End Electronic Meetings Unless They Comply With RPT Rule 8J and the 2020-2022 Montgomery County Republican Party of Texas Bylaws

WHEREAS, RPT Rule 8j states: Permit Electronic Executive Committee Meetings – In the event of a stated emergency, as declared by the Chairman, an Executive Committee Meeting may be conducted through use of electronic meeting services designated by the Chairman. In the event an Executive Committee Meeting is held electronically, the electronic meeting must allow for the real time sharing and viewing of committee documents, including the current motion, any amendments to that motion, and any reports that the Committee considers;

WHEREAS, the MCRPTX 2020-2022 Bylaws state: By majority vote of the Steering Committee, the Steering Committee may choose an online meeting format for their committee. In person and online meetings of a Steering Committee are open to all Executive Committee members and officers, Sub Committee chairs & Steering Committee members as well as those persons identified in RPT 8g. (Article XVI–Online Meetings) but there is no such provision for an online option for C.E.C. Meetings;

WHEREAS, RPT Rule 8g states: Open Meetings and Right to Testify – All meetings of any State or County Executive Committee (CEC) or its committees, subcommittees, or ad hoc committees shall be open to any member of that executive committee, and they shall have the right to appear before any such committee, subcommittee, or ad hoc committee and make recommendations for the committee’s consideration or testify concerning any item under purview of the committee and to record or livestream the proceedings of any meeting not held in executive session with electronic devices. The committee may adopt reasonable rules including time limits for such presentations and may establish a reasonable limit of time for these presentations. This Rule does not preclude the committee from going into executive session; however, such executive session(s) shall be open to any member of the executive committee including ex-officio members;

WHEREAS, some members of the Montgomery County Republican Party of Texas are unable to participate in Electronic Meetings and have been disenfranchised because electronic meetings are being used;

BE IT RESOLVED that the Chairman must disclose in the meeting call the specific nature of the emergency for which he is calling an online meeting in accordance with RPT Rule 8j;

BE IT ALSO RESOLVED that all electronic meetings must allow for the use of the party headquarters or if not available, some other location may be utilized as a gathering place for an in person option and that the votes of those people in attendance at that location will be accepted by phone call, via text or through the meeting’s chat function as long as they have signed in on an attendance sheet at the designated location and they are able to present themselves in person on the camera of the shared device being used at that location for the online meeting and while the meeting is in session;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that if microphones are muted which prevent members from making points of order then the electronic meeting will be declared invalid for disenfranchising C.E.C. members and violating the parliamentary authority of Robert’s Rules of Order (9:36) and none of the business conducted during that meeting will take effect;

BE IT ALSO RESOLVED that all electronic meetings must follow all rules in RONR (9:30-36), section on Electronic Meetings, in accordance with RPT Rule 5 Parliamentary Authority, where RPT rule 8j or Montgomery County Republican Party of Texas Bylaws are silent.

09.06.2022