[Editor: The following message is to clarify the issue of AZGOP Chairman Robert Graham telling LD Chairmen that they must have their Organizational Meetings where new Boards and state committeemen are elected as Open Meetings. See http://arizonafreedomalliance.ning.com/group/arizona-news/forum/top... and http://arizonafreedomalliance.ning.com/group/arizona-news/forum/top...]
A message from Tom Morrissey, former Chairman, AZGOP:
Couple of critical points.
1 - No where is there a statement that these meetings are subject to the open meeting law, as they are not. I, and Dan Schultz, got that fixed and corrected with Lee Miller in 2012 after the PCRC statutory.
2 - These meetings can be closed to all nonmembers.
As noted in item 6 chairs may be set aside for the public. May is can. May is not shall or must. Some can be none and the meeting closed to the public.
3 - PCs can be stripped of their voting rights under the bylaws. See item 7. The only two times when their voting rights are set by stature are the statutory meeting and the selection of candidates to replace a legislator.
In 2012, I closed the PCRC [Pinal County Republican Committee] statutory to all non-members. Bruce Ash tried to crash the meeting with the intent of electioneering on behalf of a candidate for PCRC Chair. It did not go as planned for him. After yelling and cursing, he did a 60's sit in protest that was videoed. Security and then the police were then called. Bruce was informed by the Florence police that I had control [of] the meeting room and all access to it, that I could have him removed and arrested. He was given the option of being credentialed as a silent volunteer who would be babysat by Sheriff Babeu. He decided that handcuffs were not his thing and decided that looking like a fool on video was not in his best interest. [A press release followed afterward.]
[Editor: So why did Chairman Graham tell LD Chairs, via a statement from AZGOP attorney Lee Miller, they had to observe open meetings laws? He surely knew that was not true since the AZGOP Attorney was involved in making sure that was not a mandate on LD Chairs.]
http://arizonafreedomalliance.ning.com/forum/topic/show?groupUrl=arizona-news&id=6399857%3ATopic%3A55648&xgs=1&xg_source=msg_share_topic
