riversidecostg

OPPOSITION TO THE UNLAWFUL DETENTION AND DEPORTATION OF INDIVIDUALS LEGALLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES

WHEREAS the Trump administration has repeatedly weaponized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to target individuals for their political expression, detain legal residents without judicial oversight, and obstruct access to legal representation—actions that constitute clear violations of the First Amendment (freedom of speech), Fourth Amendment (protection against unlawful searches and seizures), Fifth Amendment (right to due process), and Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection under the law); and

WHEREAS multiple lawful permanent residents and other individuals legally present in the United States—including Mahmoud Khalil, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, and Rumeysa Ozturk—have been wrongfully apprehended, held without judicial warrants or charges, denied access to counsel, subjected to prolonged detention and forced removal, or extrajudicially transferred into a prison abroad without due process, often in retaliation for peaceful political expression, reflecting a disturbing pattern of constitutional and human rights violations by immigration
enforcement authorities; and

WHEREAS the detention of lawful permanent residents and other individuals who are legally present in the United States without judicial warrants or formal charges and the use of immigration enforcement to silence protected political speech and intimidate communities is a dangerous escalation of the erosion of democratic norms and the rule of law;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Riverside County Democratic Party unequivocally condemns the misuse of immigration enforcement to detain and deport individuals who are lawfully present in the United States and simply exercising their constitutionally protected rights particularly when such actions are politically motivated or conducted without due process; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Riverside County Democratic Party calls on all elected officials, including members of Congress from California, to publicly denounce these unconstitutional actions, demand immediate oversight and transparency from immigration enforcement agencies, and work to ensure the rights of all individuals—regardless of immigration status—are fully protected under the Constitution.

Author(s): Anyse Smith, AD-47; Nathan Kempe, AD-58; Francisco Ramos, AD-47; Edison Gomez-Krauss, AD-36

Affirming Support for the Transgender Community and Condemning Efforts to Undermine Trans Rights

WHEREAS the Riverside County Democratic Party stands firmly for the rights, dignity, and full inclusion of transgender and nonbinary individuals in all aspects of life including sports; and

WHEREAS transgender people continue to face discrimination, legislative attacks, and harmful rhetoric that seek to undermine their rights in areas such as sports, healthcare, education, public accommodations, and legal recognition; and

WHEREAS a growing number of elected officials, including some prominent members of the Democratic Party, have recently failed to fully support policies, particularly in the area of sports, that protect transgender rights, thereby contributing to ongoing harm and marginalization;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Riverside County Democratic Party strongly condemns all efforts—whether through rhetoric, policy, or inaction—that undermine the rights and dignity of transgender individuals as well as their gender designation itself; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Riverside County Democratic Party reaffirms its unwavering commitment to advancing transgender rights, holding all elected officials accountable for upholding these values, and advocating for policies that ensure full inclusion, equality, safety, and support for transgender and nonbinary people in Riverside County and beyond.

Author: Brock Cavett, AD-63

Restoring the Pledge of Allegiance to its Secular Origin

WHEREAS the Democratic Party is committed to the First Amendment of the United States Constitution’s principles of equality, inclusivity, and the separation of church and state; and

WHEREAS the phrase “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, added in 1954, did not then, and does not now, reflect the diversity of religious and non-religious beliefs held by millions of Americans; and

WHEREAS in recent years, there has been a noticeable rise in the influence of Christian nationalist ideologies in government policies, targeting reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights, and promoting religious exemptions that undermine secular governance;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Riverside County Democratic Party, in order to reflect the values of diversity, equality, and inclusion, supports reversion of the Pledge of Allegiance to the pre-1954 version which did not contain the phrase “under God;” and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Riverside County Democratic Party supports removing allusions to religious figures and authority in all state affairs, including, but not limited to the removal of “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, to ensure that public expressions of patriotism, remain fully secular, to foster a sense of belonging for all Californians regardless of their religious or non-religious beliefs.

Author(s): Edison Gomez-Krauss, AD-36

CALL FOR INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT OF LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN CALIFORNIA

WHEREAS Assembly Bill 1185 (McCarty, 2020) granted counties explicit authority to establish oversight of sheriff’s departments through civilian boards and/or offices of inspector general with subpoena power; and cities, through charter or local ordinance, hold the authority to establish independent oversight of municipal police departments and other local law enforcement agencies; and as of 2025, jurisdictions including the counties of Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sacramento, Sonoma, Marin, Alameda, Orange, and San Joaquin, and the cities of Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside, Oakland, Berkeley, Long Beach, and San José have implemented civilian oversight and/or inspectors general of their law enforcement agencies—demonstrating that such mechanisms are both
legally grounded and widely embraced across California; and

WHEREAS multiple reports, investigations, and community testimonies across California have raised concerns about in-custody deaths, excessive use of force, and lack of accountability within law enforcement agencies, underscoring the need for independent oversight to protect public safety and civil rights; and

WHEREAS the absence of independent oversight in many jurisdictions enables unchecked abuses of power, limits transparency, and erodes public trust in law enforcement, creating a crisis of accountability that disproportionately impacts systemically disadvantaged communities;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Riverside County Democratic Party affirms that independent civilian oversight—with full investigative authority, subpoena power, and public reporting requirements—is a core Democratic value when it comes to all local law enforcement
agencies, including sheriff’s departments and municipal police; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Riverside County Democratic Party calls on all County Central Committee members, all Democratic State Central Committee members, all Democratic state, county, and municipal officeholders, all Democratic candidates for state, county, and municipal office, and all California Democrats to support policies and petitions that mandate meaningful civilian oversight of all local law enforcement agencies in California.

Author(s): Nathan Kempe, AD 58; Anyse Smith, AD 47; Francisco Ramos, AD 47; Edison
Gomez-Krauss, AD 36

IN SUPPORT OF REVISING CALIFORNIA’S CANNABIS LEGALIZATION LAWS

Whereas the legalization of cannabis was passed by the voters of California in 2016 to create a legal cannabis industry that would provide legal access to cannabis that is licensed, regulated and taxed and is available safely, reliably, locally and affordably and bring an end to unlicensed cannabis cultivation and distribution; and

Whereas many legal cannabis businesses are closing because of a dysfunctional regulatory process, unfair taxation, and laws that allow local governments to ban local cannabis businesses which result in over two-thirds of cannabis sales being illegal; and
Whereas the unregulated cultivation and distribution of cannabis allows for the sale of cannabis that is not safe, is not taxed, and evades licensing and regulation requirements, and as the California legislature has failed to address these problems, the Brownie Mary Democrats of California have undertaken a program to revise the cannabis legalization laws that have caused these problems and that since reform of existing cannabis legalization laws can be done by the legislature;

Therefore Be It Resolved that the Riverside County Democratic Party supports the revision of current cannabis legalization laws to correct the problems that have led to an ineffective, unprofitable and inadequate legal market unable to effectively compete with an illegal market that is not licensed or regulated, does not test its product to ensure its safety and does not pay state or local taxes; and

Be It Further Resolved by the Riverside County Democratic Party to support the program undertaken by the Brownie Mary Democrats to revise current cannabis legalization laws and to encourage cannabis consumers, stakeholders in the cannabis industry and local and state legislators to join with the Brownie Mary Democrats in revising California’s cannabis legalization laws so that cannabis can be available safely, reliably, locally and affordably and bring to an end unlicensed cannabis cultivation and distribution.

Author(s): Lanny Swerdlow, AD47