Before getting to the floor of County / SD Convention, a Rules Committee will review all of the proposed rule amendments submitted from within the county or the district and then make a Committee report recommending the rules to be presented to the full body of the county or the senatorial district convention. Rule amendments adopted at a County / SD Convention are then forwarded to the state convention for debate, amendment and adoption or rejection.
Amendments to Texas Democratic Party rules may be submitted to the Rules Committee after the Senate District Committee meets to canvass primary votes after the March 4th primary election day. That vote canvass meeting occurred on Thursday, March 13, 2014.
Each proposed amendment has four parts: Specify Article and Section of rule to be added, deleted, or amended; Section of Rule Exactly As Currently Worded; Proposed Rule Amendment(s); and Rationale for the proposed amendment.
Example: To propose a TDP Rule amendment that allows members of the County Executive Committee (CEC) to call a meeting of the CEC at any time one fifth of the county precinct chairs deem a CEC meeting is required:
Article and Section: Article III Executive Committees - Article Iii Executive Committees - E. County Executive Committee - 10. Meeting of the County Executive Committee.
Section of Rule Exactly As Currently Worded: The County Executive Committee (CEC) shall meet at least quarterly throughout the two year term between elections. Statutory meetings called for by the Texas Election Code may be counted toward the quarterly meeting requirement of the CEC. The County Executive Committee (CEC) meetings shall not be scheduled during the week of the biennial state convention and county/Senatorial district convention, except to a) fill a ballot vacancy, b) endorse a candidate in a special election or c) if the nature of the business is such that it cannot wait until the adjournment of that convention. If a county chair fails to issue a written call for a County Executive Committee meeting within six months of the previous County Executive Committee meeting, 25% of the members of the CEC may call a CEC meeting by written demand. Notice of such meeting, including an agenda of the business to be considered, shall be mailed or sent by electronic mail to all members of the county executive committee at least fourteen (14) days prior to the date of the meeting and shall state the time, date and place and the names of the persons issuing the call. The County Executive Committee meetings shall be chaired by the County Chair. If the County Chair is not present, then the Secretary or any qualified Democrat may conduct the meeting.
Proposed Amendment: Amend the following sentence, "If a county chair fails to issue a written call for a County Executive Committee meeting within six months of the previous County Executive Committee meeting, 25% of the members of the CEC may call a CEC meeting by written demand;" TO READ, "Any member of the County Executive Committee may call members of the Executive Committee to meeting, which the member calling the meeting shall chair, by obtaining signatures from one fifth of the Executive Committee members, elected or ratified by the County Executive Committee, on a written petition specifying the agenda items to be covered at such meeting."
Strike the sentence, "The County Executive Committee meetings shall be chaired by the County Chair."
Amend the following sentence, "If the County Chair is not present, then the Secretary or any qualified Democrat may conduct the meeting;" to say "If the committee member calling the meeting is not present, then the Secretary or any qualified Democrat may conduct the meeting."
The amended section shall read in full, "The County Executive Committee (CEC) shall meet at least quarterly throughout the two year term between elections. Statutory meetings called for by the Texas Election Code may be counted toward the quarterly meeting requirement of the CEC. The County Executive Committee (CEC) meetings shall not be scheduled during the week of the biennial state convention and county/Senatorial district convention, except to a) fill a ballot vacancy, b) endorse a candidate in a special election or c) if the nature of the business is such that it cannot wait until the adjournment of that convention. Any member of the County Executive Committee may call members of the Executive Committee to meeting, which said member shall chair, by obtaining the signatures of one fifth of the elected and ratified County Executive Committee members on a written petition specifying the agenda items to be covered at such meeting. Notice of such meeting, including an agenda of the business to be considered, shall be mailed or sent by electronic mail to all members of the county executive committee at least fourteen (14) days prior to the date of the meeting and shall state the time, date and place and the names of the persons issuing the call. If the committee member calling the meeting is not present, then the Secretary or any qualified Democrat may conduct the meeting."
Rationale: A County Chair may become incapacitated due to illness or injury, or may, without officially tendering resignation as provided for in TDP Rules, become unwilling to carry out duties and responsibilities of the County Chair office to call and chair meetings of County Executive Committee at times certain situations may arise that require the attention and action of the county party organization. Allowing members of the County Executive Committee to take action as may be deemed necessary and required by one fifth of the county precinct chairs ensures that issues important to county Democrats can be addressed in a timely manner.
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