Platform

Brown County Democrats: Our Platform

Adopted February 3, 2026

We Hear You

The Brown County Democratic Party seeks to serve the needs of everyone in our community. Our platform is based on respect and care for each other. We believe that through understanding and reasonable conversations, we the people can be united and live together respectfully. We believe in the Golden Rule, which is “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

We Believe Healthcare and Education Are Human Rights

Our citizens are our greatest natural resource. We seek to help all people achieve their greatest potential through access to high-quality healthcare and education.

Healthcare

• We support Medicare for All so no one has to bear financial burdens from the cost of insurance premiums and medical bills, and so quality healthcare is never dependent on an individual’s ability to pay.

• We support rural access to healthcare and oppose policies that would reduce the availability of healthcare services to rural communities.

• We support every individual’s right to make informed choices about personal healthcare needs without government interference.

• Indiana suffers from poor air and water quality and high levels of industrial pollution, posing direct risks to Hoosiers’ health. We support holding polluters accountable and enacting policies that ensure clean air and water for all.

Education

• We support fully funding public education for K-12 and public universities. We are especially focused on ensuring rural students have access to high-quality public education.

• We support offering competitive pay to teachers so we can attract the best and brightest into this career responsible for the minds of future generations.

• We believe children of all backgrounds and income levels should be afforded fair opportunities to learn and succeed.

• We support fact-based curriculum free from political influence. We oppose censorship and support academic freedom.

We Support Fairness in Government

• We believe in the Constitution, the institution of democracy, and a government that is transparent and fully accountable to the people. We believe checks and balances between the branches of government are vital for fair and effective governance.

• We support the right to free speech. Americans deserve elected officials who strive to serve their entire constituency, regardless of differing views.

• We support the right of all people in the United States to due process. Everyone should have the right to defend themselves when faced with legal accusations.

• We support enacting term limits to create opportunities for fresh perspectives in government and to limit corporate influence that often relies on career politicians.

• We believe that the wealthy should pay their fair share in taxes. We support taxing the wealthiest Americans and excessive corporate profits at progressive rates to fund programs that serve everyone, not just the wealthy few.

• We support campaign finance reform to combat corruption and reduce the overwhelming influence of money in our elections.

• We believe in the value of cooperation and constructive debate. We are open to working across the aisle in support of policies that truly serve the people. We believe elected officials should conduct themselves ethically, professionally and respectfully.

We Support Fairness for People

• We believe all people possess unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We believe all people are entitled to dignity, respect, and freedom from government interference in personal matters.

• We believe in restoring dignity to the working class through meaningful work for a living wage. We support raising the minimum wage to an amount sufficient to fund life’s necessities in the local context. We seek to address income inequality and ensure the gains of economic growth are shared fairly with workers.

• We support policies that keep housing, utilities, groceries, healthcare, childcare, and other necessities affordable, rather than driving excessive corporate profits. We recognize the value that small local businesses bring to the community.

• We support the right of workers to organize and collectively bargain for fair compensation and working conditions.

• All Hoosiers deserve to feel safe in our schools, homes, churches, and community gathering locations. We support reasonable measures to ensure that all firearms sold are licensed, stored and used properly and safely.

• We believe that living and working alongside people from different backgrounds makes America a more vibrant, interesting, and prosperous nation. We recognize the value that immigrants bring to our economy and society, and we support improvements to the immigration system so individuals seeking legal pathways to residency or citizenship can be processed efficiently and fairly.

We Support a Thriving Planet

• We envision a future where our children and grandchildren can thrive, and we understand that a healthy environment is a vital foundation for a good life.

• In Brown County, our natural environment is one of our greatest assets. We support the conservation and responsible management of our forests, land, and waterways to ensure they continue to provide long-term enjoyment, recreation, economic opportunity, and ecological health for our region.

• We accept the science that shows how our planet’s climate is changing and how effects will worsen in the future if no action is taken, resulting in potentially devastating impacts for agriculture, health, safety, and economic stability.

• To preserve our children’s future, we support addressing climate change with a range of different strategies. We believe governments, businesses, and communities all play important roles in lessening the threat of climate change. Strategies we support include:

  • Restoring funding and incentives for sustainable development and green jobs

  • Phasing out fossil fuel subsidies

  • Revising laws that unnecessarily restrict common-sense environmental protections.