San Juan County Democrats

Hi everyone, Reporting from the WSDCC meeting in Walla Walla, there are two significant changes to the rules, plus concerns about parliamentary procedure – please read. (I’ll include a summary of resolutions in a separate message.)
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Rule changes for nominating congressional district candidates, paraphrased (I don’t have the exact wording in front of me, I never did see it clearly in writing):

Nominations for congressional district candidates will be made by the WA State Democrats Central Committee. A recommendation on the nomination will be made to the central committee by the state committeemen and women residing in the congressional district. The central committee then may affirm or overrule the recommendation.
(It is possible that nominations for congressional district candidates will be on the agenda for the January meeting.)

I found the decision-making process we experienced at this meeting to be both stressful and distressing for the following reasons: The proposed rules were handed to us, literally warm from the copy machines, during the meeting; we did not have adequate time to read and consider the proposed rules or to formulate responses prior to the vote. Also, debate on a motion to amend the rules was cut off abruptly and a vote was called with many people still waiting at the microphones to speak against the proposed rules. And, most worrisome to me, the majority of the central committee was apparently content to have the nomination decided by the full state committee usurping the right of constituents to nominate their own candidates.

Members from the 2nd congressional district (one of our members found a copy of the proposed rules ahead of time, so we hurriedly strategized over lunch) proposed an amendment to place the nomination in the hands of the PCO’s residing within the congressional district. Dwight argued against this amendment, worried that “activist PCO’s in the congressional districts could embarrass the party,” and the amendment failed.

I have since learned that several state committeemen and women have noted significant errors in parliamentary procedure by the chair during this portion of the meeting, including: resuming the position of chair of the meeting while engaging in debate on the motion (and not counting his own comments as part of the debate against the motion); handing the chair of the meeting to an executive board member other than the vice-chair; appointing an unqualified parliamentarian; allowing the parliamentarian to also chair the meeting; allowing debate on the motion to be limited without a 2/3 vote; and failing to respond to calls for point of order.

The final outcome, for at least an official recommendation by those residing in the congressional district, was conceived by Ralph Schmidt, 18th LD state committeeman, Clark County, who serves on the elections committee and was forewarned – if you know Ralph Schmidt, please thank him for being prepared.

I voted “no” on the final rules, even with my gratitude for Ralph’s amendment, because I care about the quality of democratic principles and process within the party.
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Rule changes for precinct caucuses [adapted from a report by Richard May, 42nd LD SCM]:

Precinct caucuses have been eliminated from the delegate selection process [ for 2010]. This does NOT mean that your org is prevented from having precinct level meetings to build the party and prepare platform items. There [will not] be delegate selection sanctioned meetings until the LD level.

The reasons suggested for eliminating the precinct step… some regions and some organizations found that the attendees in non-presidential years were mostly limited to the same die-hards who progress on to the LD level anyway.

… arguments to keep the precinct level meetings, mentioned a need for more prep and discussion time for local input for platform and resolution[s], and … opportunities for outreach and party building with localized folks who would come to a precinct caucus, but who would not bother to drive out to an LD caucus.

So, … for orgs who have a net gain from precinct meetings…hold voluntary ones at your discretion.

Based on our previous SJC Democrats discussion, I voted in favor of bypassing official precinct causes in 2010.
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I hope that you will bring these rule changes, and the procedures, up for discussion this at our SJC/40th LD meeting on Oct 10. I will be working out of town (again! I expect to be home more next year).

As always, questions and comments are welcome, Rena

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