The Sanders County Republican Central Committee held it’s biennial meeting in Plains at the Grange on Saturday. The meeting, held once every two years, served as a means of updating local Republicans on party affairs, holding elections and promoting the GOP platform and ideas. Chaired by Katy French, the event began with the ceremonial Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer at which point the convention was called to order.

The convention started by determining guidelines regarding elections of committee officials and the eligibility of proxy representatives on the committee. Proxy representatives are elected to stand in when other committee members are unable to attend party events. There was some debate as to the process by which individuals were to be chosen for this responsibility and a motion was passed establishing the election process.

French went on to update convention attendees about recent actions taken by the Sanders County RCC including the status of a lawsuit filed on their behalf concerning political support of judicial candidates. Until the SCRCC took the issue to the Ninth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals in Seattle, political parties were not allowed to endorse or support judicial candidates in state elections according to Montana state law.

“We sued on the grounds that this was a freedom of speech issue and a freedom of assembly issue. We feel like we were given our rights back,” said French.

According to French, reversal of the 80 year-old law would allow political parties to inform and educate voters about judicial candidates.

This was the first convention since the reestablishment of the committee after the dissolution in 2011. Katy French will retain her seat as chair and Dick Wells was elected vice chair. Responsibilities for the chair include running meetings, acting as a spokesman, and leading the committee on issues of local, state and national importance to the GOP.

According to French, “we are happy to be moving forward again. Our goal is to continue to support conservative, Republican ideals to voters in Sanders County.”