TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- A proposed amendment to the Alabama Republican Steering Committee bylaws looks to remove the heads of minority, women and young conservative organizations from the party's steering committee and replace them with representatives handpicked by the State Executive Committee.

The chairpersons or presidents of the Young Republican Federation of Alabama and College Republican Federation of Alabama are currently granted seats on the steering committee automatically, due to being democratically elected leaders of their organizations.

The proposed amendment, submitted by Cleburne County Executive Committee member Heath Jones, would require that the steering committee seats be given to representatives of the group elected by the party's State Executive Committee.

Jones also wants the SEC to elect a representative from the Alabama Federation of Republican Women and the Alabama Minority GOP, rather than granting a seat to the already elected chairperson or president.

"This gives the SEC oversight over who will be casting votes to determine the future of the SEC," Jones told the Alabama Political Reporter Wednesday. "While it is important that we preserve these organizations’ representation on the Steering Committee, it is also important that the representative also reflects the wishes of the State Executive Committee of the Alabama Republican Party.”

Stephanie Petelos, chair of the College Republican Federation of Alabama. (ALGOP photo)

For Stephanie Petelos, the chair of the College Republican Federation of Alabama and University of Alabama student, this is the second bylaw amendment threatening to remove her from her seat at the Steering Committee table.

Last week, two party members submitted an amendment that would remove anyone publicly advocating a position contrary to the platform adopted at the Republican National Convention.

Petelos believes this is in direct retaliation for comments she made to AL.com in June regarding same-sex marriage, after which party leadership tried to remove her from her position.

Last week, Don Wallace and Bonnie Sachs, wife of ALGOP chif of staff Harold Sachs, submitted the amendment which would remove her from the steering committee.

While she initially declined to comment at length on the situation due to an agreement she had with party leadership -- in which she wouldn't speak out on the issue if they'd drop the subject -- she changed her mind this week.

Petelos said party Chairman Bill Armistead asked to meet with her this week but negotiations soured.

"This is a lot bigger issue than just trying to silence me," Petelos said. "Threatening to silence any opinions and stifle debate within the party ... this a democratic process, and the whole point is to engage each other and come to a compromise in our opinions. Sometimes the compromises are better and more effective than the other two solutions in the beginning."

While it appears the issue of

many in the community believe it goes further than just this issue.

Chris Brown, a former chair of the Young Republican Federation of Alabama who served on the steering committee for four years,

"We're trying to reach out and bring in more young people, women, minorities through our affiliated organizations, but our state party doesn't seem to be accepting in the same way," Brown said. "As our party grows, we need to be respectful of other people's opinions."

After news of the first amendment surfaced, supporters and members of the Alabama conservative community took to Twitter to express their dismay.