On The Trail with Kathryn QannaYahu interviewed Kelly Kortum, a Bozeman progressive activist and Vice-Chair of the Gallatin County Democrats. Kelly walks us through a platform convention process, explains some of the new Montana Democratic Party 2018 Platform planks and shares his advice on how to get involved at the local level, because politics is not a spectator sport. Democracy is government of the people, by the people, for the people.

Platform of the Montana Democratic Party, adopted July 14, 2018 PDF   Some of the new planks added by Gallatin County are:  - We support open, free, and transparent elections, including Montana's open primary election, which encourage open participation by all citizens, acknowledging that one person's voting power is equivalent to every other's.  - We support healthcare as a human right.  - We support freedom of speech, press, and universal access to information through any media, including the internet.  - We oppose the transfer, or the transfer of management, of federal land to state, county, or private control.  - We oppose the inhumane separation of immigrant families at the border.   Other central committees and ally organizations also passed some important amendments such as:   - We support the overturning of Citizen's United. - We oppose efforts to remove or limit health insurance protections for people with pre-existing conditions. - We support Net Neutrality and the ability for all Montanans to access a free and open internet, which is essential to innovation and a competitive economy. - We oppose the erosion of labor rights of all employees. - We oppose a statewide general sales tax. - We support protecting access to public lands and streams so that Montana's outdoor heritage can be enjoyed by all Montanans and future generations. - We must address the epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous women in Montana  

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