Green Party of the United States - National Committee Voting

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Proposal Details

Proposal ID	119
Proposal	Bylaw Interpretation - Alternates as SC Members
Presenter	BRPP
Floor Manager	Gwendolyn Wages
Phase	Closed
Discussion	12/20/2004 - 01/09/2005
Voting	01/10/2005 - 01/16/2005
Result	Failed
Presens Quorum	31 0.6666
Consens Quorum	45 0.6666 of Yes and No Votes

Background

Article IV of the GPUS bylaws reads in part:

The Steering Committee (SC) of the Green Party of the United States shall
be composed of nine members: seven co-chairs, a Secretary, and a
Treasurer. Co-chairs shall be selected from and elected by the
Coordinating Committee (CC) of the Green Party of the United States for
terms of two years, with a limit of two consecutive terms.

Recently, co-chair Maya O'Connor was not reelected to her position as a
GPUS CC delegate from DC, but was elected to the position of alternate.
There are differing interpretations of Article IV of the bylaws as
pertains to alternates. Specifically, should the bylaw be interpreted to
mean that an alternate to the GPUS CC should be considered a member of the
CC such that he/she could be selected from and elected by the CC?

The bylaws are not clear on this point. Article II, Section 2 reads in
part:

The Coordinating Committee of the Green Party of the United States shall
consist of the representatives of state parties and accredited caucuses of
underrepresented groups.

Note that representatives is not defined and might be interpreted to
mean either delegates only, or delegates as well as alternates.

Article II, Section 2 additionally reads:

Each member state party shall have one vote on the Coordinating Committee
for every four Congressional Districts or major fraction thereof into
which the state is divided. Regardless, each state party shall have at
least two votes. State parties shall make a good faith effort, where
reasonable, to have delegates to the Coordinating Committee elected by
clusters of local Green groups.

Note that a states delegation is referred to in terms of a number of
votes, but neither a number of delegates nor a number of delegates and
alternates. While it is a matter of standard convention that a state
party designates as many delegates to the Coordinating Committee as it has
votes, and may also designate alternates above and beyond its number of
delegates, there is no language that actually explicitly defines either
the size or nature of a state delegation.

Because the situation involves the standing of a Steering Committee
member, the only appropriate body that can reasonably rule on the question
of how the bylaws should be interpreted is the Coordinating Committee.

In order to resolve the immediate matter, BRPP has drafted this proposal.
BRPP is not advocating for a particular vote on the matter and will not as
a committee argue for or against the operative clause of the proposal as
written. Many BRPP members feel a bylaw change should be made to further
clarify. But a bylaw change would not address the current situation.

If the proposal is approved, then Maya O'Connor shall be recognized as a
member of the GPUS CC and, barring other circumstances, shall serve out
the remainder of her term on the Steering Committee. For subsequent
co-chair elections, barring a change to the bylaws or a decision which
would override this decision, any delegate or alternate from a member
state or caucus shall be eligible for election.

If the proposal is defeated, then, barring some other action, Maya
O'Connor shall not be recognized as a member of the GPUS CC, and per GPUS
bylaws, a vacancy on the Steering Committee shall immediately be declared.
For subsequent co-chair elections, barring a change to the bylaws or a
decision which would override this decision, only delegates, and not
alternates, shall be eligible for election.

This proposal does NOT attempt to speak to the question of whether, once
elected, a Co-Chair can serve out the entirety of his/her term even if at
some point he/she is no longer a member of the Coordinating Committee.

Proposal

Article IV of the GPUS Bylaws shall be interpreted so as to mean that an
alternate is considered part of the delegation of a state/caucus, and the
delegations of the states and caucuses together comprise the Coordinating
Committee, and therefore, an alternate is eligible to run for and serve in
the position of Co-Chair on the Steering Committee.

Resources

None

References

GPUS Bylaws, http://www.gp.org/documents/bylaws.html

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