Vote Twice Texas FReepers, Attend Your Precinct Meetings March 9th

[DrewsDad]

Texas FReepers, the purpose of this thread is to inform you how to get involved and influence the Texas Republican Party Rules and Platform.

On the night of March 9th, you will have the opportunity to attend your precinct meeting which takes place sometime after the polls close and usually at your polling place. In my area, the meeting is set by the county party for 8PM. You're mileage may differ, so call the county party or look for a sign at your polling place, March 9th. Make sure you vote and get your voter's registation card stamped Republican or get one of those cards indicating you voted so that you can participate in the meeting. They may also have a voter's list indicating that you voted.

The Precinct Meeting is the first step in electing delegates and passing resolutions to go to the next level which is the County, Senatorial District Conventions and then on to the Texas State Republican Convention. At the meeting, put your name on the list to go to the next level. Also bring along resolutions(make 3 copies) to be read and voted on so that they can be passed onto the next level.

From the Texas Republican State Rules:

Rule No. 21 - Agenda for Precinct Conventions
The agenda for each precinct convention shall include the following order of business:
a. Call to order at the appointed hour by the precinct chairman or other participant if the precinct chairman is not present.
b. Preparation of a list of and announcement of number of qualified participants present.
c. Announcement of agenda and basic rules of procedure.
d. Election of the permanent officers of the convention by majority vote.
e. Announcement of county or district convention and of temporary committee meetings, if known.
f. Election of delegates and alternates to county or senatorial district convention, as the case may be, by majority vote, and certification of eligibility of each delegate and alternate by the precinct convention secretary, where the primary voters list is available.
g. Resolutions.
h. Other business.
i. Adjourn.

Rule No. 22 - Chairman’s Responsibilities
a. Record of the Precinct Convention: The Permanent Chairman of the Precinct Convention shall be responsible for seeing that an accurate written record (minutes) is kept of all convention proceedings, including the list of persons present and their residence addresses and a list of delegates and alternates elected to the county or Senatorial District convention with residence addresses including towns shown thereon. A signed copy of this written record shall be available for copying by any participant in the convention for a period of thirty (30) minutes immediately following adjournment of the convention. Upon request, the permanent chairman shall certify any correct copy.
b. Transmittal of Precinct Convention Minutes: The Permanent Chairman of the Precinct Convention shall sign and safely transmit to the county chairman no later than the third day after the date of the precinct convention or deposit in the mail not later than the second day after the date of the precinct convention such record (minutes) and a copy thereof. In multi-district counties, the County Chairman shall deliver the original record to the temporary chairmen of the Senatorial District conventions. The copy shall be public record.

As far as resolutions, feel free to share any resolutions you may have on this thread. You can also look at the Texas Republican Party Platform for ideas.

It would be great to see hundreds of FReepers at the State Convention in San Antonio in early June. Have fun and make a difference.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

In Michigan you have to run in a general election to become a delegate.

[anymouse]

Thanks DrewsDad!

[Ms. AntiFeminazi]

Texas FReeper Ping for Precinct Meeting Participation March 9th.

Thanks for the heads up DrewsDad!

[Ms. AntiFeminazi]

Texas FReeper Ping for Precinct Meeting Participation March 9th.

Thanks for the heads up DrewsDad!

[deeaggie]

Thanks for the ping.

[hocndoc]

Thanks for the ping.

My husband and I are trying to think of a resolution to remind our reps that Republicans are the "small government, tax and spend LESS " party.

[SwinneySwitch]

If you read Rule No. 20 a., the only requirement for being a delegate to any convention is to have established party affiliation. Basically that means voting in the primary (which includes early and mail in voters). If you've voted and can't make a convention - tell someone who will be there that you want to be a delegate to the next level!

See you in San Antonio!

[SwinneySwitch]

How about this one from the samples in post 18?


Precinct No. ______

_________________ County Republican Party


March 9, 2004


RESOLUTION ON BALANCED FEDERAL BUDGET


WHEREAS, the growth of the federal government has occurred at the expense of the private sector, resulting in burdensome taxes and huge federal deficits; now therefore


BE IT RESOLVED that the Republican Party in the above-named precinct supports passage of an amendment to the United States Constitution which would require the federal government to balance its budget annually, without increasing taxes.

---

The foregoing resolution was properly submitted in triplicate and was adopted by the Republican Party in the above-referenced precinct on Tuesday, March 9, 2004.

Attest:


________________________________
Precinct Convention Chairman

[DrewsDad]

Here is my proposed resolution to increase the grassroots influence in the Presidential Primary. I am tired of having to choose between the media's choice, the establishment's choice, or the independently wealthy that can afford to get their message out.

The establishment doesn't like it because they lose influence over the process and will send their political hacks out to try to squash it. There are those that want to choose a nominee early in the process, but at the cost of letting you vote for the best candidate.

Here is some background information:
Presidential Selection:A Guide to Reform(Nominating Process)
Presidential Selection:A Guide to Reform(Panel Discussion)

Here is the Resolution:

RESOLUTION FOR RESTRUCTURING PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY SCHEDULE

Precinct No ____

_____ County Republican Party

March 9, 2004 Whereas, the selection of the Republican nominee for President of the United States is one of the most important functions of our Party,

Whereas, the current presidential primary in the United States has repeatedly produced a single guaranteed nominee early in the election year, making the votes of later primary states irrelevant, which in turn leads to disaffection and apathy among primary voters in those states,

Whereas, the “front-loading” of the presidential primary process dramatically increases the amount of money required to wage a viable campaign, and potentially eliminating otherwise highly-qualified candidates, a fact which has been recognized by leading academics, journalists, party leaders of both major parties, a majority of governors and congressional leadership,

Whereas, in 1999, the Chairman of the Republican National Committee appointed a task force of objective well-respected Republican leaders to recommend an improved method for selecting presidential nominees, and that task force, after a year of hearings, research and analysis has recommended a plan wherein state primaries are grouped and ordered by population, with the least populated state primaries held first, also known as the “Delaware Plan,”

Whereas, this plan accomplishes two major objectives of presidential primary reform, being (1) to enable candidates who lack substantial financial resources to prove themselves in lower-cost, smaller states before having to compete in the larger and more costly media markets, and (2) to prevent the early commitment of the requisite number of delegates guaranteeing the nomination, thus ensuring that the primary vote in all states will be sought-after and meaningful.

Whereas, the Rules Committee of the Republican National Committee, after serious debate and consideration, voted overwhelmingly on May 12, 2000, to support implementation of the Delaware Plan,

Now, therefore, be it resolved that we support of the Delaware Plan for presidential preference primaries, and encourage legislators and Party officers to work toward nationwide implementation of such plan.

Be it further resolved that any state whose primary date is set by law shall be exempt from penalties provided 2/3 of its Republican legislators vote to change the primary to the appropriate date.

Be it further resolved, that this resolution be passed on to the district, state, and national levels.

The foregoing resolution was properly submitted and was adopted by the Republican voters in the above-referenced precinct on
Tuesday, March 9, 2004.

Attest:
________________________________

Precinct Convention Chairman

[Gracey]

Thanks for reminding us all DD. You done good :-)

[Gracey]

You must attend the precinct to be able to attend the county, and attend the county to go to the state convention.

It's no biggie ----- but I believe it's different in each area. Usually, as in Harris County or large counties with more than one State Senator, the delegates selected at the precinct convention attend the "District" convention, which is usually held with everyone in your state "senatorial" district area. It's no biggie, but just thought I'd clarify.

[hocndoc]

Thank you !
(I was reading the posts on my Treo all weekend. The tiny screen leads me to skim too much.)

[DrewsDad]

ping

[WOSG]

center> Precinct No. ______

_________________ County Republican Party

March 9, 2004

RESOLUTION IN OPPOSITION TO JUDICIAL IMPERIALISM

WHEREAS,  Judicial activists and the political left has been waging a systematic assault on the Constitutional foundation of the nation by transforming our founding Constitutional contract into a "living constitution" that can be re-invented at will -- and without the Amendment process -- to suit the left's latest, destructive, political ends;  and 

WHEREAS, excessively Liberal activist courts have become so powerful and so intrusive that it has created Constitutional crises, undermined the rule of law, and undermined democratic Government; and

WHEREAS,  recent acts of Judicial imperialism - including the decision to forbid "Under God" in the pledge of allegiance, decisions forcing Ten Commandments from courtrooms, the  Lawrence v Texas decision,  the Massachusetts Suprem Court decision that legislated a redefinition of marriage -  have deepened our Constitutional crisis created by earlier acts of Judicial imperialism such as Roe v Wade; and

WHEREAS,  the politicization of the nomination process is a natural consequence of the politicization of the judiciary that comes about from excessive Judicial activism;

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Republican Party in the above-named precinct calls upon Judges at all levels to end their reign of activism and imperialism and return to upholding their sworn duties to interpret the law according to the text and original intent of the law, and not to make the law, and to leave public policy to the political branches and the democratic process; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Republican Party in the above-named precinct calls upon Congress to restrain the Federal judiciary's activism and re-establish the following principles through acts of Congress (based on Article III Section 2 power), resolution, impeachment of Judges, and Constitutional Amendment:
- The powers of the Federal courts are restricted to the interpretation of the laws. Federal courts shall not have the power to engage in the creation nor construction of new laws, rights and privileges not contemplated by the authors of the laws and of the Constitution; nor may the Federal courts give legal standing or consideration to laws, decisions, and rulings made outside the United States as either precedent or influence.
- The powers of Federal courts are to be used with restraint and respect for the Federal scheme of Government, respecting the powers of the States and local Governments as established in Amendment X.
- Federal courts must give due consideration in all rulings and decisions to the effect of their rulings on the rule of law, but in no case should preserve precedents at various with the text and intent of the laws in question.
- States and Federal Government shall have the power to define the extent of Human Life and take measures to protect it.
And

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Republican Party in the above-named precinct supports the appointment of Judges who follow the above principles of Judicial restraint and respect for the rule of law, supports the permanent confirmation of the Judicial appointees nominated by President Bush but stalled by the Liberal Democrats in the Senate; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Republican Party in the above-named precinct supports the current system of election of Texas Judges.

---

The foregoing resolution was properly submitted in triplicate and was adopted by the Republican voters in the above-referenced precinct in convention on Tuesday, March 9, 2004.

Attest:


________________________________

[WOSG]

Precinct No. ____________
__________County Republican Party

March 9, 2004

RESOLUTION TO TRANSFER PUBLIC INTEGRITY UNIT FROM TRAVIS COUNTY
DISTRICT ATTORNEY TO OFFICE OF THE TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL

Whereas, Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle has launched another baseless partisan witch hunt against Republicans under the guise of investigating the 2002 elections; and Whereas, in the past, state newspapers have accused Earle's office of 'selective partisanship' (Houston Chronicle, 4/24/92); conducting investigations that are 'politically motivated' (Dallas Morning News, 6/12/93), 'horribly mishandled', on 'legally shaky grounds' (HC, 2/12/94), and using a 'double standard' for Democrats and Republicans (HC 6/13/93); and illegally releasing confidential grand jury testimony to the media (Dallas Observer, 6/23/94); and

Whereas, the investigative powers of the Public Integrity Unit are arbitrarily assigned to the Travis County District Attorney's Office based
solely on geography, and no other District Attorney in the state is given such authority; and

Whereas, the Attorney General is the chief law enforcement officer in the state of Texas and is better suited to ensure the integrity of state government; and

Whereas, the State of Texas allocates nearly $1 million per biennium to the Travis County District Attorney's Public Integrity Unit, and Texas taxpayers would likely realize significant savings by transferring the Unit's authority to the Office of the Attorney General, where attorneys already are employed for such purposes; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, the Republican Party in the above-named precinct calls on the Texas Legislature to remove state funding for the Public Integrity Unit from the Travis County District Attorney; and be it further

Resolved,  Republican Party in the above-named precinct calls on the Texas Legislature to pass legislation transferring the authority of the Public
Integrity Unit from the Travis County District Attorney to the Office of the Attorney General.

---

The foregoing resolution was properly submitted in triplicate and was adopted by the Republican voters in the above-referenced precinct in convention on Tuesday, March 9, 2004.

Attest:


________________________________
Precinct Convention Chairman

[WOSG]

Precinct No. ______

_________________ County Republican Party

March 9, 2004

RESOLUTION ON IMMIGRATION REFORM

WHEREAS, according to new census data, almost one-third of the 31 million immigrants entering the United States during the 1990's were illegal; and

WHEREAS, such large scale illegal immigration imposes huge fiscal costs on public services and encourages disregard for the law; and

WHEREAS, our flawed visa system failed to protect Americans from international terrorists entering the United States illegally; now therefore

BE IT RESOLVED that the Republican Party in the above-named precinct urges Congress to reform our immigration system as follows:
Repeal the Ted Kennedy1965 immigration law, replace unlimited 'chain migration' of families with limited family sponsorship restricted to children and spouses of citizens and permanent residents, and end the 'diversity visa lottery' (H.R. 775);
Amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to not grant citizenship at birth to children born in the United States unless the parents are citizens or legal permanent resident aliens (H.R. 1567);
Discourage the issuance of driver's licenses to illegal aliens (HR. 3235) and forbid the use of 'matricula IDs' to obtain any Governmental aid;
Create verifiable documentation to stop employment documentation fraud and Government benefit fraud, and vigorously enforce sanctions against employers violating immigration law;
Streamline and speed deportation procedures;
Fund the FBI's enforcement of immigration law and increase funding and manpower of U.S. Border Patrol;
Encourage local law enforcement to enforce immigration law, with H.R. 2671, the Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal Act,
which would give state and local law enforcement agencies the authority and resources to detain criminal illegal aliens in the course of their duties;
Abolish 245(i) and other stealth amnesties that prevent deportation of criminal aliens;
Forbid social security benefits to be paid out to illegal aliens who used fraudulent documents to obtain employment;
Encourage other countries to cooperate with our enforcement of immigration laws and find ways to cooperatively reduce illegal immigration.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Republican Party in the above-named precinct opposes the following immigration policies:
We oppose any guest worker program that gives advantage to illegal aliens or is umlimited in scope;
We oppose any amnesy for illegal immigration that gives any advantage to those who violate the law;
We oppose immigration policies that encourage or allow unlimited levels of immigration, legal or illegal;
We oppose providing illegal aliens with non-emergency-health-care related Government public assistance;
We oppose granting in-state tuition rates to illegal aliens to attend state universities, while unfairly denying those benefits to U.S. citizens and legal immigrants from other states.

---

The foregoing resolution was properly submitted in triplicate and was adopted by the Republican voters in the above-referenced precinct in convention on Tuesday, March 9, 2004.

Attest:


________________________________
Precinct Convention Chairman

[TheSarce]

Primary Day bump....

[DrewsDad]

MidDay Primary Pong

[pax_et_bonum]

I received the following proposed pro-homeschooling resolution in an email.

Resolution supporting the autonomy of private schools including home schools
Resolution promoting the continued protection of private schools and home schools from government regulation

WHEREAS the party supports the idea that parents have the fundamental responsibility to determine the education (content and goal) and upbringing of their children, and

WHEREAS parents who educate their children in private or home schools already have the maximum freedom to determine the content and goal of their children’s education, and

WHEREAS parents who educate their children in private and home schools do so because they want to determine the content (thorough academic curriculum) and goal of their children’s education without government regulation, and

WHEREAS some of the most influential promoters of vouchers have stated, that private and home schools accepting vouchers will definitely be regulated by the government, because the schools will be accepting government money. They say, “if you don’t want the government regulation, don’t take the money”, and

WHEREAS the government is answerable to the public to account for the money it disperses, it is not possible to give money to parents to use at their own discretion for private schools without any accountability to the government/the public, and

WHEREAS because today the two major mantras of the education reform movement are choice and accountability, there is no question that publicly funded private education will be required to be accountable to the government, and

WHEREAS parents who choose to accept government vouchers to help fund their children’s private and home schools will no longer have the maximum freedom to determine the content and goal of their children’s education because the private school accepting the government voucher will become a public school under the jurisdiction of the government. He who pays, rules.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Republican Party, which is an uncompromising supporter of private school and home school autonomy, does not recommend government vouchers for private schools including home schools, because they realize government vouchers will result in private schools and home schools losing their autonomy by bringing them under the jurisdiction of the government which will diminish the parent’s freedom to determine the content and goal of their children’s education.

[bayourod]

Prior to 1976 we didn't have a presidential primary, we had caucuses like Iowa has.

.I was on the original committee of the Texas Republican Party that wrote the rule creating a Republican Presidential Preference Primary.(Rule 36A I believe.)

This was a radical move because state law did not provide for such a primary election. We overcame challenges by the Democrats claiming that our primary was illegal. Our position was that it was our party and we could choose how we selected our candidates and that the legislature couldn't stop us.

So we had our primary election while the Democrats continued to select their Presidential candidate by caucus.

The stated purpose of our going to a primary for president was to increase the participation of people in the Republican primary for state and local elections. At that time probably 80% of Texans voted in the Democrat primary because that the winner of the Democratic primary almost always won the general election. (Our real reason was because we supported Reagan whereas the party establishment supported Ford/Bush/abortion etc... and could turn out more people to the causes. That's the true story of how Reagan got the nomination in 80')

It worked. We started attracting voters to the Republican primary who then identified themselves as Republicans in the general election and we went from having never elected a republican statewide officer holder to electing all of them.

But I now believe that we should return to a caucus system. This would take our elections out of the hands of the rich contributors/lobbyists/media/pundits/special interest groups/pollsters/marketeers etc.. and return a small degree of influence to the party organization. The Texas State Republican Party has become a mere shell whose only purpose is to launder money for the special interests presidential campaigns. Officeholders spit on our state party platform and hold our party leaders in contempt. (P.S., I have no personal interest as I haven't been involved in party/issue/candidate politics since 1988.