The Knox County Republican Party is set to reorganize this month. First, the precinct reorganization is set for Friday March 18 at 7 p.m. The problem with that is that this is the Friday of Knox County Schools Spring Break, Knox County Schools are closed. Some current precinct chairs are rightly meeting at their precincts outside at 7 p.m. to reorganize. Some precinct chairs like mine is informing people that we will be meeting at the home of the precinct secretary. When I asked about the legality of that, he conferred with Phyllis Severance the First Vice Chair of the Knox County Republican Party. She informed him that it is acceptable to meet in an alternative location because the location was not published in the meeting notice.
The Knox County Republican Party does not have their own bylaws so they must adhere to the bylaws of the TN GOP bylaws. So what does the TN bylaws state about the meeting notice requirement. It states in "Rule F, Part 1, Section 5: "At least 10 days before the Precinct Conventions...the County Chairman shall cause to be published in a newspaper of general circulation of said county...a paid advertisement stating the date, time, and PLACE, and the purpose for holding the Precinct Delegated Conventions to reorganize the County Party...."" So, a meeting notice should have been placed in the News Sentinel by 3-8-2011. Reviews of recent News Sentinels have not produced the meeting notice.
A phone call was made to the News Sentinel with the legal/meeting notice department. They could not confirm that the notice has or has not been placed. A communication was sent to Chairman Ray Jenkins on Tuesday March 8, 2011 at 7:22 p.m. The communication stated Ray, when was the meeting notice published and when concerning the party re-organization? As of this posting no reply has been received.
The Knox County Republican Party does not have their own bylaws so they must adhere to the bylaws of the TN GOP bylaws. So what does the TN bylaws state about the meeting notice requirement. It states in "Rule F, Part 1, Section 5: "At least 10 days before the Precinct Conventions...the County Chairman shall cause to be published in a newspaper of general circulation of said county...a paid advertisement stating the date, time, and PLACE, and the purpose for holding the Precinct Delegated Conventions to reorganize the County Party...."" So, a meeting notice should have been placed in the News Sentinel by 3-8-2011. Reviews of recent News Sentinels have not produced the meeting notice.
A phone call was made to the News Sentinel with the legal/meeting notice department. They could not confirm that the notice has or has not been placed. A communication was sent to Chairman Ray Jenkins on Tuesday March 8, 2011 at 7:22 p.m. The communication stated Ray, when was the meeting notice published and when concerning the party re-organization? As of this posting no reply has been received.
As of this posting the calendar on the Knox County Republican Party website does not reflect precinct reorganization on March 18 or a Knox County Reorganization convention on March 26. The pic above is of the online calendar TODAY.Severance has also stated to certain Knox County Republican Party officials that her precinct chairman has always met in their home. Severance also stated the precinct reorganization does not have to be done on the 18th, it can be done anytime between the 19th - 21st. As long as the information is turned into the knox gop office by the 21st.
So, why the secrecy? There are a couple schools of thought. A. Jenkins and Severance are running for re-election and are trying not to have competition. B. The TEA party takeover of Roane, Cumberland and Wilson County GOP's scare Jenkins and Severance so they are being secretive and moving the meetings around.
So, if you are a Constitutional Conservative, TEA Party or Campaign for Liberty member and want to get involved, you will have to work hard to break into the Knox County Republican Party. It may not be worth it. But then again that is what Jenkins and Severance wants. They talk about wanting to build the party with big tent thinking. But if you don't follow their lead. Your out. After all what should we expect from a former Assistant Commissioner under Governor Don Sundquist and then an Assistant to a county wide Democrat official. Just the good ole boy / girl network. Right here in Knox County in 2011. You thought the days of backroom secrecy was over, no the bodies just changed.
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