Milam County Resolutions for the State Party Platform

Every two years, county political parties conduct Precinct Conventions and a County Convention in preparation for the State Convention held every two years. During the Precinct Conventions, Resolutions are considered and if passed, are forwarded to the County Convention.

During the March 19th County Convention, the Resolutions Committee considers the resolutions passed from the Precinct Conventions and they are presented to the Convention for passage. Those resolutions that are passed are then sent on to the Texas State Convention for consideration and possible inclusion in the State Platform.

This is why the Precinct and County Conventions are so important if you really want to be a part of the process of how the parties work. Below I have included the resolutions that were passed out of the most recent Republican Milam County Convention.

Thanks,

Bill

1.       Resolution One - Delegates to the RNC National Convention

be it resolved THAT for the Republican Party, no delegates having voting power within the nomination framework shall exist without being selected by or bound to a vote from the primaries or caucuses of the States which they represent; that no unpledged “super Delegates” currently exist or will ever be created to interfere with the states intent of the people.

2.       Resolution Two – Campaign Finance Account Limitations

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Campaign accounts of candidates, whether elected or not, should only be allowed to be opened for a finite period of time rather than the current system which allows candidates to keep their campaign accounts open for an unlimited time period. Accounts may be open and funds may only be raised from a time period of four (4) months prior to the filing period for an election and that all accounts must be closed out in a timely manner following the end of a candidate’s campaign, regardless of the outcome.

3.       Resolution Three – Total Delegates to the State Convention

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Convention of the Republican Party of Texas has become too cumbersome to manage properly with the current number of delegates allowed to the convention; therefore, the number of Delegates should be reduced to a more controllable number of delegates from the state with a system being similarly based on the number of gubernatorial votes from the counties; however, the numbers should then be reduced on a curve where the county with the largest number GOP Gubernatorial votes would receive fifty (50) delegates and the remainder of the counties would have their delegation determined based on a percentage of that same calculation with no county receiving less than three (3) delegates.  This process would, reduce confusion and disruption at the convention, lower the cost of the convention, provide a wider variety of venues for the convention to be held, and increase productivity of the event.

4.       Resolution Four – Congressional Term Limits

BE IT RESOLVED THAT service in the Texas State Legislature and the United States Congress should be controlled and restricted by a set of term limits. The terms of service would be limited to the length of time as laid out below.

Texas State Legislature – Total Service of eight (8) years.

Examples:

            Four (4) terms in the State House;

or Two (2) terms in the State Senate;

or Two (2) terms in the State House and one (1) term in the State Senate.

United States Congress – Total Service of twelve (12) years.

            Examples:

Six (6) terms in the U.S. House;

or Two (2) terms in the U.S. Senate;

            or Three (3) terms in the U.S. House and one (1) term in the U.S. Senate.

5.       Resolution Five – The Reorganization of the Texas House of Representatives

Be it Resolved that we urge the Texas Legislature to enact legislation amending the Texas State Constitution to allow the Texas Senate to continue to be districted based on populations, but require each member of the Texas State House of Representatives to represent two (and only two) geographically-attached counties defined by a like rural or urban population size, thus reducing the size of the House from 150 members to a total of 127 Members while presenting a geographically based house of the legislature.

2016 Republican General Primary Ballot Propositions

Below are the Ballot propositions that will appear on the 2016 GOP Primary Ballot on the March 1^st Primary Election. These propositions were proposed by various parties and worked their way through the process to be approved for the ballot by the State Republican Executive Committee (SREC).

Out of the 52 propositions presented, 48 did not make it. It is important to remember that these propositions are not laws, but are propositions the party will use to set policy for future elected officials to use as a guideline while in office.

As always there are some folks who were incredibly upset at some of the propositions that were or were not included; however, the one that definitely generated the most controversy was the following:

 “If the Federal Government continues to disregard the Constitution and the sovereignty of the State of Texas, the State of Texas should reassert its prior status as an independent nation.”

In the end, this proposition only garnered 16 of 62 votes, so in reality it wasn’t very well received by the SREC. What’s your opinion?

Below are the four ballot propositions that will appear on the March 1^st Primary Ballot:

1. Texas should replace the property tax with an alternative other than an income tax, and require voter approval to increase the overall tax burden. YES/NO

2. Texas cities and counties should be required to comply with federal immigration laws or be penalized by loss of state funds. YES/NO

3. Texas should prohibit governmental entities from collecting dues for labor unions through deductions from public employee paychecks. YES/NO

4. Texas and its citizens should strongly assert 10th Amendment Rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution which states “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States Respectively, or to the people.” YES/NO

Well, there are the four issues the SREC felt warranted a place on the ballot. If you have any ideas, propositions, or resolutions you would like to add to the process, then please come to your precinct convention and the County Convention and present your ideas.

The convention is where resolutions and propositions are received and forwarded to the state. IT’s also where delegates are elected to go to Dallas for the State Convention in May. This year’s state convention will elect delegates the national convention in July held in Cleveland, Ohio. Current plans are to hold both of the Precinct and County Conventions on March 19^th at a time and place to be determined.

If you haven’t been to the conventions, then you are truly missing out on one of the most important parts of the election and governing process.

One last note, tonight is the ballot drawing for a place on the March 1^st Primary Ballot. If you are interested to see the process work, then come on by. It will be held at 411 E. First Street in Cameron.

Until Next Time!!

Bill