How to Write a Resolution

Once the primary election is over, then convention season is underway. At each convention level we choose delegates for the next level up, and we put forth resolutions for the platform. At the local level, our platform resolutions move on up to the senatorial district level (some places move up to the county level, but our county has many senatorial districts in it), where they are sorted, refined, and sent on up to be considered for the state platform. (Texas Republican Platform here.)

 

The Process

How do those ideas get started? If you’re new to the process, how would you go about putting forth an idea?

You write it down, take it to your precinct convention (or whatever version of that you have in your area), and present it to the other grassroots participants. They might like it as is. Or they might reject it. Or they might suggest amendments to make it something they could support.

The ones that get supported (by majority vote in your precinct convention) will get turned in for the next level up to consider. The ones that get rejected are also recorded, as part of the record of what took place in that precinct convention.

A resolution that came out of our precinct convention in 2022.

It used to be that you were required to bring several copies of your resolution: one for the precinct meeting chair, one for the secretary to turn in, one for you to read from. That would still be helpful. But less formal versions—even handwritten resolutions that you come up with during your meeting—are acceptable. That would make more work for those you turn them in to, because someone is going to have to type up what you wrote so it can be considered along with the other resolutions. So, be considerate, but don’t be discouraged by formalities.

It also used to be required that you write using formal resolution language. There’s a “Whereas” section, often several paragraphs all starting with “Whereas,” that explain the background for your resolution. The final, essential part is begun, “Therefore be it resolved that,” followed by what you really want to state.

The platform planks are likely to include only that part following the “Therefore be it resolved that.” The resolution can be accepted by your group without the “Whereas” section. If what you’re resolved to have happen has obvious reasons, then no “Whereas” section is needed. But if you need to convince people of the reasons, or explain the importance of what you’re suggesting, you might want to include that part. The platform committee will only consider the final statement as a plank, but they can and do turn to the “Whereas” section when they want greater understanding of the resolution’s intent.

If the formal language is a barrier to you, just use plain language. You could start out, “Because…” which is what “Whereas” means, then give your explanation. Or just dive in and explain. Then, when you get to your final statement—the resolution—you could say, “Therefore,” followed by your resolution statement. Or say, “So, we should have a plank that says this:” and then give your statement. Or just give your statement without preliminary explanation—as long as you make it clear what statement you want to make.

What the minutes will look like for your precinct convention.

The Content of Your Resolution

What should you write a resolution about? What matters to you. You might have concerns that many others have, and putting ideas forth from many places in the state emphasizes how important it is to the people. Or you might have a particular interest, concern, or expertise that others don’t have, and you’d like it to be brought to the attention of people.

You probably ought to read the current state platform first. (Texas Republican Platform is here. There’s an index to help you find ideas.)

You might have an idea that’s already fully covered. Even so, you might want to state that this idea is still important, and you want the legislature to know it’s important to you and they should act on it.

Or you might find that there’s a close idea, but the current plank is missing a particular detail or nuance that you could add. In such a case, you could even have your resolution reference the existing plank and say you want certain wording added to it, or changed in a way that you state in your resolution.

Or you might be looking at an idea that has come up recently, because of things that have happened since the last platform was written. Maybe you’re the very person who has noticed and needs to bring this idea forward. There are planks in our platform literally brought forward by one person’s resolution out of the whole state. Others saw it and said, “Yes, that needs to be in our platform; we need to do something about that.”

 

My Possible Resolutions

I’m in the process of writing my resolutions to propose at our precinct convention on March 9. Here’s one, in the somewhat formal language, that I plan to put forward in my precinct. And following this one are some ideas I’ll be working on between now and the precinct convention. (You’re willing to take these and use them in your precinct conventions. We share ideas. The same resolution repeated from around the state can indicate a strong grassroots idea.)

 

Chaplains in Schools—Safety

Whereas the Texas Legislature passed SB 763, allowing school districts to decide whether to allow chaplains in the schools for mental health counseling purposes, and

Whereas individual school districts can decide what rules will apply in their district, and

Whereas counseling in schools is beyond the scope of authority given from parents to schools and parents have not delegated their right and authority to the care and upbringing of their child, and

Whereas parents have a right to know who and when any adult has influence on their child in school and whether indoctrination or influence against the parents’ will could be happening, and

Whereas predators can and do set themselves up with opportunities for access to children and may not be easily detected as a threat, and

Whereas a false accusation of abuse from a child against an innocent adult can have dire consequences for the adult, and

Whereas the safety of the child in the school is a paramount concern,

Be it therefore resolved that: Any school district choosing to bring in chaplains or other volunteers to the schools must set up circumstances for contact between the child and the chaplain to be only in public, or private contact with two adults present; and the parents must be informed that contact occurred.

 

Ideas I’m in the Process of Working On

·        Border security is a requirement of the federal government. Failure to protect the Texas border entitles Texas to not only protect its own border, but to require reimbursement from the federal government.

·        After the abject failure or fraud against the world population during the COVID pandemic should prevent any authority being given to WHO forever. Indeed, no submission to any international body will be tolerated by the American people.

·        Pornography in school is already unlawful. Any adult involved in placing or keeping such materials in schools—including but not limited to librarians, teachers and principles—shall be subjected to the full force of the law, which may include the permanent child predator label.

 

Here are two we put in our senatorial district platform last year, in the Education section. Some of the intent made its way into the final state platform, but I still like these and may submit them again this year.

·       Schools Are Not Families: Schools are hired to provide academic education, while parents retain every right to the child’s care and upbringing. Therefore we insist on the elimination in school of any Social Emotional Learning (SEL), mental health evaluations, sexuality education, gender-identity ideology, Critical Race Theory (CRT), socialism, Marxism, and other social indoctrination. Schools must be limited to teaching the Basic Standards as listed in the Basic Standards plank. All school districts, individual schools, or charter schools are prohibited from contracting with or making any payment to any third party for material concerning any of the above prohibited topics.

·        Parental Rights Reaffirmation: We insist that schools must not usurp the rights of parents. We recommend that there be annual training for all pre-K-12 personnel explaining and laying out the natural and legally encoded rights of parents in the care and upbringing of their children. We further recommend a brief printed delineation of parents’ rights to be provided to the parents at the beginning of each school year.