government entities act in a financially responsible manner; it follows that limiting the size and scope of government is a necessary component of achieving this end.
V. Personal Responsibility is a tenet of citizenship.
We are a nation guided by a common vision. As Americans we have equal opportunity under the law, limited only by our abilities and motivations. We take personal responsibility for our individual success which empowers us to be compassionately considerate of others. As citizens we are not servants of the government. We have the responsibility to voice our will. Our possibilities are limitless where a free market is allowed to operate without government distortion.
LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
Life
1. We believe that life begins at conception and must be protected until natural death. We support legislative curtailing of abortive practices.
2. We oppose all forms of elective abortion, including chemical abortifacients that end human life.
3. We believe the selling, gifting, brokering, marketing, or use of aborted fetal or aborted perinatal tissue should be illegal.
4. We oppose taxpayer funding for organizations providing abortions (such as Planned Parenthood). We commend and support those who provide alternatives to abortion by meeting the needs of parents and offering adoptive services.
5. We support the Protect Life Amendment to the Iowa constitution.
6. We favor improving and simplifying adoption laws and encourage placement with traditional families.
7. We support non-embryonic stem cell research, such as adult stem cells, while opposing human cloning and using fetal tissue from abortions.
8. We oppose so-called “gender affirming care” on minors.
9. We oppose the non-consensual withholding or withdrawal of care or treatment, including food and water, from people with disabilities, including newborns, the elderly, and infirmed. We oppose active and passive euthanasia, assisted suicide, and misuse of palliative care which hastens end of life.
Liberty
1. We call for the repeal of sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes in the Iowa Civil Rights Code and reject any additional similar legislation to Local, State or National Code.
2. We support the 1st Amendment to allow prayer in Public Schools and Public Places. The Pledge of Allegiance, as currently written, should be recited and the American Flag displayed in every classroom.
3. We strongly believe in the constitutionally protected natural right of individuals to keep and bear arms, and we support the repeal of existing laws that infringe upon those rights.
4. We believe that parents are responsible for their children, and we support the rights of parents to be the ultimate authority for the discipline, protection, medical and mental health decisions, and education of their children.
5. Iowa parents and guardians should have the right to select schools, whether public, private, parochial, or home for their children, and the funding should follow the student.
6. We oppose vaccine passports.
7. We oppose the use of digital ID’s and facial recognition programs in public areas.
8. We support “Conscience Clause” legislation so that no person, business, or organization can be penalized for its exercise of religious freedom by not providing services that violates their religious beliefs.
9. We support legislation that would prohibit any organization, (e.g., Planned Parenthood), from entering public school properties for the purpose of promoting promiscuous behavior and abortion products, videos, or printed material.
10. We strongly support local control and that education follow traditional focus on reading, writing, math, civics (Iowa and US Constitutions), and sciences, and we reject Iowa Core and social indoctrination of children by any name (Critical Race Theory, Identity-based theories, Social Emotional Learning, or forms of group victimization).
11. We believe that voting rights should be restored statutorily rather than by executive determination.
12. We call for gun-free zone liability laws that make organizations, educational institutions, businesses, and government entities liable for the protection and safety of individuals within that zone.
13. We demand Iowa DNR respect the 4th Amendment. They shall have legal probable cause, and/or a search warrant to be on private property.
14. We recognize only two biological sexes, male (XY) and female (XX). Biological sex at birth shall determine one’s participation in or use of restrooms, locker rooms, sport teams or other such accommodations or institutions.
15. We believe that traditional, two parent (one male (XY) and one female (XX)), marriage-based families are the foundation to a stable, enduring, and healthy civilization. We encourage the repeal of all laws allowing any marriage that is not between one natural man and one natural woman.
16. We oppose all mandates or coercive activity on the part of any business, educational and medical institutions, employer or governmental entity relative to the administering or inquiry of medical treatments, procedures or individual interventions for individuals or their children. We strongly believe that all medical decisions are an inalienable natural right and any information pertaining to medical decisions should not be stored or shared with a government database/registry unless they have received consent of the individual or guardian.
17. We support healthcare providers' rights to prescribe or recommend treatment or therapy in accordance with their Hippocratic oath without interference or threat to their medical license.
18. We recognize the rights of parents in the education of their children and to be informed 30 days prior to what is being taught in schools.
19. We support strict laws to eliminate human trafficking and encourage severe prosecution of traffickers.
20. We believe all non-violent January 6th protestors should be immediately released.
21. Authorized, properly trained personnel should be allowed to carry firearms in our schools.
22. We support reciprocity between all states for gun carry permits.
23. We believe FDA approvals should be transparent and free from special interest lobbying.
24. We support an educational requirement that prior to graduation all students must pass the same test that legal immigrants take to become US citizens.
Property
1. We support legislation requiring all regulations by all government agencies (e.g. EPA, Dept. of Ag, Dept. of Interior, etc.) relating to private property and the public good receive congressional authorization prior to their implementation.
2. We oppose government using eminent domain to take private property away from the owner for the use of another private party including carbon capture pipelines.
3. We demand the end of property tax and restructuring funding to a sales tax.
4. We support the right of property owners to vote on bond issues in any district where they pay property tax whether they are a resident of the district or not.
5. We support laws prohibiting ownership of United States farmland, property, or other assets by foreign governments or entities controlled by such.
6. We believe anyone moving into or already living in areas zoned previously for a particular use be prohibited from filing “nuisance lawsuits” which are antagonistic to such zoning if defendants are in compliance with all governing laws.
7. All government fees assessed must be passed by the duly elected governmental body.
8. We support elimination of all state and federal “estate” taxes, but support retaining the stepped-up basis for estates to ensure heirs inherit assets with no additional tax burden.
9. We oppose the infringement upon private property rights by the Waters of the United States Rule, similar rules, or agendas (e.g. 30 by 30 / 50 by 50 initiatives).
10. We support the elimination of federal income tax.
National Sovereignty & Defense
1. We call for the immediate completion of the Southern border wall.
2. We support legal immigration based on a merit system, common sense improvements to our immigration process (including ending chain migration, anchor baby citizenship, and the lottery visa), strict enforcement of our current immigration laws, and no government benefits for illegal aliens (except for emergency medical care). We oppose amnesty for any illegal alien.
3. We support expediting the deportation of illegal aliens and stopping the practice of federal agencies distributing illegal immigrants throughout the US.
4. We support the President reinstating the “Remain in Mexico” executive order.
5. We support enforcement of laws against companies who deliberately circumvent immigration laws.
6. We oppose sanctuary states, counties, and cities for illegal immigrants.
7. We support terminating government funding for entities that do not enforce federal immigration laws.
8. We oppose funding to Ukraine.
9. We reaffirm our commitment to the State of Israel.
10. We support the rights of citizens to travel freely without government scrutiny or impediment.
11. We oppose surrendering our sovereignty to global organizations or treaties, including and not limited to the WHO, WTO, WEF, UN, and the Paris Agreement.
12. We believe that welfare entitlements should be both temporary and limited in scope and should be unavailable to illegal immigrants.
13. We advocate fair treatment of veterans including full health care coverage and income tax pension exemption for veterans and their widows(ers). We support the transfer of medical benefit payments to a private or public health care provider when the VA is not able or willing to treat a veteran in need.
14. We support political freedom for all people and condemn a nation’s intrusion into another sovereign country.
15. We oppose global government initiatives such as Agenda 2030 and its many local incarnations (including form-based zoning).
16. We believe the United States should never sacrifice its sovereignty or relinquish control of its soil or its citizens to the United Nations or any other international body. We believe our armed forces should only serve the United States, our Constitution, and the American flag.
17. We support appropriation of money to harden the U.S. electrical grid and broadband infrastructure to protect it from being destroyed by either natural or nuclear weapon induced EMP and cyber-attacks.
18. We oppose funding for any political, agricultural, financial, scientific, and educational institution which includes members of the Chinese Communist Party.
Commerce
1. We oppose governmental distortion of the free market through subsidies, bailouts, and mandates.
2. We oppose the current regulatory environment that encourages carbon credit trading, carbon taxes, and cap and trade. We reject the carbon capture pipeline and similar projects.
3. We believe energy independence must be the preeminent goal of our public policy.
4. We support the ban of traffic violation cameras.
5. We oppose the creation and use of social scoring such as ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance).
6. We support the elimination of all public sector unions.
7. We oppose all government mandates and efforts associated with alleged man-made global warming and/or climate change.
8. We support full periodic audits of the Federal Reserve Bank, and its removal if warranted.
9. We reject any movement toward a government controlled and/or monitored cashless society.
10. We oppose electronic surveillance of private financial transactions by any government or non-government entity unless a non-FISA warrant is issued.
11. We support the withdrawal of taxpayer funding for the Corporations for Public Broadcasting, National Public Radio, Inc., and Public Broadcasting Service.
12. We support the elimination of federal government guaranteed student loans to reduce the cost of higher education.
13. We oppose the state of Iowa allowing more casinos.
14. We support review of the current hours of operation and Electronic Log Device (“ELD”) regulations of the trucking industry.
Government
1. We support free, fair, safe, and secure elections including allowing only eligible US citizens with valid photo ID to vote, no tolerance for voter fraud including abuse of ballot drop boxes and ballot harvesting, no foreign or private interference in US elections, strict guidelines for absentee ballots, auditable election records for all races, and routine voter roll maintenance to ensure accuracy.
2. We oppose same-day voter registration.
3. We oppose ranked-choice voting.
4. We support the sole use of serialized and watermarked paper ballots.
5. We support retaining the Electoral College as defined in the Constitution of the United States. We oppose the National Popular Vote Compact. Only U.S. citizens should be counted for electoral vote apportionment.
6. We believe U.S. congressional representatives should be subject to term limits. We encourage a larger national discussion to determine what those limits will be.
7. We believe the United States Constitution, when properly obeyed and enforced, is an effective and timeless guiding instrument for the governing of our nation. Therefore, in view of the dire warnings from James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, four US Supreme Court Justices, and other eminent Jurists and scholars, we are opposed to the proposals of organizations such as “Convention of States” to ask Congress to call an Article V Convention.
8. We support the requirement that legislation should pertain to one topic, not omnibus, and that unrelated amendments to bills should be prohibited. We believe legislation should never exempt legislators or governmental entities.
9. We support adequate funding for mental health, including but not limited to facilities and staff.
10. We support the complete repeal of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) and replacing it with a free market solution.
11. We support lowering taxes and reducing the size, scope and scale of government; toward this end, we advocate limiting federal expenditures to those enumerated powers under the United States Constitution. We also support a systemic and expedited reduction of the national debt.
12. We support replacing the current complex progressive income tax system with either a consumption-based tax, or a flat tax.
13. We support English as the official language for the United States and the state of Iowa.
14. We support an audit of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid to establish policies that would promote the future viability of benefits to potential recipients.
15. Judges and courts can only apply the law and give opinion, and we support legislation designed to enact Tort Reform. We believe in equal application of the law, and oppose increasing the number of Supreme Court Justices.
16. We support the elimination of abusive and unconstitutional federal agencies including, but not limited to, the IRS, EPA, ATF, TSA, BLM, Department of Labor, Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Education.
17. We support drug testing for welfare, food stamps, and Medicaid recipients, and establishing consequences for abuse.
18. We support laws that limit and restrain the governor’s authority to act by executive action during a medical or other emergency without the guidance or input of the legislative council after being under emergency order for 15 days. No emergency declaration can usurp constitutional rights.
19. Taxpayer dollars should not be used for gender reassignment.
20. We oppose all efforts of schools, libraries, and public places regarding the sexual indoctrination of children including but not limited to the distribution of pornographic and obscene materials, teaching on gender identity and sexual orientation, or promoting sexual deviances.
21. We support elected officials applying the 10th Amendment to limit the overreach of the federal government.
22. We strongly support and believe in full and adequate funding for our military, veterans, law enforcement, and other first responders.
23. IPERS should be required by law to divest from holdings in China and should not make investments based on ESG, DEI, or political factors.
24. We believe that all elected officials must exemplify professional integrity and be bound by the same rules, regulations, and laws as the general public.
25. We support Iowa remaining “First in the Nation” for Presidential Caucuses and endorse the free use of taxpayer funded institutions for the caucuses.
26. We support reforms to the Communications Decency Act (section 230) to add liability for content back to the publisher. We oppose ideological censorship by large social media platforms, such as Facebook (Meta), Twitter (X), or YouTube.
27. We oppose any law (Administrative Law) not created by legislative action.
28. We oppose statehood for Washington D.C.
29. We oppose legalizing the recreational use of marijuana.
30. We support curbing government corruption by addressing insider trading, increasing financial disclosures, and reforming campaign finance rules.
31. We support a pay freeze with no back-pay for Congress when the budget is in a deficit.
32. Tax increment finance districts (TIF) should be required to have a sunset clause and there should be limits to their renewal.
