Texas Democratic State Convention 2006
Event Description:
The 2006 State Convention is right around the corner! Join thousands of Democrats from across the state in Fort Worth at the Ft. Worth Convention Center from June 8-10 for three days of inspiring campaign speeches from our candidates, training sessions for activists and just the opportunity to spend a weekend with fellow Democrats planning for the final months until the election. All Democrats are welcome to attend! If you are reading this on the PAA home page, be sure to click on the title or the "Read the rest of this entry" for the whole article.
For more information, please download, read, and bring with you the 6-page handout from the pre-convention workshop for progressive delegates & alternates that was held on Saturday afternoon, June 3. It includes the tentative schedule for the convention and caucuses (also give below), along with other important information for delegates, including a section of the most important parts of the Texas Dem. party rules for the state convention.
For additional information, see excerpts from the unofficial pre-convention newsletter ("News You Can Use") produced by the Metroplex Democrats and Harriet Irby, candidate for SDEC district 10 committeewoman.
Most of the convention activities are on Friday, June 9 and Saturday, June 10. It's especially important to attend Friday afternoon, when delegates vote in their Senate District (SD) caucuses for the important positions for the SDEC, committees, etc. Details on this will be covered in the workshop noted above.
Demonstration at convention Friday afternoon
Peace Action Texas is planning a demonstration outside the Texas Democratic Convention in Ft. Worth Friday afternoon. The main issue they want to raise is to get the US out of Iraq and to stay out of Iran. We encourage all delegates and attendees to participate in this demonstration, when their Senate District caucus recesses at 5 PM. We'd also like to encourage everyone to enlarge the subject of the demonstration a little and include impeachment. Bush and Cheney and their criminal regime have done more to harm the US, both domestically and internationally, than any other administration in US history, and the Iraq invasion and occupation is just one part of it. We passed impeachment resolutions in the Senate Districts that include Harris County, and similar ones passed in other SD's throughout Texas. See http://www.paa-tx.org/files/Impeach_Bush_Cheney.pdf for the one from PAA that was distributed in the southeast Texas area. However, we still need to get this into the platform, and to encourage Congressional candidates to talk about it and make it an issue in their campaigns. We'd also like more cities and counties to pass impeachment resolutions. There are some great resources available at http://impeachbush.tv/ For the demonstration, bring balls (tennis, nerf, inflatable, whatever) tied on a string that you can put around your neck, along with signs calling for impeachment as well as getting out of Iraq now. You can wear the balls around your neck throughout the convention -- they should be a great conversation starter, and serve to remind everyone of what some Dem. candidates and elected officials seem to be lacking. We hope the press will cover the demonstration, and of course we want to send a message to our Dem. candidates and elected officials that they need to talk more (and with more specifics) about the serious issues of getting out of Iraq now and impeaching the Liar-In-Chief and his Vice President of Torture and Corruption. We want to encourage all progressive Dems to attend their SD caucuses Friday from 3-5 PM and to vote for representatives on the Platform and Resolutions committee who are committed to supporting impeachment and getting out of Iraq as quickly as possible, as well as supporting other progressive issues. Then ask everyone to go outside the convention center at 5 PM when their SD caucus recesses, to join the demonstration. Help us spread the word at the various progressive caucuses Friday morning and early afternoon, too. Cojones Yes! DINO's (Democrats In Name Only) NO! Take a stand and end the war. U.S. out of Iraq. U.S. out of Iran.Impeach the Liar-In-Chief and his Vice President of Torture and Corruption.
The TDP is pleased to announce three keynote speakers at the convention:
General Wesley Clark is a distinguished, decorated military veteran who has now devoted himself to a career of public service assisting both Democrats and nonpartisan causes. Clark has traveled extensively over the past two years during his run for President and to campaign for candidates at all levels. Rebecca Vigil-Giron is New Mexico's Secretary of State and the past President of the National Association of Secretaries of State. Vigil-Giron is a national leader on election reform and ensuring that voting rolls are complete and accurate. Jehmu Greene, a graduate of UT, is the National Director of Project Voter and past President of MTV's Rock the Vote. Greene is devoted to registering and mobilizing young, minority and low-income voters and telling all Americans that voting gives them the power to change their world.
Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth, (D) South Dakota, will be the keynote speaker for the Blue Star Breakfast. Representative Herseth is a graduate of Georgetown University, Georgetown Law Center and a former Executive Director of the South Dakota Farmers Union. She is also the daughter of a prominent political family with roots running several generations deep in the South Dakota Democratic Party. Having been elected statewide in a traditionally red state Stephanie is walking proof that committed Democrats can win anywhere.
2006 Rules for the Texas Democratic Party (including the state convention)
Tentative Schedule:
Thursday, June 8
2 p.m. State Democratic Executive Committee Meeting, Hilton Hotel, 815 Main St., Ft. Worth
6 p.m. Convention Kick-Off Reception, Hilton Hotel, 815 Main St. (Purchase individual tickets for $50 per person at the door.)
Friday, June 9
9 a.m. Caucus Meetings, Convention Center
10 a.m. Credentials Distribution begins, Convention Center
3 p.m. Senate District Caucus Meetings, Convention Center
5-6 PM (Not an official convention event) demonstration for Iraq withdrawal & for impeachment, outside the Convention Center.
6 p.m. Call to Order, Convention Center
Saturday, June 10
8 a.m. Permanent Convention Committees Meet, Convention Center (Rules, Platform, Resolutions and Nominations for SDEC and Party Officers)
8:30 a.m. Blue Star Breakfast, Convention Center (Reserve your seat now! Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased here)
9:30 a.m. Workshops, Convention Center
11 a.m. Convention reconvenes, Convention Center
TENTATIVE Caucus, Workshop, & Committee Meeting Schedule (all held at the Convention Center)
CAUCUS TIME LOCATION Friday June 9, 2006 How to Find Democrats - TDP Voter File 9:00 am - 3:00 pm 105 Progressive Hispanics Democrats 9:00 am - 10:00 am 204 A List Serve Caucus 9:00 am- 11:00 am 110 B Democratic Vets Board 9:00 am - 12:00 n 202 B Asian American Democrats of Texas & CONAC 9:00 am - 11:00 am 112 Stem Cell Research 10:00 am - 11:00 am 202 D Energy Caucus * 11:00 am - 1:00 pm 111 Democracy for Texas 11:00 am - 1:00 pm 121 B Pro Choice Caucus * 11:00 am - 1:00 pm 113 B Tejano Democrats Caucus 11:00 am - 1:00 pm 202 A Mexican American Democrats 11:00 am - 1:00 pm 200 Coalition of New American Communities (CONAC) 12:00 n - 3:00 pm 102 Texas Young Democrats * 12:00 n - 1:00 pm 121 D Grass Roots Training 1:00 pm - 3 :00 pm 203 C CD 10 Caucus 1:00 pm - 3 :00 pm 201 A Coalition of Black Democrats 1:00 pm - 3 :00 pm 201 C Progressive Populist Caucus 1:00 pm - 3 :00 pm 121 C Network of Spiritual Progressives Caucus * 1:00 pm - 3 :00 pm 113 A TSTA 1:00 pm - 3 :00 pm 101 Wes Clark Caucus 1:00 pm - 3 :00 pm 113 B Stonewall Democrats 1:00 pm - 3 :00 pm 121 A Pro-Life Democrats Caucus 1:00 pm - 3 :00 pm 111 Small Business Caucus 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm 110 B Dealth Penalty Caucus 1:00 pm - 3 :00 pm 112 Computer/Technology Caucus 1:00 pm - 3 :00 pm 110 A Hispanic Caucus 1:00 pm - 3 :00 pm 100 Motorcycle Rights Caucus 1:00 pm - 3 :00 pm Ballroom B Labor Caucus 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm 202 D Environmental Caucus 1:00 pm - 3 :00 pm 116 Democratic Veterans 1:00 pm - 3 :00 pm 202 B CWA 2:00 pm - 2:20 pm 202 D United Steel Workers 2:20 pm - 3:00 pm 202 D Peace in Iraq 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm 204 B Peace in Iraq 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm 204 B County Chairs 101 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm 204 A County Chairs Budget 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm 204 A Universal Health Care 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm 202 C Workshop Schedule - Saturday, June 10, 2006 Grass Roots Training 9:30 am - 10:45 am 203 C Compliance Workshop 9:30 am - 11:00 am 116 Texas Freedom Network 9:30 am - 11:00 am 100 Consumer Caucus 9:30 am - 11:00 am 112 How to Find Democrats - TDP Voter File 9:30 am - 12:00 n 105 Non-Urban/Ag/East/West Texas 10:00 am - 11:00 am 201 B Women's Caucus 10:00 am - 11:00 am 101 County Chairs 10:00 am - 11:00 am 204 B Committee Schedule Credentials 6/9 - TBA pm 121 F Rules 6/10 - 8:00 am 121 F Resolutions 6/10 - 8:00 am 121 A Platform 6/10 - 8:00 am 121 B Nominations 6/10 - 8:00 am 121 E SENATORIAL DISTRICT (SD) CAUCUSES (very important!) - Friday, June 9
SD 1 3:00 - 5:00 pm 201 A SD 2 3:00 - 5:00 pm 121 D SD 3 3:00 - 5:00 pm 203 B SD 4 3:00 - 5:00 pm 202 C SD 5 3:00 - 5:00 pm 204 B SD 6 3:00 - 5:00 pm 204 A SD 7 3:00 - 5:00 pm Ballroom B SD 8 3:00 - 5:00 pm Ballroom C SD 9 3:00 - 5:00 pm 116 SD 10 3:00 - 5:00pm 121 A SD 11 3:00 - 5:00 pm Ballroom A SD 12 3:00 - 5:00 pm 121 F SD 13 3:00 - 5:00 pm 121 B SD14 3:00 - 5:00 pm 102 SD 15 3:00 - 5:00 pm 203 C SD 16 3:00 - 5:00 pm 201B SD 17 3:00 - 5:00 pm 101 SD 18 3:00 - 5:00 pm 110 A SD 19 3:00 - 5:00 pm 121 E SD 20 3:00 - 5:00 pm 202 A SD 21 3:00 - 5:00 pm 100 SD 22 3:00 - 5:00 pm 110 B SD 23 3:00 - 5:00 pm 200 SD 24 3:00 - 5:00 pm 104 (change from 122) SD 25 3:00 - 5:00 pm 202 B SD 26 3:00 - 5:00 pm 121 C SD 27 3:00 - 5:00 pm 201 C SD 28 3:00 - 5:00 pm 202 D SD 29 3:00 - 5:00 pm 203 A SD 30 3:00 - 5:00 pm 113 A & B SD 31 3:00 - 5:00 pm 111
Event Website:
txdemocrats.org/Convention06