* Adopted by members 6/6/2022
 

Preamble
The United States and Oregon are at a crossroads.  Our political system is deeply polarized, and our governments are failing to address many of the biggest and most persistent problems we face. 

In order to set things right, we must reform our political system to make it more responsive to the concerns of ordinary citizens. Policymakers and our governments must do a better job of solving the problems that all of us see – the corruption of our political process; the failure to meaningfully address major societal problems (homelessness, housing affordability, and public safety are enduring examples). Other problems, like lack of access to mental health care, equitable wages, safe working conditions and basic mutual respect, have become even more evident.

 

The Independent Party of Oregon (IPO) is committed to ensuring that the blessings of liberty and prosperity are broadly shared. 

 

We are committed to policies that address the effects of rising heat and increasing fires on Oregon waterways, communities and forests.

We stand against extremism, crisis entrepreneurs, and those who seek to place private concerns above the public interest.  We support policies that are intended to meaningfully bring us together.  We will work toward  reconciliation and to ensure that mistakes of the past are not repeated.
 

Fundamental Personal Rights

 

A bedrock principle of the modern democratic tradition is the expansion of liberty to those that have been historically denied it.  

 

We support the modern understanding of the rights protected by the federal Bill of Rights and Oregon Constitution, including the important "unenumerated rights" involving personal liberty and dignity guaranteed to all by Oregon Constitution, Article I, § 33, and the Ninth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution:  

 

“The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.”

 

These natural rights include the right of people to speak, to vote freely, to marry, and to make intimate medical and family planning decisions without government interference.

We will support state laws and amendments to the Oregon Constitution, if necessary, to secure these rights for all Oregonians, should the US Supreme Court roll back existing federal Constitutional protections.

 

Government reform

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• We support 2022 and 2024 ballot initiatives or legislative action for statewide campaign contribution limits and truth in campaign advertising laws similar to those already passed by 87-89% of Multnomah County and Portland voters in 2016 and 2018.
   

• We support a 2024 ballot initiative to make Oregon’s system of elections more representative and fair by opening or eliminating the partisan primary election and using a more representative voting system (such as STAR voting or ranked choice voting) that more accurately translates voter preferences into election victories.
   

• We support the efforts of the Portland City Charter Commission to create a more representative system of government for the City of Portland, including multi-member commissioner districts and ranked choice voting. This could be a model for similar statewide reforms.
   

• We support modernizing the initiative and referendum processes (including an “Initiative Primary”), so that voters can actually vote on propositions they wish to consider.
   

Education
 

• We urge greater investment in mental health care training for providers who agree to work in Oregon communities that lack adequate mental health care access.
   

• We urge greater investment in regional vocational Career Technical Education centers to provide enhanced skills for electricians, mechanics, plumbers, wastewater engineers and other needed skills,
  as well as increased funding for fields related to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).
   

• We affirm our support for public education and respect for the role of teachers and other educators in the development of our children. 
   

Extremism

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• We oppose the use of violence, intimidation, misinformation, property destruction, threats and related forms of abuse for political or personal ends.
   

• We are concerned about the role of non-profit organizations, political committees and dark money groups in promulgating political extremist, anti-government and anarchist rhetoric in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.
   

Gun Rights
 

• We oppose local gun laws intended to prevent a district attorney, sheriff, or other local law enforcement, from enforcing state or federal laws.
   

Environment 
 

• We support policies to reduce emissions that cause climate change and policies to make our waterways and communities safer and more resilient to the impacts of rising heat, including forest fires, drought, and related problems associated with climate change.

 

• We support the creation of the Elliott State Research Forest from the Lands formerly made up of the Elliott State Forest (SB 1546).  We encourage the public purchase of Skyline Forest near Bend.
   

• We oppose the unlimited, exempt use of ground and surface water for large animal rearing facilities, especially when such facilities may affect neighboring agricultural uses or sensitive habitat.
   

• Policymakers should act from the premise that the United States has 2-4% of the world’s oil reserves but produces 20% of the world’s oil and consumes 20% of the world’s oil.
   

• We support the protection of Oregon forests from the impacts of climate change and the preservation and restoration of mature habitat and watersheds.
   

Gambling
 

• We recognize the role that Oregon’s federally recognized tribes and local small businesses play in our state’s gambling system and oppose further expansion of gambling outside of tribal casinos or traditional lottery outlets. 

 

• We oppose further expansion of state lottery gambling to handheld devices or other new means or methods or games.
   

Housing
 

• We support policies to make housing more affordable, including incentivizing the construction of below-market-rate housing and expanding Oregon’s inclusionary zoning laws to more categories of housing.
   

• We support protecting a limited mortgage interest deduction for first homes.  This deduction provides an opportunity for working people to build wealth through home ownership.  We support eliminating it for second or more homes.  At a time when many Oregonians cannot afford housing, we should not be subsidizing expensive or multiple homes for the same household with tax dollars.
   

Civil Rights
 

• We support the further restoration of traditional tribal lands from existing public lands and the restoration of tribal fishing rights within the waterways of Oregon.
   

• We support the creation of an Ombudsman in the Oregon Department of Labor to investigate citizen civil rights complaints not related to employment.
   

Memorials
 

• We support the establishment of a Memorial and naming of February 23rd as a date for the recognition of the Rogue River Trail of Tears.
   

• We support Oregon becoming the 7th US State to recognize January 30th as the Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution.