Abortion
The Tompkins Campaign believes that abortion should be completely legal without restriction up until week 23, which is when the fetus becomes viable. From the 23rd through the 28th week (the beginning of the third trimester) a doctor's approval must be given. Beyond the 28th week it must be a medical emergency (i.e. the mother or child's life or health and well-being is in danger or the baby has already died. This also applies to situations in which the child's quality of life will be distressingly painful). If the fetus is alive and has a functioning brain and nervous system during a 28+ week abortion the child must be given an anesthetic.
educational reform
The Tompkins Campaign supports a reform of the education system to provide more personalized learning. The nation must take an approach that not only allows but also encourages students to learn in a way that suits their unique preferences and abilities for digesting and building upon the information they receive in the classroom. We believe this is the most effective way to build problem solving skills and cater towards a child’s interests within the classroom, optimizing their personal education. "Soft skills," such as teamwork, critical thinking, a growth mindset, self-motivation, and grit are increasingly important abilities within the modern age and a personalized education plan serves to teach these.
ENVIRONMENTAL Policy
As dangers such as pollution and climate change increase, it has become obvious that something must be done to protect public and ecological health. The Tompkins Campaign wants to introduce a carbon tax on products and companies, which would then be reinvested in the development of sustainable energy sources and energy efficient products. In addition, tariffs would be placed on countries without strong environmental policy, tax incentives would be instated, and power purchase agreements would be established.
LGBTQ+ discrimination in military
The Tompkins Campaign believes that LGBTQ+ individuals should be allowed within the military with laws specifically protecting them from discrimination. How someone identifies shouldn't prevent them from serving their country. Soldiers should be able to be proud of their nation and who they are. Policies such as the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy” should not stay in place. Enacted in 1993, the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was a compromise reached after President Clinton was unable to keep his promise to completely lift an existing military ban on gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals serving in the armed forces. Instead he signed a statute, regulations and policy memorandum that directed military personnel: “don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t pursue, and don’t harass.” Instead the Tompkins campaign wants to pass laws making it legal for LGBTQ+ people to be in the military with the guarantee to be treated fairly.
mandatory vaccination
The Tompkins Campaign supports mandatory vaccination for all children attending public school, daycare, or preschool. We believe in a parent's right to choose what's right for their child; however, this choice cannot be made at the expense of those immunocompromised or unable to receive vaccines. Herd immunity is a powerful tool that must continue to be utilized in the 21st century.
Minimum wage
The Tompkins Campaign proposes that on the first of January each year, the inflation percentage will be calculated for that year and national minimum wage will be raised by that amount every year until 2025, and the law will then be evaluated that year to update and account for the evolving economy and nation. Tipped employee minimum wage will also be increased annually until 2025 by the percentage of inflation, however, if the employee's tips combined with the minimum hourly wage are less than the national minimum wage, the employer must pay the difference in wages to ensure each employee's welfare. Each individual state will be encouraged to account for their own cost of living and adjust their minimum wage to ensure the prosperity of their state, but because of the vastly different economies and cost of living across the nation, the Tompkins campaign does not plan to modify minimum wage for the cost of living federally.
Pandemic preparation
In order to mitigate the impact of epidemics, protect the health workforce, and ensure continuity of health services during and after a global emergency, the Tompkins Campaign knows that stronger health systems are needed. Epidemics and pandemics put these systems under great pressure and stress. The sudden influx of large numbers of sick individuals to health facilities stretches the systems’ capacity and resources, even more so and more noticeably where resources are scarce. Health systems resilience after epidemics may be challenging for unprepared health systems. Indeed, if the health system is ill-prepared to cope with epidemics of infectious diseases, health care workers, at the front line of the response, may themselves become infected and die. Long-term substantial investments should therefore be made to strengthen health systems.
Reform of the prison system
The Tompkins Campaign believes we should work to fix the corrupt prison systems within America. The incarceration rate has only been increasing throughout the years. For-profit prisons often exploit the vulnerability of minorities and mentally ill without any legal repercussions. Research has shown that a system similar to Norwegian prisons may fix this problem. Focusing on rehabilitation, education, and proper treatment of mental health will allow for released prisoners to rejoin society as a functioning self-sustaining citizen. In addition, a phase-out system should be introduced to help former inmates integrate.
Stem cell research
The Tompkins Campaign is in favor of stem cell research. Research with embryonic stem cells may lead to new, more effective treatments for serious human ailments and alleviate the suffering of thousands fighting juvenile diabetes, Parkinson's disease, heart failure, spinal cord injuries, etc. On the other hand, human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research is ethically and politically controversial because it involves the destruction of human embryos. In the United States, the question of when human life begins has been highly controversial and closely linked to debates over abortion. However, those who are donating stem cells are doing it our of their own will; they are not being forced to give up these cells.
War on drugs
To help reduce the use of drugs nationwide, the Tompkins Campaign wants to decriminalize drugs and focus on rehabilitating and assisting those with addictions. The United States should not villainize those suffering. We also plan to crack down on those dealing drugs illegally, and rather than getting risky drugs on the streets they will be provided within certain facilities allowing them to be heavily managed and limited. Regulation will decrease abuse of the drugs as well as the chances for an overdose.