The Missouri Democratic Freedom Caucus is currently operating under an "interim charter" pending the perfection of its organization. The interim charter is as follows:

STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES

1. We are libertarians. We believe that the proper function of government, as stated by the first American Democrat -- President Thomas Jefferson -- is to secure the rights of the American people to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
   
2. We are Democrats. We believe that the party of Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Grover Cleveland and John F. Kennedy is the party with the best historical record of preserving and advancing human freedom and the party best equipped to continue doing so.
   
3. We are Missourians. We believe that every Missourian deserves the best possible representation -- Democratic representation -- in local, county, state and federal government.
   
4. We are Americans. We believe that the United States of America is the world's beacon and bastion of liberty, and are committed to maintaining it as such by helping to elect freedom-loving Democrats to offices of public trust.

PURPOSES

The purposes of the Missouri Democratic Freedom Caucus are:

1. To serve as the Missouri affiliate of the Democratic Freedom Caucus, a libertarian caucus within the Democratic Party.
   
2. To support the election and re-election of pro-freedom Democrats to public office at all levels of government.
   
3. To support Democratic officeholders with policy advice, volunteer efforts on behalf of pro-freedom Democratic initiatives and other work.
   
4. To inform Missourians of their representatives' performance and of policy initiatives and their impacts via voter guides, legislator ratings, op-ed articles and other public information activities.

ORGANIZATION

Under this interim charter, a steering committee composed of one representative from each of Missouri's nine US House districts will be assembled. The first two members, Mike Bozarth of the 6th District and Thomas L. Knapp of the 1st, shall be responsible for recruiting representatives from the remaining seven districts.

When representatives from all districts have been recruited, the steering committee will meet, either physically at a location to be determined in central Missouri, or via Internet or other telecommunications devices, to craft a permanent charter and perfect the organization.

MEMBERSHIP

During the interim charter period, a member of the Missouri Democratic Freedom Caucus shall be any person who avows:

a) Their desire to join the organization;
b) Their self-identification as a supporter of the Democratic Party; and
c) Their general agreement with the platform of the Democratic Freedom Caucus.

The permanent charter may modify these membership requirements ex post facto in one or more ways.