PLATFORM & BY-LAW CHANGE PROPOSALS

At each LPMN State Convention, Platform changes may be proposed and voted on by the eligible delegates in attendance. Modifications to the Platform need a 2/3 majority of “Aye” votes in order to pass; an abstention from voting on a Platform change is the equivalent of a “Nay” vote. The persons who submit Platform change proposals will be responsible for presenting the proposed changes to the Convention delegates.

Below is a list of proposed changes properly submitted to the Convention Committee in advance of the deadline for public publication. For a red-lined version downloadable as a PDF click this link:

2021 LPMN Bylaw and Platform Proposals Combined


Bylaw Proposal #1 – Modify Term for Chair and Vice-chair

5.4. Term of Office: The Chair and Vice-chair shall be elected for a term of two years.  Remaining officers and executives shall be elected for a term of 1 year.

5.5. Nomination and Election: Executives shall be nominated from the floor at convention and shall be elected by majority vote of the delegates. The election of the Chair and Vice Chair shall take place every two years during conventions held in odd-numbered years.  Elections for remaining officers and the Executive Committee shall be held every year. Voting shall be by secret ballot and shall utilize the Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) Process. All candidates wishing to have their name placed in nomination, shall file notice of their intent by the time established by the Convention Committee. Candidates for Executive Committee shall be current members of the Libertarian Party of Minnesota, and shall not hold a leadership position in another party’s name. All candidates for Executive Committee shall be required to have been a member of the Libertarian Party of Minnesota at least 45 days prior to the convention. None of the above (NOTA) shall automatically be an option on all ballots.

Bylaw Proposal #2 – Introduce approval voting for multi-winner elections

5.7.  The Approval Voting (AV) process will be used for electing up to 8 At-large Executives.Convention delaegates may cast as many “approval votes” for as many candidates as they choose, or they may cast one selection for NOTA.    Candidates are elected as Executive At-Large if they meet the following two criteria:1)    Rank in the top number of candidates for the number of open seats in terms of the most approval votes received

2)            Received more approval votes than ballots cast for NOTA

In the event seats remain open after a ballot, the convention may open the floor to new nominees, and another approval voting election will be held to fill the number of remaining seats.  Nominated candidates are not eligible for subsequent AV ballots if they received fewer approval votes than cast for NOTA on any previous AV ballot.  If the convention declines to reopen the floor to further nominations, these seats may be filled according to section 5.9.  If there are a number of candidates receiving equal votes but ranked where there are not open seats for all such candidates, there shall be one additional ballot listing all tied candidates and voters may vote for as many candidates as there are remaining open seats.

6.2. Nomination and Election: Judicial Committee members shall be nominated from the floor at convention and shall be elected using the Approval Voting (AV) method. The election of 2 members shall be held in the odd numbered years, and 3 members shall be held in even numbered years. No more than 2 Executive Committee members may be members of the Judicial Committee. The members of the Judicial Committee shall select the Chair of the Judicial Committee. The newly elected members shall take office immediately upon the close of the convention. A member may serve successive terms. Judicial Committee members must be Party members for at least one year preceding their election. None of the above (NOTA) shall automatically be an option on all ballots.

Judicial Committee candidates are elected if they meet the following two criteria:

1) Rank in the top number of candidates for the number of open seats in terms of most approval votes received
2) Received more approval votes than ballots cast for NOTA

In the event seats remain open after a ballot, the convention may open the floor to new  nominees, and another approval voting election be held to the fill the number of remaining seats. Nominated candidates are not eligible to be candidates if they received fewer approval votes than votes cast for NOTA on any ballot. If the convention declines to reopen the floor to further nominations, these seats remain unfilled.


Proposal #1 – Amend Plank A20.  Equal Protection Under the Law

No individual’s freedom should be denied or abridged by the laws of the State of Minnesota or any locality. Protective labor laws and other laws which violate rights selectively should be repealed entirely rather than be extended to all groups.

Proposal #2 – Amend Plank A19. Freedom of Association

We support the right of individuals to peacefully assemble for any purpose. Private associations and establishments should be free from government interference on questions of association and dissociation.

Proposal #3 – Amend Plank B1. Taxation

Taxation, the taking of people’s wealth by force and threat of force, is an act of theft and extortion. We support spending reductions in all areas of governmentand eliminating all tax withholding.

Proposal #4 – Amend Plank C4. Education

In order to achieve the best possible opportunity of education we advocate bringing the positive benefits of competition to the monopolistic government schools. Therefore we call for the privatization and deregulation of schools. Also we call for the repeal of compulsory education laws, truancy laws, school and teacher certification and licensing laws, and taxpayer financing of education.

Proposal #5 – Amend Plank B8. Consumer Protection

Individuals and organizations that engage in fraud or misrepresentation are obliged to provide restitution to victims of these actions.  We oppose government interference in consumer choice and government price-fixing schemes.

Proposal #6 – Amend and Merge Planks A7-A9. “Victimless Crime”

  1. “Victimless Crime”

We hold that any action that does not infringe upon the rights of others cannot properly be termed a crime, therefore we favor the repeal of all federal, state and local laws creating “crimes” without victims.

In particular we are opposed to all regulation of activities such as gambling, prostitution, juvenile “status offenses,” use or possession of medicines, drugs, drug paraphernalia, vitamins and firearms, and mandatory usage of seat belts and helmets.

We call for the repeal of all laws regarding consensual sexual acts. The state has no right to proscribe any lifestyle that is freely chosen. We call for an end to state oppression persons of gender and sexual minorities.

We call for an end to the “War on Drugs,” which is in reality a war by the federal, state and local government on the people. Until such time as the prohibition of drugs is repealed, we call for an end to the denial of pain relieving drugs such as marijuana and heroin to those who are suffering.

Proposal #7 – Delete Plank A11. Government and “Mental Health”

Proposal #8 – Amend Plank B5. Welfare, Poverty, and Unemployment

It should be the goal of society to reduce the number of people in need of taxpayer-funded assistance. Government welfare systems are designed to protect bureaucrats. They are inefficient and overly expensive. They promote political allegiance and cyclic dependency. We favor economic policies that will reduce the number of individuals that otherwise require taxpayer-funded assistance. We would make it easier for private alternatives for unemployment insurance or mutual aid to emerge.

Proposal #9 – Amend Plank B3. Money and Inflation

In order to achieve rapid and sustainable economic growth with competitive and stable prices, we support a free-market economy and oppose the manipulation of interest rates. We advocate for free banking that requires repeal of the Federal Reserve central bank monopoly system, legal tender laws, and banking, monetary, and securities regulations.

Proposal #10 – Add New Plank on Technology under sec B, Trade and Society

  1. Technology

We seek to eliminate the monopoly power of tech companies by shortening the lifetimes of intellectual property (IP) protections from competition, both copyright, and patents, granted by government. Besides providing economic benefits, increased competition will reduce the ability of tech companies to violate privacy, censor information, and favor political interests.


Holly Proposal #1 – Amend plank A9. Health Care

In order to reduce outrageous medical costs that are indebting Americans, companies and the nation, and to improve quality, we seek to increase competition in the monopolistic industry through deregulation. Regulations drive up prices by restricting the supply of doctors, nurses, technicians, hospitals and insurance, and by increasing demand with tax support of insurance plans. We support elimination of occupation licensing in states, including lifting more restrictions on nurses and other mid-level practitioners. We oppose state regulation of medical education that accredits and limits enrollments at schools and training programs. We oppose state certificate-of-need and similar laws that restrict the supply of medical facilities. As competition reduces prices, we support eliminating tax-supported insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid. We oppose the regulation of insurance, including compulsory plans that force the healthy to subsidize the sick like the Affordable Care Act and restrictions on pre-existing conditions.

Holly Proposal #2 – New Plank for Sec B. Prescription Drugs

We recognize the government grants protections from competition to pharmaceutical companies developing prescription drugs so they can recover development costs, most of which are from clinical trials whose costs should be reduced by increasing competition in the health care industry. In order to reduce unreasonable prescription drug prices demanded by the already highly-profitable global pharmaceutical industry especially as the cost of clinical trials decreases, we seek to eliminate monopoly protections. We support reducing patent lifetimes and extensions, the discriminatory awarding of patents favoring synthetic drugs, non-patent protections, research grants, and preferential enforcement of regulations by the Food and Drug Administration.

Holly Proposal #3 – Amend Plank C4. Education

In order to reduce skyrocketing costs for K-12 and higher education that are squeezing taxpayers and families, and achieve the best possible opportunity of education, we advocate bringing the positive benefits of competition to the monopolistic public and non-profit private schools. Therefore we call for the privatization and deregulation of schools. We call for the repeal of compulsory education laws, truancy laws, school and teacher certification and licensing laws, and taxpayer financing of education.” We recognize the potential need for alternative financing for students if families and charity prove insufficient. In the interim, we oppose state K-12 competition programs that produce higher test scores from students attending public schools by regulating and providing less funding to non-profit and especially for-profit private schools.

Holly Proposal #4 – Amend Plank B13. Public Utilities

We advocate bringing the benefits of competition to utilities; accordingly we call for privatization and deregulation of government monopolies, such as fire, water and sewer departments; deregulation of government-granted monopolies, such as private companies involved in garbage collection, electric, gas, and communication; and deregulation to eliminate regulatory agencies such as the Public Utilities Commission, Minnesota’s energy agency, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

We recognize states have failed to foster competition with partial deregulation of electricity, natural gas, telephone, cable and internet, including efforts that force cooperative use of the constrained networks of regulated monopolies, and Minnesota’s discriminatory bidding of electricity and natural gas. We support deregulation efforts that remove government barriers to building alternative distribution networks.

Holly Proposal #5 – New Plank for Sec B. Energy

We recognize government is blocking the development of many alternative energy, bio-chemical, vehicle and other technologies with policies that require the use and/or reduce the costs of favored sources and technologies, such as fracking of oil and natural gas, wind and solar energy, and electric vehicles. We oppose policies that pick winners and losers, including mandates and subsidies, regulations that don’t account for and thus overvalue unreliable generation like intermittent wind energy, and preferential environmental regulation including those restricting coal while exempting oil and gas and favoring nuclear power under the Price Anderson Act. In addition, we oppose immunity from antitrust lawsuits granted to OPEC and other government oil monopolies that manipulate global oil prices to alternatively drive out competitors developing other sources and technologies, and then drive-up prices.

Holly Proposal #6 – New Plank for Sec B. Tech

We recognize the intellectual property (IP) protections from competition that government awards to the tech industry are excessive, especially considering the technology is advancing rapidly. We seek to eliminate the monopoly power of tech companies by shortening the lifetimes of copyright and patents. In addition to providing economic and technological benefits, increased competition will reduce the ability of tech companies to violate privacy, censor information, computerize discrimination, favor political interests and facilitate authoritarianism.

Holly Proposal #7 – Amend Plank B3. Money and Inflation

In order to achieve rapid and sustainable economic growth with competitive and stable prices, we support a free-market economy and oppose the manipulation of interest rates. We advocate for free banking that requires repeal of the Federal Reserve central bank system, legal tender laws, and banking, monetary and securities regulations. We oppose federal and state regulations requiring privately-owned banks to secure charters, which has been used by regulators to restrict entry and competition in the industry in favor of nationally-chartered banks of which some have been considered “too big to fail” and also cartels of state-chartered banks.


Jenneman Proposal #1 – New Plank for “Government-Influenced Enterprises” under Section B, “Trade and Society”

Any organization which is funded by or directly answerable to the US Congress, state legislatures, or federal or state bureaucracies cannot rightly be considered “private”. These corporations, nonprofits, and institutions are subsidiaries of the state. We therefore oppose any attempts by such entities to censor individual expression, violate health privacy, promote armed conflict, or otherwise through corporate policy, political lobbying, or regulatory capture infringe upon individual liberty

Jenneman Proposal #2 – New plank for “Nullification and Subsidiarity” under Section A, “Individual Rights and Civil Order”

We recognize the important role of state legislatures, as long as they exist, to declare null and void any federal law which infringes upon the rights of the individual. We recognize the obligation of law enforcement officials and courts, in particular county sheriffs and district attorneys, to refuse enforcement of and conviction under any such rights-violating legislation or regulation.

Jenneman Proposal #3 – New Plank for “Agorism” under Section A, “Individual Rights and Civil Order”

We affirm the right of individuals and businesses to use voluntary black- and grey-market commercial activity to subvert state regulation, taxation, and restrictions enacted by executive order, so long as such activity does not violate the individual rights and liberties of customers or community members through theft, fraud, or violence.