EDITORIAL: Bylaws are not always right

Kathleen Tillman is not happy with the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee and neither are we. The KCRCC could have done much better in its handling of her recent removal as a committee representative, which with a little consideration, did not need to happen

As reported by The Press on Tuesday, Tillman missed four consecutive central committee meetings. The central committee’s bylaws state that “a notification of vacancy shall be given by the chairman when any committee member ... without excuse acceptable to the KCRCC, fails to attend four consecutive regular meetings of the KCRCC.” 

Now, that sounds pretty clear. Tillman missed four meetings, and she is out. Technically, that would seem to be the correct course of action. After all, the bylaws have spoken.

Or did they?

Tillman missed meetings in October and November caring for her husband, who was fighting cancer and passed away in December. She also missed meetings in January and February when she was visiting family in Boise and California.

The Press reported that each month, Tillman informed the Legislative District 4 Chair — at that time, Becky Funk — of the reason for her absence. She sent a different proxy to stand in for her at each meeting, in compliance with the central committee’s rules. 

But, at the committee's March meeting, it was announced Tillman was no longer a precinct committeeman. 

She was replaced by Avery Granum, who filed to run for the position in the May 2024 primary election but dropped out of the race, according to public records. 

But there's a problem. The central committee’s bylaws don’t define an excused absence or describe how an excused absence is obtained. Considering that Tillman communicated her absences and sent a proxy to each missed meeting, we believe she did what she could to meet the bylaws for attendance. Could she have done more? Sure. But it seemed sufficient at the time.

Tillman didn't want to surrender the seat and went before the central committee May 27 in the hopes of being appointed to the newly-vacant seat, but was not.

Here's what we suggest.

Rather than sticking strictly to bylaws and giving a committeeman the boot for missing meetings, we suggest KCRCC improve communication regarding the process and work closer with said committeeman so both sides are well aware of what is going on, and what is at stake, and what is an excused absence.

We believe the people in Precinct 417 who voted for Tillman last year would prefer she retain the post.