November 11, 2018

GPUS Steering Committee Minutes – 11 November 2018

SUMMARY FOR DISTRIBUTION TO STATES AND LOCAL CHAPTERS:

1.  New Business:  Apportionment Tabulation Committee appointment schedule;  SCOTUS Appeal to 3rd Parties

2. Standing Business: Treasurer’s Report (Treasurer’s Reports to the GNC available at https://gpus.org/treasurers-reports/); Fundraising Report; Fundraising Consultant update, Continuing budget discussion; Liaison reports

3. Voting Queue – https://secure.gpus.org/cgi-bin/vote/login

Received for the queue –  2018 Platform Amendments – Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, Civil Rights and Equal Rights; Fukushima-Daiichi -Seven Years Later Response with Open Letters; Establish a GPUS Standing Committee – Banking and Monetary Reform Committee (BMRC); Resolution in Opposition to Rising Fascism; SC Vacancy Election

Online SC Proposals approved since last call and sent to the NC: None

4. Old Business:  Strategic Planning meeting,  2018 ANM financial report update, all Accreditation Committee items tabled to next call

For future agendas: Freshdesk update, ETC Report, Tech – voting  page/ETC and misc. maintenance

5. Executive Session:   Budget discussion – personnel

The full minutes are available at
http://gpus.org/committees/steering/minutes/November-11-2018/.

The call recording is available at 712-451-0309, 926334#, reference 35 and
https://gpus.org/steering-committee-recordings/ 

Jody Grage, Secretary


GPUS Steering Committee Minutes – 11 November 2018 

AGENDA:

I. CALL SETUP & BACKGROUND – 15 min

a) Facilitator: David Gerry

b) Roll call – Hillary Kane, Anita Rios, Jody Grage, Andrea Merida, Tony Ndege, Violet Zitola,

Gloria Mattera, Margaret Flowers

Observer: Starlene Rankin OR/Staff; Jan Martell NC, Tamar Yager VA/ANM/Fundraising

c) Agenda revision suggestions – Gloria –  table all AC items on this call – consensus; Apportionment Revue Committee – tabled to next call; New Business: SCOTUS Appeal to 3rd Parties – consensus to add to agenda;Treasurer’s Report: MerchCom request to purchase hoodies – consensus to add to agenda

II. NEW BUSINESS –  15 min

a) Apportionment Tabulation Committee appointment schedule – call for suggestions from SC

8-2.3(a) Between November 15th and December 15th of every even-numbered year, the Steering Committee shall appoint seven people to the Apportionment Tabulation Committee. One of the seven people must be a Steering Committee member, and no more than two of the seven people may be Steering Committee members. The Steering Committee’s appointments shall be published to the National Committee votes list as part of the Steering Committee minutes.

8-2.3(b) The Steering Committee shall designate the chair of the Apportionment Tabulation Committee.

Gloria – discuss recommendations for members on list over the next week; Andrea is liaison;

separate issue from Apportionment Review Committee discussion on next call agenda

b)  SCOTUS Appeal to 3rd Parties – Violet – 30 min requested

We received an invitation to join the Constitution and Libertarian parties in signing an amicus brief in support of the petition for certiorari filed by the Republican Party of Utah to the US Supreme Court, in their appeal of the 10th Circuit decision to uphold Utah SB54, a bill in which the Utah legislature imposed restrictions on how the Utah Republican Party selects its nominees.  Richard Winger, editor of Ballot Access News, was invited to speak about the case, including the impact it would have on GPUS.  If URP wins this case, it would strengthen our rights of association as a political party, ensure that we can determine the process by which we select our own nominee, and may help us challenge legislation, such as that in MA and ME regarding ballot access.  If the Supreme Court agrees to hear the appeal, we will have the opportunity to file our own amicus on the merits. – consensus to approve

 III. STANDING BUSINESS – 70 min

a) Treasurer’s report – Hillary Kane – 10 min.

Treasurer’s Reports to the GNC available at https://gpus.org/treasurers-reports

Total All Accounts – $108,963.23: Savings/Reserves $96,042.37 , Checking $12,920.86 ; + Paypal $430.77

Balance has declined with outstanding bills more than available funds, Red Sun bill can wait rather

than draw from reserves,  NY workers compensation and disability insurance now in compliance – filling out form to avoid paying fines.

MerchCom request for hoodies – billing comes later and can probably be paid in installments –

$2399 plus shipping for 77 hoodies – consensus to approve

b) Continuing 2019 budget discussion – line by line review – 40 min

FinCom recommends – including staffing line totals without specific position allocations; budget not radically different from 2018 budget; 2018 income was tracking well until after the ANM when it declined; 2019 budget has more realistic numbers for expenses; discussion on need for increased ballot access funding though the needed amount would be huge – this should be a large part of the strategic retreat – consensus to approve budget

c) Fundraising report – Gloria – 10 min.

October Income: $12,349.71; November 1 -10: $4,789.50

Donations from website since Nov 1: $299.00 (1 Sustainer)

New Sustainers from New Volunteers in October – 11; since Nov 1 – 5

Eblast Donations: Medicare For All: $803 (28 donations, 3 Sustainers)

Direct Mail Eblast Version: $681 (22 donations, 0 Sustainers)

Direct Mail checks expected  this coming week – Darryl! will go to Post Office and deposit ASAP

Fundraising Consultant update – Hillary, Gloria

Will discuss on strategy call and future SC calls, 3/4 through contract, next and final thing a K Statement articulating reasons for donors to support GP.

d) Liaison reports – brief updates as necessary – 10 min

PCSC – Margaret –  Article 10 amendments failed, listserv members being verified

IV. VOTING QUEUE – Jody – 5 min.

(https://secure.gpus.org/cgi-bin/vote/login),

Received for the queue – Proposals to go into the queue on 12 November:

2018 Platform Amendments – Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, Civil Rights and Equal Rights; Fukushima-Daiichi – Seven Years Later Response with Open Letters; Establish a GPUS Standing Committee – Banking and Monetary Reform Committee (BMRC); Resolution in Opposition to Rising Fascism; SC Vacancy Election

Online SC Proposals approved since last call and sent to the NC: None

V. OLD BUSINESS –  35 min

a) Strategic Planning meeting – Gloria and Margaret – 10 min

four calls planned – goals, nuts and bolts, tasks and timelines, long-term goals and bigger issues – first call 4 December 7- 10 pm Eastern perhaps on Zoom, Doodle Poll to schedule 2nd call soon

b) 2018 ANM financial report update – Margaret – 5 min – for 25 November agenda

For future agenda:  Freshdesk update, ETC Report, Tech – voting  page/ETC and misc. maintenance

Call recording ended: 2 hours 45 min

VI. EXECUTIVE SESSION – 10 min

On call: Andrea, Anita, Gloria, Hillary, Jody, Margaret, Tony, Violet

Budget discussion – personnel – no decisions made

TOTAL TIME: 3 hours 30 min

Jody Grage, Secretary