May 26, 2019

GPUS Steering Committee Minutes – 26 May 2019
SUMMARY FOR DISTRIBUTION TO STATES AND LOCAL CHAPTERS:

1. New Business: Apportionment Tabulation Committee report extension, Formation of a working group to determine the use of party resources for candidates

2. Standing Business: Treasurer’s Report (Treasurer’s Reports to the GNC available at https://gpus.org/treasurers-reports/; Fundraising Report; Fundraising Consultant update, Liaison reports

3. Voting Queue – https://secure.gpus.org/cgi-bin/vote/login
Received for the queue: Code of Conduct, Establish a GPUS Ethics Committee, Amend ANM Committee Rules
In the queue: None
Online SC Proposals approved since last call and sent to the NC:
Request for $80 for webinar on FEC campaign finance laws

4. Old Business: 2019 Annual National Meeting, FreshDesk update, Tech update

5. Executive Session: None

The full minutes are available at https://gpus.org/committees/steering/minutes/may-26-2019/.
The call recording is available at 712-451-0309, 926334#, reference 3 and
https://gpus.org/steering-committee-recordings/

Jody Grage, Secretary


GPUS Steering Committee Minutes – 26 May 2019

AGENDA:

I. CALL SETUP & BACKGROUND – 15 min

a) Facilitator: David Gerry

b) Roll call – Jody Grage, Hillary Kane, Anita Rios, Violet Rose Zitola, Tony Ndege, Gloria Mattera, Justin Beth, Margaret Flowers (8:40); Absent – Andrea Merida Observers – Sid Smith VA, Holly Hart IA, Starlene Rankin OR, Tamar Yager NWM

c) Agenda revision suggestions – none

II. NEW BUSINESS – 30 min

A} Apportionment Tabulation Committee report extension – Andrea
Discussion of allowing states to make correction using current formula.
(Apportionment Review Committee will make recommendations about amending current formula by end of the year.) Proposed for two week extension – consensus to approve

b) Formation of ad-hoc working group to determine use of party resources for recognized candidates – Justin

Discussion of need to involve relevant committees since this is not within the PCSC mission statement. Discussion of using proposal from PCSC co-chairs as guidelines/framework to acknowledge wishes of the NC. Proposal to create ad-hoc working group with final structure to be determined on the next SC call and end product being a proposal to the SC for the voting queue. No consensus – Margaret has a concern that the proposal is vague; vote – Justin yes, Margaret no, Gloria yes, Anita yes, Tony abstain, Jody yes, Hillary yes, Violet yes, Andrea absent – proposal passes

III. STANDING BUSINESS – 50 min

a) Treasurer’s report – Hillary Kane – 5 min.
Treasurer’s Reports to the GNC available at https://gpus.org/treasurers-reports/
Total in all accounts – $129,821.75, operating reserve and dedicated funds – $115,500.10, checking – $14,311.65; steady balances
Request for $80 for webinar on FEC campaign finance laws – online approval
Request for $5k for new direct mail in early June, last one cost just under $5k and brought in $10k; Fiscal Policy requires approval of expenses by SC and direct mail now being included in that protocol – consensus to approve

b) Fundraising report – Gloria – 10 min.
Income: May 1 – 24: $9,240.54 (without ANM)
Website $87.54; Eblasts $718; Checks (not from Direct Mail Letter): $1,262.00

February 2019 Direct Mail Letter: Income: $11,722.00 (2/22 – 5/24)
Cost: $4,933.58, Sent to: 3998

Eblasts:
5/16/19: VZ Embassy Protection $420 (adapted from Press Release)
5/22/19: Pro-Choice $298 (Erin Fox wrote)
Spring Direct Mail Letter: copy nearly ready, pulling mailing list from NationBuilder, hope to mail by June 5th – copy newsy as was the last one
Updating onboarding email; putting more info including on states in GreenLine;
Calls now twice a month rather than once; Starlene has put together much more comprehensive info on the lists we have and how they have all been used

c) Liaison reports – 35 min

Merchandise/Justin – working on non-sized items from survey info, banners are in
BMRC/Justin – working on talking points for Greening the Dollar
Fundraising/Gloria – see above
Media/Gloria – Craig Seeman elected to fill out Ann Link’s term
CCC/Gloria – regional webinars to deal with time zones
Eco-Action/Gloria – all work done on listserv
Tony – no updates
Diversity/Anita – working on elections and ANM workshop
BAC/Violet – TX legislature drastically lowered signature requirements

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

Received for the queue: Code of Conduct, Establish a GPUS Ethics Committee, Amend ANM Committee Rules (expedited)

In the queue: none
Online SC Proposals approved since last call and sent to the NC: Request for $80 for webinar on FEC campaign finance laws – approved

V. OLD BUSINESS – 40 min

a) 2019 Annual National Meeting – Margaret – 20 min
Travel reservations – Andrea booked, Jody in communication, Hillary renting and driving,
Violet driving, Margaret driving; Tamar needs housing requests
Update on workshops, speakers, plenary agenda – good part of Saturday/Sunday ready,
DivCom has 3 hours with sharing of documentary and training, have time before and after lunch for speaker(s); Saturday afternoon BAC, CCC, and PCSC breakouts possible with Sunday reports to larger group
Climate Strike with Jill and Ajamu possible workshop; Sunday will have some focus on strategy going forward; suggestion for other topics/issues/speakers

b) Freshdesk update – Justin – 10 min
Working with Starlene on backlog, incoming volunteers; next step input from David Doonan and staff supervisors Hillary and Gloria; short term goal to create review group to assign email – identify spam and block – handle “not at this time” sustainers – connect volunteers with states – could have state volunteer coordinators

c) Tech updates – Violet – 5 min – no update

d) Potential response to FVPA letter regarding Venezuela trip update – Andrea – 5 min
Remove until/unless needed :
For future agenda: Committee actions and statements within their mission statement – suggestion that if in name of GPUS public statements go through Media Committee and letters go through SC
Justin – Request for next agenda: Strategic Planning, letters from SC to Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning

VI. EXECUTIVE SESSION – 10 min

Personnel issues
TOTAL TIME: 2 hours 30 min

Jody Grage, Secretary