2023

Supporting Federally Recognized Heritage and Pride Months

WHEREAS, California has been stewarded by Indigenous people for 20,000 years and California has Indigenous names (e.g., Temecula means ‘place of the sun’ in Luiseño) and California has both a long Indigenous and Hispanic history and heritage; and

WHEREAS, California is currently the most diverse state in the United States with a population that is 10% LGBTQIA+, 15% Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), 27% immigrant, 40% Latino/a/e/x, 51% female and 65% Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC); and

WHEREAS, multiple local Republican led California city councils, school boards, and boards of supervisors such as Temecula City Council, Shasta Board of Supervisors and Huntington Beach City Council have recently opposed recognized heritage months like Native, Asian, Black, Hispanic, Women’s and LGBTQIA+ Pride and heritage months;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Riverside County Democratic Party acknowledges that without BIPOC, female and LGBTQIA+ labor, ingenuity and expertise, California would not be a leader in higher education, entertainment, technology, tourism or agriculture; nor would it be the world’s 4th largest economy; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Riverside County Democratic Party acknowledges all federally recognized heritage months (Native, Asian Pacific, Black, Women’s and Pride) and opposes Republican officials who erase the contributions of BIPOC, female and LGBTQIA+ Americans and Californians from our history.

Author(s): Dr. Jenn Carson, DSW, AD-61
Sponsored By: Riverside County Democratic Party Supporter(s): Gracie Torres, AD-63, Maya Rodriguez, AD-60, Tami Sims, AD-71, Nina Hiers, AD-60, Nathan Kempe, AD-58, Christel Reyna, AD-63, Judy Rice, AD-60, Beth Crawford, AD-71, Martha Howard, AD-71, Sylvia Carrillo, AD-47, Michelle Singleton, AD-63, Lisa Andres, AD-63, Sheila Riley, AD-58, Susan Dye, AD-71, Fran Anderson, AD-63, Elle (Ellen) Kurpiewski, AD-47/Region 19 Director, Maliha Williamson, AD-63, and Steve Crawford, AD-47

Support of SEIU Local 1000 State Workers During Their Contract Campaign

WHEREAS, the SEIU Local 1000 represents over 90,000 state workers, and these hardworking individuals deserve a contract that reflects the important work they do every day to keep California moving forward; and

WHEREAS, state workers in California play a critical role in the functioning of our state and are essential to the success of California’s economy, which is the world’s fourth largest; and

WHEREAS, 65% of state workers are people of color and women, and their contributions to California must be acknowledged and valued by attaining a good contract from the state;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Riverside County Democratic Party expresses its strong support for the state workers represented by SEIU Local 1000 in their efforts to secure a fair contract that recognizes their important contributions to our state; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Riverside County Democratic Party calls on the state government to prioritize the needs and well-being of state workers and to work towards a contract that fairly compensates these essential employees for their hard work and dedication.

Author(s): Colleen Wallace, AD-47

Sponsor(s): Riverside County Democratic Party, San Bernardino County Democratic Party, San Diego County Democratic Party, Los Angeles County Democratic Party, Greater Ontario Democratic Club, Chino Valley Democratic Club, Democratic Club of Claremont, Tri-Counties Democratic Club

Support Of A Health-Based, Rather Than Punitive-Based, Approach to Drug Addiction

WHEREAS, drug addiction and overdoses are serious problems; and

WHEREAS, current criminal drug laws ruins lives; make access to treatment and recovery difficult, dangerous, and expensive; distort the priorities of law enforcement; and are deeply inequitable, disproportionately targeting and impacting people of color and/or in poverty; and

WHEREAS, California needs a health-based approach to addiction and overdose by expanding access to drug treatment, which is more effective, humane, and cost-effective than criminal punishment;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Riverside County Democratic Party supports the decriminalization of the personal possession of small amounts of controlled substances by reducing felony possession laws, which prevent people from getting housing, jobs, student loans, professional licenses and more, to infractions; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, by the Riverside County Democratic Party that the screening, health assessment, treatment and recovery services for drug addiction be available to all, regardless of income, who need and want access to those services.

Author(s): Lanny Swerdlow, RN LNC, AD47
Sponsored By: Riverside County Democratic Party

Stop California Law Enforcement from Purchasing & Collecting Biometric & Personal Data Without a Warrant

WHEREAS federal law protects biometric and personal data from being directly collected by traditional law enforcement means without a warrant, it does not stop law enforcement from obtaining this data indirectly via payment to the owner of a health app that tracks menstruation or ovulation, a location tracker for sex workers to check in with peers, social media platforms or other data brokers; and

WHEREAS ample documentation exists that the loophole for law enforcement, to use a credit card instead of a warrant, is being exploited to target marginalized communities, our undocumented, unhoused, disabled and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities; and

WHEREAS law enforcement purchasing and collecting of biometric and personal data in California without a warrant is a direct violation of the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Riverside County Democratic Party opposes the practice of purchasing and collecting biometric and personal data by law enforcement in California without a warrant.

Author: Edison Gómez-Krauss, AD 36
Sponsored By: Riverside County Democratic Part

Passed October 9, 2023

Right-Wing School Boards’ Attack on the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and LGBTQIA+ Communities

WHEREAS, school boards such as the Temecula Valley Unified School Board, the Chino Valley Unified School Board, and the Placentia Yorba Linda Unified School Board have attempted to erase African American, Native American, Asian American, Latino, Women’s, and LGBTQIA+ history under the guise of a K-12 Ban on Critical Race Theory, an academic concept taught to law students, not to school children; and

WHEREAS, ‘Anti-Critical Race Theory’ (‘Anti-CRT’) and Don’t Say Gay’ activists around the country have banned books like “Ruby Bridges Goes to School,” “The March on Washington,” “Kite Runner,” “Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag” and even books about menstruation like, “Go with the Flow”; and

WHEREAS, “Parent Revolt,” a project of the California Republican Party, is focused on recruiting Republican candidates to run for school boards to conduct similar bans in 10,000 California schools serving 9 million children (mostly children of color);

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Riverside County Democratic Party opposes Republican efforts to use school boards as a platform to promote homophobic ‘Don’t Say Gay’ restrictions and alternative facts about systemic racism; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Riverside County Democratic Party supports diversity, equity, inclusion, culturally responsive teaching, and anti-bias and anti-racism initiatives in schools to build a more equitable future.

Author(s): Dr. Jenn Carson, DSW, AD-61
Sponsored By: Riverside County Democratic Party