Burnt Orange Report

Problems with the Dallas County CEC meeting

I was happy to hear that the Dallas County precinct chairs were able to get enough signatures on a petition to call a meeting. Article III, B., 2. which authorizes the use of a petition is widely misunderstood by many chairs who believe that these are the only conditions under which CEC meetings can be called. The key word in this paragraph is “shall.” This means that a meeting shall be called when the specified conditions are present. It does not mean that a CEC meeting can only be called under these conditions.
In fact, any member can call a CEC meeting. The only requirement is to assemble the requisite number of chairs. It makes no Democratic sense to think that one or a few persons can stop work on the peoples’ business. That idea, more than anyone thing, has brought the Texas Democratic Party to its knees.

Because of the quorum requirements specified in our Rules, few things are more important than the list of duly elected or appointed precinct chairs. This list must be the responsibility of the CEC. Every chair should know exactly the number of precinct chairs on that list—discounting accidents on the way to the meeting. There should be no doubt in any chair’s mind as to the presence of a quorum. Every chair should know what can be done if a quorum is not present.

Setting the agenda is the duty of the members, not the Chair. This is at the heart of the responsibilities of the CECs. The precinct chairs are closest to the Democratic voters in their precincts and should be well informed as to their concerns. Addressing those concerns is the primary duty of the CECs. If Democrats in a precinct have a particular concern, the chair of that precinct should attempt to have consideration of the concern placed on the agenda. Because of the constraints of time and human endurance, not every concern will always make it to the agenda. This is why such things as opening activities, speeches by dignitaries, etc., should be held to an absolute minimum until after the people’s business is addressed. Knowing how to get an item on the agenda or brought before the assembly by motion from the floor is a primary responsibility of the precinct chair and requires a good knowledge of parliamentary procedure.

It was reported that the Dallas Chair wanted to air her differences with those who called the meeting by petition. That was inappropriate. Once the meeting was called to order, parliamentary procedure was in force. The chair makes no comment regarding the order of business or the propriety of a motion before the house. It is the chair’s duty to ensure that every member has equal opportunity to take the floor, make a proper motion, and, if the motion receives a second, engage in debate and participate in the vote on the motion. The people’s business demands no less.

Another task not well understood is the maintenance of discipline during the meeting. Again, this is the responsibility of the membership, not the chair. The chair’s duty is to keep a close watch on what is happening and call discrepancies to the attention of the membership. Because members may be concentrating on what a speaker is saying and thinking about how to respond, they may not immediately notice disturbances in the room. It is the chair’s duty to call that disturbance to their attention. The guiding principle at work here is that the member who has the floor—who has been recognized by the chair--is the only person in the room who may speak. Any other noise or conversation is out of order. If members wish to caucus, they must leave the room to do so. If Mr. Doe insists on interrupting the speaker, the chair asks him to be quiet. If he refuses to do so, the chair rules him out of order. If that doesn’t work, the chair asks the membership what they want to do with Mr. Doe. The membership decides in accordance with parliamentary procedure.

Finally, the CEC meeting of the Dallas County Democratic Party was not a failure. The members managed to set the date for their next meeting. That was a great step forward. We all should do that well. I just hope that the Democratic Precinct Chairs of Dallas County are diligently studying Party Rules, especially those covering parliamentary procedure. Pages 36 and 37, Parliamentary Procedures at a Glance, of our rules are a good place to start. Politics is much like a game, but a deadly game where ignorance and inactivity cause injustice and suffering. A good knowledge of the rules is required if one is to be effective in a meeting conducted under parliamentary procedure. Party Rules require that all Party Committee meetings be so conducted.

John McConnell, Democratic Precinct Chair
Precinct 3047
Bexar County, Texas