Meeting Notes
Sunday, August 23, 2015 – 8:00 p.m. ET
Facilitator: David Doonan
Roll Call: Audrey Clement, Sanda Everette, Jan Martell, Andrea Merida, Charles Ostdiek, Jeff Turner, Tamar Yager, Karen Young, Bahram Zandi. Observers: Mike Feinstein, Starlene Rankin, Kat Swift.
Agenda revisions: none
II. OLD BUSINESS
a) Dispute resolution process for BRPP – Update on DRC revival: some suggestions were made for members – Tamar will work with Darryl Moch, who has offered to do outreach, Results of search to be reported back to the Secretary.
b) Liaison preferences: Need to clarify roles of liaisons, but that process will take time, so temporary assignments are needed now – Andrea and Karen will identify current and vacant spots, and suggest temp assignments – Karen wants a special meeting on roles Sept. 20.
III. STANDING BUSINESS
a) Treasurer’s Report – Jeff: About $21k in the bank, about $8500 left when bills are paid. Check to Global Greens going out in next few days.
b) Fundraising Report – Karen: July was a great month, August always a little slower – next fundraising letter in Sept. w/climate crisis theme, phone banks are forming; need a better system for integrating volunteers.
c) Finance Items for decision: Plan to set aside reserve funds with feedback from FinCom – Jeff – postponed to next meeting, ANM total not in yet. Outreach Committee requests $750 to have 2,000 brochures printed at Red Sun – Karen – 2 versions, one PDF to print out on desktop, higher resolution professionally printed; all have space for states to add local contact info: Approved by consensus.
d) End of transition for departing SC members – Jan – no discussion necessary.
VOTING QUEUE
In the queue: None
Received for the queue:
a) Latinx Caucus application: no findings, ready to go – Andrea: many thanks to “godmother” Anita Rios.
b) Committee report-back on Iowa Proposal to Amend GPUS RP&Ps, Article IX – Charles – a lot of work done, not yet ready for vote; concerns regarding definition of party work and appeal process for sanctioned members need resolution; expected to be ready for queue by next meeting.
IV. NEW BUSINESS
a) Proposal: That the SC state its support for announcement of the re-opening of the application period for nominations to the Credentials Committee as of Monday, August 24, that nominations be open through Saturday, September 5, that there be a one week discussion period between Monday, September 7 and Sunday, September 13, and that there be a one week ranked choice voting period between Monday, September 14 and Sunday, September 20. – Sanda – Agreed by consensus, along with outreach to previous members.
b) Proposal: The Steering Committee approves the “Bernie Sanders Q&A” document(s), created by the GPUS Outreach Committee, for distribution. They will be sent to the National Committee, posted on our website and distributed through social media, and may be distributed through other means. We believe these talking points will be useful to the many Greens who have told us they need ammunition to promote the Green Party amid the momentum of the Sanders campaign, and will help us recruit former Sanders supporters to the Green cause when the time comes – Karen. Lengthy discussion centered around reservations about appropriateness of speaking to this issue at all and how it would be distributed and used. Karen – state parties are clamoring for talking points, people are always asking what Greens think of him. Suggestions to post on private web page with a link made available to delegates, state parties. Proposal went to a roll call vote after second sentence removed and addition of “internal” before “distribution”: The Steering Committee approves the “Bernie Sanders Q&A” document(s) created by the GPUS Outreach Committee, for internal distribution. – passed, with one “no” vote (Audrey) and one abstention. (See addendum below for link to docs)
c) Personnel working group update, staffing & insurance – Tamar, Jeff. Decision needs to be made by early Sept. about current policies, then maybe changed at the beginning of January – cost is too high and insurance market unpredictable, crazy – better to pay employees well and let them buy their own – with subsidies, could be better deal. Jeff still chasing down details – complicated, will report back as more is known.
V. EXECUTIVE SESSION
None
TOTAL TIME: 129 minutes
Jan Martell
Secretary
ADDENDUM
Bernie Q&A long and short versions can be found at http://gp.org/committees/steering/bernie/
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