I posted the right to life and immigration planks of the Illinois Republican Party Platform previously.

Guess it’s time to start at the beginning. Here’s the preamble:

Our Platform

PREAMBLE

We, the Illinois Republican Party, Since the election of 1860, the Republican Party has had a special calling – to advance the founding principles of freedom, opportunity, and limited government and the dignity and worth of every individual. Illinois Republicans have provided critical leadership, to this Country and those causes, from Abraham Lincoln to Ronald Reagan, from Everett M. Dirksen to Henry J. Hyde.

These principles form the foundation of both an agenda for America in the year 2008 and this Platform for our Party. They point us toward reforms in government, a restoration of timeless values, and a renewal of our national purpose.

We commit ourselves to the values that strengthen our culture and sustain our nation: family, faith, personal responsibility, and a belief in the dignity of every human life.

We offer not only an agenda but also a vision of a welcoming society in which all who yearn for freedom and human dignity have a place. To all law-abiding Americans, particularly immigrants and minorities, we send a clear message: this is the party of freedom and progress, and it is your home.

We are the party of the open door to those who share our principles, determined to strengthen the social, cultural, and political ties that bind us together and make our country the greatest force for good in the world. Steadfast in our commitment to our ideals, we recognize, as did Ronald Reagan, that members of our party can have deeply held and sometimes differing views. This diversity is a source of strength, not a sign of weakness, and so we welcome into our ranks all who may hold differing positions on issues but who will not compromise on our shared bedrock principles. We commit to resolve our differences with civility, trust, and mutual respect.

We seek to be faithful to the best traditions of our party. We are the party that ended slavery, protected life, granted homesteads, built land grant colleges, and moved control out of Washington, back into the hands of the people. We believe in service to the common good – and that good is not common until it is shared.

Our vision is one of clear direction, new ideas, civility in public life, and leadership with honor and distinction.

To the citizens of Illinois, we commit ourselves to the following:

• To conduct ourselves in such a way as to rebuild the public trust in the Republican Party and in government as institutions of public service and not personal gain;

• To do all in our power to strengthen the families of Illinois;

• To protect the fundamental right to life and dignity of every human life;

• To provide a foundation for job creation and business expansion across the State and reduce regulations and taxes that smother the free market;

• To enlist Illinois in defending America’s borders;

• To endorse necessary resources and appropriate strategies to combat terrorist attacks and to fight and win the war on terror;

• To make our communities safer through reducing crime and drug use;

• To safeguard our way of life through adoption of sensible energy resource policies;

• To promote Illinois’ advantage as a transportation hub for the nation;

• To create an environment in which our public schools will become the best in the nation;

• To reduce the size of government and the number of citizens dependent upon government;

• To ensure that high quality health care is available through the private sector throughout our State in both rural and urban areas;

• To restore fairness and balance to a legal system that has become unfair and unbalanced;

• To safeguard Illinois’ fundamental crop – our agricultural sector; and

• To maintain our stewardship of our natural resources through scientifically sound and economically balanced initiatives.

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The top photo is of the DeKalb County delegation. The one below is of the convention hall before it filled up.