July 31, 2022

Green Party US Steering Committee Meeting Agenda

Sunday, July 31, 2022

8pm ET/5pm PT

Zoom

Observer/Speaker Form

MEETING PROCESS

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  • Setup and Background – 10 min

    1. Facilitator: Margaret Elisabeth
    2. Steering Committee Roll Call:
  • Margaret Elisabeth (Co-Chair)- present 
  • Ahmed Eltouny (Co-Chair)- present 
  • Rei Stone-Grover (Co-Chair)- present
  • Tony Ndege (Co-Chair, incoming)-present
  • Anita Rios (Co-Chair, outgoing)- absent
  • Chris Stella (Co-Chair)-absent
  • Garret Wassermann (Co-Chair) –present
  • Tamar Yager (Co-Chair)- present
  • Kristin Combs (Secretary)- absent
  • Diana C. Brown (Treasurer, incoming)- present
  • Hillary Kane (Treasurer, outgoing)- present

Observers: Daniel Bumbarger, David Gerry, Holly Hart, Starlene Rankin, Gloria Mattera, 

  1. Observers (remain muted and do not use chat feature)
  2. Establish Quorum (9 current members, quorum is 5)
  3. Approve Agenda (changes require majority, new items require ⅔)

  • New Business 

    1. Moment of Silence for John Rensenbrink- 
    2. Discuss Secretary Vacancy– for the Secretary we need a special election, and would like to initiate immediately as soon as possible. Tamar raised the suggestion that there’s a proposal needed to elect a secretary.  

Diana– will help to setup the proposal and suggests outreach to previous candidates. 

Garret– suggests a plan.

Tony– suggested reviewing the roles. 

Tamar– there’s a plan, and it needs to go forward.  

Garret– agrees to put the proposal in the queue.

  1. Letter to WV SOS (GW)- Emergency letter to SOS- WV due to Republicans attempting to takeover Green Party Ballot Line.  Letter Drafted and ready to be sent to SOS-WV regarding official notice.  

Garret– asking for official email, and assistance with printing.

Tony– agreed to send the letter over email and offered to send the hard copy of the letter. 

Tamar– agreed to send the hard copy of the letter. 

Diana– is double checking with David Doonan to get Steering Committee email for official reasons.

**All Steering Committee members should have an official GP.org email.** 

  1. Transition Discussion (GW)
  • Onboarding presentation– Welcome to the elected co-chairs and treasurer.- Moved to list. 
  • Committee Liaisons- discussion moved to the list. 

(Guideline: Liaisons can be members but not Co-Chairs)

Rei– discuss that liaisons should be not co-chairs, but no emphasis on staff liaisons being members of committees. 

  • Staff Liaisons/Supervisors- moved to list.

Tamar– only staff liaison- discussion can be moved to list.

Tony– discusses lack of structure around what staff liaison looks like. 

Tamar– Direct Responds- it’s different every year.

Tony– Direct Responds- Suggests more transparency, and would like to know what staff are doing and what is going on at least a few times a month, and would like to know more. 

  1. CCC would like to acquire a Groups.io account until November (DCB)

Hillary– The CCC would like to open a groups.io and the CCC is being offered to use the current account.  The CCC is testing it out and the treasurer would assist as necessary. 

Margaret– Supports Groups.io or Loomio for CCC due to the party working to move.  

Diana– suggest that people should be able to move, and the CCC has already moved forward without informing the SC or treasurer.  The CCC has already invited 89 addresses to the groups.io.  

Hillary– The Party will have to document the action as an In-Kind contribution, and that we still have to make a note of the actions that have been taken. If that is the route that the CCC would want to go, she will work with Diana to make it work.  Scott opened it, and there is a lot of work down the line that needs to be addressed. 

**Holly noted that the groups.io is a trial period to be ended in November.** 

  1. Strategic Plan Update (DCB)- 

Diana refers to Kristin’s presentation- would like to make goals one page.  Moving discussion to list serve. 

Margaret– Worked with Kristin on slideshow- Margaret prepared a five page action plan.  Not much participation, and would like to enact goals. Margaret will send information OFF-LIST. 

Margaret notes approx. 1 hour meeting.

  1. GPUS Elections Database (ME)- We have 24 meetings to get a group together to maintain the GPelections database before Mike Feinstein leaves. 

Diana- Diana and Mike have worked on the database together, and it needs updating, and also mentioned Garret.  Diana is open to help with updating the database.  The CCC liaisons update the CCC. Mike does extra research into the Greens working. 

Garret– Suggests to emphasize to state parties that Mike puts in extra effort.  Has technical concerns about the viability of the database.  It’s difficult to search due to the host site.  Interested in making it more long-term to hold data. 

Margaret– The database was developed by Cameron Spitzer and Susan and did not intend for Mike to take it over.  Once Mike has left both are open to work with us.  

Hillary(Treasurer then) – Did not know about Cameron and Susan, but the person that was being paid was Kendra Markle.  The committee has an internal google sheet and there is also the database. We may need a completely different system. 

Tony– Tony suggests having a more direct way to input information. Suggests interns for working with the database.  Suggests Rei to assist. 

Rei– interested.

Margaret and Tony discuss plan. 

Discussion continued on list. 

  • Standing Business 

    1. Follow-up on Action Items — 10 min

(please come prepared with a status update)

  • Loomio will be tested out by Committee of Co-Chairs (GW)

– Garret update on loomio- given a few months free for a trial.  With CCC groups.io trial, it’s parallel and we can get updates. 

  • Queue schedule for 2022 platform amendments (GW)- 

–Garret is updating the platform, and created a schedule for platform amendments.  There are four amendments currently in the queue.

**Margaret notes that things will be in the discussion and voting phase year round.  Delegates remind states and causes to try to stay updated.**

(please send written reports to the SC list before the meeting)

  • Secretary (GW)- Garret- California and Indiana Delegation updated on the committee website, minutes are on list. 

Tamar what happens next?  Suggests getting Kristin’s information to pass the tasks along for help. 

Rei- offered to assist. 

  • Treasurer (DCB)- 
  • Diana– catching up, and taking on Hillary’s responsibilities.

Hillary– re-scheduled finance committee on Wed/Thur. Working to Diana as signatory, and it includes physical mail, and the liaison to the finance committee will hopefully be done next month. 

  • Fundraising (TY) —

Tamar 2022 YTD Fundraising Report– report is old and not updated.  Will update at the end of the month once Athena and Hillary get stuff in.  Treasurer often gets things in by the 20th at the fincom meeting. 

  • Staff (KC/HK/TY)- 

Tamar– Great job on ANM, AA registered, MO ran plenaries, and DD behind the scenes.  Nothing concrete, things may change as far as hours. 

Hillary– DD was collecting videos of ANM. Updating on staff personal time being taken.

Margaret– AA got back in timely manner, good interactions with staff. 

  • ME: BAC, BMRC, DRC-Margaret- appreciates being liaison, 

DRC– does not meet until next month, and needs active members.  Needs by-laws completed. 

BMRC– working to support “greening the dollar” not MMT.  Happy to engage committee members. 

BAC– Voted not to support funding requests from MO, and there will be more requests coming soon.

Tony– discusses MO and MA needs. MA is close to meeting requirements. 

Margaret moves discussion forward. 

  • AE: CCC, GPAX, IC- 

IC– co-chairs getting moved forward.  People from Armenia coming to US. COP27 taking place in Nov, members want to go, no funding. 

GPAX– Rei wanted to work with International Peace Month. 

CCC– Updates to come. 

Tony– unfair double standard for Greens actively seeking change.  Oppression is taking place against African Socialists and there needs to be discussions about the double standard.  

  • RSG: 

AC– Elders Caucus proposal in the queue.

Fundcom– new co-chairs, additional meeting for 8/8/22.

Outreach– nothing new to report

  • TN:- nothing to report
  • AR: ANMC, Diversity, Ecoaction- absent
  • CS: BRPP, PlatCom, ARC- absent 
  • GW: Green Pages, ApRevCom, PCSC, ETC- Absent 
  • TY: Media, Merch, FIN

Media– Nothing new. 

Merch– ordered lapel pins, working on colors for lavender caucus t-shirts. 

ANM– will have a comprehensive report soon. 

 

  1. IN THE VOTING QUEUE – 5 minutes

 

Margaret: Proposals are in the queue.  Discussions are occurring. 

Meeting concluded.  

OFFICIAL TIME — 1 hours, 52 minutes