On June 14, Texas Governor Rick Perry signed SB 817, an election law bill that the Libertarian Party had suggested. The bill lets ballot-qualified parties that nominate by convention hold their state convention in April, instead of June. Also it lets convention parties nominate candidates for public office even if those candidates are party officers (primary-nominating parties still can’t nominate people who are party officials). Thanks to Jim Riley for this news.
The language is not permissive. Texas treats conventions for convention-nominating parties as the equivalent of the primary and primary runoff for primary-nominating parties, and sets the dates.
When the primary was moved from May to the 2nd Tuesday in March, all the convention dates were moved, except that of the state convention. When the primary was moved a week earlier, the conventions were not changed (likely they forgot).
The May primary was on a Saturday, and the precinct conventions held on primary election night were also on a Saturday. When the primary was made the 2nd Tuesday in March, the precinct conventions were moved to a Tuesday.
Subsequently, the primary-nominating parties have been given the option to move their precinct conventions to other days, such as Saturday.
The Libertarian Party may nominate by primary.