MINUTES – Steering Committee Meeting
Sunday, March 23 2025
8:00 pm EST
- Setup and Background – 10 min
Facilitator: Tamar Yager (with stand-in for any budget discussion)
Steering Committee Roll Call:
- Craig Cayetano (co-chair) – present
- Cassandra Lems(co-chair) – present
- Darryl! Moch (co-chair) - present
- Alfred Molison (co-chair) –
- Joseph Naham (co-chair) – present
- Charles Ostdiek(co-chair) – present
- Justin Paglino (co-chair) – present
- Holly Hart (secretary) – present
- Bob Stuller (treasurer) - present
- Jason Call (incoming treasurer) – reported absence
Observers: Patricia C Vener-Saavedra (CT, GPAX); Sandy Przybylak (NY); Starlene Rankin (WA); Margaret Elisabeth (WA), Haryaksha Gregor Knauer (Lavender)
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 – an FYI, please consider how much time will be needed for these items
Approve Agenda (changes require majority, new items require ⅔ approval):
Tamar Yager may wish to speak on the budget item. Rosa Clemente reached out and asked to talk about leadership, and has been included under New Business.
REQUEST to ADD: Any update on Muslim Caucus formation (Craig) – not added,
premature
REQUEST to ADD: Steering Committee Conflict of Interest information (Charles) –
Charles asked to defer
REQUEST to ADD: Already under Standing Business – GPUS Endorsement of National
Single Payer Now. Two events are coming up this week (Justin)
- Treasurer’s Report (Bob, Jason)
Signal
General $12,806.46
Merchant $8,239.38
Savings $88,746.69
PayPal $2,868.81
Have not gotten to transition work, yet. Plan to get Jason onSignal and other things to go forward with transitioning, hopes to happen soon.
III. New/Current Business
- Online Decisions (Holly)
48/48/Online Process to decide whether to send GPAZ statement to the voting queue on an expedited schedule. Green Party US Peace Action Committee, GPAX, Declares a Local, International and Global Environmental and Peace Emergency! COMPLETED March 21, 2025 – see Voting Queue, below //See Addendum A (same as the proposal linked, above)
- Rose Clemente requested to talk with SC – she had made a request, Holly sent her the call info, so far have received no response. Will continue to reach out and arrange to meet when possible.
- Budget – 2025 6.? 2025 Budget 6.4 and 2025 Budget Process (Charles, et al)
NOTE: Update on process and information (numbers). Charles has done a lot of work and
has almost all act\uals finished and calculations, consulting FEC files, credit union statements, SC minutes, PNC final report. Tamar has done a lot of work tracking down data and more information. Budget subcommittee met this week to review near-final numbers. Budget may be ready for SC to review and consider.
Charles reviewed the latest iteration of the budget, 6.4. Feels that it’s ready to go to the NC. Deficit budget, but plan is that fundraiser would make up that deficit, and replenish operational funds that were decreased. AGREED, by CONSENSUS to finish up final numbers online. Go through online decision process and move to Voting Queue next week.
- Standing Business/Old Business
- Message from Florida Labor/DSA contact asking for GPUS participation in Single
Payer Healthcare national action. Justin forwarded two announcements from the organization regarding a webinar coming up this week.
Vote to Endorse – Call for Consensus – APPROVED, by CONSENSUS . Proposal to send to the NC for vote to endorse. APPROVED, CONSENSUS to vacate the previous decision and send proposal to NC for endorsement.
Justin will send an announcement of upcoming webinar and information to the NC lists.
- SC “Intro” Webinar. Report from Craig. The webinar was moved back to January,
now February, 2025. Craig is working with GPNJ member who is involved with Black
Liberation Media about collaboration.
- Message on Operation Simplify, an organization working to end gerrymandering; inquiry about meeting early in the new year. Justin Paglino has contacted them several times, but not heard back from them. He will try one more time
- Interim Fundraising Position – Executive Session, Maybe
NOTE: Hiring Committee of 3 SC members (Cassandra, Craig, Jason) and 1 Representative from Fundraising (Aly Schmidt), 1 observer (Holly) reviewed applications sent directly to GPUS and IdeaList, and decided to interview three applicants this week. If there is a decision on whom to hire, this item will move into Executive Session.
- Reports
Co-chairs, please review liaison spreadsheet and edit, as needed
- Guest Committee(s)
- Staff (Justin)
- Secretary (Holly) - Migration. Some folks will be presenting information about various online platforms on a webinar April 30th. More details TBA. Possibility of quarterly committee meetings/meet-ups (or liaison-called related committee calls); one-on-ones; Housekeeping.
- Craig: Media, Merch, PCSC, GCCC, Outreach – Outreach is reorganizing, has some possible events in MO; Media – Craig has been covering Instagram. 38,135 IG followers. Facebook – seems to be trending downward in terms of views, most popular on Workers Strike Back; Merchandise, merchcom posts, coloring book, Women’s History have been most popular. Interest from Merchandise on moving forward on two Tote Bag designs; bumper sticker pack, the least expensive item, is popular; $1630+ in contributions through donations. Working over what to drop, what to add, branding., action-oriented merchandise. Real/ Original Green New Deal and/or Palestine and/or Medicare for All.
- Cassandra: ANMCom, ETC, FundCom, Credentials – ANM seeking input from SC on what they’d like to see, workshops, please send sooner rather than later; CredCOm has four votes in the queue. Cassandra is now on FundCom list. Darryl! noted that questioners should not be asking SC candidates “what are your visions for the GP” – because SC memes are administrative, not ”leaders.” Justin suggested a state party officers meeting where they could share what is going on in their state parties, what is new, etc.
- Joseph: IC, CCC, BMRC, Green Pages – IC has not met, neither co-chair has returned emails; Green Pages is not meeting; Joseph has not attended BMRC, but they are meeting, would be willing to trade committees. Charle offered to trade for GPAX.
- Alfred: AC – no report.
- Darryl!: DRC, BRPP, Platcom - DRC had a couple requests come in recently, Darryl! reached out to former members to see if the complaints can be addressed; DRC is in need of members who have the skill set to work on dispute resolution.
- Charles: GPAX, FinCom, Animal Rights – has been working on the budget, FinCom has changed their regular meeting time to third Monday of the month at 9 pm ET, will look into getting the email list updated.
- Justin: BAC, EcoAction ; Staff Supervisor – BAC agreed to have three co-chairs [co-chairs and one filling a secretarial role]
Starlene Rankin asked to give a report for the GCCC: They are planning state party outreach, training and work with CCC. Have raised about $10,000in the past couple months.
- Voting Queue – (Holly) 5-10 min
- Received for the Queue – see above GPAX Statement
- In the Queue —
Discussion
Voting
# 1245 – Amend Credentials Committees Rules, Policies and Procedures to Automatically Resign
Credentials Committee
Discussion through 3/16/2025
Voting period: 3/17-3/23/2025
Approval Threshold: Majority
Floor Manager: Justin Paglino
# 1248 – Dividing the Credentials Committee Into Specialized Subcommittees
Credentials Committee
Discussion through 3/16/2025
Voting period: 3/17-3/23/2025
Approval Threshold: 2/3
Floor Manager: Justin Paglino
# 1249 – An Amendment to the Credentials Committee Operating Rules: Election by Separate Vote
Credentials Committee
Discussion through 3/16/2025
Voting period: 3/17-3/23/2025
Approval Threshold: Majority
Floor Manager: Justin Paglino
# 1250 – Amend Article IV of the PNC Rules to remove Year of Birth and Fax
Credentials Committee
Discussion through 3/16/2025
Voting period: 3/17-3/23/2025
Approval Threshold: Majority
Floor Manager: Justin Paglino
Completed
#1244 – Creation of a Special Fund to Identify Non-Partisan Candidates in
Voter Registration-by-Party States
APPROVED
VII. Old Business – None
VIII. Executive Session – 10:15 – 10:45 PM EDT
- Interim Fundraising Position – Cassandra, Craig
PROPOSAL to hire Georgia Davenport for InterimFundraiser Position. AGREED by CONSENSUS. Justin will contact her.
- Staff Union Contract – see NOTE, above – Justin
Justin sent out a document, invited SC to add comments and work online.
- Discussion of potential conflicts of interest – Charles
Noted policy related to SC members, will have all members sign on on subsequent call.
- Relation to DRC request involving financial challenge
Information provided by Charles and Bob, advice from Craig. Darryl! Will follow up.
TOTAL TIME – 2 hrs 45 min
=======================
ADDENDUM A
Green Party US Peace Action Committee, GPAX, Declares a Local, International
and Global Environmental and Peace Emergency!
The threats to life on our beautiful planet are multiple and connected.
Every day the world moves closer to the edge of extinction. Wildfires, floods,
droughts and heatwaves threaten every corner of the planet as the climate crisis spins
out of control.
At the same time, forever wars rage with the US ongoing proxy wars in Ukraine and Gaza that have killed tens of thousands and threaten to engulf the whole world, with the ultimate possibility of a catastrophic nuclear war. The change of administrations in the United States, which signals a move from a 20th century covert imperialism to its historically traditional overt form, may prove to be an even greater threat.
The focal point for these concerns continues to be Gaza and the West Bank in occupied Palestine. Despite a fragile ceasefire, (at the time of this writing) the US and Israel continue to create an ever more dangerous international emergency in pursuit of a Greater Israel. The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to be dire, with the only proposed “solution” being the ethnic cleansing of 2 million people and the creation of an Israeli Riviera. This genocide has not been about Israel’s security but, in fact, threatens the safety of Israelis. And it has been a violation of international humanitarian law and a grave injustice to the Palestinian people.
In pursuit of Israel’s goals, thousands of Lebanese have died and hundreds of locations in Syria have been bombed by the U.S. and by Israel with U.S.-supplied munitions. Since September 2024, both the U.S. and Israel have taken deliberate steps to isolate Iran and its allies in the region. A war with Iran would be disastrous for us all.
A recent poll indicated that some 75% of the global population wants an end to the genocide in Gaza and the continued U.S.-supported Israeli violence in the region. The world now sees the violence that has been part of Israel’s settler colonialist project since 1948. The US must show it cares more about the people living in the US and the safety and security of the rest of the world than supporting Israel’s agenda in the Middle East.
Now several countries face the threat by the Trump administration of being absorbed into the U.S. empire, a goal which can only be realized through military force.
All this violence increases the risk of a wider war and ultimately a nuclear war and should put the whole world on alert. The situation is critical and potentially explosive, literally and figuratively.
The Green Party US Peace Action Committee (GPAX) calls again for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, Palestine that continues after the release of hostages and prisoners and prohibits Israel’s incursions into the West Bank and calls for an end to the Israeli occupation.
GPAX calls for the declaration of a GLOBAL EMERGENCY. More needs to be done to protect the population of Gaza and the West Bank by ending incursions, sieges and forced starvation and returning control of their lands to the Palestinian people.
GPAX calls for a real ceasefire in Lebanon, not one that gives the U.S. more power to intervene in the country and region.
We also call for an end to U.S. and Israeli presence in Syria, to return sovereignty to the Syrian people. The U.S., Turkiye, and Israel need to get out of the way, so that the Syrian people, together with a rejuvenated U.N., can work to guarantee that all peoples in Syria are respected.
The Green Party joins hands in solidarity with the thousands of students who have been threatened for standing up for justice! We call for everyone to get involved in their local peace movement in whatever ways they can. Building on past efforts, the Green Party will make a major effort to work with other progressives and radicals in building the ongoing events and actions, including support for the BDS (Boycott, Divest and Sanction) movement. Our main goal is to build a bigger and more massive peace movement, in order to challenge and stop U.S. imperialism.
GPAX also calls for resistance to the Trump government’s bellicose policies and those that attack constitutionally guaranteed freedoms. We do this understanding perfectly well that the Democrats laid the groundwork for this moment.
The Green Party should, thus, join in building multi-issue coalitions from the grassroots uniting the many struggles while linking them to the peace issue. GPAX will work to increase our involvement with other key national peace groups: Jewish Voice for Peace, Veterans For Peace, UNAC, etc. Along with state Green parties and other like-minded organizations, we can work to develop these connections.
GPAX urges the peace movement to unite in support of the Palestinians as well as to end the war in Ukraine and the threats to Iran and China. There are too many places where people are facing forced starvation and on-going violence, including the Congo, Sudan, Haiti, Cuba, South and Central America, where US interference is causing tremendous hardship for the people.
It is well past time for the world to rely on diplomacy and negotiations, instead of continued violence and war. The people demand it and the Earth requires it.
GPAX asks that this statement be circulated to state and local Green Party chapters and that the chapters send their endorsement to mrhlepaix@gmail.com or to the local person in these organizations who can send the endorsement to the above email address.