GPUS Steering Committee Minutes
Sunday, April 24, 2016 – 8:00 p.m. ET
I. CALL SETUP & BACKGROUND
a) Facilitator: Frank Young
b) To hear recording: 712-451-0019, access code 926334, ref #1
c) Present: Audrey Clement, Sanda Everette (joined late), Jan Martell, Andrea Merida, Charles Ostdiek, Paul Pipkin, Jeff Turner, Tamar Yager. Absent: Bahram Zandi (traveling). Observer: Starlene Rankin
d) Agenda revisions: none
II. OLD BUSINESS
a) Report of online vote to approve funding of Blogtalk Radio – Andrea requested approval for CCC project “Greens on the Ground” to purchase Blogtalk Radio podcast platform for $39/month or $429/year. Voting Yes: Audrey, Jan, Andrea, Charles, Paul, Tamar, Bahram. Voting No: Sanda. Not voting: Jeff. The purchase was approved.
III. STANDING BUSINESS
a) Treasurer’s Report – Jeff. We have over $36k, half in reserves – $7k for Ballot Access, rest for other committees. So we’re not broke, but not out of the woods.
Decision item: The Merchandise Committee requests, and the Finance Committee supports, an approval for spending up to $6,000 for purchase of merchandise inventory by July 1st in order to be properly prepared for merchandise sales at the ANM and for the 2016 election season. Jeff sent a list of projects totaling about $11,500: polos, several t-shirts including women’s styles and tanks, bumper stickers, buttons for caucuses, tote bags, and reminded members that merchandise is fundraising, so spending money makes money. Tamar was concerned that the list did not include or prioritize ANM gear – water bottle, shirt with meeting logo. Andrea was concerned that MerchCom was not reaching out to Latinx Caucus. Jeff said priorities could change, so send him your needs. Roll call vote – Voting Yes: Jan, Paul, Jeff. Voting No: Andrea, Tamar. Abstain: Audrey, Charles. Not voting: Sanda, Bahram. The expenditure was approved.
Decision item: to transfer $3,000 to the reserve account to begin to build an operating reserve. SC had agreed to do this when possible, and now seems a good time to start, can add $1k a month to have $7k in reserves by August. Fiscal policy advises 3 months operating costs in reserves. Approved by consensus.
b) Fundraising Report – Tamar. Sent an income report showing Jan-March. The mailer for May is being drafted and includes 5 different asks; Earth Day e-blast was not particularly successful; Peter Orvetti has volunteered to do Greenline. Audrey said that in the report, year-to-date percentage figures are off, and can be dealt with later off list.
VOTING QUEUE
In the queue:
a) 813 – Election Reform
b) 814 – Foreign Policy
c) 815 – Adoptee Rights
d) 816 – Fracking
e) 817 – Green Energy & Jobs
f) 818 – Climate Treaty
g) 819 – Ozone Depletion
h) 820 – Health Care
i) 821 – 4-Year House Term
j) 822 – Legislative-Executive
k) 823 – Minimum Wage
l) 824 – War on Drugs
Received for the queue:
GPRI – Middle East
IAGP – Free Speech
IAGP – Political Reform
Latinx & GPNJ – Puerto Rico
Platcom – Forestry addition
Platcom – Forestry intro
There were no findings, so these will go to the NC beginning May 2. Jan will be Floor Manager.
IV. NEW BUSINESS
a) Ballot Access Committee report – Audrey. Jeff reports we have at least $7500 available for BA work, and a limited time to apply it. Georgia GP has requested and BAC will approve $3k to assist organizing following their successful lawsuit. Missouri GP has merged with a (GPUSA) local with help of Michael Trudeau – special thanks to Michael – and will now have GPMO name; still need to register petition with Sec of State. Audrey has fulfilled her petitioning pledge in VA and is now free to help out elsewhere, MO, Chicago. Andrea said that WY is looking good and CO will help them. Charles said in NB key members are dealing with other issues, but Mary Ann Shiech agreed to be ballot access coordinator with Stein campaign. Jody and BAC are working with Stein campaign also to coordinate efforts. Strategy is to prioritize states with party petitions, since FEC rules limit support to candidate petitions.
b) Proposal to Amend SC Internal Rules on Online Voting – Audrey. Proposal was referred to subcommittee including Audrey, Charles, Jan.
c) PCSC liaison report – Audrey. Recently PCSC co-chairs decided that Elijah Manley had fulfilled the requirements for recognition as a candidate. Some committee members objected, which is supposed to trigger a vote on the issue, and needs 2/3 to override a co-chair decision. The vote has not been held, and one of the co-chairs has announced on the NC list that no final decision on Manley can be made until a proposal to clarify our rules concerning candidates who can not legally serve, which is not now directly addressed, is drafted and voted on by the NC. The objections though are rules-based: that Manley can not show a good faith effort to get ballot lines in the states, since he is not legally able to serve. Audrey, who is liaison, wants the SC to direct the PCSC to withdraw recognition from Manley or to follow PCSC rules and hold the vote. Going through the proposal process would take weeks, and is unnecessary and unfair to the candidates. Sanda thought we should direct them to withdraw recognition only, since he clearly was ineligible. A roll-call vote was taken: Voting yes: Audrey, Jan, Charles, Paul, Tamar. Voting No: Sanda. Abstain: Andrea. Not voting: Jeff, Bahram. The proposal was approved. There was further discussion of the problem of mixed messages about how many of our candidates are recognized. PCSC has posted the 2 qualified candidates on our internal website and there are some links to that on the public side if you know where to look, but has not announced or promoted this result, and continued to support all 5 candidates in press releases. Paul says this has caused real damage in Texas. SC members agree that the fact that we have only two qualified candidates should be publicized from here on out, and are inclined to support Manley as an honorary GPUS candidate.
d) Discussion of PCSC/ANM suggestions for PNC roles – convention co-chairs, credentialing facilitators, election judges. Timeline – need to be confirmed 60 days in advance according to our rules: Proposals to the SC for the May 8 meeting; In the queue May 16 (could be expedited to May 9); NC discussion May 16-29; NC voting May 30-June 5 – Tamar had a list of possible names she shared with members. If there are no objections, she will have bios and formal proposals by next meeting. These will have to be approved by the NC in separate proposals.
V. EXECUTIVE SESSION
None
TOTAL TIME: 143 minutes
Jan Martell
Secretary