New "Emergency" Rules for 2012 Delegates & Conventions

Dear SD-14 Republicans:

Below is the official copy of the new "emergency" rules passed Feb 29th:

http://s3.amazonaws.com/texasgop_pre/assets/original/SREC_Feb29_RulesAsPassed.pdf

The meeting lasted about 2.5 hours, and in my observation was a remarkably productive and well conducted meeting of our SREC term - even more so considering the complexity of the problem we faced.

Most of the messages I got regarding these emergency rules focused on saving the Precinct Conventions; the two amendments I suggested were both adopted in the draft our SREC started with.  I thought all the amendments had at least some merit, and I think the best ones were accepted while the worst were rejected.

Now it is up to the county executive committees to pass their special rules, if and when and where to have the Precinct Conventions, and how to handle credentials for delegates who have no opportunity to vote in the Primary, which in all likelihood will be May 29th.  We expect most County Conventions to happen April 21st.

An important amendment was passed which releases the Texas National Delegates after the first vote, with that first vote proportionally bound by the popular primary vote.  In the case of a brokered convention, most people felt Texas Delegates needed the flexibility to take part in the brokering, which might not extend beyond a the second round.

I want to commend our State Chairman Steve Munisteri, the SREC Officials Committee, RNC Committeeman Bill Crocker, Eric Opiela and the other individuals who did an outstanding job drafting complex rules; we are back on track for an historical great Convention cycle.

And to the Democrats seeking again to exploit the 1965 Voting Rights Act -- necessitated by such outrageous misdeeds as Democrat legislated "white only" primaries two generations ago, we say:

"Don't Mess with Texas"!

Don Zimmerman
SD-14 SREC Committeeman