Anatomy of a Winter Meeting

It’s hard to believe it’s Winter Meeting time once again. It seems like just a few weeks ago I attended the 2023 Winter Meeting, bringing you updates and analysis from the biannual gathering of the Idaho GOP State Central Committee. (See here, here, and here.)

This afternoon I’ll head down to Meridian for the opening of the 2024 Winter Meeting. Tonight’s agenda includes the regular meeting of the Executive Board as well as the Rules and Resolutions Committees. I have set up pages right here at Gem State Chronicle where I will be liveblogging tonight’s meetings:

Executive Board liveblog

Rules Committee liveblog

If I can find a helper who plans to observe the Resolutions Committee then I’ll have them run the liveblog for that meeting.

What is the point of a State Central Committee meeting, anyway? Who even sits on the committee?

The Idaho Republican Party State Central Committee is made up of representatives of the 44 county committees and the 35 legislative district committees. Each county and LD chairman sits on the State Central Committee, as well as each county’s state committeeman, state committeewoman, and state committee youth person. Joining these 167 people are the seven region chairs and the officers elected every two years by the delegates to the state convention.

The State Central Committee meets twice a year, except when their usual meeting is superseded by the state convention. During these meetings the committee considers proposed rules and resolutions as well as other internal party matters.

Any PC or party officer can propose a rule or resolution. Each submission will be considered first by the appropriate subcommittee tonight, and any they pass will be presented to the entire committee during the general session tomorrow. Rules passed by the whole body become binding on the Idaho Republican Party, unless rescinded or superseded at a future meeting. Resolutions, on the other hand, are considered the opinion of the party as a whole, and are usually used to urge Republican lawmakers to take certain positions.

The proposed rules and resolutions that will be considered tonight can be read at the Idaho GOP website. As you scroll through each of these you’ll see where various members of the party are coming from. Several of the proposed rules will attempt to restore voting rights on the executive board for the leaders of three affiliate organizations that were removed last summer, while others have to do with the upcoming caucus. Perhaps the most controversial rule proposal would give committees the ability to prevent Republican lawmakers who vote against the platform from running in the GOP primary.

On the resolutions side, there are proposals dealing with school choice, dark money, mandatory minimum sentences, and protecting property rights. Feel free to read through them; I will bring you more details on the ones that pass tomorrow.

Perhaps the most exciting part of the Winter Meeting is the chance to interact with so many great people from across the state of Idaho. Good things happen when patriots get together in person, and the Winter Meeting is a great opportunity for that. I look forward to interaction with likeminded conservatives in the hallways, the chairwoman’s luncheon, and the Winter Gala Saturday night. I can’t wait to see you there!