Major differences between state GOP, Liberty platforms

These are the official positions on three issues where the State Republican Party Platform and the Republican Liberty Caucus differ.

The RLC positions are:

* Legalization of drugs: No law should deny, disparage or restrict the right of every person to privacy, freedom of travel, association, possession of substances, or adult consensual behaviors.

* Abortion: Abortion is a critical life and death choice for every pregnant woman. Whether government should intervene to influence that choice is dependent on the legal status of the fetus. We acknowledge that there can be honest and ethical differences of opinion on that status, the rights of the woman, and the proper role of government. We favor civil discussion of this question, but take no position on the merits of conflicting legal, ethical, and religious viewpoints on either side.

* Marriage: We support the separation of church and state as a safeguard of religious liberty and freedom of belief. We support an end to any government role in the definition or administration of marriage. Government involvement should be limited to the registration of civil contracts of union.

By contrast the Idaho Republican Party positions on each of those subjects are:

* Legalization of drugs: We recognize the dreadful consequences of drug and substance abuse in our society, and we call upon our national, state and local leaders to refocus efforts to discourage drug use and rehabilitate drug users.

* Abortion: We affirm our support for the sanctity of life from conception to natural death, and for the rights of the unborn child. We oppose abortion based on sex selection, convenience, or as a method of birth control.

* Marriage: We call upon government officials and legislators to protect the traditional family and use all means possible to prevent expansion of the definition of marriage beyond that of a bond between one man and one woman.