I had IVN’s Republican National Convention Correspondent Tom Brown on the phone just now, and he reports from Tampa that the Pennsylvania delegation took a vote this morning to support the new RNC rules drafted by the RNC rules committee, which contain controversial measures to give the national party and winning presidential campaigns like Gov. Mitt Romney’s power over which delegates each state party sends to the national convention every four years and how they can vote.
The Pennsylvania delegation will also oppose the minority reports (amendments supported by a minority of delegates on the rules committee) that would block these new changes.
Brown reports that the Pennsylvania delegation has 83 delegates in Tampa and that a strong majority of them voted to support the new RNC rules and oppose minority reports that would retain each state party’s prerogative to select its own delegates and set rules for how they can vote when they reach the convention floor.
Yesterday, Pennsylvania delegate Brian Dougherty granted the Independent Voter Network an interview and made an impassioned plea against the new RNC rules. Later today, I’m hoping to speak with more delegates about the rules changes, but so far, only delegates who oppose the controversial changes in the new RNC rules have been willing to comment.
Brown reports that he approached over ten members of his state’s delegation who support the new RNC rules for comment, including the state chair, and all refused to comment.
The decision came after a delegation breakfast this morning, during which members were allowed time to deliberate and make speeches before deciding how Pennsylvania would vote on the convention floor.