H.B. 2354 – Watch the Elephant in the Room

Having elected officials be less accountable to their parties’ base to favor incumbents isn't wise. Contact legislators and be heard.

There is a bill in the legislature that should concern both Republicans and Democrats. H.B. 2354 attempts to drastically change the composition of both parties State Executive Committees.

First some important preliminary information. Most people are likely unaware of what a party executive committee is and why it is important. Both the Democrat and Republican parties have an executive committee for each county, and another for each state. They are something akin to a board of directors for corporations. They are (generally) comprised of members for geographic regions and, within the body, some of those members are selected to hold roles as officers such as chairman, vice-chairs, treasurers, secretaries, parliamentarians, etc. The primary role of these bodies is to give a voice to citizens who want to be involved at a grassroots level. This is accomplished by party committees actively seeking out good, qualified candidates to run for office who hold agreeable qualities and viewpoints. It is also a way for executive committee members to help get the candidates they choose to support elected, through direct efforts such as door knocking, social media, etc., as well as fundraising. Lastly, it is a way to help local community leaders to communicate with the legislature.

The key there is to communicate with; not to be one in the same. These entities are separate for an important reason, and they need to remain as such.  H.B. 2354 would automatically add every elected legislator (delegates and state senators) to the state executive committees. Additionally, it explicitly allows those members to simultaneously fill seats and have multiple votes during meetings.  Currently, the state executive committees are comprised of the chairs of each county’s executive committee, as well as 90 additional members representing geographic regions.  There are already some members of the legislature who are also members of these committees, and there is nothing stopping additional members of the legislature from seeking membership under the traditional process.

Changing the process by having an automatic addition of every legislator ensures a multitude of problems. The legislature effectively taking control over the committees reduces the impact that community leaders and activists can have in influencing the party platform; it also creates a conflict of interest. One of the most important roles of the committees is to recruit candidates who represent our values. When the committee is comprised of a significant number of incumbent candidates the likelihood of seeking potential candidates (competition during primary season) will be negated. Primary races serve an extremely important part of the democratic process and are paramount to having elected representatives who do just that: represent you and your values.

Anyone who is not a current incumbent, should be alarmed by this bill whether you are conservative, moderate, liberal, Republican, or Democrat. If you do not want our elected officials to be less accountable to their parties’ base, we encourage you to contact your elected officials to voice your concerns over H.B. 2354.