
Democrats circulate draft proposal that could impact Iowa's status as first nominating contest
CBSN
Iowa may have trouble holding onto its status as the first state to weigh in on the Democrats running for president, if a new draft proposal by the leaders of a powerful Democratic Party committee gains support. The proposal, which was circulated Monday, outlines three criteria for selecting up to five states to be part of the party's early window for nominating a presidential candidate.
The document, which was obtained by CBS News, is labeled "draft - for discussion only." It says that the Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws Committee (RBC) will "review and approve a 2024 presidential nominating calendar that (1) reflects the principle that our party's diversity is its strength; (2) puts Democrats in the best position to win up and down the ballot in November 2024; and (3) contributes to a fair and sound electoral process."
States that are not selected to be in the early window will not be allowed to hold their nominating contest before the first Tuesday in March or after the second Tuesday in June, unless the RBC explicitly grants an exception. In recent years, only Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina were permitted to be in the early window. In the past, the Democratic Party has penalized states that have tried to move into the window without the party's permission.

Robert Morris, founding pastor of Gateway Church, a megachurch in Southlake, Texas, has been indicted on five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child, stemming from alleged incidents dating back to the 1980s, the Oklahoma attorney general's office announced Wednesday. We are aware of the actions being taken by the legal authorities in Oklahoma and are grateful for the work of the justice system in holding abusers accountable for their actions. We continue to pray for Cindy Clemishire and her family, for the members and staff of Gateway Church, and for all of those impacted by this terrible situation.