General session will feature debates over the death penalty and some controversial rules changes

By Brian Leubitz

CDP executive board meetings tend to be sedate affairs featuring more schmoozing than anything else.  But on occasion the closing general sessions feature a few fireworks, and today may be such a day.

First, a death penalty resolution that called for the commutation of all death penalty sentences to Permanent Incarceration passed through the Resolutions committee with only a minor tweak.  The resolution originally called for all sentences to be changed to life without parole, but it has been changed to permanent incarceration.  With Chairman Burton’s support, it seems likely to pass.

On the other hand, as I discussed in an earlier post, there are a few potential rules changes to be discussed today.  First, there is that possibility of endorsing Dts voters in the top 2 primary system.  That change has dominated the conversation, but another change just might end up creating quite the stir as well.

Under the current endorsement rules, a Democratic candidate that loses  the endorsement in the regional caucus at the convention can gather signatures to bring the endorsement to the floor.  The change would instead allow the candidate to appeal to a board that would then decide whether the endorsement should proceed to a floor debate.  This would end the gathering of signatures, (as happened in the case of Mark Leno against Carole Migden) and the processing and the associated resource questions.  On the other hand, questions of stacking may still arise.  Whether this board would be as responsive remains to be seen.

The general session runs from 10 until noon this morning.