BE IT REMEMBERED that the America First Party of Mississippi met in Convention on May 13, 2006 pursuant to the Call to Convention duly issued by the State Party Chairman at the request of the State Executive Committee.
The America First Party of Mississippi convention was called to order by Chairman Trey Golmon at 12:48 p.m. at KK's Delicatessen and Catering in Greenwood, Mississippi.
The Chairman led the Pledge of Allegiance. Dr. John Hey, a guest of the Executive Committee, led in prayer.
The Credentials Report was received from Mr. Goodman and reported by Mr. Hey. The motion to accept the report was seconded and adopted by unanimous vote.
Mr. Golmon delivered a report to the convention on the status of the state party. Membership in the party has been stagnant, with some members having left the state or lost contact with the party due to the ravages of Hurricane Katrina. The potential for party growth is good. Immigration and jobs going overseas will be the big issues for the party to capitalize on in the coming months. Mr. Golmon spoke about the party platform and described plans to begin distributing press releases related to the issues in the new platform. Finally, Mr. Golmon reported that the party is officially recognized with ballot access by the Mississippi Secretary of State.
Mr. Hey delivered the Treasurer's report. There is at present $355.60 in the party treasury. Mr. Hey described the heavy giving by state party members to the national party, and the need to encourage those individuals to increase their support for the state party as well. Mr. Hey described the methods by which the national party collects prospect and contact information and provides it to each state party, with our own state party having access to a comprehensive database of donors and prospects in the state.
Mr. Hey delivered a report on problems taking place in the Constitution Party. Disputes over abortion and the failure to support the platform, a general policy of secrecy, and the power of large states to subvert the leadership due to proportional representation, all have combined to create a crisis in the CP. Mr. Hey reported that the leadership of the America First Party has been careful to avoid these very same problems, and it is important to learn from the mistakes of others. One needful thing is that the party resist the infiltration of partisan and sectarian bickering that has damaged other parties.
Elections were held for officers and Executive Committee members. The following persons were returned to their respective offices:
In addition, Messrs Golmon and Hey were elected as the state party's national committee members and delegates to the national convention.
A state party platform was discussed and adopted section by section. After the platform was adopted by section, Mr. Hey moved that it be adopted in whole as the official state party platform. The motion was seconded and adopted by unanimous vote.
Civil Rights & Freedom
Right to Life
Because all human life is precious, the Party calls upon the state legislature to establish by law the personhood of every human being from the moment of conception until natural death, thereby bringing all intentional abortions under the criminal sanction of the present statutes punishing manslaughter and murder.
Right to Bear Arms
Because the keeping and bearing of arms is essential for the preservation of the people's liberty, safety, and sovereignty, the Party urges the state legislature to enact laws restoring the right of law-abiding adult citizens to carry firearms, concealed or otherwise, in all public places without any permit, including the schools and other places where children are in need of protection.
Right to own Property Free and Clear
Because a man's home is his castle, and the right of property must be respected, the Party calls upon the state legislature to abolish all ad valorem property taxes.
Right to Property without Seizure
Protection of private property being fundamental to a society that is ordered, just, and free, the Party demands that the State Legislature and the Courts strictly construe the powers of eminent domain to be limited to the acquisition of property to be held in the name of the people, and in no way to be conveyed, leased, sold, or utilized by any party other than the people and for none other purposes than roads, bridges, utilities, and other facilities of a public nature.
General Limitation on Federal Powers
Knowing that the rights and powers of the Federal Government are only those ceded by the sovereign states under the language of the United States Constitution, the Party declares, consistent with the Tenth Amendment, all actions by the federal executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government not authorized by the plain language and original meaning of the Constitution to be null and void, and their perpetrators to be outlaw and traitors against the Constitutional Republic.
Political Reform
Holding Judges Accountable
Ban Judges from Judicial Performance Commission. Because the conduct of public officials ought to be judged by the people, the Party calls upon the State Legislature to ban the appointment of members of the judiciary to the Judicial Performance Commission, in order that the public may have confidence that the Commission members are not engaged in the cover-up of crimes committed by their judicial friends and colleagues.
Open Proceedings of Judicial Performance Commission. The integrity of the court system being crucial to maintaining public confidence that justice will be done, the Party calls for a constitutional amendment to open all proceedings of the Judicial Performance Commission to public scrutiny.
Elect School Boards
Because the power to tax the people ought only to lie in the hands of elected officials, and to ensure public accountability to the voters, the Party demands the abolition of all appointed school boards, and their replacement with elected boards.
Elect Circuit & Chancery Judges
Because the people ought not have imposed upon them judges elected by citizens of other districts, the Party calls for the "at large" election of circuit and chancery court judges within multi-judge districts.
Selection of Party Nominees
The right of association being necessary for free political and social organization, the Party calls upon the state legislature to permit political parties to select their nominees for public office in a manner to be determined by the respective parties, removing the requirement for primaries which permit non-party members to interfere with nominee selection.
Voter ID
The integrity of the voting process being essential to the maintenance of a republican Constitutional government, the Party calls upon the state legislature to impose the requirement of photographic voter identification.
Open Public Records
To ensure that the public's business is conducted openly and honestly, the Party calls upon the state legislature to broaden the Public Records Act to include all election records and voter registration records without exception, and all public hospital records excluding those related to personnel matters and to individual patients.
Abolish Sovereign Immunity
It being necessary that the right of the citizens to petition the courts for relief and redress from government misconduct be restored, and that such relief be actually granted and not avoided by legal artifice and special privilege, the Party demands the abolition of the protection of sovereign immunity, and that the government and its agents be placed under the same standards of negligence, misconduct, criminal prosecution, and civil damages that now apply to the citizens.
Immigration
No Services for Illegals
It being necessary to preserve the financial stability and social order of our state, the Party calls upon the state legislature to ban the provision of any social, welfare, or educational services to illegal aliens.
English Language Only
Because fluent use of the English language is essential to becoming an educated and productive citizen, the Party urges the state legislature to enact legislation outlawing the use of any language other than English in the public schools of the state, except for the limited purposes of teaching the use of a foreign language.
Taxes & Revenue
No Tax Breaks for Large Companies
Because special tax breaks unfairly penalize small business and the service industries, and since they are available only to powerful companies with political pull, the Party calls upon the state legislature to outlaw all tax incentives and exemptions for economic development.
Abolish Income Tax
Because an income tax unlawfully entangles the government with the private business of the citizens, the Party calls upon the state legislature to abolish the income tax, and provide that the only means of taxation shall be a uniform sales tax imposed upon consumer purchases, along with user, license, and filing fees.
Education
Support of Home Schooling
Affirming the absolute parental right to direct the education of one's own children, the Party supports the right of parents to educate children at home, without any supervision or interference whatsoever.
Repeal Compulsory Attendance Laws
Because the professional public school educators have shown themselves to be incompetent and utterly incapable of properly running educational institutions, the Party calls upon the state legislature to repeal all compulsory attendance laws and permit the parents to direct the education of their children from henceforth in our state.
End State Funding of Pre-college Education
Because the public schools are consuming too much tax monies and producing too little results, the Party calls upon the legislature to abolish all state-level funding of pre-college educational institutions, abolish the department of education, and return control and funding mechanisms to the counties and communities where they belong.
Support of Traditional Values
The Traditional Family
Because the traditional family structure is essential for the preservation of stable, productive and lawful society, the Party urges the state legislature to enact laws banning all forms of non-traditional marriage, and to abolish the scheme of no-fault divorce.
Values of the Founders
The America First Party of Mississippi embraces the cultural, political, and ethical values of the Founders of our state and our nation, acknowledges the Biblical basis of those values, and commits to fight for their preservation and restoration as the sole political and social hope for securing the future liberty and happiness of the people of Mississippi.
Criminal Justice Reform
Abolish Juvenile Court System
It being necessary to restore the protections and rights of parents, while protecting the public from criminal conduct and punishing wrongdoers, the Party demands the State Legislature abolish the juvenile court system, thereby restoring the traditional rights of parents, the common law standards of proof and presumptions of innocence, and requiring juveniles to pay the full consequences for criminal conduct which has up until now been excused and treated as mere delinquency.
A time of discussion was held.
There being no further business, the convention adjourned sine die at 2:59 p.m.
