Republican Party
Jefferson County, Oregon
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Our platform outlines our guiding principles, which define the role and scope of Government, the
protection of individual rights, and the responsibilities we have to ourselves and our fellow citizens.
Together, we are committed to building a future of which we can all be proud.
We, the Republican Party of Oregon stand for our country as one nation under God, for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
All Oregonians deserve the opportunity, through hard work and perseverance, to build a more prosperous future for themselves, their families, and their communities, without the excessive burden of government.
We welcome and encourage all citizens to join our party and work with us to restore political balance by forming a coalition of free–thinking and diverse voters that will elect candidates who align with our ideals.
The Oregon Republican Party believes the U.S. Constitution and the Oregon Constitution are the highest laws of the land, and that all other laws must be consistent with them; that laws for the punishment of crime shall be founded on these principles: protection of society, personal
responsibility, accountability for one’s actions, and reformation; to preserve and protect the rights of crime victims.
2.1 We support the highest budget prioritization for the funding of public safety with
appropriate truth in sentencing and mandatory minimum sentences; using enforcement as
a deterrent, including the use of the death penalty.
2.2 We believe all courts should exercise judicial restraint, not activism when interpreting our
Constitutions and statutes. We support election and appointment of justices who support
the US and Oregon Constitutions.
2.3 We support an individual’s right to privacy, specifically including personal possessions
and electronic records from unlawful surveillance, search, or seizure, unless authorized by
a specific warrant or detainer based on due process or probable cause, and that is not in
conflict with the US or Oregon Constitutions.
2.4 Oregon residents shall be given the full justice of the civil court system, including equal
discovery rights and a fair hearing, before an administrative agency can revoke rights,
institute fines, or invoke other penalties.
2.5 While respecting the rights of victims and ensuring offender accountability, we support
preventative measures for addiction, mental health, chronic homelessness, and other
social conditions that contribute to crimes or other violations of law so that solutions can
be implemented.
2.6 We believe in the right of individual owners to be secure in their property and personal
effects. We oppose legal system overreach such as civil asset forfeiture, indefinite
confiscation of evidence, and eminent domain seizures where property is transferred to a
third party.
2.7 We support Oregon public safety officers, but seek to promote traditional conceptions of
locally-based officers serving their communities, and condemn political interference in law
enforcement decisions, including responses to lawful public protests in Oregon.
2.8 We support the local Sheriff as being the highest law enforcement authority within each
county.
2.9 We believe public officials have a duty to enforce the law. The officials who do not live up
to their oath of office deny constitutional rights to the voters.
2.10 We do not support the use of hate speech laws to criminalize free speech.
The Oregon Republican Party believes that free market capitalism, private property rights,
low taxation, minimal regulation, and limited government intervention are the foundations
of a vibrant and prosperous economy.
3.1 In order for a free economy to exist, government should recognize the supremacy of
individuals and corporations to enter into contracts with one another, free from
interference.
3.2 The supply and demand for goods, services, and labor costs shall be determined by the
free market. Government must not create, own, operate, subsidize or assume control of
any private business, nor be party to any enterprise which should be operated privately.
Government-provided services should not create undue burdens on the free market or
business and industry.
3.3 We believe in the right to work. Employees should be free to choose whether or not to join
a union as a condition of employment. Employers should be allowed to hire the best-
qualified employees.
3.4 Private property rights (including, but not limited to, water, mineral, land sales, and
development rights) are the wellspring of economic prosperity. Private property owners
should be fairly compensated for any regulations that diminish property values.
3.5 We believe a vibrant economy will flourish when the Federal Reserve is not allowed to
weaken sound money and interfere with free market financial returns. We advocate for an
annual audit of the Federal Reserve system by the General Accounting Office (GAO).
3.6 We believe that no corporation should be above the law. We do not support bailouts;
businesses should be allowed to succeed or fail.
3.7 Oregon governments need to aggressively manage their spending and reduce all forms of
debt, primarily Public Employee Retirement System (PERS) unfunded liability, in order for
a prosperous economy to exist.
3.8 Adequate supply of affordable homes, defined as homes that do not require more than
25%-30% of the net discretionary income of residents in the local area, is desirable for a
healthy economy. We support reviewing, repealing, and reforming overly restrictive land
use laws and plans to allow and develop broader based options.
3.9 Whereas excessive taxation leads to unemployment and poverty, we believe that Oregon
tax policy should benefit Oregonians directly and not serve as publicity for issues deemed
national or international.
The Oregon Republican Party believes that all children deserve a quality education. Parents and legal guardians have the primary right and responsibility to educate their children in the manner they choose. We must improve our education system in partnership with parents/guardians so that our children have the opportunity and tools to be successful in life.
4.1 Teaching the basic principles of our constitutional republic using accurate, unbiased
history is an essential foundation of education.
4.2 We support daily recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and educational activities that
promote pride in America and respect for its flag in our schools.
4.3 All students shall be brought to English proficiency.
4.4 We support educational choice, free of government interference. We believe competition
is the most effective mechanism for improving schools. Funding shall support all parental
options and shall be a top legislative priority.
4.5 We support local school boards setting rigorous standards for education policy,
curriculum, and testing. Local jurisdictions shall be allowed to opt out of State mandates.
4.6 Schools must provide information and opportunities to support technical, trade, and
military careers. Critical thinking skills need to be developed.
4.7 We support using competition, technology, market forces, and partnerships with faith-
based groups and private industries to provide quality education.
4.8 It is the role of parents or legal guardians to direct topics of education concerning human
sexuality, sexually transmitted diseases, birth control, ethics, and moral values.
Governmental or public agencies shall obtain written permission before discussing sex
and/or gender-related subjects with minor age children and shall not penalize families for
opting out.
4.9 Parents or legal guardians are the final authority in deciding what is best for their
children; they must receive full disclosure and give written permission before any
healthcare services, outside referrals, content, or materials are distributed to their
children. No person shall be forced to undergo any healthcare services as a condition of
school enrollment or attendance.
4.10 No person shall be forced to share a restroom, locker-room, or shower with a person of
the opposite biological sex. Attempts shall be made to provide appropriate facilities for all
individuals
Oregon’s natural resources, when managed responsibly, are vital to our state’s environment,
economy, and prosperity. We believe that our government exists by the consent of the governed and support the free market system with minimal regulation. We believe that individual property owners and local citizens are the best stewards of our natural resources.
5.1 We support multiple uses of our public lands and waters with minimal government
interference. This includes, but is not limited to, agriculture, logging, mining, tourism,
power generation, recreation, and commercial fishing.
5.2 We support and encourage the transfer of federally administered lands to local control, as
provided for in the Act of Congress Admitting Oregon into the Union of 1859 (Enabling
Act).
5.3 We strongly support and encourage the use of the coordination process, as defined by the
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, by local governments to ensure federal
projects are consistent with local plans, economy, culture, and history.
5.4 The American Antiquities Act of 1906 was adopted to protect antiquities and should not
be used as a tactic by public officials to take private lands or restrict the use of public
lands. We oppose the withdrawal, use, or taking of public lands to create wilderness,
monument, or any other restrictive categories without approval from Congress and
approval of the people of Oregon. We oppose any land management agency denying
access to, or use of, publicly owned lands by temporary administrative restrictions such
as “in support of pending legislation.”
5.5 We support the State’s primacy over the Federal Government in relation to state waters.
5.6 Water rights are real property rights and we support the constitutional protection of
surface and groundwater rights. We support the right to collect rainwater from roofs on
private property.
5.7 All hydropower in Oregon is renewable energy. We oppose the breaching of dams and
encourage expanded water storage capacity, including groundwater recharge, to provide
adequate water resources and flood control. We support the installation of fish passage
systems on all existing dams on anadromous waterways.
5.8 We support and promote the security of individual property rights and oppose the taking
of private property without just compensation.
5.9 We respect the right of private landowners to take reasonable steps necessary to protect
their property and we support adjusting the laws to respect those rights.
5.10 We oppose the sale of Oregon mineral resources, such as uranium or strategic rare earth
minerals, to foreign interests that may use such substances to endanger national security.
5.11 We support the constitutional protection of private property rights, including the rights of
prospectors and small-scale miners.
5.12 We oppose international environmental treaties or agreements with organizations using
environmental issues for social engineering and/or global control.
5.13 We believe individuals have the right to protect themselves, their livestock, and
domesticated animals from predators, regardless of the predators’ species federal or state
protection status.
5.14 We oppose reintroduction or protection of any fish, wildlife, or plant species in Oregon
unless there is valid, peer-reviewed scientific data and the consent of state and local
government.
5.15 We oppose the use of the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA), to recover any attorney fees
for natural resources advocacy groups.
5.16 We support and recognize the Oregon and California Revested Lands Sustained Yield
Management Act of 1937 (popularly known as the O&C Act) as being vital to Oregon’s
economy and schools and oppose set-asides that remove public land from sustained-yield
timber production.
5.17 We believe Oregon can have both clean air and a healthy community with fair and
reasonable air quality regulations. We do not support regulations that cause undue
burdens to Oregon businesses.
5.18 We support removing the authority of regional government or service districts over local
cities and counties.
5.19 We support the delisting of species protected by the State or Federal Government at the
earliest opportunity, based on the complete and timely implementation of the recovery
plans or if there is a low probability of recovery.
5.20 The lack of healthy forest management has devastated Oregon communities. We support
increased timber harvest on public lands that is scientifically based on a sustained yield
basis. We support the streamlined reduction of hazardous fuels and expedited harvesting
of burned timber resources to reduce future wildfire hazard and intensity on publicly
managed lands.
5.21 We recognize geothermal and nuclear energy as market based, efficient, alternative
energy sources and support their development with proper safe storage of spent fuel.
The Oregon Republican Party believes that the traditional family, formed through the marriage of one man and one woman, is ordained by God our Creator and is the foundation of our society. This environment is optimal for raising children to be responsible, self‐sufficient, productive citizens.
6.1 Government intervention involving the family must be kept to an absolute minimum and
be subject to due process.
6.2 Marriage is between one man and one woman.
6.3 Every person has a fundamental right to life that begins at conception and endures to the
natural conclusion of life. We strongly oppose abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, and
assisted suicide, including any government funding of these deadly practices.
6.4 We advocate for adoption and life-affirming pregnancy resources.
6.5 We advocate for a child’s health, well-being, and security. When judicial due process
determines parents to be unfit to raise children, state and local governments have the
responsibility to intervene. In those cases, the grandparents or other immediate family
members shall be given first consideration for guardianship.
6.6 We support measures that will protect the integrity of the family from matters that
contribute to its breakdown. We oppose all forms of sexual exploitation, including gender
reassignment, human trafficking, pornography, and prostitution.
6.7 There are only two sexes, male and female, based on a person’s biological sex at birth. We
oppose unassigned gender identity at birth. We encourage the natural expression of those
genders, masculine and feminine. We affirm that both are valuable in the raising of
children.
6.8 We value senior citizens and recognize that their life experiences, institutional knowledge,
wisdom, and continuing contributions to society are invaluable.
The Oregon Republican Party believes that all foreign policy decisions must adhere to the United States Constitution and be based upon the security, vital national interests, sovereignty, and well-being of the United States.
7.1 We support providing foreign aid only to nations and groups actively working in
support of our interests.
7.2 We support the promotion of American principles such as individual liberty and
human rights. We support measures that oppose genocide, abortion, and religious
and political persecution.
7.3 We believe in the sovereignty of all nations and reject nation building. Peaceful, free
nations should not be deprived of the right to defend their continued existence and
independence.
7.4 We stand with and support the sovereign right to exist of threatened countries such
as Israel, Taiwan, South Korea, and Ukraine. We support continued arms sales to
Taiwan and recognize our agreements and obligations to defend Taiwan against
Chinese aggression. We believe the United States’ “one China” policy must evolve
into a “one democratic China” policy.
7.5 We recognize that violent, radical, Islamic Jihadists and other groups have, by their
actions, declared war on America and that the U.S. Government needs to be clear
about this. We believe that a criminal justice approach to combating terrorist acts
of war is insufficient and we support using all constitutional means available and
necessary to combat and end this threat. The United States must not tolerate
terrorist actions or nations that enable terrorism. This in no way legitimizes
depriving U.S. citizens of their constitutional rights.
7.6 The US Constitution is the supreme law of the land; therefore, the United States shall
defend its sovereignty and is solely responsible for its national defense, free from
foreign interference. We oppose programs such as the United Nations Agenda 2030,
and related initiatives to cede jurisdiction or to relinquish any control over the
United States, its citizens, military, territories, or resources. We also oppose
initiatives to cede taxing authority, in violation of the U.S. Constitution, to any world
body such as the United Nations, the World Court, the International Monetary Fund
or the World Trade Organization. We oppose United Nation efforts to subvert our
Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.
7.7 We urge the continued development of advanced military weapon systems to
protect our national infrastructure and citizenry and to maintain the technical and
military superiority of the United States.
7.8 We affirm that the President of the United States must adhere to the constitutional
separation of powers by seeking and receiving Congressional authorization for any
act of war and by seeking and receiving Senate approval for any treaty.
7.9 We support national initiatives to profoundly improve cyber-security at all levels.
We believe foreign-initiated cyber-attacks, including election interference, should
be countered with appropriate active responses, including consequences for nation-
states that host, sponsor, or for any reason fail to end these attacks and bring the
perpetrators to justice.
7.10 We stand with the people of Hong Kong in their quest for freedom and liberty. We
demand that China adhere to the treaty governing the transfer of Hong Kong from
British to Chinese jurisdiction. We support President Trump linking Chinese trade
policy to the Hong Kong situation.
The Oregon Republican Party believes in limited, accountable, efficient, and transparent government at all levels, which performs its core constitutional functions in accordance with the highest ethical standards. We expect that all levels of government operate within a zero-based balanced budget rather than based on previous budgets.
Families and individuals have the sole responsibility and right to make their own healthcare decisions. A free market system of health insurance and health care delivery is the surest way to provide high-quality, affordable, physical and mental health care that preserves individual freedom and privacy. We advocate the protection of the physician-patient relationship, the promotion of competition and the provision of individual freedom.
9.1 We support the fundamental and inalienable right of an individual, family, or group to
seek out and pursue the health care services of their choosing, with full informed
consent and without government retribution.
9.2 We support the elimination of government barriers, incentives, or mandates that limit an
individual’s health coverage options (insurance, sharing networks, self-insured, etc.) or
increase the costs for individuals, families, groups, and employers.
9.3 We support the full repeal of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care
Act and oppose any efforts to implement similar provisions at the state level.
9.4 The abortion industry has ignored, covered up, and denied the health care risks
that abortion causes. We promote pursuing full disclosure of all known risks,
complications, and causal links of abortion.
The Oregon Republican Party recognizes that securing our national borders is essential to ensure the sovereignty and safety of our state. We encourage legal immigration, assimilation, and value the many contributions of legal immigrants.
10.1 All state and local government agencies and elected officials shall work with and support
federal agencies to enforce immigration laws. We oppose the designation of the state of
Oregon or any jurisdiction within as a sanctuary for illegal aliens.
10.2 Verification of employment eligibility by eVerify is mandatory and violations by
employers must be prosecuted without exception.
10.3 All government business shall be conducted in English.
10.4 Taxpayer-funded public services, privileges, and entitlements shall not be provided to
illegal aliens, with the exception of life-saving emergency medical services.
The Oregon Republican Party agrees with our nation’s founders that our unalienable rights are
endowed by our Creator and that government without the consent of the governed is tyranny. No government shall infringe upon our individual rights and freedoms such as bodily autonomy from conception to natural death, medical freedom, and private property. Nor shall government infringe upon the security of our private communications, transactions, or movements. We affirm that the powers of the Federal Government are limited to those enumerated in the U.S. Constitution and restricted by the 9th and 10th Amendments and subject to rescission under Article 5.
We advocate limiting the scope and jurisdiction of the Federal Government, addressing abuses in the commerce and general welfare clauses, and term limits on all unelected and elected federal officials.
We support placing a reasonable limit on the number of bills that are submitted in the Oregon
Legislature during each legislative session in order that state legislators have the time to give due and proper consideration to each of them. We further believe that bills in the legislature should be simple, succinct, and single subject, as per Oregon Constitution Article 4, Section 21. Oregon Republicans will support any and all efforts to end the abuse of the emergency clause that deliberately shuts out voter participation in the legislative process.
The Oregon Republican Party believes rules and regulations are to support the laws passed by the legislative bodies and shall not impose undue burden or loss of freedoms to individuals, families, or commerce.
13.1 We support rules and regulations that promote confidence in our economy while
protecting free enterprise and personal freedom.
13.2 We support rules and regulations that are succinct and are not used punitively or
subjectively.
The US and Oregon Constitutions guarantee the unalienable right of all people to use any reasonable and necessary force to defend their homes, protect themselves, others, and their property without fear of criminal or civil reprisal. All law-abiding citizens have the right to keep and bear arms in a manner of their choosing without government interference. Such rights shall not be infringed upon.
Each Oregon educational facility should encourage trained district personnel to be armed in order to protect themselves and their students from violence.
We oppose gun free zones.
We believe that to protect the value of each Oregon vote, every voter must prove one’s United States citizenship, Oregon residency, and legal voting age of 18.
We believe citizenship, rather than residency, should be the basis for apportionment of representation within Oregon. Valid voter registration should be based on an actual individual choice to register. All phases of election operations shall be transparent. We support all measures to ensure timely delivery of ballots to all military personnel and to Oregon citizens living internationally. Penalties for election law violations must be severe and consistently and strictly enforced. Primary elections shall be bound to party membership.
We oppose ranked-choice voting. The citizens’ right to initiative, referendum and recall shall not be restricted.
In support of the United States Constitution, we oppose the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, in order to preserve and protect the Electoral College.
The Oregon Republican Party supports a strong military which is the means to maintain our
country’s freedom. We support Veterans and military families and honor them for their sacrifices.
16.1 We support the best available training and equipment for our military personnel.
16.2 We support our Veterans and family members receiving the highest quality of timely
medical care from the medical practitioner of each Veterans’ choosing, whether from the
Veterans’ Administration or private practice.
16.3 We support Veterans through the utilization of community and/or faith-based programs
to assist Veterans transitioning into civilian life; this includes programs for suicide
prevention, domestic violence, mental health services, and substance abuse counseling.
16.5 We support vocational, apprenticeship, and educational programs which assist Veterans in
their training for the careers of today and tomorrow.
16.6 We support protecting Second Amendment rights of Veterans.
16.7 We encourage Oregon state/local agencies and businesses to hire Veterans.
Government must conduct all business in an honest, fully transparent, and accountable manner. The people of Oregon and its elected representatives must be fully empowered to examine, investigate, act to expose, and end public corruption, secrecy, and abuse of the public trust. When corruption has been identified an effective remedy must be implemented. We believe that satisfying public record requests is a core function of all levels of government at a reasonable cost and in a timely manner. Government accountability must be regular, independent, impartial, free of collusion, and made publicly available.
17.1 The vote on initiatives or referendums passed or rejected by the people should not be
overturned by a vote of the legislature.
Freedom of religion and the rights of conscience are unalienable rights ordained by God, our
Creator and are the foundation of our society which no Government can limit or remove.
Thus, every person and/or individual in the capacity of a business shall be protected by law from any government-imposed sanctions or reprisals if they conscientiously object to participating in actions that conflict with their sincerely held moral or religious beliefs.
The protections include expressing beliefs, acting upon, or refraining from acting against those beliefs. Laws, consistent with the U.S. Constitution, shall accommodate and protect these rights.
The Oregon Republican Party believes that an essential role of a limited government is to provide for public safety through effective preparedness for and reduction of the impact on the civilian population, infrastructure, private property, and the economy of disasters, both natural and man-made, and to maximize the speed of recovery, prioritizing citizens first and environmental considerations second, and with special attention to the needs of vulnerable populations.
19.1 We urge that all necessary actions be taken at all levels of government to harden
and actively protect our energy and communications infrastructure from all threats
and that urgent steps be taken to guarantee a rapid recovery from any outage.
19.2 We urge the maintenance and quick restoration of vital logistical, transit, and
emergency service systems essential to the movement of vital supplies and services.
19.3 We support preventive measures and severe criminal penalties with aggressive
prosecution of anyone attempting mass cyber-attacks on our state’s infrastructure,
businesses, and citizens.
19.4 We support taking steps to ensure access to drinkable water by hardening our water
purification infrastructure against all threats, including emergency backup water and
purification supplies for distribution.
19.5 We call upon state and local governments and communities to plan for adequate supplies
of food and medicine sufficient to sustain our state for at least 30 days.
19.6 We advocate for adequate plans ready to implement backup voice and data
communications options that can serve until services can be restored.
19.7 We support realistic, fully resourced, and tested “all hazards” mitigation, emergency
operations, and continuity of government plans to cope with all catastrophic events.
19.8 We support proactive wildfire threat reduction efforts, and the allocation of sufficient
resources to successfully fight multiple wildfires simultaneously. We call for an end to “let
it burn” policies.
19.9 We support aggressive public information campaigns to train and educate citizens on the
need for personal responsibility and self-reliance in the event of a disaster.
