Resolutions

Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS)

February 2019

Whereas, the Trump EPA has formally proposed to gut another one of the Obama Administration’s most impactful pollution control rules, one which has dramatically reduced the emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants which cause brain damage and other birth defects; and

Whereas, MATS—Mercury and Air Toxics Standards—were implemented in 2011 to reduce the dangerous levels of such pollutants from coal-fired power plants; and

Whereas, under the 2011 rule implemented by the Obama Administration, mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants in the United States has been cut by 85 percent, with major reductions in other toxic air emissions as well; and

Whereas, the airborne emissions of mercury precipitate into water and onto crops, re-entering and becoming more concentrated through the food chain; and

Whereas, controlling these toxic pollutants has major health benefits, including reduction of mercury pollution, which can cause brain damage, learning disabilities, and birth defects, as well as other health problems, especially through pre-natal exposure; and

Health and environmental experts agree that gutting these critical environmental health protections would be extremely harmful to public health, potentially resulting in over 11,000 premature deaths; and

Whereas, gutting this protective rule would permit the dangerous and economically pointless rollback of a major environmental advance already largely implemented; and

Whereas, the proposal appears to be politically motivated by a desire to boost the production and use of coal and oil as energy sources, directly contrary to the urgent need to reduce reliance on fossil fuels as a key element of any successful plan to control global warming; and

Whereas, in its explanation for the move, the Trump EPA claimed that it was only challenging the legal basis for applying the rules to coal- and oil-fired power plants; and

Whereas, its allegation that it is correcting a “flaw” in the economic analysis is based on a new ‘study’ which radically undervalues the health benefits of toxic air pollution control,

Now, therefore, be it resolved that Democratic Municipal Officials calls on the EPA to withdraw its proposed finding that MATS do not apply to coal- and oil-fired power plants; and

Be it further resolved that DMO will file public comments to that effect, as well as join in coalition efforts in opposition to the proposed policy change; and

Be it further resolved that DMO will encourage individual members to submit comments as individuals and through their municipalities in opposition to the proposed policy change.
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The proposal was formally made public on December 27, the day before funding expired for EPA operations under the ongoing government shutdown. https://www.epa.gov/mats/proposed-revised-supplemental-finding-and-results-residual-risk-and-technology-review The public has 60 days from that date to comment on the proposed change. https://www.epa.gov/mats/how-comment-proposed-revised-supplemental-finding-and-rtr

Resolution Honoring the Life and Career of Greg Pettis

The following Resolution was considered by the Democratic National Committee’s Resolutions Committee at its meeting on February 14, 2019, in Washington, DC, and recommended for adoption by the full Democratic National Committee at its meeting on February 16, 2019
Submitted by: Jason Rae, DNC Secretary/Wisconsin

Michael Kapp, California
Scott Benson, Democratic Municipal Officials/Michigan
Suzie Nakasian, Democratic Municipal Officials/Minnesota
Anita Bonds, Democratic Municipal Officials/DC
Wendy Davis, Georgia
Jess Durfee, California
Melahat Rafiei, California
Steven Alari, California
Gary Shay, California
Michael Kapp, California
Becca Dotten, California
Keith Umemoto, California
Andrew Lachman, California
Laurence Zakson, California
Bob Mulholland, California
Susie Shannon, California
Mary Ellen Early, California
Christine Pelosi, California
Earl Fowlkes, DC
Susan Eastlake, Idaho
_____________________________________________________________________________
Resolution Honoring the Life and Career of Greg Pettis

WHEREAS, Greg Pettis was born on December 15, 1955 in Duarte, California; and

WHEREAS, Pettis received his bachelor’s degree from Azusa Pacific University and eventually received his master’s degree from University of Phoenix; and

WHEREAS, Pettis was elected a City Council Member in Cathedral City, California in 1994, and served as both Mayor Pro-Tem and Mayor for the city; and

WHEREAS, he promoted diversity and inclusion of all people by becoming the first openly gay public servant in Cathedral City and the first openly gay president of Southern California Association of Governments; and

WHEREAS, Pettis worked with council members John Aguilar and Shelley Kaplan to make Cathedral City the Coachella Valley’s first sanctuary city; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Pettis served as President of Cathedral City’s Evening Rotary Club and Business Association, Executive Director of the Palm Springs Youth Center, and a board member on both the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy and the board of United Cerebral Palsy of the Desert; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Pettis served in nearly every leadership position for Democratic Municipal Officials, including Representative to the Democratic National Committee and was a strong advocate for America’s cities, especially small cities;

WHEREAS, Greg Pettis passed away on January 15, 2019 at the age of 63; and

WHEREAS, state Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia remarked, “He will be remembered by his vast legacy of forward-thinking achievements, passion, and consummate public service. We will be forever grateful;”

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Democratic National Committee honors Greg Pettis’ years of service to our country and the Democratic Party, and offers condolences to his family.

Gun Safety Anti-Preemption Language for NLC Resolution #33

2018

WHEREAS, Congress and state legislatures have increasingly been considering, and in some cases enacting, laws that preempt local authorities from adopting reasonable gun safety ordinances for their local jurisdictions that, in turn interfere with their ability to take into account local public-safety and crime-control needs and voter preferences;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, NLC calls upon Congress and state legislatures to cease enacting measures that preempt local governments from adopting reasonable gun safety regulations which take into account local needs and conditions, including, but not limited to, measures banning carrying firearms onto public property (including government buildings, parks, and public transit), restricting concealed carry, restricting open carry on public streets and areas, prohibiting carrying firearms into bars and restaurants where alcohol is being served and consumed, and prohibiting carrying firearms onto other private property without permission.

Wall Statement

As elected leaders in that level of government which is closest to the people, the members of Democratic Municipal Officials (DMO) understand the needs of a healthy, secure, and inclusive community. We know that these values are mutually reinforcing, and must all be parts of a reasoned approach to any public policy concern.

The border “wall” demanded by President Trump does not reflect a reasoned approach to the needs of American border security. The ever-evolving picture of an impenetrable physical barrier that will somehow block illegal immigration, dangerous entries, and smuggled contraband is a dark fantasy, not a serious solution to real problems.

Instead, the “wall” is a vanity project for a single politician, born as a campaign symbol for the exclusion of immigrants and refugees from Latin America. As such, it stands contrary to the historic American values of respect for diversity and the many different threads that make up the interwoven fabric of our nation. We are in fact a nation of immigrants, stronger for that diversity and those many connections. We must never allow counterfeit calls for security to be used as the stalking horse for irrational fear and intolerance.

In fact, immigration across our southern border has been in decline for the past two decades. The only crisis at our southern border is a humanitarian one. As families and individuals threatened by violence in Central America present themselves as legal applicants for refuge and asylum, they are met by the inhumane and ineffective policies of the Trump Administration: refugee family separations, internment of children, and open hostility to the plight of those fleeing violence in their home countries. That is the crisis which this administration has created.

There are solutions which can help to address these issues as well as the legitimate needs for border security. Those solutions include expanded human resources for our immigration courts to fairly and quickly resolve refuge/asylum claims, improved technical and surveillance resources for the border area, and humanitarian aid for the refugees themselves. These immediate solutions will reinforce our security while we address the longer-term needs for both comprehensive immigration reform and assistance to the nations beset by internal turmoil to help address the conditions causing thousands to flee every year. The experience of local leaders at our border and in communities across our nation should be heard as we call for reasoned and effective solutions to our immigration and refugee issues.
Effective approaches must be implemented at the national level through calm, reasoned negotiation. They cannot be developed under threat of the shutdown of essential public services and agencies. We cannot tolerate renewed threats to take federal workers and the safety and health of the American people hostage to the foolhardy campaign promise of a single politician, not even when he has obtained the office of president.

DMO calls on our representatives in Congress to reject any such renewed hostage-taking, and instead to keep all federal agencies and public services operating without further interruption while negotiation addresses the mutually supportive goals of a secure border, normal immigration procedures, and humane treatment for refugees.

Local Control DNC Resolution

The following Resolution is submitted for consideration by the Democratic National Committee’s Resolutions Committee at its meeting on August 23, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois.

Submitted by: Scott Benson, Democratic Municipal Officials/Michigan
Suzie Nakasian, Democratic Municipal Officials/Minnesota
Greg Pettis, Democratic Municipal Officials/California
Wendy Davis, Georgia

Resolution Supporting Local Democracy

WHEREAS, local governments are closely connected to the needs of their communities and are uniquely positioned to pass policies that reflect and act on the views and values of the people they represent; and

WHEREAS, the erosion of local regulatory powers and local control is a priority of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), and its corporate funders as part of a nationally-driven conservative agenda to deny and distort representative democracy and must be countered; and

WHEREAS, state preemption has been abused by Republican-controlled state legislatures to prevent local governments from enacting policies that would benefit middle class and working families, such as minimum wage increases, paid sick leave and other economic, health and safety policies that protect and improve the lives of people; and

WHEREAS, state preemption laws are increasingly being used to overturn election results, ignoring the will of the voters and eroding faith in the principle of majority rule; and

WHEREAS, our representative democracy is strongest when elected officials at each level of government work together to address the issues facing their constituents.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Democratic National Committee affirms the Democratic Party’s commitment to local democracy, to the power of local government to improve on state standards, and in the absence of state law, pass policies that reflect their communities’ needs, values and votes.

Federal Funding for Infrastructure DNC Resolution

The following Resolution is submitted for consideration by the Democratic National Committee’s Resolutions Committee at its meeting on August 23, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois.

Submitted by: Scott Benson, Democratic Municipal Officials/Michigan
Suzie Nakasian, Democratic Municipal Officials/Minnesota
Greg Pettis, Democratic Municipal Officials/California
Wendy Davis, Georgia
John Verdejo, North Carolina

Resolution in Support of Immediate Action to Address the Shortfall of Federal Investment in National Infrastructure Funding

WHEREAS, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the AFL-CIO, and the North American Building Trades Unions estimate that the United States needs a minimum of $4 trillion to address the investment shortfall relating to existing infrastructure needs around the country; and

WHEREAS, the 2016 Democratic Platform calls for major federal investments to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure and build  21st century energy, water and transportation systems; and

WHEREAS, the 2016 Democratic Platform further acknowledges that federal investment in infrastructure will put millions of Americans to work with well-paying union jobs that accord with Davis-Bacon standards; and

WHEREAS, the continually mounting shortfall in infrastructure investment is causing our nation to fall behind our global competitors, undermining job creation, and constraining the economic growth and vitality of American communities of all sizes.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Democratic National Committee calls upon Congress to take action to remedy the shortfall in national infrastructure investment with increased federal funding and other creative measures that will provide the resources needed to implement a long-term infrastructure plan that grows our economy and creates good paying union jobs, and creative measures such as a national infrastructure fund on the model of Alexander Hamilton and the founding fathers.

Democratic Municipal Officials NC Chapter Statement in Response to the Events in Charlottesville and Continuing Subsequent Repercussions

August 18th, 2018

Statement by DMO NC Chapter Board
Contacts: Dan Besse (Winston-Salem City Council Member), 336-760-4678;
LaWana Mayfield (Charlotte City Council Member, 704-352-7305;
Derwin L. Montgomery (Winston-Salem City Council Member), 336-245-1088

It is time for all Americans of good will, regardless of party or region, to come together in support of unity and equality for all.
It is time for us all to acknowledge that the killing and violence in Charlottesville were the acts and responsibility of violent adherents of the old ugly plague of white supremacy. We cannot accept or tolerate false moral equivalencies.
Our hearts go out to the families of those who were killed last Saturday, including both the peaceful counter-protester who was slain in a criminal act of domestic terrorism, and the two state troopers who lost their lives in a tragic air accident, and to the many injured.
It is also time for us all to understand that the violence and intimidation in Charlottesville were far from isolated incidents. They reflect a deeply rooted and currently growing strain of the shameful ideologies of racist hatred. That doctrine of hatred must never again be treated as just another train of ordinary political thought. It is unacceptable, illegitimate, and anathema to the true ideals of our American nation. We stand today in unity with all the communities around our state and nation who are facing down that fear and hatred.
As elected leaders of our cities and towns across North Carolina, the members of DMO are committed to helping our communities discuss, examine, and remedy the wrongs of our past. Today, those must clearly include an honest examination of what were used in Charlottesville as rallying points for the hate-filled ideologues of white supremacy: the Confederate monuments erected during the Jim Crow era. We call upon our state legislature to stop standing in the way of those efforts.
This honest self-examination is a necessary part of the process of knitting together the divisions in our society. It is time for us to be about that WORK.

SAMPLE I AM 2018 Commemorative Resolution

December 17th, 2017

WHEREAS, on February 1, 1968, two city sanitation workers (Echol Cole and Robert Walker) in Memphis, TN, were crushed to death in a malfunctioning garbage truck; and
WHEREAS, their deaths sparked the walkout of 1,300 fellow sanitation workers; and
WHEREAS, two months later, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was in Memphis to support the striking workers when he was gunned down by an assassin’s bullet; and
WHEREAS, Americans nationwide celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King in many ways—but far too few remember that he was campaigning for economic justice when he lost his life; and
WHEREAS, there is today a national effort to honor the sacrifices of Echol Cole, Robert Walker, Dr. King, and all others who are in need of (or work for) workplace safety, fair employment practices, and economic opportunity and justice in our communities,
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT
The City of __________________ City Council recognizes February 1, 2018, as the 50th anniversary of the loss of lives which sparked the 1968 Memphis sanitation workers strike; and
We call on our community to participate in a national Minute of Reflection at 4:20 p.m. on that date, to remember that event and its significance; and
We urge other leaders and members of our community to take this opportunity to recommit ourselves to working for workplace safety, fair employment practices, and economic justice and opportunity for all.

DMO Gun Safety Resolution

December 2017

Gun Violence and Safety

Incidents of gun violence are uniquely high in the United States compared to other developed nations. This reality is shaped in substantial part by the number of personal firearms (particularly handguns) in production and circulation in American society, and the relative ease of obtaining those firearms both legally and illegally. In recent years, the problem has been worsened by the number of semi-automatic military-style rifles in production and circulation, the ease of obtaining those firearms, and the ready availability of means for the conversion of those rifles for higher magazine capacity and even more rapid rates of fire.

Effective legal measures for reducing the high incidence of gun violence in our society are readily available, and fully consistent with long-standing legal interpretation of the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment guarantees. However, these measures have been repeatedly blocked with increasing frequency on a national and state basis by the excessive political influence of the small arms manufacturing industry, as represented politically by increasingly partisan gun lobby groups. At the same time, this well-funded lobbying network has successfully advocated for dramatically increased preemption of local authority to enact reasonable gun safety laws on a local basis.

Recognizing the urgency to effectively address escalating gun violence in America, Democratic Municipal Officials (DMO) adopts the following policy statements on gun violence and safety:
DMO supports federal and state efforts to enforce background checks on gun purchasers, with the goal of preventing prohibited persons with designated criminal or mental illness histories (including domestic abusers) from illegally shipping, transporting, receiving, or possessing firearms or ammunition, as reflected in relevant National League of Cities policies and resolutions.
DMO supports common-sense restrictions on the private manufacture, sale, and possession for private use of firearms and accessories with no legitimate civilian use outside of law enforcement, such as automatic weapons, semi-automatic military-style “assault” rifles, and high-capacity ammunition clips. These kinds of weapons have no function other than to quickly fire large numbers of rounds; they have no legitimate civilian non-law enforcement use; and their private possession should not be considered protected by any reasonable interpretation of the Second Amendment.
DMO opposes national or state preemption of local authority to enact and enforce reasonable restrictions on the place and manner of public possession of firearms. These restrictions may include limits such as banning carrying firearms onto public property (including government buildings, parks, and public transit), restricting concealed carry, restricting open carry on public streets and areas, carrying firearms into bars and restaurants where alcohol is being served and consumed, and carrying firearms onto other private property without permission.
DMO encourages local elected officials to develop and implement effective gun safety programs such as education efforts on the need for safe storage of firearms kept in the home. DMO further encourages local elected officials to advocate against preemption of local authority for the reasonable regulation of firearm possession, and to develop and implement reasonable local regulations they determine to be necessary for the preservation of community safety.

DMO Board of Directors Statement on DACA

September 8th, 2017

Democratic Municipal Officials (DMO) condemns President Trump’s termination of President
Obama’s DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program.

We call upon Congress to swiftly approve a clean bipartisan bill restoring the DACA program. We
encourage our members to contact your members of Congress to advocate for this position.

We encourage our DMO members and other Democratic leaders around America to introduce to the
public and local media willing members of your communities who are beneficiaries of
the DACA program, and who as a result are able to be productive, contributing, and valued
members of your communities.

DMO President and Los Angeles Councilman Joe Buscaino released the following additional statement. 

“While the Trump administration attempts to pass the buck on this decision to Congress, we understand that it will require intense public pressure to ensure that they take appropriate action within the Trump executive order’s arbitrary six-month deadline. In the meantime, over 223,000 hard-working DACA recipients in California and hundreds of thousands more nationwide will face the undue burden of fear and uncertainty as Congress and the president play politics with their lives, families, and jobs. Over 72% of Americans support allowing DACA recipients to stay in the United States, which further highlights the harsh and cruel nature of this week’s decision to choose politics over American values and the lives of thousands of youth.”

Councilman Buscaino speaks to DACA recipients following Trump administration announcement to wind down program.

Statement of Support for the National League of Cities' 2017 Federal Action Agenda

March 14th, 2017

Statement of support for the National League of Cities’ 2017 Federal Action Agenda:

Democratic Municipal Officials (DMO) recognizes and supports the National League of Cities (NLC) as America’s largest non-partisan voice for our nation’s cities and towns. Many DMOs are among the active participants and leaders in the NLC, and take part in setting and advocating for the federal action agenda of the NLC.

DMO commends and joins in support of the NLC’s 2017 Federal Action Agenda emphasis on Public Safety, Infrastructure, and Economic Development. This action agenda addresses matters of critical importance to our national security and prosperity. It includes key matters of immediate relevance to federal budget priorities which DMO specifically endorses:
–Protection of uncapped tax-exempt municipal bonds, the primary financing mechanism for local infrastructure projects.
–Robust funding for Community Development Block Grants, which provide key support for housing and other needed community development efforts in challenged neighborhoods and communities.
–Adequate and reliable long-term funding for national infrastructure, reflecting local needs and priorities, including an interconnected network of multi-modal transportation options.
–Increased federal funding for workforce development and training programs.

Local Control, State Preemption, and Federal Rollbacks

March 12th, 2017

Cities, towns, and counties represent the level of government closest to the people in a democracy.  They serve as laboratories of public innovation, operating at the forefront of public policy-making that establishes minimum standards of protections and social progress for residents.  They often deal with localized problems that require uniquely tailored solutions or an urgent community response.  In order to serve the needs of the public in a democracy, local governments must have the authority to innovate, the power to address urgent problems and the license to act on a wide range of economic, health, safety and social issues on behalf of the citizens of their communities and should not be preempted or unreasonably interfered with by state governments. 

Attacks on this local authority to address public needs on a wide range of issues have been on the rise nationwide in recent years.  Those attacks are now being compounded by national efforts from Congress and the new Administration to severely roll back protections for human rights, clean water and air, labor rights, wage, benefit, and leave laws, and access to affordable health care.  The danger of reduction or removal of these safeguards on a national basis makes strong local authority even more critical than ever.

We call on state legislatures to support the principle of local control free from undue state intervention, and respect the authority of local governments to craft innovative and progressive solutions to meet the economic security, public safety, environmental, and human rights needs of their communities.
We call on Congress and the new national Administration also to respect the authority of local governments to craft innovative and progressive solutions to meet the economic security, public safety, environmental, and human rights needs of their communities.  We further call on them to halt their efforts toward wholesale destruction of the national regulatory safety net of important minimum safeguards for human rights, labor rights, wage, benefit and leave laws, and access to affordable health care, which collectively form a necessary foundation on which local efforts can build.

Voter Protection and Suppression Statement

March 12th, 2017

Voting rights are the fundamental building blocks of democracy.  Without the protected right to vote freely and without threat of intimidation, there can be no democratic system.  To be meaningful, election systems must also guarantee fair and convenient access to register and vote for all those eligible, without regard to economic status or disabilities. 

Today, voting rights are under siege in the United States.  In state after state, we face efforts to make voting more difficult for many citizens, eliminate protections for those who have been historically discriminated against, and even to roll back measures which have been put in place successfully over time to increase voter participation by making it easier and more convenient for eligible citizens to vote.

These voter suppression efforts are being pursued at the state level and now at the national level with false claims of widespread or rising voter fraud.  Such claims are being used to justify thinly veiled attempts at real intimidation directed against historically disadvantaged communities.  

Unacceptable efforts at voter intimidation and suppression include the following:
–Launching unjustified and resource-squandering “investigations” of nonexistent voter fraud.
–Creation on new barriers to make it more difficult for historically disadvantaged populations to vote, such as restrictive photo identification requirements.
–Creating new ways to enable partisan challenges of eligible voters, slowing the voting process in targeted communities and seeking to intimidate voters from participation.
–Unjustified purges of voter rolls in an effort to remove eligible voters and effectively make more difficult or discourage their participation.
–Rollbacks of voting tools which have successfully increased voter participation without undermining the integrity of the voting system, including early voting, same-day registration and voting, and out-of-precinct voting.

These efforts of attempted voter intimidation must end.  Rollbacks of voting rights protections must be halted.

North Carolina Chapter Resolution on HB 2

May 12th, 2016

NC DMO RESOLUTION CALLING FOR REPEAL OF HB2

WHEREAS, Democratic Municipal Officials (DMO) supports the dignity and rights of all LGBT individuals to full participation in civic, community, and economic endeavors, and to freedom from discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and civil rights; and

WHEREAS, DMO calls attention to, and supports, the national Democratic Party platform plank which reads, “[N]o one should face discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, language, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability status;” and

WHEREAS, DMO supports local governments’ authority to protect the dignity and civil rights of their citizens, and to forward their economic interests through the promotion of good jobs, wages, benefits, and working conditions; and therefore opposes state actions to pre-empt those local authorities; and
 
WHEREAS, North Carolina HB2 was adopted and signed into law on March 23, 2016, in an ill-considered rush during a one-day special legislative session called to address alleged public safety concerns related to transgendered individuals’ usage of restrooms and locker room facilities corresponding to their gender identify; and

WHEREAS, there is no evidence from the many states and cities nationwide with established laws respecting the rights and dignity of transgendered individuals that any public safety problem is created thereby; and

WHEREAS, HB2 also went well beyond the so-called “bathroom” provisions to enact other sweeping and ill-considered restrictions on individual rights in our state, and on the ability of local governments to protect those rights, including the following changes:
–All local ordinances regarding nondiscrimination in public accommodations and employment are revoked and further such ordinances banned;
–There are now no state or local nondiscrimination laws in North Carolina for public accommodations or employment regarding marital status, familial status, sexual orientation or gender identity;
–Local governments are now prohibited from requiring in their contracts with businesses, even for local public work using local public tax revenues, any provisions regarding nondiscrimination or good employment practices, wages and salaries, sick or family leave or other benefits, or other requirements that exceed the generally applicable minimum state requirements for all private employers;
–The decades-old right of employees to sue their employer under state law if fired for a legally prohibited reason was eliminated, making North Carolina one of only two states in the nation without any effectively enforceable state law protecting private sector employees from workplace discrimination based on race, religion, color, national origin, or sex; and

WHEREAS, these ill-considered actions are already producing ongoing and severe economic damage to our state in the form of cancelled job-creating business investments, cancelled and lost meetings, conventions, sporting and cultural events, travel and tourism business, and other economic development and activities; and

WHEREAS, these ill-considered actions are putting at risk billions of dollars of national public investment in our students and educational systems and universities, and transportation infrastructure and systems; and

WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina finds itself now embroiled in multiple expensive lawsuits contesting the constitutionality and compliance with federal non-discrimination laws of these ill-considered provisions of HB2; and

WHEREAS, these provisions, including the sweeping new restrictions on local efforts to build welcoming communities, are severely damaging our state’s reputation nationally as a place where all people are welcomed to take part in our civil society and economy without fear or discrimination,

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT

The North Carolina Chapter of Democratic Municipal Officials (NC DMO) calls on the N.C. General Assembly to immediately enact, and the governor to sign, legislation repealing HB2 in its entirety; and

NC DMO calls on state officials to dismiss their lawsuits defending the provisions of HB2, and to comply with the U.S. Department of Justice orders regarding non-discrimination; and

NC DMO commends N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper for refusing to defend in court an unconstitutional law that is also clearly in violation of prevailing federal non-discrimination laws.

LGBT Rights Resolution

April 22nd, 2016

DMO Resolution on LGBT Rights

DMO supports the dignity and rights of all LGBT individuals to full participation in civic, community, and economic endeavors, and to freedom from discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and civil rights.

DMO encourages cities and towns, municipal leaders in general and DMOs in particular
• To advocate for the dignity and civil rights of our LGBT citizens and residents;
• To support laws and educational efforts involving them fully in our communities and protecting them from discrimination; and
• To actively oppose state-level efforts to pre-empt local initiatives in this area.

DMO encourages its members and supporters to consider adopting concrete local efforts in this area such as those discussed in the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index: http://www.hrc.org/campaigns/municipal-equality-index.

DMO calls attention to, and supports, the national Democratic Party platform plank which reads, “[N]o one should face discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, language, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability status.”

Supreme Court Vacancy Resolution

March 7th, 2016

Resolution in Support of Timely Senate Action to Confirm the Appointment of a Nominee to the Vacant Seat on the U.S. Supreme Court

WHEREAS, Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution of the United States clearly provides that the President shall nominate and appoint members of the Supreme Court with the Advice and Consent of the Senate; and

WHEREAS, the passing of the late Justice Antonin Scalia has left a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court; and

WHEREAS, the current majority party leadership of the Senate have publicly declared their intent to ignore their clear Constitutional duty by refusing to consider any nomination from the President to fill this seat; and

WHEREAS, this dereliction of their Constitutional duty would leave the Court with only eight members for a full year or longer; and

WHEREAS, such an action would be without precedent in the history of the United States; and

WHEREAS, there is no reasonable explanation for this unprecedented dereliction of duty other than an effort to gain partisan political advantage; and

WHEREAS, this risks leaving our highest Court in danger of being unable to reach a clear majority decision on key matters of legal intent and Constitutional interpretation for an extended period; and

WHEREAS, there are far too many critical questions of law and Constitutional interpretation which must be clearly answered on a timely basis, including those affecting local governments in matters including public safety, public health, environmental quality, and economic rights and interests, for such a dereliction of duty to be tolerated,
 
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the United States Senate must carry out its Constitutional obligation to consider the nomination by the President of his appointment to the Supreme Court; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the United States Senate should discharge this Constitutional duty in a timely manner, considering any nomination on its merits, and act in the national interest to fill this vacancy on our nation’s highest court without resort to procedural chicanery or delays for partisan political purposes; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that local elected officials, local elected governing bodies, and other concerned citizens are encouraged to communicate this call to their Senators to discharge their Constitutional duty in this critical matter.

Limits on Smog Pollution

July 27th, 2015

Resolution Supporting Strengthening Limits on Ozone and Smog Pollution

WHEREAS, smog air pollution represents a widespread threat to the health of Americans, especially in urban and other areas impacted by power plant emissions, worsening health problems including asthma, COPD, and other cardio-pulmonary conditions; and

WHEREAS, nearly 26 million Americans, including 7 million children overall and 16% of African-American children, suffer from asthma; and

WHEREAS, approximately 45% of the American population (over 140 million people) live in counties receiving a failing grade from American Lung Association reports on air quality; and

WHEREAS, ground-level ozone, the major component of smog pollution, is generated in large part by air pollution from power plant emissions and vehicle exhausts; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), acting pursuant to federal Clean Air Act mandate, is working to update its ambient air quality standards limiting ozone pollution for the protection of public health; and

WHEREAS, EPA studies show that stronger limits on ozone pollution and smog could result in as many as 7,900 lives saved, 1.8 million asthma attacks avoided, and 1.9 million missed school days avoided annually; and

WHEREAS, health impact analyses show that the fiscal benefits of stronger limits on ozone pollution and smog could save taxpayers as much as $75.9 billion annually, and far outweigh the costs of compliance; and

WHEREAS, it is strongly in the interest of cities and towns to protect the lives and health of our citizens who are particularly at risk from continued air pollution;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Democratic Municipal Officials (DMO) supports stronger limits on ground-level ozone and smog; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DMO supports EPA’s adoption of strengthened air pollution limits in this area; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DMO urges President Obama to support this effort and to veto any Congressional attempt to block strengthened limits on ozone and smog pollution; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DMO urges Democratic members of Congress to oppose any legislation to block or undercut these strengthened limits on ozone and smog pollution; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DMO encourages other local leaders and organizations representing local governments to join in expressions of support for EPA’s work to strengthen the standards limiting ground-level ozone and smog. 

Waters Definition Rule-making

May 28th, 2015

Resolution Supporting Rule Clarifying the Definition of ‘Waters of the United States’

WHEREAS, small streams and wetlands are the most critical part of the natural filtration system for our clean water resources; and

WHEREAS, these small streams and wetlands are also among the most diverse and important wildlife and fisheries nurseries and habitats; and

WHEREAS, the Clean Water Act has for decades recognized the central role of these resources in protecting clean water, and sought to regulate activities destructive to those resources; and

WHEREAS, two major U.S. Supreme Court decisions since 2000 have left much uncertainty regarding the definition of these ‘waters’ protected by the Clean Water Act; and

WHEREAS, cities and other public stakeholders have long called for clarification of these uncertainties through public rulemaking by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps); and

WHEREAS, the lengthy EPA/Corps public rulemaking process has been conducted carefully, with full opportunities for comment from all stakeholders including cities and towns, and is now nearly complete; and

WHEREAS, the EPA/Corps rulemaking process has already included substantial economic analysis showing that the benefits of a clarified ‘waters’ definition far outweigh the costs; and

WHEREAS, it is strongly in the interest of cities and towns and our citizens to resolve the uncertainties surrounding regulation of activities impacting waters and wetlands, in a way which recognizes the responsibilities of cities and towns for stormwater management while still protecting clean water; and

WHEREAS, the EPA/Corps has now released its final rule, which clearly recognizes and protects municipal responsibilities by excluding from the definition of ‘waters of the United States’ waste treatment systems, stormwater control features, upland ditches, and other green infrastructure built outside of natural waters; 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Democratic Municipal Officials (DMO) supports the final EPA/Corps rule clarifying the definition and scope of ‘waters of the United States’; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DMO opposes legislation such as Congressional HR 1732, which would block this orderly conclusion of the lengthy and transparent  rulemaking process that has produced a satisfactory final rule, unnecessarily prolonging regulatory uncertainty and extending the vulnerability of vital clean water resources to further damage; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DMO encourages other local leaders and organizations representing local governments to similarly support this final rule which both recognizes local governments’ unique stormwater management responsibilities and protects our critical clean water resources. 

Carbon Emissions Reduction

May 7th, 2015

Resolution Supporting the President’s Carbon Emissions Reduction Goals

WHEREAS, the White House has announced a U.S. carbon emissions reduction target of 26-28% from 2005 levels by 2025 as the primary American contribution to international efforts to counter the threat of climate change; and

WHEREAS, this represents an ambitious but achievable and economically realistic goal; and

WHEREAS, this announcement quantifies this Administration’s 2014 announcement of cooperation with China in bringing greenhouse gas emissions under control, and will help to leverage further commitments from other nations to cooperate in addressing this global crisis; and

WHEREAS, the recent National Climate Assessment reports that current evidence of climate change appears in every region and impacts are currently visible in every state, and concludes that the evidence of human-induced climate change is compelling and continues to be reinforced; and

WHEREAS, while some impact from climate change is inevitable, sharp reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions will reduce the severity of the impacts and limit the rate of climate change; and

WHEREAS, effective action to address the ongoing threat of climate change is an established priority policy issue of Democratic Municipal Officials (DMO), and appropriate action steps are needed at the global, national, state, and local levels; and

WHEREAS, other local leadership organizations, such as the National League of Cities, have made similar determinations of the need for urgent action to address the threat of human-induced climate change;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Democratic Municipal Officials (DMO) supports immediate and ongoing action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DMO supports the President’s announced goal of 28% reduction in U.S. emissions from 2005 levels by 2025 as an achievable and economically realistic target; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DMO encourages our local leaders and their communities to continue pursuing vital local initiatives to reduce carbon and greenhouse gas emissions, including but not limited to the following:

–Programs to assist and incentivize energy efficiency in residential, commercial, industrial, and government buildings.
–Replacement of inefficient vehicles with more energy-efficient models and the deployment of low-emission alternative vehicles as part of local fleets.
–Implementation of local programs encouraging and assisting renewable energy development such as rooftop solar systems.
–Expansion of energy-efficient public transit, active transportation, and other transportation alternatives to the single-occupant commuter vehicle.
–Sound urban planning to reduce air emissions by encouraging central city redevelopment, transit-oriented development, mixed-use walkable development, and other more compact and energy-efficient patterns.

Resolution on the TechHire Initiative

March 27th, 2015

Resolution on the TechHire Initiative

Whereas, the American economic recovery is continuing under the leadership of President Obama; and

Whereas, despite the ongoing recovery, too many American workers continue to face the problems of underemployment below their skill, learning, and earning capacity; and

Whereas, many American businesses face the mirror-image problem of having available jobs which they are having difficulty filling with applicants meeting their technical qualifications, helping to produce an estimated 5 million open jobs in the economy today; and

Whereas, the President has proposed an innovative initiative to help match job-seekers, open high-quality jobs, and the needed training or credentialing to acquire those good jobs; and

Whereas, forward-thinking cities and towns are already playing a role in the needed actions to expand access to good tech jobs, and can play an even bigger role,

Therefore be it resolved that Democratic Municipal Officials (DMO) hereby commends and supports the President’s TechHire Initiative; and further that

DMO commends those forward-looking Democrat-led cities like Louisville, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, Memphis, Los Angeles, and others who are already taking action in this area; and further that

DMO encourages its members across the U.S. to study the TechHire concept and initiate similar local efforts to expand its success, such as the following:

–Working with local employers to build an information base of local tech skill and applicant needs, and commitments to enable non-traditional hiring of applicants with the existing skills or abilities who need final training or credentialing to qualify; and
–Working with local employers, educational institutions, and training organizations to expand rapid training programs for tech-oriented jobs, such as coding bootcamps and innovative online training, which allow interested students to gain the needed training in months, not years; and
–Building partnerships with local employers, educators, and community organizations to connect people to jobs with hiring “on ramp” programs and non-traditional efforts such as tech meet-ups and startup co-working spaces.

Trade Agreements Resolution

March 27th, 2015

Short form, draft for DMO Board discussion As the organization representing elected Democrats speaking for cities and towns across the nation, Democratic Municipal Officials (DMO) is deeply concerned about the potential adverse effects on American workers and working families from poorly designed or inadequately enforced trade agreements.

DMO urges the President, his trade negotiators, and Congress to insist upon all necessary terms to adequately protect the needs of American workers in the design, negotiation, and enforcement of all trade agreements. DMO further urges Congress to insist upon transparency, worker protections, and meaningful enforcement mechanisms in any legislation it adopts regarding trade agreement negotiation, consideration, and approval.

References and resources for Board background information:
–AFL-CIO issues page on fast-track trade authority legislation:
http://www.aflcio.org/Issues/Trade/Fast-Track-Legislation
–Politico article on AFL-CIO activity regarding trade legislation:
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/03/does-labor-have-the-oomph-to-halt-fast-track-116071.html
–“Fast track” trade authority is legislation allowing the executive branch to negotiate international trade agreements which Congress must then consider for a vote without
amendments or filibustering. See article here for the history of fast track authority:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_track_%28trade%29
–A news release describing fast track legislation from the current sponsors’ perspective,
including links to their fct sheet and the bill itself:
http://www.finance.senate.gov/newsroom/chairman/release/?id=7cd1c188-87f1-4a0b-
8856-3fc139121ca9
–Policy page on fast track from the Citizen Trade Campaign, a progressive “fair trade”
group which opposes the current fast track bill and the proposed Trans Pacific
Partnership (TPP) treaty: http://www.citizenstrade.org/ctc/trade-policies/fast-tracktrade-
promotion-authority-tpa/

Paid Sick and Spousal Leave Resolution

March 11th, 2015

Paid Sick and Spousal Leave Resolution

Whereas Democratic Municipal Officials has established good jobs, including fair wages and working conditions, as one of its policy priorities;

Whereas the 1993 Family Medical Leave Act only partially addresses the needs of the modern American workforce and family;

Whereas Senator Gillibrand’s FAMILY Act provides a superior national model for sick leave and paid parental leave, including support for young, part time, and low wage workers;

Whereas workers who are forced to come to work when ill can spread disease and reduce productivity because they are not afforded sick leave, cannot take unpaid time off for available sick leave, or are employed in a work environment that indirectly retaliates against the use of paid time off;

Whereas the United States is the only industrialized nation that does not guarantee sick leave, and one of only two countries in the world that do not offer paid maternity leave;

Whereas studies show parental leave results in better postnatal care, early childhood development, long-term cognitive development, increased worker efficiency, and a reduction in depressive symptoms in new mothers;

Whereas women exit the workforce because they are forced to choose between caring for an infant and keeping their current jobs, creating a systemic disparity in lifetime earnings and career advancement between the sexes;

Whereas businesses have benefited from paid leave through improved worker retention, increased productivity and morale, and a greater ability to compete with international companies that already offer paid leave;

Therefore be it resolved that Democratic Municipal Officials supports paid sick and parental leave, distinct from other paid time off, including state and national legislation that improves upon current paid leave programs and standards.

Further that we encourage local officials to take action on paid sick and parental leave in their own cities, including in the following ways:

Speak with local businesses and chambers of commerce about their own needs, as well as the benefits of paid sick and spousal leave;

Institute a payroll-supported paid parental leave fund for city employees and for businesses who contract with the city using the legislation models provided by California, New Jersey, and the FAMILY Act;

Provide your state with research detailing the economic costs passed on to taxpayers by not implementing paid sick and parental leave;

For cities preempted by state laws that prevent sick and spousal leave, pass municipal resolutions, inform the public about the benefits they are being denied, and work with Democratic state legislators to repeal laws that block progress on paid leave.

Local Elections and Voting Rights Initiatives

March 11th, 2015

Local Elections and Voting Rights Initiatives

Whereas: Democratic Municipal Officials are concerned about the impact of restrictive voting laws that have swept across the nation in many states over the last several years, thereby erecting barriers to access to the ballot for voters, particularly those in underrepresented communities, including voters of color, young voters, elderly voters, low-income voters, and voters with limited English proficiency;

Whereas: The enactment of restrictive voting laws, including voter ID laws, cuts to early voting, limits on same day registration, repeals of measures to pre-register 16- and 17-year-olds, and proof of citizenship requirements disproportionately impact voters of limited means;

Whereas: Statewide elected officials have the authority to implement voting laws on the state level, but depending on home rule provisions, local officials may have expansive authority to impact election administration on the local level;

Whereas: In those states in which local municipal officials do not have administrative authority over election management, they may still have authority to implement efforts designed to aid potential voters in confirming their eligibility, registering to vote, and accessing the polls;

Whereas: It is crucial to the democratic process to ensure the voices of all Americans are heard and all eligible voters are able to cast a ballot;

Whereas: This work will ultimately allow municipalities to achieve the highest level of civic participation from the electorate;

Resolved: Democratic Municipal Officials are committed to promoting broad access to the ballot while simultaneously protecting the integrity of the elections process;

Further resolved: DMO supports the implementation of local ordinances and other efforts to improve voter access and elections process in the areas of voter registration, poll worker recruitment and training, and voter education;

Further resolved: DMO encourages its members and their municipal governing bodies to adopt efforts such as offering voter registration information and assistance (and where applicable, assistance in obtaining needed identification) to eligible residents interacting with municipal services and offices (including utilities, tax offices, recreation centers, and information services);

Further resolved: DMO encourages members and their municipalities to offer paid time off for city employees to vote, and to provide community service as registrars, voter ride providers, and poll observers on a non-partisan basis;

Further resolved: DMO encourages cooperation with other community partners, including community centers, public schools, community colleges, four-year colleges and universities, cultural centers, and other non-partisan civic organizations to promote broad outreach to voters to encourage their civic education, registration, and participation in the democratic elections process.

Democratic Municipal Officials Passes Resolution Supporting President's Action on Immigration

November 21st, 2014

Board of Directors of Democratic Municipal Officials passes resolution supporting President Obama’s
Thursday announcement regarding action on immigration

Austin, TX, November 21, 2014 –

Democratic Municipal Officials’ (DMO) President Mayor Cindy Lerner (Pinecrest, FL) and the Board of
Democratic Municipal Officials passed a resolution Friday supporting President Obama’s recent Executive Action on immigration.

The DMO Board of Directors gathered in Austin, Texas at National League of Cities (NLC) Congress of
Cities and Exposition. Following the conclusion of the biannual DMO National Breakfast Meeting, the
Board convened to discuss the Association’s strategic goals and policy. The Board of Directors approved a resolution in support of the President’s announcement to increase border security, prioritize deportation of felons over otherwise lawful undocumented workers, and provide a three year
moratorium on deportation for individuals who pass a background check and agree to pay taxes. An
estimated five million undocumented immigrants could be affected by the Immigration Accountability
Executive Action.

Democratic Municipal Officials (DMO) is the Democratic National Committee constituency Association
for local elected officials who personally identify as members of the Democratic Party. DMO has over
6000 members across the United States, and advocates for local Democratic officeholders and acts to move their priorities nationwide.

Democrats for Public Education

October 24th, 2014

Democrats for Public Education Resolution

Whereas Democrats for Public Education represents a diverse coalition of Democrats from all across the country who support public education;

Whereas Assuring Educational Access and Opportunity is one of the DMO’s priority areas;

Whereas this effort has the support of elected Democratic officials, including Governors, Senators, and Representatives in Congress;

Whereas the effort is endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers, a group with which DMO has a collaborative relationship;

Whereas the Democrats for Public Education seeks to demonstrate broad-based support by Democrats in all levels of government around a core set of principles including:

Fulfilling our collective obligation to help all children succeed

Fighting for neighborhood public schools that are safe, welcoming places for teaching and learning

Ensuring that teachers and school staff are well-prepared, fully supported and have small class sizes as well as the time to collaborate to meet the individual needs of every child

Guaranteeing that all children have an engaging curriculum that includes art, music and physical education

Providing children access to wraparound services to meet their emotional, social and health needs

Working to provide school districts – particularly those serving the high concentration of student in need of extra services and support – with the resources required to provide all students with a world-class education

Making it clear that public education – for all children – is both an economic necessity and also a fundamental civil right;

Now therefore be it resolved that the Democratic Municipal Officials organization endorses this effort and encourages its members to become individual endorsers.

Further that DMO will publicize the Democrats for Public Education initiative within the DMO organization.

My Brother's Keeper Resolution

October 24th, 2014

My Brother’s Keeper Resolution

Whereas in September 2014, President Obama issued a challenge to cities, towns, counties and tribes across the country to become a “My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Communities.”;

Whereas this challenge represents a call to action for all members of our communities, and especially elected officials who often sit at intersection of many of the vital forces needed to enact change;

Whereas the six goals of the challenge are

Ensuring all children enter school cognitively, physically, socially and emotionally ready

Ensuring all children read at grade level by 3rd grade

Ensuring all youth graduate from high school

Ensuring all youth complete post-secondary education or training

Ensuring all youth our of school are employed

Ensuring all youth remain safe from violent crime;

Whereas this effort is consistent with DMO’s priorities to Ensure Educational Access and Opportunity and Address Income Inequality’

Now therefore be it resolved that the DMO organization

1. Accept the President’s challenge and endorse this effort.

2. Publicize to its members ways in which their communities can become involved and effective “MBK Communities” such as convening a “Local Action Summit,” conducting a policy review, creating a plan of action, and forming recommendations for action.

ACEEE Resolution

October 24th, 2014

ACEEE Resolution

Whereas the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has a received support from the MacArthur Foundation to undertake a project to improve and expand energy efficiency in multi-family housing;

Whereas multi-family housing is a critical area for efficiency especially in cities, reducing the burden on residents and avoiding carbon emissions;

Now therefore be it resolved that the Democratic Municipal Officials organization shall publicize this effort to its membership in the hopes that members may take advantage of this information for their cities.

Community Policing Resolution

August 29th, 2014

Community Policing Resolution

Whereas: We Democratic Municipal Officials are deeply saddened by racial profiling in this country which has led to many black men being victims of intimidation, harassment and violence. Further that some of these innocent individuals including Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin have tragically and needlessly lost their lives, causing untold sadness and loss for their families, friends, and community;

Whereas: President Obama stated after the incident in Ferguson, Mo., “We are united in common values and that includes a belief in equality under the law, a basic respect for public order and the right to peaceful public protest; a reverence for the dignity of every single man, woman, and child among us and the need for accountability when it comes to our government”;

Whereas: As local elected officials we are challenged to rigorously advance policies that reflect the best of our American values: treating every individual as worthy of dignity and respect, according liberty and justice for all;

Whereas: We entrust out police and other local law enforcement officials with the authority and responsibility to protect and serve us and we appreciate that the overwhelming majority of police officers serve with honor and integrity;

Whereas: Across America racial profiling and stop and frisk policies alienate people in targeted communities–particularly our youth of color whose only substantive encounter with a law enforcement officer is too often to be pulled over for driving while brown or stopped and frisked for walking while black;

Whereas: We local elected officials are responsible to assure that our law enforcement officials are properly trained to safeguard the entire community;

Further: We recognize that to be effective in a community that the officers in the police force must reflect the diversity of that community;

Whereas: A national shift occurred post September 11, 2001 changing the emphasis in policing from community work toward militarization, ostensibly to fight drug cartels and terrorists. And that this shift has usurped many common sense community policing practices;

Whereas: We fully support the tenets of community policing where peace officers engage in outreach to neighborhoods, visit elementary schools, youth groups and local business and lead in the building of coalitions to promote safety;

Resolved: We as the elected leaders of our local communities recommit our communities to promoting meaningful community policing, improving training, and engaging with law enforcement officials and all members of our cities and towns to accomplish this end;

Further resolved: That we as local elected officials will seek to assure that the police force reflects the diverse racial, ethnic, gender, and religious make-up of our communities;

Be it further resolved: In concert with the DNC, we members of the Democratic Municipal Officials organization call for a national examination of the state of policing across America so that practices such as militarized policing are minimized; that there be an immediate end to racial profiling and that officers be appropriately trained to profile criminal behaviors, not personal characteristics such as race, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation or identity.

Resolution on the Taxpayer Empowerment Agenda

November 13th, 2013

Resolution: Taxpayer Empowerment, Transparency and Good Government in Municipal Outsourcing

WHEREAS: Public services and assets are the fabric that binds our communities together. They are also a ladder to the middle class; and

WHEREAS: Faced with severe budget problems in the wake of the Great Recession, state and local governments across America are handing over control of public services and assets to corporations that promise to operate them better, faster and cheaper; and

WHEREAS: Outsourcing these services and assets often fails to keep these promises, and too often it undermines transparency, accountability, shared prosperity and competition – the underpinnings of democracy itself; and

WHEREAS: Outsourcing means that taxpayers have less say over how future tax dollars are spent and have no ability to vote out executives who make decisions that could harm the public interest; and

WHEREAS, Outsourcing means taxpayers are often contractually limited to a single for-profit corporation.

WHEREAS, Outsourcing frequently means that wages and benefits for public service workers fall and the local economy suffers while corporate profits rise. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), has found that of the 5.4 million people working for federal service contractors in 2008, an estimated 80% earned below the living wage for their city or region. For-profit corporations are three times more likely than the public sector to employ workers at poverty-threshold wages; and two million private sector employees working for federal contractors earn less than $12/hour – too little to support a family. That’s more low wage workers than are employed by McDonalds and WalMart combined; and

WHEREAS: Outsourcing means that taxpayers often no longer know how their tax dollars are being spent. Meetings and records that used to be open to the public can become proprietary information when corporations take over; and

WHEREAS: The Taxpayer Empowerment Agenda is one model that may help ensure transparency, accountability, shared prosperity and competition in the operation of public services and assets; and

WHEREAS: Planks in the Taxpayer Empowerment Agenda would require governments to post information about their contracts online and require contractors to open their books to the public, ensure that governments have the capacity to adequately oversee contracts and to cancel contracts that fail to deliver on their promises, prohibit lawbreaking companies from getting government contracts, require contractors to pay their employees living wages and benefits, require competitive bidding on contracts, ban contracts that guarantee company profits at the expense of taxpayers and give public service works the opportunity to develop their own plan on how to deliver cost-effective, high quality services; and

WHEREAS: Recent polling shows that taxpayers oppose the outsourcing of public services and assets to for-profit companies and support these common sense controls to ensure that their interests are protected.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the National Democratic Municipal Officials Conference (DMO) opposes outsourcing of public services and assets that harms transparency, accountability, shared prosperity and competition and supports processes that give public service works the opportunity to develop their own plan on how to deliver cost-effective, high quality services, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the National Democratic Municipal Officials Conference (DMO) will assist in educating local officials about the Taxpayer Empowerment Agenda and will encourage their consideration of its provisions.

BE IN FINALLY RESOLVED: That the National Democratic Municipal Officials Conference (DMO) urges its members to introduce and advocate for responsible outsourcing legislation in their municipalities.

WHEREAS: Outsourcing means that taxpayers have less say over how future tax dollars are spent and have no ability to  vote out executives who make decisions that could harm the public interest; and
 
WHEREAS, Outsourcing means taxpayers are often contractually limited to a single for-profit corporation.
 
WHEREAS, Outsourcing frequently means that wages and benefits for public service workers fall and the local economy suffers while corporate profits rise. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), has found that of the 5.4 million people working for federal service contractors in 2008, an estimated 80% earned below the living wage for their city or region. For-profit corporations are three times more likely than the public sector to employ workers at poverty-threshold wages; and two million private sector employees working for federal contractors earn less than $12/hour – too little to support a family. That’s more low wage workers than are employed by McDonalds and WalMart combined; and
 
WHEREAS: Outsourcing means that taxpayers often no longer know how their tax dollars are being spent. Meetings and records that used to be open to the public can become proprietary information when corporations take over; and
 
WHEREAS: The Taxpayer Empowerment Agenda is one model that may help ensure transparency, accountability, shared prosperity and competition in the operation of public services and assets; and
 
WHEREAS: Planks in the Taxpayer Empowerment Agenda would require governments to post information about their contracts online and require contractors to open their books to the public, ensure that governments have the capacity to adequately oversee contracts and to cancel contracts that fail to deliver on their promises, prohibit lawbreaking companies from getting government contracts, require contractors to pay their employees living wages and benefits, require competitive bidding on contracts, ban contracts that guarantee company profits at the expense of taxpayers and give public service works the opportunity to develop their own plan on how to deliver cost-effective, high  quality services; and
 
WHEREAS: Recent polling shows that taxpayers oppose the outsourcing of public services and assets to for-profit companies and support these common sense controls to ensure that their interests are protected.
 
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the National Democratic Municipal Officials Conference (DMO) opposes outsourcing of public services and assets that harms transparency, accountability, shared prosperity and competition and supports processes that give public service works the opportunity to develop their own plan on how to deliver cost-effective, high quality services, and
 
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the National Democratic Municipal Officials Conference (DMO) will assist in educating local officials about the Taxpayer Empowerment Agenda and will encourage their consideration of its provisions.
 
BE IN FINALLY RESOLVED: That the National Democratic Municipal Officials Conference (DMO) urges its members to introduce and advocate for responsible outsourcing legislation in their municipalities.

Immigration, Refugees, Diversity, and Cities

DMO recognizes that America is a land of immigrants and an increasingly diverse nation which draws strength from that diversity.
 
America at our best and strongest has always been a welcoming nation which takes pride in serving and protecting all our citizens and residents regardless of race, religion, national origin, or ethnicity.

Our nation has a proud tradition of welcoming refugees from war, disaster, and even genocide to a new home of safety, opportunity, and community.

Further, when admitted through a well-managed and adequately resourced system, immigrants strengthen the United States by creating economic opportunities, increasing America’s scientific and cultural resources,
strengthening our ties with other nations, fulfilling humanitarian commitments, and supporting family ties and family values that are necessary to build strong communities.

DMO opposes any measures which target populations within our diverse communities for legal scrutiny or other challenges based on race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

We recognize that all within our communities are safer when victims and witnesses of domestic violence or criminal activity feel safe in contacting our police for assistance without fear, regardless of their immigration status.

DMO opposes any effort to push immigration law enforcement responsibilities down to the municipal or other local level. Immigration law is properly a national government responsibility. Cities and towns have serious and extensive community safety responsibilities, and resources should not be diverted from those to undertake work not appropriate for the local government level.

DMO opposes any efforts to tie municipal funding to local actions or policies regarding immigration. Cities and towns should never be expected to curtail our proper role of community-building and promotion of public safety and welfare in our diverse communities, in the service of politically motivated attacks on immigrants and religious minorities.
 
Instead, the current national environment of excessive fear and suspicion directed by the incumbent Administration toward immigrants, refugees, and other newcomers calls for cities and towns to reaffirm our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive community for all.

DMO supports comprehensive immigration reform which addresses the problems which have contributed to backlogs of immigration cases in need of resolution, and provides a pathway to legal status and citizenship for undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States, with appropriate conditions and safeguards such as those reflected in the 2017 NLC National Municipal Policy Book. In designing the details of reform, we should also take care not to place an excess financial burden on immigrants that will keep participation beyond their reach.

DMO encourages our members to lead their communities in taking actions like the following:
–Publicly affirm our welcoming and inclusive traditions, and opposition to discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
–Affirmatively reach out to immigrant and religious minority communities who may feel threatened by the current national political atmosphere, through public declarations of welcoming policies, community forums for respectful dialogue, and community-building events.
–Empower and direct local Human Relations offices and councils to study these issues and make further recommendations to the local elected boards for additional appropriate policies and programs to address these concerns.
–Decline to participate in voluntary federal programs which require local law enforcement agencies to become agents of immigration law enforcement.
–Work with local law enforcement leaders to see that sound community policing policies are in place and enforced, which ensure that victims and witnesses of domestic abuse, gang activity, and other crime feel safe in contacting law enforcement for help, without fear of action against themselves based on their immigration status.
–Advocate in opposition to policies and programs which harm local communities by breaking up families.
–Where any of these sound policies are prohibited or discouraged by state law, advocate for reform of the unwise law.
–Establish and support local human services programs (such as ESL programs) to assist the successful integration of new immigrants into productive places within our communities.
–Support programs for the resettlement of refugees within local communities, and assistance in their successful integration into American society.
–Work with law enforcement to ensure that programs such as DWI checkpoints and other location-specific policing activities avoid disparate impacts by race or ethnicity.
–Work with law enforcement to ensure that adequate policies and training are in place to avoid racial and ethnic profiling.

Affirmation of Principle of Local Democracy

Cities, towns, and counties represent the level of government closest to the people in a democracy. They serve as laboratories of public innovation, operating at the forefront of public policy-making that establishes minimum standards of protections and social progress for residents. They often deal with localized problems that require uniquely tailored solutions or an urgent community response. In order to serve the needs of the public in a democracy, local governments must have the authority to innovate, the power to address urgent problems and the license to act on a wide range of health, safety and social issues on behalf of the citizens of their communities and should not be preempted or unreasonably interfered with by state governments.  Attacks on this local authority to address public needs on a wide range of issues have been on the rise nationwide in recent years.

As an office holder or candidate for public office, I will support the principle of local control free from undue state intervention, and respect the authority of local governments to craft innovative and progressive solutions to meet the economic security, public safety, environmental, and human rights needs of their communities.