By Conduit for Action
This is a request to all Republican members of the Arkansas General Assembly, asking you to attend the Republican State Committee meeting this Saturday, May 18th, and to vote against the proposed rule change which would grab power from State Convention delegates by requiring a two-thirds (2/3rds) majority before amending party rules or platform.
Most members of the General Assembly periodically attend the Republican County Committee (or Committees) in their district. Some of you frequently attend and participate in the meetings. Your County Committee selects delegates to the State Convention when they meet as the County Convention.
For most delegates, the State Convention is the only time they have any say over party policy. But a few members of the State Committee want to restrict your delegates by imposing a two-thirds vote.
As members of the General Assembly, you participate in the passage or defeat of hundreds of bills by a majority vote. Now, imagine what your legislative session would be like if every one of the bills you consider had to receive a two-thirds vote or more. It would be gridlock and you would be ruled by a minority.
Now consider that the only “legislation” the delegates to the State Convention consider is amendments to the rules and platform.
Next, consider that the Rules Committee and the Platform and Resolutions Committee recommend rules and platform changes to the delegates to the State Convention. The members of those committees are all appointed by the State Chair, and the State Chair is elected by the State Committee. Despite basically having the blessing of the State Committee and the State Convention, those recommended changes could be blocked by a minority of delegates if a two-thirds vote were to be required.
If you think it is a good idea for the State Convention to be ruled by a minority on all their “legislation,” then expect delegates to ask you why you haven’t proposed an amendment to the Arkansas Constitution to require at least a two-thirds vote on every bill considered by the General Assembly.
And, yes, you would be asked. Even without a roll call vote, your vote is seen, just like in legislative committees where there is no roll call. That is also the case with how your proxy vote is cast, if you are not present.
Do not be persuaded by the argument that since the State Committee must have a two-thirds vote to amend party rules, then the State Convention should also have that same requirement. The difference in vote requirements on rules amendments was set purposely. It recognizes that the State Committee merely holds “delegated” interim power in the absence of the State Convention and that under the structure of the party, the State Convention is the “final authority in all Party matters.”[i] The party rules also use the same structure to require a County Committee to have a higher vote on local rules than revisions made by the County Convention.
We understand that voting against some powerful party insiders who want more power is a difficult thing, but please do the right thing by attending and standing up for your delegates to the State Convention.
Why is Conduit for Action speaking out on a proposed Republican Rule?
First, let us say it would probably be to Conduit’s advantage if the proposal passed. Why? Because we stand firmly behind the existing principals and platform of the Republican Party of Arkansas and the proposal would make it much harder for wishy-washy Republicans to undermine a very good document. But we still oppose the proposal.
We oppose the proposal because we trust Republican delegates with making decisions by majority vote, and we think leaving the vote at a majority is the fair thing.
We are speaking out because delegates who oppose the proposal have no other outlet to getting their message to you and the rest of Arkansas Republicans. Meanwhile, the few State Committee members who are paranoid that delegates will do something crazy, have the ability to get their message out through the state party apparatus.
Before you buy into their paranoia, ask them if there are any examples of the Arkansas Republican delegates going off the rails.
Some of you like Conduit’s work, some hate Conduit, and some are indifferent; and all that is fine.
The issue here is whether you want to hamstring the State Convention and have it ruled by a minority.
We have addressed this message to the members of the General Assembly because you are the elected officials who are most involved with County Committees. But we also want to share this message to all the Executive Branch Constitutional Officers and all members of Arkansas’ Congressional Delegation and ask that they, too, attend the meeting and stand up for the delegates to the State Convention.
Finally, we also address this message to all the members of the State Committee. Even if you have previously committed to support the proposal, we ask you to reconsider the issue and say “no” to the proposal.
Please attend the State Committee Meeting this Saturday, May 18th, and do the right thing by defeating the proposed rule change. Don’t stand by and let the proposal pass!
[i] Republican Party of Arkansas Rules, Article I, Section 2, Subsection B. “The final authority in all party matters shall rest in the biennial Republican State Convention, which shall be deemed to have delegated such interim authority to the State Committee and Executive Committee as is necessary to carry out the purposes and objectives of the party.”
ICYMI:
Do you support changing the current vote threshold from a simple majority to a two-thirds vote?
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