Why 3-Times Failed Republican Rule Changes Should Fail Again
Open Letter May 18, 2025
Hawaii’s Republican Convention, set for May 24 and 25, 2025, on Kauai, will once again be faced with a massive list of Rules amendments written to benefit a tiny and openly self-serving faction dominating the Rules Committee. The proposed changes are being given to the delegates with little to no time for careful consideration.
Let’s just look at a few.
Eliminate Voting Rights for Republican Elected Officials and Auxiliaries
The purpose of the Party is to elect Republicans. Yet a proposed amendment would remove the Party voting rights of the leaders of our elected Republican legislators! They only have five votes out of 68 State Committee positions. And for a kicker, the hardworking active auxiliaries -- Republican Womens’ groups, Young Republicans, and College Republicans -- voting rights are also proposed to be removed.
A political party is the ONLY entity that can legally coordinate with candidates for election, and needs allied organizations. Why would any candidate or like-minded organization cooperate with a Party that kills their voting rights?
Wreck the Presidential Caucus
Since 2012, the Presidential Caucus transferred RNC delegate selection away from party insiders and brought out thousands of new members eager to vote for Presidential nominees. Party membership soared from less than 15,000 to 40,000 in three caucus events.
The Rules amendment proposed ‘winner take all’ rule would kill our tiny State’s caucus attractiveness to early Presidential campaigns, cutting out choices for our members. And instead of a Presidential campaign’s proven workers, our national delegation would get filled with Party insiders. Hawaii is small and needs the caucus system attractive to many candidates, and growing the party, like we’ve been using.
Self-Serving Rules Committee to Take Over Party?
--One proposed rule would cut members who could not attend an election meeting from having any rights to object to lack of notice or other abuses.
--Another would insert the Rules Committee into every objection that committee chairs handle, and require multiple Rules meetings on five days notice.
These amendments amount to a Rules Committee take-over of the party.
Just Say No
Kauai Convention rules, unless amended, will prevent delegates from fixing dozens of bad amendments, drastically limit debate, and require an up or down vote.
The tiny self-serving Rules Committee’s dominant faction has again refused to hold open hearings well in advance for all in the Party to understand what they relentlessly want to do to our Party. One last minute-notice hearing without prior distribution of the changes to all the delegates and alternates is not enough.
Rules changes this numerous are supposed to be presented in an entirely new document, open fully to amendment by the delegates. (RONR 12th ed 57:5).
Delegates should be treated as reasonable, informed Party deciders, not buffaloed into deciding on dozens of obscure changes.
Fortunately, the solution is simple:
Delegates should vote NO on all proposed party rules changes.
Mahalo,
Boyd Ready, Haleiwa, Oahu
2025 Convention Delegate
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BACKGROUND:
2024: Open Letter: Republican State Convention Delegates Should Reject Rule Changes
2024: Rules Changes Rejected