2024 RPA State Convention Business:
Part II–Rules Changes Submitted—Will NONE be Heard?
This the second in a three-part series regarding what the leadership of the Republican Party of Arkansas currently says they will not allow to be heard, discussed, and voted on at the biennial State Convention on Saturday, June 8, 2024, in Rogers, Arkansas.
As previously mentioned, the State Convention is made up of delegates selected by all County Committees across the state and is recognized by RPA Rules as the “final authority in all party matters.”
The State Convention delegates are those most closely identified with the Republican voter, are most familiar with the candidates, and are often termed “the grassroots” of the party.
According to the RPA rules (and Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised), during the biennial Republican State Convention, delegates are to discuss, amend, and vote on a new platform, changes to the RPA rules, ratify persons newly elected as the counties’ State Committeeman and State Committeewoman, elect Presidential Electors, and take up other party business proposed by the Rules Committee or convention delegates.
Part 1 in this series focuses on those timely submitted Platform Changes which the Platform/Resolutions Committee did not recommend, and the State Party Chair says will not be allowed to be heard at the State Convention.
This article shares with you the timely submitted Rules Changes, none of which were recommended by the Rules Committee, and all of which the Rules Chairman says are not to be heard or brought before the State Convention delegates for a hearing or vote.
Before getting into the Rules Changes submitted and rejected by the Rules Committee, it may be considered significant by some that there was a recent State Committee meeting (May 18, 2024) during which the Rules Committee recommended the passage of a Rules Change which would raise the threshold to pass a Rules change or changes to the Platform at a State Convention. Had the Rule change passed, it would have changed the vote threshold for the State Convention from a simple majority to a two-thirds vote. That recommended Rules change failed at the State Committee.
Therefore, it takes a simple majority vote by State Convention delegates to approve any changes to these foundational documents which appears to be the original design insuring grassroots have a say in forming policy (and its execution) within the Republican Party of Arkansas.
In order for a Rules Change submission to pass the first hurdle for State Convention consideration, the following rule must be followed (RPA Rule Article 1, Section 6F):
All proposed rule changes and/or proposed platform provisions shall be filed in writing with the appropriate committee at least 60 days prior to the date of the convention. Those proposed rule changes and/or proposed platform resolutions recommended for adoption at the State Convention shall be mailed or electronically transmitted by the appropriate committee chair to each County Chairman 30 days before the date of the convention. It shall be the responsibility of every County Chairman to inform delegates and alternates to the State Convention of the proposed rules changes and/or proposed platform resolutions. Copies of proposed rules changes and/or proposed platform resolutions will not be mailed to delegates and alternates by the State Party.
Seven proposed Rules changes were timely submitted. All seven submissions were rejected by the Rules Committee. It is the current position of the State Party Chair’s appointed chair to the Rules Committee that these timely filed Rules changes are not to get a hearing on the floor of the State Convention.
This declaration of “no hearing” of timely submissions before the State Convention flies contrary to the past practices of the RPA as well as being in direct conflict with Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised regarding Conventions (RONR 58-60).
It is our hope and recommendation that our party leaders review RONR before the State Convention and allow these timely filed Rules change submissions and allow them to be heard and voted on by the State Convention delegates.
The following are the seven timely filed submissions currently ordered by the Rules Chair as not to be heard by the State Convention delegates:
(Within each rules change submission below, see red font–underlined are additions; strikethroughs are deletions. For your convenience, page numbers are cited for each Rules Change in the order found in the current RPA 2019 Rules cite found here!)
Purpose: Support the policy set forth in the RPA Platform, that the Republican primary voter must be a Republican to vote in the Republican Primary.
Rationale: In order to implement the position already included in the RPA Platform, the RPA Rules must be changed to reflect same.
*****
“ARTICLE I – General Provisions
“Section 4 – Candidates for Public Office [page 8 of 47]
*****
“Section 5 – Primary Elections [page 10 of 47]
*****
Purpose: To update the composition of the State Committee to reflect the original intent of the rules prior to Republicans gaining a supermajority of elected officials in Arkansas. This rule change ensures county committees are better represented on the State Committee.
Rationale: Since our party has now gained unanimous representation at the U.S Congressional/ U.S. Senate and state constitutional levels, and gained a supermajority within its state legislative body, the current State Committee membership has recently become distorted from its original intent (originally designed for greater proportional representation by County Committee members.)
*****
“ARTICLE II – County Committee
“Section 3 – Organization [page 17 of 47]
*****
“ARTICLE II – County Committee
“Section 6 – Duties of County Officers [page 23 of 47]
*****
“ARTICLE IV – State Committee
“Section 2 – Membership [page 34 of 47]
*****
Purpose: For the State Rules Committee to be elected by the Congressional District Committees, and for the Rules Chairman to be appointed by the State Party Chair.
Rationale: Congressional District Committee Members can identify members who best understand rules and better represent their district.
*****
ARTICLE I – GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 6 – State Conventions [page 11 of 47]
*****
ARTICLE III – CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT COMMITTEE
Section 3 – Meetings [page 29 of 47]
*****
ARTICLE III CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT COMMITTEE
Section 4 – Election of Officers [page 30 of 47]
*****
ARTICLE IV – STATE COMMITTEE
Section 3 – Standing Committees [page 34 of 47] 
*****
Purpose: To resolve conflict, eliminate extra forms required of elected officials at filing period, and to reward county committee members for their efforts to elect Republicans at the county level.
Rationale: Both county elected officials and county committee members who worked to elect Republicans should have seats on the District Committee.
*****
ARTICLE II – County Committees
Section 3 – Organization [page 17 of 47]
ARTICLE III – Congressional District Committee
Section 2 – Membership [page 28 of 47]
ARTICLE III – Congressional District Committee
Section 3 – Meetings [page 29 of 47]
*****
Purpose: To prevent statewide constitutional officers and those elected to a federal office from endorsing candidates for positions on the RPA State Executive Committee.
Rationale: Party Politics is meant to be a vehicle for Grass Roots – meaning the People – to select and elevate those who best represent them. As such, the election of candidates to Party office is meant to be a bottom-up, not a top-down affair. Endorsements by elected officials should not determine Party Leadership just as our Party Leadership may not endorse candidates in contested primaries.
*****
ARTICLE IV – State Committee
Section 6 – Duties of State Officers [pages 36-37 of 47]
*****
Purpose: To conform the membership of the State Committee to the membership of the Republican National Committee (168) as well as the majority of other states.
Rationale: For all but the election of President, Arkansas was basically a one-party state (Democrat) until 2010. Its growth toward a Republican majority was slower than surrounding states and then suddenly outpaced surrounding states by 2014. Sudden growth via our elections have outpaced changes to our party structure and rules which would be better served if conformed to best practices within the Republican party. This recommended change in the structure of the State Committee membership would more closely align our RPA rules to the majority of other state committees and ensure best practices consistent with the RNC Rules of the Party.
*****
ARTICLE IV – State Committee
Section 2 – Membership [page 34 of 47]
*****
Purpose: Currently if a rule is found to conflict with higher order rules, it will be unenforceable until such time that the higher order rule is changed to no longer conflict with the lower order rule. (See Article II, Sec 10) Similar to its application in contracts law, severability in this instance will assure us that any rule found to be in conflict with a higher order rule, will not adversely affect the validity of the remainder of our governing documents.
Rationale: In the cases where there is a concern over the conflict of rules, we often do not get a definitive ruling until after the rules change has occurred; and in some cases, needed changes are postponed due to being unclear whether we may make the change in the first place. Adding a severability clause will alleviate these issues and allow the RPA to adopt Rules which they believe will improve the party.
*****
Added:
ARTICLE VIII – Severability [page 47 of 47]
[Conforming changes follow:]
ARTICLE II-County Committees
Section 10-County Committee Local Rules of the County Committee
Paragraphs A & B1. [pages 25-26 of 47]
ARTICLE III-Congressional District Committees
Added:
Section 9 – Subordinacy [page 32 of 47]
ARTICLE IV – State Committee
Added:
Section 11 – Subordinacy [page 39 of 47]
*****
Our Summary: In spite of its motto, Arkansas has a long history of refusal by those in power to allow “the people (to actually) rule”. Surprisingly, this seems to be the long-time conclusion of political experts in Arkansas on both sides of the aisle.
We at Conduit are very impressed with the work and forethought that has gone into the design and crafting of these recommended changes to the RPA Rules. We believe that if passed any or all would strengthen the party and go a long way toward securing Republican victories, as well as more individual freedoms, for the people of our state. It is our hope that these Rules Change submissions will get a hearing by the State Convention delegates on June 8.
ICYMI: 2024 RPA State Convention Business: Part I–Platform Changes Submitted—Will ALL be Heard?
