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DNC RBC Approves State Plans

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The DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee (RBC) met this afternoon and gave final approval to state delegate selection plans.  The Co-Chairs also have granted various technical changes to the plans.  All state plans are now in compliance. 
The four pre-window states requested waivers to move their contests  to  even earlier dates, so  the primaries/caucuses can be held at the dates set by the legislatures and/or the Republican Party.  Specifically, Iowa would move from Feb. 6 to Jan. 3; NH from Feb. 14 to Jan. 10; Nevada from Feb. 18 to Jan. 21; and SC from Feb. 28 to Jan. 28.  The state parties requested waivers from the Delegate Selection Rules to move up their dates .  The staff recommended granting the waivers.  The motion to approve the waivers, and the plans, was approved without discussion.  [There was no identification of the steps the state parties had taken to bring state law into compliance with the DNC rules.]
Missouri also requested a waiver to move its primary date to before the window, from March 6 to Feb. 7, so the primary could be held on the state-approved date.   The Missouri state party chair discussed their “provable positive steps” to push legislation to bring the primary date into compliance.  The RBC approved the waiver.
Ohio had its  state primary moved from May 8 to June 12 and Hawaii from April 14 to March 7.  The RBC approved the changes.
A number of states changed their plans in response to redistricting  to reflect the loss (IL, PA, MA), or gain (WA, UT) of a congressional seat.  Texas also requested a change in light of state senate redistricting that it uses as part of its two step process.  All changes approved without discussion.  Note that the national convention delegates are allocated among per the 2000, not 2012 census.   But in states in which delegates are elected in primaries are using the new districts (e.g. PA), even if they haven’t finalized the new districts (e.g. PA).  About 1/3 of the states, including VA, haven’t completed redistricting –  VA is using the old CDs for national convention delegate selection.
Alabama requested a waiver from Rule 2.A because  there is no party registration, and voters are entered on the Democratic or GOP lists, but (unlike in VA), the lists are not made public.  The RBC approved the waiver request.
As previously reported, this year’s rules provided for award of bonus delegates to states for moving their primary dates back (depending on old and new dates) and/or for joining other states in clusters.  Now that all states are approved, that should allow allocation of bonus delegates and determination of total number.  The total is slightly under a total of 500 bonus delegates.  There will be enough room at the Convention Hall in Charlotte for these additional delegates (although it might be a bit snug).  The states with bonus delegates will have to recalculate their affirmative action goals.
RBC staff will issue updated charts because the unpledged delegates may change.
The RBC will not meet before the convention unless there are further amendments or challenges .  It will meet after the convention.  In 2013, the DNC Chair will appoint (or reappoint) committee members.
Congrats to the RBC and Virginia’s own Patrice Taylor for an excellent job in completing approval of the 2012 Democratic National Convention Delegate selection process.  (And completing the last meeting in under an hour – I had picked the over.)

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