MINUTES – Green Party US Steering Committee Meeting
Date: Sunday, February 11, 2024
Time: 8:00 pm ET
NOTE on Minutes: From the Bylaws: “…Minutes. SC members will have 72 hours from the time the minutes are posted to send corrections.
“Barring unforeseen circumstances, minutes will be posted to the National Committee Votes list no later than ten days after the adjournment of the meeting and to the GPUS web site no later than twenty days.”
AGENDA
Observers are asked to remain muted and refrain from using the chat function. If someone wishes to speak to an agenda item, please respond to secretary@gp.org or this address, above.
- Setup and Background – 10 min.
- Facilitator: Gloria Mattera
- Steering Committee Roll Call:
- Craig Cayetano (co-chair) – reported absence
- Margaret Elisabeth (co-chair) – reported absence
- Darryl! Moch (co-chair) –
- Alfred Molison (co-chair) – Alfred Molison
- Joseph Naham (co-chair) – present
- Tony Ndege (co-chair) – present
- Tamar Yager (co-chair) – present
- Holly Hart (secretary) – present
- Bob Stuller (treasurer) – present
Observers: Philena Farley, OH; Scott Laugenour, WA; Starlene Rankin, WA; Charles Ostdiek, NE; Theron Gillilan, jr, PA;
Observers (remain muted and refrain from using the chat feature):
Establish Quorum (9 current members, quorum is 5)
Approve Agenda (changes require majority, new items require ⅔)
Agreed to address New Business first, to accommodate possible guest speaker
- Treasurer’s Report (Bob) 15 min
Signal FCU
Checking (general): $13,624.84
Checking (merchant): $7483.46
Savings Account: $119,852.95
PayPal
$4927.08
BUDGET PRESENTATION: Bob, Tamar; Charles from Finance Committee, as needed
Not a lot of change from the previous budget. A little more allocated for Media. Some corrections. Reserves listed for caucuses and committees. Figures are approximate, not all figures from past year were available.
Budget:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kulkyQxV7V9lxgxOjjx0_B3eX6knthWk/edit#gid=1586730936
Budget narrative:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gBFjK4FxyyJyCEHMjwbctU4ADcuI2-DU1RqCYFQYVeM/edit
SC agreed to expedite the process. Will send documents to David Doonan to create pdf budget and narrative and place on website. 3 weeks discussion, 1 week vote.
Joseph motioned to approve budget proposal.
Holly motioned to expedite the proposal to the voting queue, noting that web manager may need a couple days to place documents on the website and provide links. Tamar will be floor manager.
AGREED, consensus
III. New Business – 10 min
- Comment on Canva expense; SC involvement using Streamyard – Philena Farley
Philena asked for SC volunteers to be on Streamyard team to help facilitate livestreams Joseph, Holly and Tony are interested.
Bob needed information to update Canva subscription. Gloria, as media co-chair, will follow up with him.
- Standing Business – 0 min
- Recap of Listserv Decisions (Holly) – None
- Reports – 30 min
1.Reports
- Treasurer (Bob)
Financial Report (Tamar and Bob)
See above.
- Secretary (Holly) 5 min
- ii. Progress report on updates, moving through NC list review; Will be going to committees to go over committee google folders ;’ videos or phone with info on how to update committees and delegations.
- Staff Report (Tamar, Tony)
Dave Doonan needed a new computer. Bob purchased it, as there was no approved expense, and is covering the cost (will be reported to the FEC).
- Liaison Reports
Craig: Media; Merchandise, Presidential Campaign Support Committee
Alfred: Fundraising, Green Peace Action Committee – no updates; plans to attend some of the meetings.
Joseph: EcoAction, Green Pages, International
EcoAction looking at topics for Earth Day. The IC is electing a new co-chair.
Tamar: Apportionment Tabulation, Credentials, Election Tabulation, Staff Supervisor, Apportionment Review Committee
The ANM now has a Theme for the PNC
Margaret: Banking and Monetary Reform
Tony: Ballot Access, Outreach
Planning for a year-end report to the NC from BAC. About 8 active members on meetings. Have around $1000 in reserves. Has not been able to contact Outreach co-chair, committee will start meeting. Developed materials for tales for new locals/state parties.
Darryl!: Platform, DRC
- Voting Queue (Holly, SC for first item) – 15 min
- RECEIVED for the QUEUE
- Voting Queue: Committee Leadership Resilience UPDATE See ADDENDUM A
Floor Manager: Joseph Naham
Threshold: 2/3 approval
Timeline: 2 weeks discussion, 1 week vote
- IN the QUEUE
Discussion
Floor Manager/Vote Administrator: Joseph Naham
Discussion through February 18, 2024
Voting period from February 19 through 25, 2024
Voting
Sponsors: Steering, Accreditation Committees
Timeline: 1 or 2 weeks discussion, 1 week vote
Floor Manager: Margaret Elisabeth
Threshold: 50%+1
C, COMPLETED – None
VII. Old Business 5 min
- Follow-up with UFPJ to include GPUS among their members list. No news
VIII. Executive Session – 15 min
- Contract Hire
ANM co-hairs/recent co-chairs tTamar Yager and Dee Taylor have a person they would like to hire as a PNC event coordinator. Tamar will send information and a proposal for hire to consider online or for the next call. Another proposal will be needed for the tech person, although the current crew may know what to do this time.
TOTAL TIME – 1 hr. 45 min.
==================~~~~~~~~~++++++++++================
ADDENDUM A
=================
Committee Leadership Resilience Proposal
Under the authority granted to the National Committee in Section 3-1.3 of the Bylaws of the Green Party of the United States and in order to promote geographic diversity as laid out in Section 3-3.1 of the Bylaws of the Green Party of the United States the Green Party of Washington State presents the following proposal for consideration by the National Committee of the Green Party of the united States.
Contact
Green Party of Washington State Delegates
¨ Scott Laugenour – scottlaugenour@gmail.com
¨ Margaret Elisabeth – margaretelisabeth@outlook.com
Subject and Title
The “Committee Leadership Resilience Proposal” is an amendment to Green Party of the United States Bylaws dealing with committee leadership and governance.
Type of Proposal and Expected Approval Threshold
This proposal is an Amendment to Green Party of the United States Bylaws requiring a two-thirds vote threshold as defined in Section 6-2.1(a) of the Rules and Procedures of the Green Party of the United States.
Background and Purpose
As empowered by the National Committee, standing committees play a vital role in the effective operation and governance of the Green Party of the United States. Unfortunately, these committees are often understaffed and poorly resourced. These committees are sometimes unable to regularly review and approve needed bylaw and mission statement revisions, onboard and train new members, and perform other key duties in a timely manner. Additionally, committees often fail to accomplish the goal of geographic diversity in active memberships. Committees are sometimes unable to even hold regular meetings or maintain accurate meeting minutes, membership rosters, and communication with the party.
Committee Co-Chairs are volunteer positions. They are primarily responsible for coordinating the above tasks but are often over-extended and fighting competing priorities. This makes it difficult for them to perform these duties or complete them with regularity. Additionally, committee co-chairs encounter barriers when attempting to work collaboratively with other committees. This manifests as poor coordination in efforts such as when Diversity Committee and Accreditation Committee work on caucus accreditation, or when Media Committee and Fundraising Committee attempt to coordinate messaging, as well as many other similar circumstances.
When committee co-chairs are elected to the Steering Committee of the Green Party of the United States, they are placed in a position where they are responsible for ensuring their own compliance with Committee Mission Statements and Rules, Policies and Procedures. See section 4.2-7(g). This creates a perceived conflict of interest. This perceived conflict is exacerbated when Steering Committee members are placed in positions where they are both requesting and approving requests for resources from the party. Finally, Steering Committee members are left in positions where they are responsible for regular reporting to themselves. This can cause the quality, accuracy, frequency, and detail of reporting from committees to suffer.
Our committees are chronically understaffed. In an effort to prop up these committees, dedicated volunteers take on ever increasing leadership roles. This well-intentioned short-term fix ends up creating long-term problems. Instead of developing and recruiting new talent to committees, co-chairs end up trapped under multiple unmanageable workloads. Additionally, co-chairs responsible for multiple committees become single points of failure. Vast amounts of vital institutional knowledge can be lost when losing a single volunteer.
In order to address these issues and ensure the future strength and resilience of the party as a whole. We the sponsors, present the following bylaw amendments.
Proposal
The following additions will be made to Section 3-3 of Article III of the Bylaws of the Green Party of the United States.
3-3.1 All committees shall have two co-chairs who serve staggered two-year terms, unless otherwise specified by the National Committee in the Committee Rules. Committees are urged to provide for gender balance and geographic diversity among the co-chairs and other officers serving the Committee.
[New Subsection] 3-3.2 No individual may serve as a co-chair on more than one Committee at any given time. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis, by a 2/3 vote of the National Committee for Ad-Hoc and Temporary Committees.
[New Subsection] 3-3.3 In the interest of maintaining clear communication and preventing a perceived conflict of interest; and in order to ensure the impartial and effective execution of Steering Committee Duties and Responsibilities as defined under Section 4-2.7 of the Green Party of the United States Bylaws. No member of the Steering Committee of the Green Party of the United States may serve as a Committee Co-Chair during their term on the Steering Committee.
[New Subsection] 3-3.4 The Treasurer of the Green Party of the United States is granted an exemption from Section 3-3.3 to serve as a Finance Committee Co-Chair as required under Green Party of the United States Fiscal Policy.
The following addition will be made to Section 3-1 of Article III of the Bylaws of the Green Party of the United States.
3-1.1 The National Committee shall establish standing committees in order to carry out its work and may create other kinds of committees according to need. The Steering Committee shall facilitate, coordinate and assist the activities of standing and ad-hoc committees as provided in 4-2.7.
3-1.2 To establish a new committee, a Mission Statement describing each committee’s general mission and duties and responsibilities must be approved by the National Committee by a two-thirds vote.
3-1.3 In conjunction with or after the establishment of a new committee, the National Committee shall approve Committee Rules, that will guide each committee’s internal operations and decision-making. Until the adoption of such Rules a Committee may meet, but may not conduct internal committee elections nor make proposals to the National Committee.
[New Section] 3-1.4 The National Committee may disband any committee at any time by a two-thirds vote. When a committee is disbanded, its authority granted under this section shall be considered void. A proposal to disband a committee may optionally detail which committee duties are to be eliminated, added to another standing committee, or returned to the National Committee. If the proposal does not provide these details, the duties will be returned to the National Committee which originally empowered the Committee.
[New Section] 3-1.5 A Standing Committee shall be automatically disbanded if it fails to elect at least one eligible Committee Co-Chair after a grace period of six months. The Secretary shall inform the National Committee when any standing committee has no elected Committee Co-Chairs. This will start the grace period to elect new Committee Co-Chairs. If at the end of this grace period, a committee has yet to elect at least one Co-Chair, the committee shall be disbanded, and its duties returned to the National Committee which originally empowered it. This does not require a vote from the National Committee.
Implementation, Timeline, and Resources
Current committee co-chairs who fall under the scenarios detailed in these new sections of the Green Party of the United States Bylaws, shall be grandfathered into their positions for the remained of their terms, not to exceed two years.
Committees that currently have no elected co-chairs will immediately enter the six-month grace period upon passage of this proposal. The Steering Committee of the Green Party of the United States shall, under the authority granted to them under Section 4-2.7 of the Green Party of the United States Bylaws, facilitate new co-chair elections for affected committees.
No additional resources should be required. However, this proposal will create opportunities over the next two years for standing committees, states parties, and caucuses to foster new leaders to take on these responsibilities.
Addressing Findings
The original iteration of this proposal had findings approved by a vote of the Steering Committee that stated:
“The proposal is unclear with what it’s calling on the National Committee to do involving the process of ‘disbanding.’ The Remedy is to submit a process for disbanding and what this entails for the National Committee or any other relevant committee.”
This finding is addressed in the revised sections 3-1.4 and 3-1.5.
References
Rules and Procedures of the Green Party of the United States