The Nebraska Democratic Party held our state convention on June 22-24, in Lincoln, where 372 Delegates from all across the state voted on Party business including electing State and Caucus Officers while passing changes to the NDP Constitution, Platform, and Resolutions.
We distributed a Democrats Believe message flyer for all delegates to bring back home to communicate our value. We also distributed a 2017-2018 Overview to show the great success over the last 18 months of hard work and focus on building the Party and electing Democrats.
The majority of delegates are now serving as Block Captains bringing our total across to state to 530 of grassroots Democrats knocking on the doors of 50 neighbors in their community this summer and fall to turn out the vote and get Nebraskans signed up to vote by mail.
State Party Officers
Chair Jane Kleeb and Vice-Chair Frank LaMere were re-elected to serve another term for the NDP and continue on as DNC Members.
“We are proud to lead the party during the 2018 election and as we start planning for 2020,” Kleeb said. “The over 500 Democratic candidates on the ballot are a testament to the enthusiasm on our side to end the one-party stranglehold on our state.”
“The re-election of Jane Kleeb and my return as associate chair makes my heart soar like a hawk. Will we celebrate? Perhaps so, but only for 10 minutes. Then, we will get about continuing to unify the NDP and build the foundation for huge Democratic wins in the Fall. Jane Kleeb has brought us to a realization that, with hard work and organization, we can compete,” said Frank LaMere.
Delegates also elected Preston Love, Jr. as the 2nd Associate Chair. Love is a longtime activist, North Omaha community leader, and founder of “Black Votes Matter” organization. Preston’s leadership term begins Nov. 30, 2018. Tom Tilden remains the 2nd Associate Chair for his full 2-year term which ends Nov. 30, 2018.
Patty Zieg and Ron Kaminski, our national committeewoman and committeeman, were not up for election this year since these positions on the DNC are 4 year terms.
Caucus and Congressional District Officers
Congressional District Caucuses elected their new Chairs:
John Yoakum, Chair of the Congressional District 1 Caucus
Ben Cass, Chair of the Congressional District 2 Caucus
Judy Vohland, Chair of the Congressional District 3 Caucus
Caucuses elected their new leadership teams including:
Bud Pettigrew, Chair of Chairs
Kimara Snipe, Black Caucus Chair
Edison McDonald, Interfaith Caucus Chair
Dulce Sherman, Latinx Caucus Chair
Adrian Sanchez, Disabilities Caucus Chair
Joe Shaw, LGBTQIA Caucus Chair
Mechelle Sky Walker, Native American Caucus Chair
Dustin Jennings, Veterans Caucus Chair
Janet Stewart, Women’s Caucus Chair
CJ King, Working Families Caucus Chair
Sam Bauman, Young Democrats President
Doc Moore, Rural/Ag Caucus Chair
Gina Frank, Climate Caucus Chair
NDP Platform 2018-2020
We passed a progressive and inclusive Nebraska Democratic Party Platform as a clear message to all Nebraskans where we stand on critical issues.
Nebraska Democrats grow the good life for all Nebraskans. We believe in a government that works for the many, not a few corporate interests.
Read the entire 2018 – 2020 NDP Platform
The State Party Platform is debated and voted on every two years at the State Convention. The Committee in charge of the Platform held meetings in each Congressional district to get feedback in addition to significant online submissions for changes. The Platform Committee held a 4-hour meeting for all Delegates to come and discuss the proposal in person before we debated and approved the document.
Highlights of the NDP Platform:
For the first time, we stated in clear terms that we reject corporate PAC contributions from interests that conflict with our Platform such as the fossil fuel, tobacco, alcohol, gun manufacturing and payday lending industries, allowing Nebraska Democrats to stay consistent with our beliefs.
Democrats believe healthcare is a right and support the expansion of Medicaid and programs to cover all Americans including Medicare for All.
We oppose the death penalty.
We want laws in place that fully fund our public schools. Further, we support academic freedom and free speech rights.
Property rights are a fundamental issue we must protect for all Nebraska landowners, farmers, ranchers, and homeowners. We oppose eminent domain for private gain.
The government of the United States of America should recognize Native People’s sovereignty, dignity, and equality, and should honor all portions of Treaties with Native and Indigenous Peoples
The gun reform planks are strong, common sense and in line with public health recommendations from the American Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics.
Our planks on reproductive health are strong and clear–access to birth control must be expanded, Title X centers must be funded and abortion must remain safe and legal.
Nebraska Democrats will fight to end institutional and systemic Sexism, Sexual Assault or Sexual Harassment in our society.
We support the repeal of Citizens United.
Democrats understand that climate change is occurring, and is an ongoing, urgent threat, and a defining challenge of our time. This means transitioning from fossil fuels to clean energy while also protecting the Ogallala Aquifer.
We welcome immigrants. We oppose merit-based immigration, a wall, Muslim travel ban and the separation of families.
We support workers rights to unionize and believe programs like publicly funded child care centers can help families.
The Nebraska Democratic Party is committed to removing the barriers of systemic and institutional racism and believes Black Lives Matter.
We want to expand trade with our international allies knowing our Agricultural exports of food, fiber and biofuels which are the backbone to Nebraska’s economy.
We believe tax revenues from the sale of safe and recreational cannabis will help reduce reliance on property taxes.
Democrats support the civil and human rights and safe environments for all people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and expression. We do not believe that religious freedom equates to any right to discriminate.
Read the entire 2018 – 2020 NDP Platform Final
Resolutions
We also passed a series of resolutions, click here to read all the resolutions:
-Support for the Unity Reform recommendations to the DNC to reform Superdelegates, Primaries, Caucuses and Transparency of the Democratic Party
-Support of De-escalation of Nuclear Threats
-Support of Dreamers
-Support for Asylee Immigrant Families and Ending Trump’s Family Separation Policy (for more info, NDP SCC Member Cherie Clark suggests reading https://www.asil.org/sites/default/files/benchbook/humanrights4.pdf and https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1158)
-Call to Voters to Sign and Vote for Medicaid Expansion
-Oglala Lakota Nation Restoration
-Honoring Lynn Redding as the Heart and Soul of the NDP
