​2018 Maine GOP Platform

Generations of Americans have valiantly fought to preserve the Republic, our freedoms, and the American way of life. We appreciate and honor the service of active duty and reserve military, veterans, fire fighters, law enforcement, first responders and EMTs, and all those who serve our state and nation.  It is only by restoring the three primary core values of the United States of America, which are Liberty, In God We Trust, and E Pluribus Unum, that we can ensure moral and economic recovery.

I. This platform embraces principles and identifies actions to implement them.

1. We support and defend the Constitutions of the United States and of the State of Maine; they are the framework to which all legislation must adhere.

In order to define the specific policies encompassed by said constitutional principles, be it resolved:

II. The government of Maine exists to preserve and protect certain natural, inherent, and inalienable rights endowed by our Creator for the benefit, protection, and security of all citizens and future generations. To maintain these rights, we therefore pledge to:

1. Defend every person’s right, secured by the Maine and U.S. Constitutions, to freely exercise his or her religious beliefs as well as to speak and associate freely;
2. Defend the individual’s right to keep and bear arms as guaranteed by the Maine and U.S. Constitutions;
3. Defend the powers reserved to the State of Maine by the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

 III. Because the strength of Maine and the United States lies with the rights and responsibilities of the individual, we affirm that:

1. We support the freedom of Mainers to practice their faith and act in accordance with the dictates of their own consciences, not only in their houses of worship, but also in their everyday lives in the public forum and armed services;
2. We will protect the rights of all to freedom of speech, including on university campuses, regardless of the merits of the opinions expressed;
3. We believe the profits of an individual’s efforts and accumulation of private property belong to the individual;
4. We support the assimilation of legal immigrants into Maine society;
5. We affirm English as the official language of the State of Maine and the United States.

IV. Because capitalism and the free market system encourage individual initiative and a prosperous economy, we support:

1. Promoting economic prosperity through sound investment opportunity and a positive business climate;
2. Enacting “Right to Work” laws to better stimulate economic growth;
3. Providing health care through free market solutions;
4. Protecting ownership of private property, which is fundamental to liberty and a strong economy;
5. Implementing a comprehensive energy policy – removing government obstacles and reducing the cost of energy for Maine families and businesses;
6. Eliminating Maine’s income tax; and
7. Protecting the interests of American workers by mandating that employers in the State of Maine use the national internet-based E-verify system to verify the identity of prospective employees and their eligibility to work in the United States.

V. The most effective government is closest to the people and the least intrusive, therefore:

1. Any federal ownership or control of the Maine Woods should only occur with local consent from the state and local citizens;
2. Municipal Home Rule is to be honored and respected;
3. Individuals are responsible for decisions affecting their lives and well-being;
4. To maintain the safety-net for Maine’s most vulnerable, we support comprehensive welfare reform which offers a pathway to self-sufficiency and prioritizes resources and services for the elderly and the disabled;
5. We support local food rights and controls;
6. The integrity of the election process must be protected, accordingly the State of Maine should:

a. Adopt legislation that requires photo identification to vote in the State of Maine;
b. Repeal taxpayer funding for political campaigns, requiring instead that political candidates raise campaign funds in a manner that is both voluntary and transparent;
c. Repeal ranked choice voting.

VI. Education is the cornerstone to building a lasting prosperity within our future, therefore:

1. We support the restoration of local control in education as specified in the Maine Constitution and oppose federal control of education to include abolishing the Department of Education;
2. Parents have the right and responsibility to direct their children's education;
3. The best academic opportunities are made possible through educational choice;
4. The Maine State Government shall not support Common Core State Standards (CCSS), also referred to as Maine Learning Results, and any application of Proficiency Based Learning;
5. The Maine State Government shall eliminate the practice of standardized testing for the purpose of directing student learning without direct benefit to the student’s education;
6. Maine's colleges and universities should be marketplaces of ideas where any individual's political and religious beliefs may be expressed and shall be respected;
7. Maine's colleges and universities will not be exclusively taxpayer funded.

VII. Because the family is the foundation and strength of a stable society, the government must not interfere, but rather support and protect the integrity and rights of the family; therefore, we:

1. Promote family values;
2. Support defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman;
3. Believe parents – not government – are most capable and responsible to make decisions in the best interest of their minor children, including medical, disciplinary and educational decisions;
4. Believe in the sanctity of human life – from conception to natural death;
5. Support prohibiting the use of state funds for abortions or activities that run counter to the sanctity of human life;
6. Support faith-based family resources.

VIII. Fiscal restraint and accountability for all levels of government is paramount through:

1. Working to reduce spending at all levels of government, including federal, state, county, and local, in order to ensure fiscal stability and minimal debt for future generations;
2. Encouraging sound fiscal management to reduce the Maine tax burden, including fees;
3. Instituting zero based budgeting in all programs, and requiring the government and all agencies to adhere to the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

IX. Moving forward, Maine Republicans support the following initiatives and we encourage all Republican candidates to:

1.  Sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, and oppose any and all efforts to increase taxes and fees;
2.  Reduce the regulations and processes that have a negative impact and place undue burdens on private enterprise;
3.  Ensure environmental regulations are based upon sound science and recognize the value of Maine’s outdoor heritage;
4.  Conform the state tax code to the federal tax code to achieve fairness and equity;
5.  Repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obama Care) and all initiated components;
6.  Support mandatory minimum sentences to protect the innocent and the victims of crime;
7.  Support achieving effective and efficient state government;
8.  Hold accountable all state quasi-government authorities to the state legislature and the governor;
9.  Secure the U. S. borders in accordance with current Federal law;
10. Support an Article V convention limited to proposing amendments to the U.S. Constitution that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office for federal officials and members of Congress.
11. Support enforcement of all federal immigration laws by state and local government entities and require that such entities, to the full extent permitted by law, cooperate with federal law enforcement officials to keep dangerous aliens off our streets and to expedite expulsion of criminal aliens.

 Persistent vigilance by the people is necessary to preserve our American values. It is therefore incumbent on all of us to stay informed and involved in the American experience of self-governance. Those of us who have united behind the Republican banner invite you to join us in this task and support the Republican candidates for office that uphold these principles.

May God Bless America!