UPDATED: At its convention last weekend, the state Democratic Party endorsed 77 resolutions -- much of them aligned with party policy positions but more than a few on the partisan fringes, such as advocating for the legalization of medicial marijuana, a single-payer health care system and the repeal of a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
Put simply: enough fodder to keep Democratic political critics well fed. Republican Pat McCrory ran into trouble when he supported a state GOP resolution opposing Agenda 21. And while Democratic gubernatorial nominee Walter Dalton didn't go out of his way to endorse any of the resolutions, he's likely to face some questions. (See the full list here.)
One resolution calls on Gov. Bev Perdue to grant pardons to the Wilmington 10 -- a move her office has yet to act upon weeks after the pardon papers were filed -- and another opposing fracking, a bill headed to the governor's desk.
Among the others:
--the abandonment of nuclear energy as part of the U.S. energy policy
--a request to President Barack Obama and the state's U.S. senators to "bring war dollars home"
--banning puppy mills in North Carolina
--abolish the death penalty
--demanding collective bargaining rights for workers
--opposing state-level immigration reforms, and urging Congress to make the issue a top priority
--supporting the creation of a cabinet level Department of Peace and Nonviolence
--public campaign financing for all races, instead of private campaign contributions.
The only resolution that didn't pass: a controversial document calling for "just peace in the Middle East." It condemned Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine and U.S. aid for the country and asked N.C. federal lawmakers to speak out on the issue. The resolution was tabled and referred to the state's executive committee.
For those interested, here's a link to the party's platform, too.
Editor's note: This post was corrected to say the party favors legalizing medicial marijuana.
