Posted on 03/22/2014 3:17:01 PM PDT by The Bat Lady
Ever since 1998 when I first learned of the Convention process (Precinct, County, State and then National) I have gone to my precinct and county conventions. Sometimes I have gone on to the State Convention but I like being involved in writing the State Republican party platform.
Each convention works the same way, elect delegates to go to the next step and pass resolutions to go to the next step. This is the true grassroots.
Today was my 1st County convention in my new county that I moved to after “Going Galt”.
Mostly things went well, a few didn’t work out as planned and so wanted to share for those of you who still have your primary ahead of you. Learn from my mistakes.
I start writing down the things I’m upset about National and State that I might want to write a resolution about. The “Whereas” part gives the background and reasons for the “Be it resolved” part. “Be it resolved” should be an action or strong statement of position. Granted the Texas party platform is bigger than it should be just because we have to state we are against stupid things the democrats come up with.
This year the Republican Party said they were not starting over (like they do every 2 years) but to only send up what is different, new or a change from what is in the 2012 platform. I had not read the platform for several years and just wrote the resolutions off the top of my head.
The Pct convention is the easiest place to get your resolution into the process. The Pct. convention is usually the same night as the primary on Election Day. If you vote early still go to your polling place that night at 7p or 7:30. Everyone who shows up gets to vote on the resolutions to go forward to County level.
All the many county pcts. resolutions will end up at the resolutions committee who puts same ones together and this year threw out the ones already in the platform and even one that no one liked. I asked to be on that committee. (He who will be willing to work usually will get in). What is left was presented to the county convention for pass or fail to go to State. I wrote 12 resolutions and 7 were passed to County, 2 combined with others of the same idea, many were in the platform so I did pretty well.
WHAT I FORGOT was a resolution to call for an Article V convention to propose amendments. I put it in at the County level and it was VOTED DOWN. Now I can TRY to get it into the State resolutions committee but that is much harder!
What has been in the State platform for many, many years is “repeal the 17th amendment” I also put that one in at the County level, it was voted on and it was VOTED DOWN!
So my advice to you if your primary is coming up. Get online and find your State’s party platform, READ IT, mark it, what do you like? What do you NOT like?
What makes you mad on the news lately? IRS scandals? Benghazi? Fast & Furious? Want impeachment? Parents not having the authority for their kid’s medical treatment? Want your State to call for an Article V convention?
WRITE A RESOLUTION! Go to your Precinct convention, county convention and get them passed.
Granted it seems our elected politicians don’t always hear and obey but down the road it can happen eventually. It surely won’t if we never ask or demand or state our position.
Leaving my comments on the Article V Convention aside, this is an excellent primer on how resolutions work in the Republican Party here in Texas.
Here is one place the grassroots, the mere individual, can sometimes have a powerful impact on how things are done.
Excellent disquisition: Thank you; very helpful!
And thank you for a new term for my vocabulary: void ab initio!
One of the ideas being kicked around is a proposed amendment that would make it an impeachable offense for any legislator to vote on any piece of legislation that has not first passed constitutional muster.
Another is lifetime term limits. If these guys know that after two terms in the senate that they must go back out into the real world with the rest of us and live under the laws that they pass, maybe they'll be a little more circumspect.
Maybe.
You're more than welcome... just wish I could take credit for it. I think it was first used by some guy talking about Julius Caesar's last trip to the Senate... ;)
I respectfully disagree. The state legislatures can bind to limit what they can propose, discus, and vote for. Anything that passes the COS must still be ratified by the states. So I think there are enough safeguards to prevent craziness. If you make the argument that marxist progressives will not follow the law I would have to say you have a point there. I would argue that anything not lawfully presented to the states for ratification is null and void. Essentially dead on arrival. I look forward to the COS and the dismantling of the evil power base in DC.
The naysayers who worry that the Article V convention will be taken over by democrats might also want to read this:
http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1805618
I’m still looking for the original wording in the bill that passed
Texas PING! List.
While the county conventions are (mostly?) over, there is a lot of work at the grassroots we can get involved in.
Please connect with The Bat Lady if you have questions.
I have been going to mine since moving from Travis to Williamson County, but unfortunately the Precinct Chair tries to run it like his personal fiefdom.
You rock out loud!
The mere fact of such a convention being held would generate much interest, and would be a good "teaching moment", at least on the Constitution and history.
I would expect nothing less from our Bat Lady... since I guess the the Lady Liberty duds, that you wore to Crawford, might be a bit over the top, at least for the county convention.
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