Texas Democrats With Disabilities

Our Work

Making Change

We hold monthly meetings with our members, with the goal of progressing our goals.Meetings are open to the public.

• Meeting Schedule
• Bylaws

Our Mission

Advocating for Access

TDWD is dedicated to advocating for the disabled community, both within the Texas Democratic Party and throughout the state of Texas. We focus on expanding accessibility, protecting rights, and ensuring that our community is not an afterthought.

Our Community

Stronger Together

Together, our voices are louder. Join our community of dedicated disability rights advocates, and add your voice to our mission.

• Become A Member

Leadership Board

President

Bruce Johnson

Collin County. He/Him.

Vice President

Tilley Vartian

Denton County. They/Them.

Secretary

John Nicks

Harris County. He/Him.

Treasurer

David Lee Morrison

Dallas County. He/Him.

Texas Democrats with Disabilities

Meeting Schedule

Our monthly meetings typically occur on the 4th Sunday of every month at 7:00 PM CST, unless otherwise noted. Meetings are hosted virtually via Zoom.

Bylaws of the Texas Democrats with Disabilities

Caucus Bylaws

Adopted by the membership at a regular meeting on May 26, 2024Article I. NameThe name of this organization shall be Texas Democrats with Disabilities (TDWD).Article II. ObjectThis organization shall have as its objectives and purposes:
a) To promote the participation of persons with disabilities in all positions, committees and communities in the Democratic Party;
b) To attract new members to Texas Democrats with Disabilities;
c) To acquaint the disability community with the party and candidates;
d) To support disability issues, advocacy and accommodations;
e) To promote and facilitate candidates with disabilities to run for public office at the local, state and federal level.Article III. Membership— Section A. Disability StatusWhile the purpose of this organization is to serve Democrats with disabilities, all persons who are Democrats, and/or persons who support the Democratic Party and its principles are eligible for membership.— Section B. Membership ClassesThere shall be two classes of membership:1. Voting Members are those who have submitted a membership form, are Texas residents, and are otherwise in good standing.2. Non-voting Members are those who have submitted a membership form but have not met the qualifications of a voting member. Non-voting members may participate fully except they are not allowed to vote.— Section C. Membership FormA prospective member must complete a membership form that is created per the standing rules. The form must contain, at minimum: name, contact information, and oath of affiliation. The membership form must be filed with the Secretary of the Texas Democrats with Disability.— Section D. ResignationMembers wishing to resign must submit a written resignation to the secretary. The resignation shall be accepted automatically, upon receipt.— Section E. Duration of Membership FormMembers shall submit a new copy of the membership form at least annually, at the start of each calendar year. Members are responsible for notifying the Secretary when their contact information changes.— Section F. Oath of AffiliationMembership in TDWD shall require the signing of an Oath of Affiliation with the Texas Democratic Party.— Section G. ExpulsionMembers will be automatically expelled if they violate the oath of affiliation. Expulsion for any other reason shall follow the disciplinary process in the parliamentary authority.Article IV. Officers— Section A. Elected OfficersThe Elected Officers of the Texas Democrats with Disabilities shall be the President, the Vice President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the two SDEC Representatives. Members may hold more than one office simultaneously.— Section B. ElectionsOfficers shall be elected by majority vote at the General Membership meeting in September of even numbered years (“Election Meeting”). Voting members in good standing and present at the meeting shall be entitled to vote for the election of officers. Proxy voting and secret ballots are not permitted.— Section C. QualificationsCandidates for President, Vice President, and SDEC Representative must have been a voting member in good standing for at least two years and must have a qualifying disability. An individual with a disability is defined by the Americans with Disability Act as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment.Candidates for other offices must be a voting member in good standing at the time of the election.— Section D. Prior Attendance RequirementsCandidates for any elected office must have attended at least three general membership or leadership committee meetings in the current or previous calendar year of the election to be eligible to run for office.— Section E. Term of OfficeThe term of office shall be two years from the date of the election or until their successor is elected.— Section F. Term LimitsElected officers may not serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office. Members may not represent the organization on the SDEC for more than eight consecutive years. This provision may be waived by a two-thirds vote of the membership for any office other than President or Vice President.— Section G. VacanciesIf the office of President becomes vacant, the Vice President shall assume the office. This shall create a vacancy in the office of Vice President and shall be filled by election by the members present at a general membership meeting with seven days notice.Vacancies in the office of SDEC Representative shall be filled by election of the members present at a general membership meeting with seven days notice.Vacancies in other offices of the Leadership Committee may be filled for the remainder of the term by the Leadership Committee at their meeting and confirmed at the next general membership meeting.— Section H. Filling Unexpired TermAn Officer who fills an unexpired term for greater than 12 months shall be considered to have served a full term of office in determining eligibility for re-election.— Section I. SDEC RepresentationThe representatives of the organization to the State Democratic Executive Committee (SDEC) shall be chosen by the members, in accordance with TDP Rules. If a person is removed from the SDEC, they are not eligible for the remainder of the term and their office shall be vacated. If elected SDEC representatives are not already members of the Leadership Committee, they shall hold a seat on the Leadership Committee and be held to the same standard as officers.— Section J. Dutiesa) The President- (1) The President is the official spokesperson of the organization.- (2) Except as provided otherwise, the President is responsible for calling regular and special meetings of the membership and its leadership committee.- (3) The President sets the agenda for all meetings in cooperation with other members of the Leadership Committee.- (4) The President may make appointments to standing committees and establish other committees, as may be necessary. All appointments are temporary until confirmed by the membership. The President is required to insure the membership and the organization leadership is kept informed of all appointments and resignations.- (5) The President shall appoint a Parliamentarian.b) The Vice President shall preside in the absence of the President and, with their consent, do those duties delegated by the President or the body.c) The Secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings and be prepared to report those minutes at the next scheduled meeting. The Secretary shall make such records available to the membership. The Secretary shall receive membership forms and maintain the roll of members.d) The Treasurer shall receive and deposit all monies of the organization and shall record all financial transactions and report them to the Leadership Committee and the general membership. The Treasurer will assure that all fiduciary responsibilities and filings are executed in accordance with the law and with accepted principles of public accountability.e) The SDEC Representatives shall attend meetings of the SDEC and their assigned committees per state party rules. SDEC Reps shall report at the membership meeting following any SDEC meetings.Article V. Meetings— Section A. Manner & FrequencyMeetings will be held in a manner prescribed by the Leadership Committee. Meetings shall be held by any means, including electronic, which allows for all members to hear and participate in all proceedings in real time. A minimum of four meetings a year is required, at least once in each quarter.— Section B. NoticeProper notice for all regular meetings of the membership includes electronic, postal or telephonic notification, and must be sent 14 days or more in advance of the meeting.— Section C. Special MeetingsA special meeting of the membership may be called by the President or a vote of the Leadership Committee. The members must be notified at least 3 days in advance of the special meeting. The notice shall include the purpose of the meeting.— Section D. Open MeetingsAll meetings, including leadership committee meetings, shall be open to the public. Non-public meetings may be held using the same standards in the Texas Democratic Party Rules. No votes may be held except during public session.— Section E. QuorumQuorum shall consist of those voting members present at a meeting.Article VI. Leadership Committee— Section A. MembershipThe officers and standing committee chairs shall constitute the Leadership Committee of the Texas Democrats with Disabilities.— Section B. AuthorityThe Leadership Committee shall be responsible for conducting the day-to-day affairs of the organization between membership meetings. The Leadership Committee is also responsible for other functions as requested by the membership or listed in these bylaws or other governing documents.Article VII. Committees— Section A. Standing CommitteesThe Standing Committees shall be Administrative, Finance, Membership, Communications, Accommodations, Legislative, Fundraising, and Endorsements.— Section B. Special CommitteesSpecial Committees are established by the President and approved by the membership or established by the membership in a motion.— Section C. Committee Membership.Committee Chairs and committee members may be appointed by the President or vote of the membership, as may be necessary. All Presidential appointments are temporary until confirmed by the membership. The President and Vice-President are ex-officio members of all committees.— Section D. Committee TermCommittee Chairs and committee members shall serve a term to coincide withthe term of the President and Vice President or until their successors are approved. In the event the membership chooses not to confirm or reaffirm appointments, Committee Chairs and committee members shall remain in office until a successor is appointed and approved— Section E. Committee ResignationsAll resignations from any elected or appointed positions must be accepted and approved by the Leadership Committee or the Caucus.— Section F. Administrative CommitteeThe Administrative Committee is responsible for overseeing the creation of special rules necessary for the operation of the Caucus, to include any hiring decisions for staff or vendors, as may be budgeted for by the Caucus. The Administration Committee is responsible for overseeing changes to the Bylaws and obtaining Caucus approvals of any changes to the Bylaws of the Texas Democrats with Disabilities.— Section G. Finance CommitteeThe Finance Committee will establish best practice policies and procedures for managing the financial assets of the Caucus. The Treasurer is ex-officio a member of the committee. The Finance Committee shall present an annual budget to the membership for approval. The Committee will ensure a financial reconciliation be performed at least annually and whenever there is a change in the Treasurer. The results of the reconciliation shall be reported to the membership during a meeting.— Section H. Membership CommitteeThe Membership Committee will oversee the keeping of membership rolls and the collection of membership applications. The Committee will work with the Communications team to promote membership within the Caucus. The membership committee will keep the Caucus leadership and the Caucus informed on member-reported issues associated with membership in the Caucus. The Membership Committee will establish policies and procedures for dealing with member conflicts.— Section I. Communications CommitteeThe Communications Committee establishes policies and procedures for maintaining communication systems for the Caucus, to include, but not limited to press releases, maintenance and administration of social media content and communication platforms, web sites and other media platforms.— Section J. Accommodations CommitteeThe Accommodations Committee is responsible for creating and overseeing policies and procedures that address the making of accommodations and accessibility issues. This involves working with Convention planning committees, the State Democratic Executive Committee (SDEC), County Parties and other special interest groups associated with the Texas Democratic Party to ensure full accessibility goals are achieved, as called for in the Rules and Bylaws of the Texas Democratic Party and Democratic National Committee.— Section K. Legislative CommitteeThe Legislative Committee determines the specific legislative issues that the Caucus will focus on, as relates to disability rights at the federal and state level, as well as local governments and organizations.— Section L. Fundraising CommitteeThe Fundraising Committee shall be responsible for fundraising for the organization alongside the President and Vice President. They will work with the Finance Committee to assure the budget needs are met and future budgeting matches fundraising abilities.— Section M. Endorsement CommitteeThe Endorsement Committee will create policies and procedures to oversee the candidate endorsement process. Endorsements will only be issued for candidates that request endorsement. Only endorsed candidates will be allowed to use the endorsement of the Texas Democrats with Disabilities in political advertisements and are subject to the applicable State and Federal laws.TDWD, as an organization, will refrain from endorsing primary candidates who are opposed in their primaries. The organization can endorse candidates for Party positions and can actively campaign for their election. TDWD may endorse in a general election, or in special elections where there is more than one Democrat running. Endorsements shall follow a process established by the Endorsement Committee, approved by the Leadership Committee, and managed by the Endorsement Committee.TDWD officers and leadership shall be free to endorse whomever they wish in their personal capacity, not on behalf of the organization or as an officer of the organization.Article VIII. Parliamentary AuthorityThe rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the organization in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the governing documents and any special rules of order the organization may adopt.Article IX. AmendmentThese Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting at a properly noticed meeting, provided notice of the proposed amendment has been given at the preceding meeting or provided to membership 30 days in advance.#### Proviso:1. Members current at the time of the bylaws adoption shall have until January 1, 2025 to fill out the membership form.