Approval of this amendment is necessary to "...settle any legal questions" (see Constitution / Bylaws Committee, Documentary History of State Delegate Selection Rules, 5/21/05).

If rules protecting the grassroots are being broken, should not the response be to restore compliance? Should not precinct-elected delegates retain control of both the state party and the county parties?

County parties should be free to determine their own rules without interference from the state party.

County parties should not arrogate to themselves the power rightfully belonging to the precincts. Today, delegates control both the state party and the county parties. The proposed amendment would relinquish this control to the state and county parties.

Wrangling over this issue should end so our time can be spent electing Republicans to office.

This wrangling could easily be ended if county party executives would comply with the current rules to allocate all delegate seats to the precincts. The purpose of the Party is to elect Republicans AND to advance party principles.

The proposed amendment would transfer power from the state party to county parties. Decentralization of power is a Republican principle.

Our party constitution requires that all delegates be elected in the precincts. Siphoning these seats from the precincts to enable county automatic and appointed delegates dilutes the power of precinct-elected delegates. This moves governance of the party further away from the grassroots, and centralizes it with party leadership. Indeed, it is an attack on local control. Consolidation of power away from the grassroots is not a Republican principle.

County parties are not bound by state party rules.

If county parties are not bound by state party rules, the proponents of this amendment are wasting their time, for a state party consitution would not be necessary. By proposing the amendment, its promoters are conceding that county parties are bound by state party rules--which currently require that all delegates be elected in a precinct caucus.

Failure to pass the amendment deprives the Republican Party of institutional memory provided by elected officials who are automatic delegates.

Current rules do not prevent elected Republican officials from running in their precincts. Just like other Republicans, they can be nominated in their precinct caucus and be elected as a county or state delegate if they receive a sufficient number of votes. Shouldn't all of us be treated equally, or should some be "more equal" than others?

County parties can be trusted and are closer to the grassroots.

According to the party constitution, county parties are required to adopt a Constitution or Bylaws and file them with the state party. A review of the state party web site shows that only five of 29 counties have disclosed their delegate selection rules via Internet. Are not full disclosure and transparency of fundamental rules essential for trust?