April 22, 2018

GPUS Steering Committee Minutes – 22 April 2018

SUMMARY FOR DISTRIBUTION TO STATES AND LOCAL CHAPTERS:

1. Standing Business: Treasurer’s Report, Fundraising Report, Liaison List and Reports

2. New Business: Discussion of the split within Our Revolution over taking corporate money; From
Tennessee – Request to add two advisors to the GPUS NC listserv limited to this year’s platform amendment session of 2018 discussion and voting period for platform proposals on monetary systems; Scheduling
Apportionment Tabulation Committee Election; UN request for Darlene to speak; sponsorship of Left Forum Panel approved

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

Received for the Queue:

  1. 2016 Platform Amendment Proposal – Addition to the Plank on the Ethical Treatment of Animals in Research;
  2. 2016 Platform Amendment Proposal – Municipal Water Systems;
  3. Amendment to ARTICLE IX of the GPUS Rules, Policies & Procedures: GPUS NATIONAL COMMITTEE LISTSERVE PROTOCOLS AND POLICIES

Online SC Proposals approved since last call: Staff Equipment Purchase Protocol; Updated Listserv Directives to Forum Managers and Delegates; Sponsorship of Left Forum Panel

4. Old Business: FM nominations by SC for NC confirmation; Review of pending agenda items

5. Executive Session: None

The full minutes are available at http://gpus.org/committees/steering/minutes/april-22-2018/
The call recording is available at 712-451-0309, 926334#, reference 21

Jody Grage, Secretary


GPUS Steering Committee Minutes – 22 April 2018

AGENDA:

I. CALL SETUP & BACKGROUND – 15 min.

a) Facilitator: Sid Smith
b) Roll call – Jody Grage, Hillary Kane, Gloria Mattera, Andrea Merida, Darryl! Moch (until 6:55), Mike Dennis, Tony Ndege, Darlene, Chris Blankenhorn (until 6:30); Observers: David Gerry MA, Starlene Rankin OR, Tamar Yager VA
c) Agenda revision suggestions – New Business: Testifying 18 June on the UN Special Committee decision of 10 June 2017 Concerning Puerto Rico – Darlene; New Business: Sponsorship of Left Forum Online Vote concluded

II. NEW BUSINESS – 30 min.

a) Discussion of the split within Our Revolution over taking corporate money – Cheri Honkala – for next agenda

b) Tennessee – Request to add two advisors to the GPUS NC listserv limited to this year’s platform amendment session of 2018 discussion and voting period for platform proposals on monetary systems.

Discussion of defining role of advisors, need information on relationship of advisors to Green Party; comparison to request for advisors from Nebraska; Vote – Chris no, Andrea no, Darlene yes, Darryl! yes, Gloria yes, Mike yes, Tony no, Jody yes, Hillary yes – passed

c) Apportionment Tabulation Committee update – See GPUS Rules and Procedures #08

The Delegation Apportionment Committee developed the apportionment formula some time ago and, with that work completed, disbanded. The Apportionment Tabulation Committee (ATC) is charged with filling in the numbers using that formula and information from states, after which the NC votes to accept that work. Caucus representation was added in Proposals 864, 865, and 871 and does not change the apportionment formula.

Updates to the apportionment are scheduled to occur every two years; however, this schedule was not maintained and the last update occurred with Proposal 704 in 2013. Proposal 809 in February 2016 established the numbers for the Presidential Nominating Convention based on the apportionment from 2013.

The SC appoints 7 people to the ATC with a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 2 SC members. In 2016, the SC did appoint an ATC of five members: Sanda Everett, Peggy Koteen, Mike Feinstein, Holly Hart, and Leenie Halbert. Their work has been delayed because the new database has still not been completed.

ATC elections are scheduled between 15 November and 15 December in even numbered years with the apportionment work to be completed no later than 75 days after the November election.

d) UN request to speak: Darlene will be testifying 18 June on the UN Special Committee decision of 10 June 2017 Concerning Puerto Rico – Jody will send letter from GPUS requesting that appointment both hard copy and using the committee online form; Latinex Caucus is also working on this issue

e) Sponsorship of Left Forum – online vote concluded with SC consensus to approve GPUS sponsorship of Left Forum Panel on Left Unity and Political Independence at the 2018 Left Forum in New York

III. STANDING BUSINESS – 40 min.

a) Treasurer’s report – Hillary Kane, 10 min.
including Treasurer’s Reports to the GNC

In all accounts $97,898.90 -savings $92,693,80, checking – $4,510.25, second checking – $694.85 plus other assets including $4500 from Paypal, etc. = $102k; recommended amount in Operation Reserves with previous payroll expenses = $103k; ANM income of $5k to date still to be transferred to Operating Reserves; with SC approval can transfer $15k per year from Operating Reserves – Hillary will take to FinCom recommendation for SC to authorize up to $15k from reserves if necessary and wait on asking NC to approve a larger amount.

b) Fundraising report – Mike Dennis – 10 min.

Eblasts: $235 – resending of sustainer testimonials; $660 – NC ballot access; $315 – tax day appeal; 4/20 email with partial fundraising plus petition – $110 and over 700 clicking on petition link with 185 new people in db of which 90 are emailable – shows importance of sending petitions! – but losing about 190 emailables each week – petitions once a week suggested; Earth Day $105 already today; upcoming: resend NC ballot access; hope to get Greenline out next week – Outreach is taking back that effort,; May Day in process for 1 May; direct mail went out Friday; still need de-dup work – 4 volunteers so far with about 20k dups to go; tagging sustainers to call when lapse to reengage them; NB (which isn’t always accurate) showed $11500 for April – a little low, March $22k with probably 5k from ANM registration, NB shows $72k or around $220k for year which is short of the budgeted income of $300k; trying to get 2016 candidate involved in major fundraising;

Fundraiser position – have had no replies to RFP as of a couple days ago, Mike has worked to streamline it; deadline may be extended to 10 May

c) Liaison reports – 20 min.
Liaison Assignments: AC Accreditation – Gloria temporarily, Andrea; Animal Rights – Darlene; ANM Annual National Meeting – Darlene; BAC Ballot Access – Chris; BRPP Bylaws, Rules, Policies and Procedures – Andrea; CCC Coordinated Campaign Committee – Gloria; Dispute Resolution – Darryl!; Diversity – Darlene; Eco-Action – Gloria; FinCom Finance – Darryl!; FundCom Fundraising – Mike; GPAX Peace Action – Tony; Green Pages – Chris; IC International – Andrea; Media – Gloria; Merchandise – Chris; Outreach – Tony; Platform – Darryl!; PCSC Presidential Campaign Support – Chris

ANM – Darlene – 30 April deadline for Diversity waivers – Tamar has suggested criteria – last year $4k + $1k from Outreach, this year $2k plus $1k from last year; several SC members have volunteered to plan the plenary; suggested that all SC members submit ideas

Media – Gloria – nominations for 2 year and 1 year co-chairs closing soon – 1 wk discussion and 1 week vote; people have been stepping up to write releases

Merch/Office – Darryl! and Chris
Darryl! – down to one of two offices – other rented now, Mike and Darryl! and Hillary picked up some things; need some shredding; 2 1/2 filing drawers to go through; some memorabilia may be sold or given out at ANM; some pictures and videos – Darryl! is storing for now, Ann Link has offered to digitize them; inventory of clothing done and will be put on spreadsheet; questions of how much saved for ANM and how much to fulfillment house, could order online at ANM; 14 boxes of Green Pages from various editions
Chris – Kevin , our contact at FII, is meeting with his bosses tomorrow, hope to have specifics to forward then.

IV. VOTING QUEUE – Jody – 5 min.
(https://secure.gpus.org/cgi-bin/vote/login)

Received for the queue:

1. 2016 Platform Amendment Proposal – Addition to the Plank on the Ethical Treatment of Animals in Research;
Presenter: Platform Committee – Sponsored by Green Party of California; Floor Manager – Chris; 2/3 threshold;
Discussion – 24 April – 6 May; Voting 7-13 May

2. 2016 Platform Amendment Proposal – Municipal Water Systems; Presenter: Platform Committee – Sponsored by GPUS Platform Committee; Floor Manager – Chris; 2/3 threshold; Discussion – 24 April – 6 May; Voting 7-13 May

3. Amendment to GPUS Rules, Policies & Procedures ARTICLE IX: NC LISTSERVE PROTOCOLS AND POLICIES; Presenter – Kansas Green Party; Floor Manager – TBD; 2/3 threshold; Discussion – 30 April – 13 May; Voting – 14 – 20 May

In the queue:

Certification of the 2016 Election for Co-Chairs and Secretary; Presenter: Steering Committee; Floor Manager: Darryl! Moch; 1/2+1 threshold; Discussion 16-29 April; Voting 30 April – 5 May

Online SC Proposals approved since last call:

Staff Equipment Purchase Protocol
Updated Listserv Directives to Forum Managers and Delegates
Sponsorship of Left Forum Panel

V. OLD BUSINESS – 30 min.

a) FM nominations by SC for NC confirmation – 2 to serve 2-year terms as Forum Managers and 1 as Alternate Forum Manager; recommended or approved by state or caucus, not necessary to be NC delegate or alternate, not all same gender, recommended that Forum Managers have dispute resolution training; 2 week for nomination, 1 week discussion, 1 week for approval from states/caucuses; SC will work on nominations for next call

b) Updates on pending agenda items
1. Strategic Planning Retreats update – Darryl!, Gloria, Mike
Dates have not yet been suggested but will be this week. Mike has begun process of preparing draft 2018 plan
as one part of the process

2. Election database Phase II and III update – Hillary
Stated that something will be ready to demonstrate to the CCC in May or June and to the NC at the ANM. Final payment not until CCC approves.

3. Voting page maintenance/Tech issues update – Chris

4. ETC Final Report follow up– Darryl!

5. Archiving SC calls report – Andrea – completed, include password and page with minutes to the NC – Andrea will forward this time as template

End recording of call – 10:45 pm Eastern

VI. EXECUTIVE SESSION – none

TOTAL TIME: 2 hours 45 minutes

Jody Grage, Secretary