SLO County Democratic leadership bows to pressure

November 22, 2016

By KAREN VELIE

After a large group of people who oppose a plan to suppress other Democratic clubs from independently endorsing candidates or measures signed a petition, the San Luis Obispo County Democratic Central Committee voted 16-2 on Monday not to adopt the restrictions.

Committee members Susan Devine, SLO County Supervisor Adam Hill’s former administrative assistant, and Cheryl Conway were the only speakers who spoke in favor of the proposed amendments. In addition to a proposed amendment restricting endorsements, Devine and Conway also wanted to restrict Democrats elected to local nonpartisan offices from participation in the committee and to encourage local clubs to use Democrat or Democratic in their names.

Atascadero Democratic Club President Tom Comar asked other committee members not to support the proposed amendments and to allow other clubs more autonomy. Supervisor Hill, San Luis Obispo City Councilman John Asbaugh and several other elected officials spoke against no longer allowing their participation in the committee.

Supervisor Hill then made a motion to table the proposed amendments, which was seconded by Ashbaugh. Even though 22 committee members were originally in attendance, during the two and a half hour meeting several members walked across the street to a local wine bar while the remaining members voted 16-2 to oppose the proposed amendments.

In addition, the committee voted unanimously to charter The Progressives of San Luis Obispo County, a new county Democratic club whose members are primarily people who supported Bernie Sanders.

Even though the committee’s meeting are public, at Mondays meeting,  executive committee members told attendees they were not to take photos or tape the meeting. In addition, public comment was barred until all the proposals had been voted on.