Steering Committee Meeting
Sunday, February 9, 2025
8:00 pm EST
I. Setup and Background – 10 min
Facilitator: Cassandra Lems
Steering Committee Roll Call:
1.Craig Cayetano (co-chair) – reported absence
2.Cassandra Lems(co-chair) – present
3.Darryl! Moch (co-chair) - present
4.Alfred Molison (co-chair) – joined during discussion of union contract with staff
5.Joseph Naham (co-chair) – present
6.Charles Ostdiek(co-chair) – present
7.Justin Paglino (co-chair) – present
8.Holly Hart (secretary) – present
9.Bob Stuller (treasurer) - present
10.Jason Call (incoming treasurer) – present
Observers: Marueen Doyle (MA); Starlene Rankin (WA); Rachel Braaten (MN); Gloria Mattera (NY); Rita Jacobs (MI, BMRC report); Tamar Yager (VA, will speak on budget and item #4 under New Business)
Observers are asked to remain muted and refrain from using the chat function. If someone wishes to speak to an agenda item, please send a request to secretary@gp.org.
Establish Quorum (9 current members, quorum is 5)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Approve Agenda (changes require majority, new items require
Tamar Yager has requested to speak regarding the budget item, and has information to provide. She also has information she would like to present on Item #4 under New Business, GCCC Request for donor list.
BMRC has offered to report as the “Guest Committee,” under Report.
BREAKING NEWS: Artis Burney’s (Delegate, MS) daughter Corrina is in the Kendrick Lamar SuperBowl Halftime Show. She is the Intake Coordinator in the Green Party of Mississippi.
II. Treasurer’s Report (Bob)
Signal
General $25,560.84
Merchant $6,732.77
Savings $88,714.65
PayPal $2,463.65
III. New Business
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Online Decisions (Holly)
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Endorsement of California class-action lawsuit (48-48 decision). One of the SC will follow up with GP of California.
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Agreement to sign on to Progressive International request to endorse letter supporting human rights in Congo (3-14 day decision). Holly signed the endorsement form.
1.5 – Brief review of Media press release/vetting protocol; quick review of SC online decisions, other decisions affected by short timelines. (Holly)
Charles asked where the protocol is in the rules or bylaws. It isn’t there, but was established when the GPUS was created, and there has been general agreement to add that to the rules, so there is no longer confusion. Charles and Holly will follow up.
2. Discussion of Russia-Ukraine is toxic, divisive and unproductive. Are we able to mandate no further discussion of the matter on official GPUS lists? (Jason) Darryl! noted that Forum Managers can and should move such discussions to the “affairs” list. There are also means to curtail unwanted and intrusive discussions. Delegates are able to discuss things on “natlcomaffairs,” but not with hostility, calling names, etc. Folks are encouraged to contact the Forum Managers if they have complaints, the Forum Managers can ask.
3. The Green Party US needs to formally “recognize” the GPUS Staff’s union with the IWW before the Workers Strike Back conference in Seattle on Feb 22. David Doonan, Web Manager, Athena Alma, Office Manager (current staff) and Starlene Rankin, former Staff member (Fundraiser/Office Manager from April 2015 to Nov 2020) are currently working on a Contract between our union and GPUS. (Jason) Starlene Rankin said that the final adrift has been sent to staff, but Justin hasn’t received the current version. This can be approved before the Workers Strike Back event later this month. Joseph noted that we would be the only political party that has a union contract with our staff, something worth touting at the Workers Strike Back conference. Asked to send to the SC now, for an online approval this coming week. Justin offered to help work with staff and SC to finalize any outstanding items.
4. Request for GPUS share their donor list with the Green Congressional Campaign Committee (GCCC). (Jason) there is a legal issue with gifts in kind and a violation of our donors’ bill of rights. Cannot share the list, but could send out our own targeted messages in support. Gloria Mattera (FundCom) warned not to try too soon, make sure to work with Fundraising regarding timing.
5. Request for the SC to approve the recommendation of the ANMCom to set the date and place of the 2025 Annual National Meeting for July 31st through August 3rd, and an all-virtual meeting. (Cassandra) Cassandra also requested ideas for themes and workshops. Darryl! noted the current political climate that warrants organizing; regional meetings connected virtually is one idea. ANMCom’s poll received a large response, coming out in favor of having a virtual meeting (finances seem to be the main concern). At this time, the timeline by which proposals for in-person conventions should have been received is past, and they feel there is not enough time to open for bidding now. They can encourage regional meetings, but aren’t able to organize them. APPROVED, by Consensus, with the request that ANMCom start looking into the following year.
Justin suggested ANMCom co-chairs join an upcoming SC meeting to discuss planning for future ANM.
IV. Standing Business
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.SC “Intro” Webinar. Report from Craig. The webinar was moved back to January, now February, 2025. Craig is working with a GPNJ member who is involved with Black Liberation Media about collaboration. No report, yet.
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Message om Operation Simplify, an organization working to end gerrymandering; inquiry about meeting early in the new year. Justin Paglino has contacted them and will provide any update. No report, yet
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Message from Florida Labor/DSA contact asking for GPUS participation in Single Payer Healthcare national action. Darryl! and Justin have both been in contact and can provide more details. There will be a meeting this Wednesday at 8 pm. They are thinking of May 31st as their day of action. Darryl! Will follow up with Justin off line and try to make that meeting.
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From David Doonan: Migrating email lists to a new platform. Having a dedicated server has allowed GPUS to continue adding new lists, but that software will cease to function. MIgrating the lists “will be an enormous task.” Report back from David Doonan or Holly.
Different issues of needing new platform or program that supports what we have and need, and project management applications delegates have liked, Holly asks for suggestions and will make a list. Rachel Braaten asked to set up a time for a webinar for folks to talk about applications they use and how they work. Function/Intent vs Need.
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Budget review – UPDATES from FinCom? Take up online?
See spreadsheets from Charles and Tamar’s additional sheet. . Review budget information during this call, follow up online, focus on budget and finalize on the next call.
Call is running late, with not much time to discuss now. Charles asked
SC decided to be on the next FinCom meeting, 9 pm ET, February 17th.
V. Reports — 15 – 20 min
Co-chairs, please review liaison spreadsheet and edit, as needed!
1. Guest Committee(s) – Banking and Monetary Reform Committee (Rita Jacobs, member): BMRC meets weekly for 2 hours on Thursdays. They are working on making some short videos, learning how to make their own videos. They have a Rumble channel and a couple members have YouTube channels where they post videos. They publish a monthly newsletter, members write articles. FInd them online: greensformonetaryreform.org OR greens.money / bmrc@gp.org They share and discuss articles on their email list. Concern is getting their message out.
2. Staff (Justin) : Justin will help Athena get social media accounts to use credentials that use a gp.org address, so the office/GPUS can have access to all social media accounts. That way, when things change hands or need two-factor authentication, the accounts are in-house.
3.Secretary (Holly) - followed up asking to look into secure storage for GPUS-owned proprietary material. Web manager has suggestions in budget, not costly. Planning/resuming committee-by-committee outreach to review need to check/confirm membership and a regular basis, and interacting with the Google folders.
4.Craig: Media, Merch, PCSC, GCCC, Outreach – no report
5.Cassandra: ANMCom, ETC, FundCom, Credentials
Gloria Mattera was asked to report for FundCom – see Addendum, below. Job description for online Fundraiser has been posted, but no applications have been received. FundCom would like to make sure the ad is posted publicly. [May need to be posted again.]
The Credentials Committee is nearly ready to present their proposed updates to the PNC rules.
6.Joseph: IC, CCC, BMRC, Green Pages
7.Alfred: AC – no report
8.Darryl!: DRC, Platcom
DR needs members. Some disputes have been brought to them but resolved themselves; not ideal, alls for states to see what interest there may be
9.Charles: GPAX, FinCom, Animal Rights
GPAX is working on a public statement or endorsement. FinCom continues working on the budget, has requests in, but need more data and more . ALL SC PLEASE COME TO THE FINCOM MEETING A WEEK FROM TOMORROW!!
10.Justin: BAC, EcoAction ; Staff Supervisor
EcoAction i s hosting a webinar on Biodiversity tomorrow (Monday) evening. Rachel Braaten explained this is about the BioDiversity COP – countries come to agreement to save as much life on the planet as possible.
VI. Voting Queue – (Holly)
1. Received for the Queue
2.In the Queue —
Discussion
Voting
# 1203 Add NOC to RCV/STV Proposal to
Sponsor: GPWA
⅔ Threshold
Discussion through 2/02/2025
Voting period: 2/03 – 2/09/2025
Floor Manager: Holly Hart
# 1242 Special Election to Fill Open Seat on Green Congressional Campaign Committee
Discussion through 2/02/2025
Voting period: 2/03 – 2/09/2025
Floor Manager: Holly Hart
Completed
# 1240 One Year Extension of authority of SC to approve date and location of ANM
Sponsor: Annual NAtional Meeting Committee
ADOPTED
VII. Old Business –
VII. Executive Session - None
TOTAL TIME — 1 hr, 50 min
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ADDENDUM – Fundraising Report – eBlasts
eBlast Updates
Three eBlasts were sent since last meeting (12/16/2024)
International Human Solidarity Day eBlast written and sent by Daniel
3 Donations
2 New Recurring Donations totalling $20 a month
1 One-Time Donation totaling $10
Martin Luther King Jr Day eBlast written by the NBC and sent by Daniel
3 Donations
1 New Recurring Donation totalling $5 a month
1 One-Time Donation totalling $100
1 Caucus donation to the NBC totalling $10
Inauguration Day eBlast Attacking Trump written by Daniel with Jill Quote
11 Donations
8 New Recurring Donations totalling $174 a month
3 One-Time Donations totalling $45
Two new $50 a month Donor