June 11, 2023

Green Party US – Steering Committee Meeting Minutes
Date: Sunday, June 11, Time: 8:00 pm ET

I. Setup and Background

  1.     Facilitator: Margaret Elisabeth
  2.     Steering Committee Roll Call:

Craig Cayetano (co-chair – present
Margaret Elisabeth (co-chair) – present
Darryl! Moch (co-chair – present
Alfred Molison (co-chair) – present
Joseph Naham (co-chair) – present
Tony Ndege (co-chair) – present
Tamar Yager (co-chair) – presentHolly Hart (secretary) – present

Bob Stuller treasurer) – present

 Observers:  Scott Laugenour, WA; Starllene Rankin, WA; Sarah Dillon, IN; Sandy Przybylak, NY; Gloria Mattera, NY; Cassandra Lems, NY

  1.   Establish Quorum (9 current members, quorum is 5)
  2.   Approve Agenda (changes require majority, new items require ⅔)
  1. REQUEST from GPWA – see ADDENDUM B

Tamar asked to table until next meeting at the latest or take up online.  This has no precedent, should be taken up with the CCC, as well. Daryll! asked to take it up now, request is fairly urgent.

Tamar – No
Darryl! – Yes
Holly – No
Bob – No
Margaret – Yes
Alfred – No
Joseph – Yes
Craig – Yes
Tony – No

Yes-4; N0-5

Holly asked to propose the item online.

  1.     New Business
  2.     CCC request for SC to appoint women members to fill open positions (CCC Co-chair Scott Laugenour was available to answer questions, if needed) SEE ADDENDUM, ITEM A

Tamar noted there are two or three women listed, fine to go ahead. In the past, the SC has had recommendations from CCC on whom to ask. Scott Laugenour noted that these appointments would be for the duration of the term ending after this next general election,when regular CCC elections will be called.  Tamar proposed that the CCC provide a list of candidates for SC to vote on at the next meeting.

APPROVED, Consensus

  1.   International Committee request from IC co-chair Austin Bashore for funds for mini palm cards for Global Greens Conference in South Korea.

A member of the Fundraising Committee donated $400 to IC or YES for that purpose.

  1.   Request to process YES funds to pay for AirBnB for member at Global Greens conference.

Tamar reported that these have already been approved and repaid; they were requests for YES funds, so no need for SC approval. Darryl!  noted that the housing reimbursement has not yet been paid, waiting for an officer of YES to make the official request. Craig invited members of YES caucus to join upcoming calls when they have a request.

  1.   Request to talk about Ukraine – What are we hearing from the public about the war in Ukraine and what direction should we be taking? – Alfred

Discussion: Alfred provided an assessment of what he is hearing, wants to hear more voices in support of stopping endless war, not continuing war funding.  Darryl! stated he is not sure what we want to talk about from our vantage point here.  We have a position as an anti-war party, but also in favor of human rights, any position we put out should speak to both. Margaret believes our proper response is a subject for discussion; notes Twitter response criticizing Howie Hawkins’ position; GPUS should put out a steady social media message clarifying GPUS policy, have Media Committee put out more consistent statements rebutting things not officially GPUS policy. Craig noted GPUS policy statements and actions in the past opposing NATO; clarify that as a peace party we are against NATO. Tony notes that it should be made clear that this issue is not universally held in the GPUS, that should be made clear that his is a personal position. Holly noted that the position had to do with sending arms in this case rather than specifically supporting NATO. Alfred stated that the Hawkins statements are too pro- war, and concern that people believe he is the GPUS spokesperson. Joseph noted from the debate with Jill Stein and Howie Hawkins a couple months ago, thought it was good to hear from both positions; Hawkins is trying to network with Ukrainian Greens and socialists. Darryl! said statement needs to clarify what GPUS structure is, that the party makes decisions by way of NC; former candidates and nominees are not official spokespersons for the party; it’s not useful to try to interpret what anyone is trying to do or what they’ve said, instead hear from them directly. From HPUS vantage point, there is a lot of nuance, need to be mindful of human loss and impact, lead down that road to have the moral high ground. Tamar noted that we (SC) don’t have the authority to do more than clarify, should get a proposal from state party or caucus if there is interest. Tony recommended communicating ideas from this discussion to any proposal made to the NC. Craig recommended noting that the Hawkins position is not an official GPUS position, GPUS should come up with a position. Tweets are getting a great deal of notice and comments.

  1.   BAC request for funds for GP of Maryland petitioning toward party ballot access. Ballot Access funding grant to Green Party of Maryland for $3000 for paid petitioning help. – Tony

Tony reported that GPMD has a history of being able to collect the required signatures to get on the ballot, and they have already started petitioning. They are raising potentially double what they are asking GPUS. Several parties there are trying to get on the ballot; it will be important to have GPMD on the ballot. BAC supports this requests (Consensus on most recent call and following up online).

PASSED, by consensus;with Tamar standing aside (starting that thisis in the budget, but is not sure the funds are there).

  1.   Staff requests for software; staff-related expenditures – Tamar
    $149 for Topaz Lab software that David Doonan requested for plug-in to update picture/graphics quality.

APPROVED, by consensus

Darryl! asked about a request from Athena regarding a streaming application that Tamar relegated to the Media Committee. Someone passed it on to Athena who passed it on to the Media Committee. No copy of the request is available. Request is to upgrade Streamyard to a professional version, which would increase monthly cost $19/mo for a total of $39/mo. Tamar reiterated the Media Committee should make the decision to ask.

PROPOSAL: Craig proposed that we accept the request as it is.

Blocking concern from Tamar, due to the request coming in from one individual, not the committee.

Media committee co-chair Gloria Mattera stated that the proposal did not come to the media co-chairs and media committee. Would like to take this to the committee.

Craig asked to rescind the proposal and send it to Media Committee to clarify. We will get further information from the Media Committee.

NOTE:  Each staff member has a planned day of the week they take off: David’s is Wednesday, Athena’s is Friday.

  1.   ANM – Tamar
  2. Decision needs to be made: committee and a number of other folks have commented that they would like to invite Peter Kalmus as keynote speaker. Need to confirm Kalmus and have SC to work with AnmCom to work with logistics.

 PROPOSAL, Joseph: To approve Peter Kalmus, NASA scientist and climate activist, as a keynote speaker.

Discussion: Tony would like to see a bio before deciding on the next call. Tamar notes we need to make a decision soon, as we have more things on hold to fit into schedule everyone on ANMCom thought this was a great idea.  

APPROVED, by consensus; Tony standing aside

Saturday afternoon there will be an introduction.  Time not yet set, sometime between 1 to 6 pm, 1 ½ hours.

  1. Holly – update and request for contribution toward “Ithaka” film screening at ANM   Distributors of “Ithaka” will provide a screening for $200, and add another 3 days for people to view for another $50. Two members of the Assange family are willing to be present for a Q & A after the screening.

 PROPOSAL, Holly: GPUS to provide $100 toward screening cost, will raise the rest from individual contributions. Tamar noted that this would be covered under ANM costs.

APPROVED total expenditure up to $250, by consensus.

Craig asked if Q & A could be recorded for following days’ viewing.  Holly will ask.

  1. What is the need for ANM plenary facilitators (for in-person meetings, this involves a call from the secretary). Tamar noted facilitators have been chosen appropriate to the plenary topic, facilitators chosen by ANMCom and staff for virtual meetings.
  2.   SC Meeting Facilitators – Tamar

Tamar sent out a list of suggested SC meeting facilitators, asks members to fill out the chart. Suggests we take anyone who has a majority +1 points.

III.     Standing Business

Follow-up on Action Items — None

Recap of Listserv Decisions  

  1.     Google 1 Account – have David Doonan let Darryl! know so he can make the payment; include Margaret if this involves any technical issue.
  1.     Rapid Response w/ Media co-chairs to Politico inquiry on reaction to Cornell West presidential candidacy. Tony asked about having a text chain for rapid responses to this type of request. Holly will put out a call for numbers and set up a list/chain/group.

III.    Approval of Expenditures — see above, New Business

All billed accounts are now current, as of May 19, 2023. Hanks to Darryl! for interim treasurer work, and to Bob for getting up to speed.

TBA, FYI

Credentials Committee Election(s) – Round 2 coming up

Forum Managers election coming up

  1.   Reports

Liaison Assignments – Tamar

  1.     Secretary (Holly Hart) – reviewing Google Folders, goal of reasonable use but unfeasible to try get everything under one “roof.” Marking various tasks for efficiency. Would like to move ahead with the Google subscription.
  1. Treasurer (Bob Stuller) – getting up to speed, thanks to Hilary Kane and Tamar; concern about funds, not in robust shape. Daryll! Provided a current report of bank account balances. Have not send refund on laptop expenditure, still trying to follow up. Will be updating bank account to add Bob as signatory.  43,606.09 in Basic Account; $11,197.54 in Basic Account that pays for payroll; $119,828.83 in Reserve Account..
  1.     Fundraising (Margaret Elisabeth) – we have not done a direct mail fundraiser for almost a year; two previous attempts were blocked by  previous SC.  Fundraising is not interested in working on fundraiser the SC will not fund, but will be interested in working on one if it will be funded.  Income is currently from eBlast and texts, coming in intermittently.  Harvey Milk Day eBlast got a good response, relatively – re: $300.  Many donors get the online appeals, get most donors from direct mail. Tony believes the numbers are inaccurate for the amount direct mail has brought in over the past four years, will track down numbers. Tamar notes that Fundraising is a small committee; they need good writers who can write effective appeals, and to be able to work in a timely manner.  About 70% of our typical direct mail donors do not have email, or not communicating with GPUS by email.  Craig would like to have Fundraising Committee at the next meeting to provide data, more information and discussion.  Darryl! notes there are templates that can be used for writing appeals.
  1.     Liaison assignments. Tamar suggested co-chairs look over the list and mark which committee they would like to serve as liaisons. See how it works for a couple of months and adjust accordingly, if needed. Darryl! recommended there may not be a need if SC members are on a particular committee. Darryl! and Margaret indicate they would like to be staff supervisors.

Tony and Tamar did not want to step down from staff supervisor position. Margaret and Darry! Will not be staff supervisors.

Margaret will remain as FundCom liaison.

Tony will remain as FinCom liaison but will switch if someone else is interested.

Margaret will take on ANMCom, Alfred would like FundCom and GPAX; Joseph for EcoAction, Green Pages and International Committee; Darryl! will remain on Platform, Craig for Media, Merchandise and PCSC.

The rest will be taken up on the list in the next few days.

  1.     Voting Queue  – Holly
  2.     In the Queue
  3. Title: 1147 Certification of 2023 Steering Committee Co-chairs and Treasure Elections https://secure.gpus.org/cgi-bin/vote/propdetail?pid=1147

Presenter: Elections Tabulation Committee
Floor Manager: Holly Hart
Stage: VOTING, ends 611/2023

  1.   Received for Queue — None
  2.     Old Business – None

 

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ADDENDUM A

A, Scott Laugenour
Co-Chair, Coordinated Campaign Committee
May 23, 2023

 

To:  GPUS Steering Committee
GPUS National Committee    

From:  GPUS Coordinated Campaign Committee (CCC)

Request for SC to Make CCC Appointments to Address Gender Imbalance

The results of recent CCC elections 1037 and 1038 created a gender imbalance on the CCC, which the CCC requests the Steering Committee rectify by making one or two appointments of woman CCC members who would serve as voting members until the next CCC elections, which will be called in November 2023.  CCC hopes that these appointees will then run for re-election for fill regular terms.

Two women were contacted by former CCC Co-Chair Holly Hart in early 2023 and have expressed potential interest:  Nancy Wallace (MD) and Laura Wells (CA).  Robin Harris (FL) has also been mentioned in discussion.  CCC has not formally deliberated nor has come to consensus on any potential appointee; it encourages a wide field of potential appointees.

The CCC consists of ten members – five women and five non-women – who are elected in staggered two year terms by the National Committee.  Our rules require that five members be elected every year by the National Committee.  Following the April 2023 election there are three women and five non-women on the CCC.  Appointment of one or two women will address the imbalance and satisfy the by-laws requirement for gender balance.

We suggest that the SC consider the following criteria when making these appointments:

  •   Campaign Experience
  •   Likelihood to stand for re-election at the next CCC election (November 2023)
  •   Probability of receiving state party endorsement for the next CCC election (a requirement for the normal election)

CCC is eager to have a full slate of voting members to complement the network of observers, advisors, and state affiliates who support its work.  Voting members lead critical functions of the CCC and take part in important decision making, such as making decisions on recommendations to the SC on the disbursement of funds that are budgeted for candidate support.

CCC rules require that no state party have more than one representative on the CCC.  As such, please note that the following states have current representation on the CCC:  CT, IA, MI, MN, NM, NY, OR, and WA

Thank you for taking this action to address the gender imbalance on the CCC.

Sincerely,
Scott Laugenour
CCC Co-Chair

Addendum:
CCC Rules
https://gpus.org/committees/coordinated-campaign/ccc-policies-and-procedures/

COMMITTEE MISSION

The Coordinated Campaign Committee (CCC) is a standing committee of the GPUS that cooperates with state and local chapters in the support of federal, state, and local Green Party electoral campaigns through a variety of different programs and support functions.

CCC COMMITTEE STRUCTURE

The Coordinated Campaign Committee shall consist of 10 voting members Drawn from the affiliated state parties and caucuses. The National Committee shall elect 5 members of the CCC and replacements for recently opened vacancies with an on line election to be held each year. Nominations will be called for by the Secretary of the GPUS each year two weeks after Election Day. A two week nominating period shall be opened, followed by one week of discussion and an on line STV vote using the GPUS voting page and following the procedures and protocols the GPUS uses to elect the Steering Committee. The 5 people elected each year via the regular election shall serve two-year terms while those elected or selected to fill vacancies will serve out the term of the member they are replacing. In between annual December elections for the CCC the GPUS Steering Committee shall appoint Greens to fill vacancies.

Committee members elected or selected in 2006 prior to an online Election authorized by the passage of this proposal shall be able to maintain their seats until the election held in 2007. The Committee will continue to recruit and have members selected by the GPUS SC prior to November 2006 and then hold an election based on this rule change beginning in November 2006 to fill the rest of the seats that have not yet been filled. The Committee shall in January 2007 hold a lottery to determine which of the newly elected committee members shall have their terms conclude in December 2007 and which 5 shall Serve until the election in 2008.

The committee shall always have an equal number of women to other members on its roster, except when it has an odd number of members. Then its makeup can be +1 for any gender. The exception to this rule is that no member of the committee shall be asked or forced to resign from the committee in order to re-establish the balance. The balance will be re-established by adding members to the committee. Each year, the election to fill open seats on the CCC shall be two elections, one to elect up to 5 women to the committee, one to elect up to 5 open seats for men and nonbinary individuals. The number elected in any given year shall be determined by the nature of the vacancies in that year with the goal of having at least 5 women on the committee.”

No State Green Party or GPUS Caucus may have more than one member serving on the CCC at any time. State Parties and Caucuses must formally, in writing, nominate one of their members to serve on the CCC. No State Party or Caucus can nominate more than one person in any given year, nor can they nominate if a member of their state party or caucus will continue to serve on the committee after the filling of whatever seats are being filled. Nominations from State Party or Caucus officers are to be sent to the Secretary of the GPUS during the post November Election Nominating Period and when a vacancy is being filled, and the Secretary shall publish them on the votes email list.

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 ADDENDUM B

Dear National Green Party Steering Committee, Friday, June 9, 2023

C/O Alfred Molison, Craig Cayetano, Darryl! Moch, Joseph Naham, Tamar Yager, Margaret Elisabeth, Tony Ndege, Bob Stuller, and Holly Hart

The City of Seattle has the opportunity to make extensive change this election season as about half of the positions on our municipal legislature, the City Council, will be open and in need of strong, action-oriented human beings to step in and step up. I was born and raised in Seattle as a third-generation union worker and plan to bring our city into the future with an innovative policy platform informed by my Masters in International Relations and input from the local community.

I am reaching out personally because we need your help in making it into the General Election and if we can get the appropriate fundraising we can actually have a path toward victory.

Our campaign already has a core staff of 13 people now (2/3 volunteer) and over $29,000 in pending funds from Democracy Vouchers, and a platform of action fighting for issues like rent control, universal shelter, universal healthcare, and a Green New Deal for one of the richest and most inequitable cities in the country. The people of our city want to see change and are tired of the same people holding onto power and disregarding help for the houseless and rights for the working-class. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. We are the change we want to see in the world, and we need your help to make that happen.

We are up against strong moderate opposition in this race with other candidates actively being supported by the Mayor’s Office and conservative Councilmember Nelson. These candidates have made six-figure incomes in the non-profit industrial complex and millions in Big Maryjuana. They are stuck in old bureaucratic thinking instead of a policy agenda for the next century.

We need to raise $50,000 this month in order to be considered viable in this odd-year election and the Primary is coming up swiftly on August 1. We have a chance in this race, and if allowed to reach out to the Green Party’s National contacts could fundraise effectively and keep Seattle as progressive as we can and aligned with the 4 Pillars and 10 Key Values. Our ask is to allow fellow Greens in Leadership, Lisa Canar and Starlene Rankin to be able to call and email any donors of the Green Party who have given more than $100 in the past 10 years and ask for a donation.

We need your help to change Seattle. Can we count on your support? Yours in solidarity,

Ry Armstrong / Candidate for Seattle City Council District 3 / www.ry4seattle.com