SREC – Senate District 12

Tom Washington

Elected officials from the Republican Party of Texas hold all of the statewide elected offices in Texas and hold comfortable majorities in the Texas House of Representatives and Texas Senate.  Yet in our seven most populous counties, we are running neck and neck with the Democrats.  This has implications for our majorities because population is increasing in  the urban areas of the state and decreasing in the rural areas, especially in East Texas and West Texas, which are Republican Party strongholds.

2012 Texas General Election Results for President/Vice President Race *  

*(TX Secy. of State)

(more…)

The RPT State Convention in Fort Worth was a great success!  Many hours of planning and organizing over the past two years by our SREC Convention Committee resulted in one of the best conventions ever.

Thank you, Chairman Steve Munisteri, for making our Party what it is today!

At the same time the RPT staff was preparing for the May 29th Primary, they also had to work on the State Convention along with the Convention Committee, chaired by Hal Talton and co-chaired by Becky Berger. Despite only having half the time to put the Convention together, a full range of events and activities was scheduled.

Here’s the Pre-Convention Report from Chairman Munisteri which previewed all the exciting events of the Convention. (You’ll see what a busy schedule it was!)

(more…)

It’s only three weeks until the Texas GOP Convention! The SREC Convention Committee is working very hard with RPT staff and volunteers to pull together all of the final details for the Convention.

Last week, the RPT mailed a Pre-Registration form and flyer to all delegates and alternates who had not yet pre-registered online for the State Convention. We encourage all attendees to PRE-REGISTER for the Convention to help avoid long lines and delays on-site.

All pre-registered attendees will be able to pick up their credentials in a quick and easy registration setup separate from the on-site registration. Register today!

(more…)

Primary Election Day (Tuesday, May 29)

Early Voting – Monday, May 14, through May 25.

DENTON County Voters:

Early Voting Dates, Times, Locations

(more…)

Redistricting Update XI: It Is All Up To The Courts

The fate of the redistricting maps now rests solely with the three-judge panel in San Antonio. As of the time of this update, a global agreement between all parties has not been reached relative to the Texas House and Texas Congressional districts. Therefore, the final decisions as to where the lines will be are in the hands of the three-judge panel. The panel set deadlines for parties to submit final briefs on various issues and that deadline has now passed. This now means that all the arguments are over and all we are waiting for now is for the Court to rule.

If the Court issues maps on or before March 3rd, then the May 29th primary date can be accomplished – assuming a re-opened filing period can be accomplished within a few days. If the Court issues new maps after March 3rd, then the next and final available primary date would be June 26th. To accomplish a June 26th primary, maps would still need to be issued by March 30th to meet the June 26th date.

There is a possibility that the San Antonio three-judge panel (which handles Section 2 challenges of the Voting Rights Act) will wait to see what the Washington D.C. three-judge panel (who handles Section 5 challenges of the Voting Rights Act) rules, and that subsequently, the San Antonio panel incorporates the D.C. panel’s findings into new maps. The D.C. panel indicated that it would not rule prior to March. Consequently, if the San Antonio panel is waiting on the D.C. panel, a May 29th primary could only be accomplished if the D.C. panel rules at the very start of March and the rulings can be incorporated into alterations of the maps within a few days. Otherwise, only the June 26th primary date is an option.

(more…)

PROPOSED TEMPORARY AND EMERGENCY CHANGES TO RPT RULES

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

        The various orders of the federal three-judge panel in Perez v. Perry have postponed the 2012 general primary election to a date which makes it impossible for the Republican Party of Texas (RPT) to conduct the convention procedure set forth in the Texas Election Code and the Rules of the Republican Party of Texas (RPT Rules). RPT Rule 1 allows the State Republican Executive Committee (SREC) to make temporary and emergency changes to the RPT Rules in the event judicial action makes the “conduct, operation, or implementation of [the] Rules … frustrated or impracticable, or contrary to their intent and purpose.” RULES OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF TEXAS, Rule 1(c). These changes, if approved by the SREC, will be valid until such time they are ratified by the State Convention, or until the adjournment of the State Convention, whichever comes first. Id. However, pursuant to Section 163.006, Texas Election Code, any further amendments made to these Rules made by the State Convention which govern or affect the Republican Party of Texas’ general or runoff primary elections, conventions or nominees, would not be effective until January 1, 2013.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends RPT Rule 13 to eliminate the quorum requirement to convene a County or Senatorial District Convention. Allows the maintenance of a quorum so long as the persons in attendance comprise more than fifty percent (50%) of the total voting strength of the Convention and a majority of the seated precincts are present.

SECTION 2. Strikes RPT Rule 19 and inserts a new RPT Rule 19A allowing for a Local Option Precinct Convention. A county executive committee (CEC), by two-thirds (2/3) vote may elect to hold precinct conventions in their county under the RPT Rules in effect on October 2, 2011, provided that that vote occur not later than fourteen (14) days prior to the date scheduled for county and senatorial district conventions, and further provided that the CEC publicize the local option precinct convention among all Republican voters in the county by, at a minimum, posting the date, time, and location(s) of such convention(s) on the county party’s website and email list, and providing a copy to the State Chairman for posting on the RPT website no later than seven (7) days prior to the date proposed for the local option precinct convention. If the county party has neither a website nor an email list, the CEC must publish an advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation in the county by the same deadline. Failure to comply with the notice provision precludes the county from holding a local option precinct convention. In the event a local option precinct convention is held in the county, the RPT Rules in effect on October 2, 2011 that govern precinct conventions and the selection of delegates to county and senatorial district conventions shall be used in that county instead of those Rules as amended in this amendment.

SECTION 3. Strikes RPT Rules governing the conduct of precinct conventions.

SECTION 4. Amends RPT Rule 23 to remove language relating to precinct conventions.

SECTION 5. Amends RPT Rule 23A to clarify that the 2010 General Election precincts will be used in conducting County or Senatorial District Conventions. In the event a senate district splits a 2010 precinct, the State Chairman shall provide maps and delegate allocation totals to County Chairmen for use in the convention process. Provides that if no valid districts exist for senate districts one week prior to the date for senatorial district conventions (as determined by closure of the reopened filing period) all counties shall only have county conventions and delegates/alternates from those counties to the State Convention shall be chosen in a manner that ensures geographic distribution of those delegates/alternates is roughly proportional to the geographic distribution of the votes cast for the Republican nominee in the last gubernatorial election. In this event assignment to senate and congressional districts will be made at the State Convention. Sets out a voting strength of 1 vote for every 25 votes cast for the Republican nominee in the last gubernatorial election for each precinct at the County or Senatorial District Convention regardless of the number of persons present from that precinct. Eliminates the cap on State Convention delegates and alternates, and option for CECs and Senatorial District Executive Committees (SDEC) to modify delegate allotments. Provides that delegates and alternates will be assigned to congressional districts at the State Convention

SECTION 6. Amends RPT Rule 24 to remove language relating to precinct conventions.

SECTION 7. Amends RPT Rule 25 to establish that participants in a convention must be a registered voter who has affiliated with the Republican Party. Affiliation may be accomplished by voting in the Republican General Primary or by oath. Specifies oath prescribed by Texas Election Code, and provides that the oath may be executed orally or in writing, provided however that a written record, including a person’s signature, full name, permanent address, and voter unique identification number (VUID) must be maintained of all persons executing the oath and included in the minutes of a convention. The written record shall be certified by the Permanent Chairman and Permanent Secretary of the convention and three copies prepared and delivered to the County Chairman, State Chairman and chief elections officer of the county. Additionally an electronic list of all VUIDs of participants must be sent to the State Chairman. Provides that the oath must be accompanied by a notice of criminal penalty for participating in another party’s convention or primary in the same voting year. Disqualifies a person who participates in another party’s primary or convention from serving as a delegate, alternate, party officer, or nominee of the Republican Party at any level for the remainder of the voting year. Removes language relating to precinct conventions. Requires each CEC to publicize the County or Senatorial District Convention among all Republican voters in the county by, at a minimum, posting the date, time, and location(s) of such convention(s) on the county party’s website and email list, and providing a copy to the State Chairman for posting on the RPT website no later than seven (7) days prior to the date set for the convention. If the county party has neither a website nor an email list, the CEC must publish an advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation in the county by the same deadline.

SECTION 8. Amends RPT Rule 26 to remove language relating to precinct conventions.

SECTION 9. Amends RPT Rule 27 to remove language relating to credential challenges of precinct delegates. Provides that credential challenges of county/senatorial district delegates must be made within seven (7) days of the county or senatorial district convention.

SECTION 10. Amends RPT Rule 28 to provide for county conventions in all counties in the event senatorial districts are not set, as evidenced by the close of filing for the general primary, one week prior to the date set for county or senatorial district conventions.

SECTION 11. Amends RPT Rule 29 to remove language relating to precinct conventions and delegates.

SECTION 12. Amends RPT Rule 30 to require administration of the Oath of Affiliation as the first item of business at the County or Senatorial District Convention. Requires a roll call of precincts represented. Requires the announcement of the separate and combined voting strength of each precinct. Removes the Report of the Credentials Committee as an agenda item.

SECTION 13. Amends RPT Rule 32 to require that state delegate and alternate lists include a VUID for each delegate and alternate and be submitted in electronic form to RPT.

SECTION 14. Amends RPT Rule 33 to allow electronic mailing of convention call to delegates and alternates. Requires SREC members to recommend temporary committee members and caucus chairs within 10 days of the County and Senatorial District Conventions.

SECTION 15. Amends RPT Rule 38 to provide that withdrawn or deceased presidential candidates votes be deemed votes for uncommitted delegates and alternates; deletes language relating to replacement of delegates of withdrawn or deceased presidential candidates. Deletes language relating to assignment of uncommitted and committed delegates and alternates at State Convention. Requires the State Chairman, upon the SREC’s canvass of the presidential primary, to assign delegates in proportion to the statewide presidential vote. Clarifies that RNC members are uncommitted delegates. Provides for announcement of vote at national convention on a directly proportional basis related to the statewide presidential vote, with no poll taken of members for announcement of the vote. Allows for replacement of vacant delegate and alternate positions by the Chairman of the National Nominations Committee of the State Convention. Requires that delegates and alternates affiliate with the Republican Party by oath or voting in the Republican Primary

I continue to listen to lots of discussions on these changes -and am willing to answer questions.

Thanks, again, for your patience as we work through this process.

Many of you have called or phoned — mostly because of rumors floating around
about the necessary rules change to our Convention Process.

An SREC colleague has spoken out of turn and published some misinformation
– costing most of the SREC extra hours in answering questions and
quelling anxiety from our constituents.

Please be cautious in reacting to what you read or hear
– and doubly so in forwarding information.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Latest communication to the SREC and County Chairs from Beth Cubriel,
RPT Organizational Director:

Last Wednesday, Chairman Munisteri was notified by the three judge panel in San Antonio that we will have to find a new way of electing delegates and hosting our convention process during this election cycle, as we still do not have a date for our primary election to serve as an anchor for our delegate selection process.

The following day (Thursday), Steve had a conference call with the Officials Committee of the SREC to discuss options that might be available to our party, given the challenges presented.  Chairman Munisteri believes that they arrived at a workable, although not ideal, resolution to the problem and on Friday presented the proposed solution by conference call to the SREC.  He would now like the opportunity to share that plan directly with our county chairs, who will be most directly involved in the process of hosting county and senatorial district conventions.

Eric Opiela, Assistant General Counsel, is working on the party rules changes, with input from Rules Committee Chairman Dan Pickens, Rules Committee member Clint Moore and National Committee member and RNC General Counsel Bill Crocker, that will need to be adopted at an emergency meeting of the SREC, scheduled for next Wednesday, February 29th.

In the meantime, the proposal does call for County/ SD conventions on either April 14^th or 21^st, as determined by your CEC, so please don’t cancel your facilities.

NOTE;  Your State Republican Executive Committee and your County Chair have a copy of the proposed rules and are reviewing them. There is much to study and ponder, and perhaps amend. Nothing is determined until we have reviewed — and then the SREC will vote next Wednesday (February 29) in Austin.

Thank you for your courtesy and patience as we work through this mess.
I will be happy to try to answer any questions. I am, after all,
your representative on the State Republican Executive Committee.

Jean McIver

If you’ve somehow just tuned in and are wondering what’s happening,
you can catch up with the updates on this blog or on the
Redistricting Updates on the Republican Party of Texas’ website.

We are working hard at the Republican Party of Texas to figure out the
best way to proceed, with the very real likelihood we will not have a
Primary before our State Convention.  The Primary date is not set in
stone as of yet, so be advised that it will in all likelihood not occur
until the week before, or even after our State Convention.

      

You can read all the latest Texas Redistricting news here. 

The agreement that appears to be in the making between the court, the Democrats and Republicans about the maps is not final.