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HCDP By-laws Disclaimer/FAQ

What are by-laws?

By-laws are the basic form of organizing and governance for an organization. By-laws are different from standing rules or policies and procedures, in that the by-laws reflect a general constitution. Standing rules and policies and procedures govern specific functions or guidelines, and may change regularly and/or easily based on the needs of the party. By-law changes are more significant and require committee review.

Who is on the committee?

The committee was composed of HCEC precinct chairs that volunteered to contribute to the creation of the by-laws.  The committee chair is Kathi Thomas.  Committee members include Dr. Mark Trahan, current chair, Donna Haschke, Dr. Michelle Cohen, Jourdan Spence, and Deborah Chavez.

How long has the committee been working on the by-laws?

The committee began working on developing by-laws in February 2021, and has been meeting regularly since then.

What were the by-laws previously?

The Hays County CEC was previously governed by a set of generic by-laws from the Texas Democratic Party.  The previous by-laws provided a generic structure and organization and did not provide a focus on the specific organizational and governance needs of our county.   Therefore, it was determined that a new set of by-laws was necessary for furthering the county party growth and development.

What was the process of developing these by-laws?

The committee reviewed by-laws from other similar counties and unsimilar counties while also considering the needs of Hays County.  The committee also reviewed organizational structures of Democrat parties from other areas to determine the structure that would best suit Hays County.  The committee met regularly to review sections of by-laws and determine what to include in the proposed by-laws.  Precinct chairs in the county were provided a draft document and asked to provide comments in writing or verbally during a county party meeting.  The current draft includes edits from the comments of precinct chairs.

What will happen if I give feedback?

The committee will review all public comment to determine if and how public input may strengthen the by-laws.  The committee will edit the document based on whether the feedback is appropriate for by-laws and whether it strengthens the by-laws.  All feedback will be considered and the committee cannot commit that all suggestions will result in edits to the document.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]