This amendment is being offered to update and modernize the structure of the State Party in order to better reflect the needs and desires of the Party as it exists today, while incorporating lessons learned from auxiliary organizations such as the MFRW.

There are two chief changes being proposed through this amendment.

The first change is a revision to the structure of the Executive Board. As currently designed we elect 3 vice-chairs, however there is no clear portfolio or responsibilities that fall under their purview other than the duty of the 1st vice-chair to fill in as interim Chair if the Chairman for any reason vacates the office. The proposed revision does away with the 2nd and 3rd vice-chairs and replaces them with a set of regional vice-chairs who will have more clearly delineated duties specific to their regions. These chairs would be elected by the committee members of the region only.

The second change is a revision to the current approach to conventions. As everyone well knows the State Party holds conventions twice a year. These are almost always accompanied by complaints about the expense of travel and lodging twice a year as well as objections to the business sessions. The proposed revision changes the requirement to 1 convention a year, while introducing an obligation for each region to additionally host its own regional conference. The shift to regional conventions will reduce travel obligations for committee members, enhance regional camaraderie and political coordination, and allow for conventions and business sessions to be more focused on issues, speakers, and workshops of particular importance to that region.

The Maryland Republican Party Does So Amend Its Bylaws:

Adding: Section 3.2. The Maryland Counties shall be sorted into the following regions:

a. Western Region: Garrett, Allegany, Washington, Frederick, & Carrollb. Central Region: Baltimore, Baltimore City, Harford, Howard, Montgomery c. Southern Region: Anne Arundel, Prince George’s, Calvert, Charles, St. Mary’sd. Eastern Region: Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Caroline, Talbot, Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset,

Worcester

Striking the entirety of Section 5.5 and replacing it with:Officers of the Party.

The officers of the State Central Committee are the officers of the Party, and they shall be the Party Chairman, Party 1st Vice Chairman, Western Regional Vice-Chair, Central Regional Vice-Chair, Southern Regional Vice-Chair, Eastern Regional Vice-Chair, Party Secretary, Party Treasurer, National Committeeman, and National Committeewoman.a. Qualifications.

(1) All officers of the Party must be registered Republican voters of Maryland, both at the time of their elections and throughout their terms of office.(a) Regional Vice-Chairs must be registered Republican voters in their respective regions

(2) No person may simultaneously serve as more than one officer of the Party.(3) No individual may either hold or seek elected public office while serving as an

officer of the Party. An individual is considered to be seeking office when they have filed a Certificate of Candidacy with the State or County Board of Elections or have applied to fill a vacancy in an elected office.

(4) No officer of the Party shall receive remuneration for campaign-related services from any candidate in a contested primary election for public office within the State of Maryland.  However, no officer shall be held in violation of this policy should the officer’s place of employment accept remuneration for such services provided said officer is not performing the services.

b. Oath of Office.Every Officer of the Party must take the Party Oath.

c. Powers and Duties. 

(1) Party Chairman.(a) The Chairman of the State Central Committee is the State Party

Chairman, heretofore and hereinafter referred to as the Party Chairman.  

(b) The Party Chairman shall not be a member of any County Central Committee.

(c) Powers and Duties.  The Party Chairmani. Presides at all conventions of the State Central Committee; ii. Has general supervision over the affairs, activities and

employees of the State Central Committee; iii. Submits the proposed annual budget to the State Executive

Committee for adoption by December 31st (to be mailed or sent by electronic media, including email with the notice of the fall regular convention);

iv. Has the authority to execute all necessary documents to enable the State Central Committee to borrow up to $10,000 without the consent of the State Executive Committee;

v. Performs duties as required by these Bylaws, the State Central Committee, or as usually pertain to the office of Party Chairman; and

vi. Represents the Party as required by the National Republican Party.

(2) Party Vice Chairmen.(a) Each of the Party Vice Chairmen performs duties the Party Chairman

designates. (b) The 1st Vice Chair presides at all meetings or conventions in the

absence of the Party Chairman. If both the Chair and 1st Vice-Chair are absent, the Regional Vice-Chairs in whose region the meeting is occurring shall preside.

(c) If a vacancy occurs in the office of the Party Chairman, the 1st Vice Chair may exercise all of the powers and shall perform all of the duties of the Party Chairman until the vacancy has been filled.

(d) Regional Vice-Chairs preside over the regional convention for their region.

(3) Party Secretary.  The Party Secretary shall (a) Complete and publish accurate minutes of all conventions of the State

Central Committee and of the State Executive Committee; (b) Be responsible for official notices and reports as required by law or this

document; and (c) Perform such other duties as the Party Chairman, the State Central

Committee, or the State Executive Committee assigns.(4) Party Treasurer. 

The Party Treasurer may be bonded in an amount to be determined by the State Central Committee, at its cost.  The Party Treasurer(a) Shall be responsible for the receipt of and, at the direction of the Party

Chairman as required by law, the disbursement of all monies by and for the State Central Committee;

(b) Shall maintain the accounts of the State Central Committee;(c) Shall be the custodian of the financial records of the State Central

Committee;(d) Shall submit an annual budget to the Party Chairman. In an election

year, the budget must be submitted to the Party Chairman no later than 7 days after the General Election. In a non-election year, the budget must be submitted in a timely manner as to allow it to be included in the Call to the Fall Convention. (e) Shall submit

written reports of the activities of the Treasurer to the State Central Committee at its regular conventions; and

(f) Shall render periodic reports of income and expenditures to the Party Chairman and to the State Executive Committee as either requests.

(5) National Committeeman and National Committeewoman.  These officers (also hereinafter referred to as the National Committee Members), (a) Shall represent the Party as required by the National Republican Party;

and(b) Shall perform such other duties as are described elsewhere in this

document.d. Election and Terms of Office.

(1) The Party Chairman, the 1st Vice Chair, the Party Secretary and the Party Treasurer shall be elected for two year terms by the State Central Committee at the first Quadrennial Organizational Convention after the effective date of this document, as amended, and every two years thereafter at the fall convention.

(2) The Regional Vice-Chairs shall be elected for two year terms by the central committee members of their respective regions at the first convention of their regions following the first Quadrennial Organizational Convention after the effective date of this document as amended, and every two years thereafter at their respective regional conventions.

(2) The National Committeeman and National Committeewoman shall be elected for four-year terms by the State Central Committee at the convention held immediately following the State primary election for President and prior to the Republican National Convention.

e. Removal and Filling of Vacancies at a Convention of the State Central Committee.(1) At any regular or special convention of the State Central Committee, a

convention vote (defined in ARTICLE VII, Section 4.a) may be taken to remove any officer from office, provided that a member of the State Central Committee has given at least twenty days written notice by mail or by electronic media including email to all members of the committee of that member’s intention to seek such action.  A two-thirds majority of the votes cast shall be required to effect removal.

(2) If an officer is removed, the vacancy shall be filled by a convention vote taken at the same convention. (a) If the officer removed is a Regional Vice-Chair, the vote shall only be of members of the affected region.

f. Vacancies Occurring Between Conventions of the State Central Committee.(1) Office of Party Chairman Vacant.

(a) Except as provided elsewhere in this Section, if a vacancy occurs in the office of Party Chairman, a convention of the State Central Committee shall be held within sixty days of the vacancy occurring to elect a new Party Chairman for the remainder of the previous Party Chairman’s term.

(b) The highest-ranking Party Vice Chairman shall act as Party Chairman until a new Party Chairman is elected at that convention.

(2) Other Offices Vacant.(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, if a vacancy occurs in any

office other than that of Party Chairman, the vacancy shall be filled on an interim basis by the State Executive Committee within sixty days of its occurrence.

(b) For all officers except Regional Vice-Chairs, an election shall be held at the first convention of the State Central Committee following the vacancy to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term.

(c) For vacancies of Regional Vice-Chairs an election shall be held at either the first convention of the State Central Committee or the first convention of the affected region following the vacancy to fill the

vacancy for the rest of the term. An election to fill such a vacancy shall be voted on only by members of that region if it is held at a convention of the State Central Committee.

Striking the entirety of Section 8.1 and replacing it with:8.1 Time and Notice of Conventions.

a. Regular Conventions.A regular convention of the State Central Committee shall be held once a year, in the fall. In a Presidential Election year, the Convention shall be held no sooner than 30 days after the General Election.

b. Regional Conventions.Each region shall hold a convention of its central committee members once a year. This convention must be at least 4 months separate from the regular Convention of the State Central Committee. Any expenses and revenues for the convention shall be apportioned among the committees of the region on a per capita basis. If the State Party contributes to paying for expenses for a regional convention it shall be entitled to a share of revenues equal to the share of expenses paid.

c. Special Conventions.Special Conventions of the State Central Committee may be called at any time (1) By the Party Chairman, or(2) Upon a written petition to the Party Secretary by a majority of the members of

the State Central Committee, or (3) Upon a written petition to the Party Secretary by two-thirds of the voting

members of the State Executive Committee. c. Quadrennial Organizational Convention.

Quadrennial Organizational Conventions, as described in Section 2 of this ARTICLE, shall be held after every gubernatorial general election, and shall take the place of the fall regular convention in that year. The Quadrennial Organizational Convention shall be held no sooner than 40 days after the General Election.

d. Notice.(1) Content.

The notice for a convention shall be sent by mail or by electronic media including email and shall state the time, place, and insofar as is practical, the agenda for the convention.  Moreover, the notice for a Quadrennial Organizational Convention shall include a copy of this document.

(2) Conventions to Nominate Individuals for Public Office.A minimum of three days notice shall be given whenever the State Central Committee must act to fill a vacancy in a nomination.

(3) Regular or Special Conventions. With the exception of conventions to nominate individuals for public office, at least twenty days prior written notice either by mail or electronic media including email shall be given for any regular or special convention.

(4) Quadrennial Organizational Conventions.At least thirty days prior written notice either by mail or electronic media including email, and including a copy of this document, shall be given for Quadrennial Organizational Conventions.

Adding section 8.38.3 Regional Conventions

a. Written notice of each Regional convention must be given at least 30 days prior to the convention. This notice may be given via email and shall be sent out by the State Party Secretary. If notice is given by physical mail the region giving notice shall reimburse the State Party the expense incurred.

b. Each Regional Chair shall select members of the region to serve on Regional Credentials, Nominating, Rules, and Resolutions Committees. Each committee shall consist of no fewer

than 5 members with no more than 2 from any 1 county. These members shall serve for a single convention.

1) Regional Credentials Committeei. The Regional Credentials Committee shall verify the credentials of persons

attending the regional convention as either being members of their respective County Central Committees or as holding valid proxies to represent their respective County Central Committees.

ii. The Credential Committee shall report its findings to the Regional Vice-Chairman before the convention conducts business and at other times during the convention at the request of the Regional Vice-Chairman.

2) Regional Rules Committee    i. The Regional Rules Committee shall present to the convention a Report

suggesting Proposed Convention Rules.ii. Members of the Regional Committee who believe any proposed convention

rules are inconsistent with this document shall be afforded an opportunity to propose amendments, including their deletion, to the proposed convention rules, prior to a convention vote to accept the Rules Committee Report.

iii. The Proposed Convention Rules, with any amendments adopted by the convention shall govern the operation and conduct of the convention upon their acceptance by the convention.

3) Regional Resolutions CommitteeThe regular procedure for proposing resolutions for the convention is for members of the Regional Central Committees to submit proposed resolutions to the Regional Resolutions Committee.

i. The Resolutions Committee in turna) Shall receive proposed resolutions from the members of the

Regional Central Committees;b) Shall review the proposed resolutions, rewriting them as necessary

in order to make them consistent with this document and with superior authorities; and

c) Shall approve and present proposed resolutions for individual consideration by the convention.

ii. A resolution not presented to the convention by the Regional Resolutions Committee may be proposed using the following procedure:

a) The member wishing to propose a resolution must first be recognized to speak by the presiding officer.

b) The member must move, and the motion must be seconded, that the convention allow a resolution to be presented from the floor.

c) Discussion shall be limited to the motion to allow a resolution to be presented from the floor and shall not consider the merits of any resolution.

d) If the motion to allow a resolution from the floor receives a two-thirds affirmative vote, it passes and the member who made the motion may immediately present his proposed resolution to the convention.

e) This resolution, if seconded, will be adopted provided it receives an affirmative vote consistent both with the requirements in this document and in Robert’s Rules of Order.  

4) Regional Nominating Committee.  Except when a vacancy is created under ARTICLE V. Section 5(e)1 and nominations from the floor are automatically opened, the regular convention procedure for securing nominations to fill vacant offices is for members of the State Central Committee to submit their nominations to the Nominating Committee.

i. The Nominating Committee in turna) Shall verify the willingness and availability of each nominee to

serve;

b) Shall certify the eligibility of each nominee to serve; andc) Shall report all eligible nominees to the convention, in alphabetical

order, without making recommendations among them.ii. A nomination not presented to the convention by the Nominations

Committee may be made using the following procedure:a) The member wishing to make a nomination must first be

recognized to speak by the presiding officer.b) The member must move, and the motion must be seconded, that

the convention open nominations from the floor for the vacant office.

c) Discussion shall be limited to the motion to open nominations from the floor and shall not discuss the qualifications of any candidate.

d) If the motion to open nominations from the floor receives a two-thirds affirmative vote, it passes and the member who made the motion may immediately present a nomination.

e) Until such time as the convention votes to close nominations, any member may make additional nominations from the floor for the vacant office.

c. The Regional Chair may appoint a Parliamentarian who shall perform such duties as are incident to the office. He or she shall serve at the pleasure of the Regional Chair and need not but may be a member of the State Central Committee.