Help us oppose HB 4636, creating dictatorial style political parties
April 23, 2023 | Austin, TX
Last week, we were told that a vote on House Bill (HB) 4636 would be held in committee on April 20. That vote didn’t happen, but the Elections Committee is meeting again tomorrow to consider “pending and referred business.” If you haven’t already done so, please help us oppose House Bill (HB) 4636, which will remove the checks and balances provided by precinct chairs who represent local voters in political parties, placing party decisions in the hands of one person - the county chairman.
TAKE ACTION
Please scroll down to contact the Texas House Elections Committee TODAY and ask them to vote AGAINST HB 4636.
Components of HB 4636:
Destroys checks and balances of the local party. Creates a "top-down" model which gives the county chairman dictatorial powers.
Gives the county chairman the ability to bind the local party to contracts. These could extend far beyond the chairman's term. This could bankrupt the local party.
Gives the county chairman control of all party funds. Precinct chairs would have no control over how the money they raise is spent. This would be a real disincentive for the precinct chairs to fundraise.
Gives the county chairman sole authority to fill precinct chair vacancies. No County Executive Committee (CEC) participation required. No quorum required. No vote required. Hand-picked precinct chairs that support the chairman's views - how simple.
Gives the county chairman sole authority to call meetings and create meeting agendas. If the chairman does not want something on the agenda or doesn't want to call a requested meeting, he can simply refuse.
Background
REPUBLICAN Representative Angela Orr of District 13 authored HB 4636. And the kicker - her husband is the Republican County Chairman of Hill County. Can you say, "conflict of interest?"
More than 8,000 delegates at the Republican Party of Texas convention voted last summer to remove the state from our by-laws, and now one of our own Republican representatives is trying to circumvent the will of those delegates.
This sort of shameless disdain for our party’s autonomy and for our elected system of government is similar to the treatment we've received from RINOs and Democrats.
One can only imagine if Soros-backed money were channeled into counties to get hand-picked chairmen elected, as we have seen in DA offices across the country. Say goodbye to government by the people!
TAKE ACTION
Please contact members of the Texas House Elections Committee TODAY and ask them to vote AGAINST HB 4636. Scroll down for contact information.
Sample Phone Script:
"My name is _____ and I'm calling from [city, zip code]. I'd like to ask [name of Representative] to vote AGAINST HB 4636. This bill will destroy the checks and balances of local parties by creating a "top-down" structure. It will take away the voice of local precinct chairs who represent voters and will give control of all party funds to the county chairman, taking away the incentive for precinct chairs to fundraise. I strongly urge [Name of Representative] to vote AGAINST this bill so that the precinct chair who represents me will continue to have a voice in my local party."
Optional information to share: "At the hearing for this bill, the only people who testified in favor were county chairs and members of the Texas Republican County Chairs Association. Several of them claimed that this bill was designed to keep felons off of the ballot, but had that been the intention, they would have been seeking to amend T.E.C. 165 regarding eligibility requirements instead of writing a separate bill that consolidates all power to the Chairman."
Sample Email:
Dear [Name of Representative],
My name is _____. I live in [city, state, zip code].
I'd like to ask you to vote AGAINST HB 4636. This bill will:
Destroy the checks and balances of the local party by creating a "top-down" structure.
Give the county chairman the ability to bind the local party to contracts that could extend far beyond the chairman's term and bankrupt the local party.
Give the county chairman control of all party funds. Precinct chairs would have no control over how the money they raise is spent. This would be a real disincentive for the precinct chairs to fundraise.
Give the county chairman sole authority to fill precinct chair vacancies with no vote from the county executive committee.
Give the county chairman sole authority to call meetings and set meeting agendas. If the chairman doesn't want something passed, he can keep it off the agenda or refuse to call the meeting.
At the hearing for this bill, the only people who testified in favor were county chairs and members of the Texas Republican County Chairs Association. Several of them claimed that this bill was designed to keep felons off of the ballot, but had that been the intention, they would have been seeking to amend T.E.C. 165 regarding eligibility requirements instead of writing a separate bill that consolidates all power to the Chairman.
This legislation would lessen my voice in my local political party. I strongly urge you to vote against HB 4636.
Thank you,
[Your Name]
Texas House Elections Committee Members:
Chair: Reggie Smith (512) 463-0297
Email
Vice-Chair: John H. Bucy lll (512) 463-0696
Email
Dustin Burrows (512) 463-0542
Email
Giovanni Capriglione (512) 463-0690
Email
Mano DeAyala (512) 463-0514
Email
Christian Manuel (512) 463-0662
Email
Eddie Morales (512) 463-0566
Email
Valoree Swanson (512) 463-0572
Email
Hubert Vo (512) 463-0568
Email
Thank you for partnering with us to protect your voice in our local political parties! For God and Texas,
Bonnie Lyons
Legislative Committee Chair
Montgomery County Republican Party