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Proposal Details

Proposal ID	449
Proposal	GPUS Bylaws Amendment, Steering Committee
Presenter	Steering Committee
Floor Manager	Mike Feinstein
Phase	Closed
Discussion	04/19/2010 - 05/02/2010
Voting	05/03/2010 - 05/09/2010
Result	Adopted
Presens Quorum	31 0.6666
Consens Quorum	52 0.6666 of Yes and No Votes

Background

The rules governing the Steering Committee (SC) are spread over the GPUS Bylaws, Rules and Procedures and the SC Rules, Policies and Procedures. There is no clear hierarchy of what belongs in each document and many long-standing practices of the SC are not written down in any of them.

This proposal consolidates text in the Bylaws so that a full description of the primary mission, duties, responsibilities and basic conditions of membership for the SC are all found in one place. By providing this clarification, the National Committee (NC) and the SC will have a more clear idea what is expected. This proposal would also

- Provide a definition of 'year' for the purposes of determining when the two-year SC terms begin and end, with years defined as 'the period between regular elections';

- Address the existing ambiguity about whether one must be a NC delegate at the time of nomination and election or only at the time of election, by establishing that it would be both at the time of nomination and election. It would defer the question of whether alternates can be nominated to a later, separate proposal and as well as whether the NC wants to consider whether past NC members who are not currently on the NC can also be eligible;

- Address the existing ambiguity where if one fills an unscheduled vacancy, how much time for it to count as a full term against the two consecutive term limit, by establishing that if a person has served for less than one year, it shall not count as a term and for one year or more, it shall.

- Embed Proposal #126 in the Bylaws, which was passed by the NC in March 2005 to clarify that the bylaws mean that "continued membership on the NC is not a continuing condition of holding office on the SC, providing that a person has been otherwise duly elected to such an office."

- Clarify that Co-chair candidates shall appear on the voting page affiliated with the state party or caucus through which they became a National Committee member, while candidates for Secretary and Treasurer may appear either with any affiliated state party or caucus of which they are a member.

- Reformat the text into the Article/Section/Sub-Section format.

- Establish that "Steering Committee members are expected to be familiar with the party's governing documents, budgets, National Committee decisions and GPUS committee structure; and to reasonably perform their duties and responsibilities"; and establish what experience is considered desirable but not required to serve as a Co-chair, Treasurer or Secretary.

Proposal

That the existing ARTICLE IV. THE STEERING COMMITTEE of the GPUS Bylaws (see link below in Resources) be replaced with the following text

ARTICLE IV. STEERING COMMITTEE

Section 4-1 Mission and Authority

The Steering Committee shall serve as an administrative committee on behalf of the GPUS to carry out the duties and responsibilities described in this Article.

Section 4-2 Duties and Responsibilities

4-2.1 Oversee the primary day-to-day business and operations of the GPUS.

4-2.2 Oversee paid personnel, including staff and contractors.

4-2.3 Oversee office and clearinghouse operations and publications.

4-2.4 Administer GPUS fundraising and expenditures, and review recommendations by the Treasurer and Finance Committee on financial matters.

4-2.5 Administer other aspects of the day-to-day business and operations of the GPUS as necessary, subject to any limitations in the party's governing documents and/or responsibilities that are within the jurisdiction of other committees as defined in their in their Mission Statements.

4-2.6 Administer proposals submitted for National Committee consideration according to the process described in the Article VI of the Rules and Procedures.

4-2.7 Facilitate, coordinate and assist the activities of Standing and Ad Hoc Committees of the GPUS, including but not necessarily limited to:

4-2.7(a) Supporting committees to enable quality, accurate and effective committee work;

4-2.7(b) Maintaining regular communications with committee co-chairs and when applicable, other committee designees;

4-2.7(c) Tracking and participating in day-to-day committee activities via listserves and meetings;

4-2.7(d) Eliciting and receiving written reports from committees for distribution to the National Committee;

4-2.7(e) Making task assignments to committees that are in keeping with their Mission Statements;

4-2.7(f) Facilitating communication between Standing and Ad Hoc Committees, Caucuses, the Steering Committee and the National Committee;

4-2.7(g) Assuring compliance with committee Mission Statements and Rules, Policies and Procedures.

4-2.8 Publish a list of potential proposals to the National Committee on a semi-annual basis, including any required by the Bylaws, Rules and Procedures, Fiscal Policy, Presidential Convention Rules, and/or by resolution of the National Committee, together with the schedule of internal elections and other mandated decisions

4-2.10 Gather information, report emerging problems and opportunities to the National Committee, and make recommendations and proposals to the National Committee based on those reports.

4-2.10 Carry out directives from the National Committee that do not conflict with this Article or are otherwise consistent with the party's governing documents.

4-2.11 Approve statements and issue endorsements consistent with the GPUS Platform, according to the process defined in the GPUS Rules and Procedures, Article IV.

4-2.12 Solicit legal advice as necessary on behalf of GPUS.

4-2.13 Propose amendments to the GPUS governing documents and to the Steering Committee Rules, Policies and Procedures to facilitate the Mission, Duties and Responsibilities of the Steering Committee as defined in this Article.

Section 4-3 Membership

4-3.1 The Steering Committee shall be composed of seven Co-chairs, a Secretary, and a Treasurer; and be elected by the National Committee as defined in Article VI.

4-3.2 To be eligible to be elected Co-chair, one must be a current member of the National Committee at the time of nomination and election. Once elected, National Committee membership is no longer a condition of serving until the end of the term. However, all Co-chairs must be subscribed to the National Committee Votes List while serving on the Steering Committee.

4-3.3 To be eligible to be elected Secretary or Treasurer, one must be a member of a member state party, but do not have to be a member of the National Committee. However if elected, the Secretary and Treasurer must be subscribed to the National Committee Votes List while serving on the Steering Committee.

4-3.4 Steering Committee members are expected to be familiar with the party's governing documents, budgets, National Committee decisions and GPUS committee structure; and to commit the time necessary to reasonably perform their duties and responsibilities as defined in this Article.

Section 4-4 Term of Office

4-4.1 Co-Chairs

4-4.1(a) The term of office is two years, with a limit of two consecutive terms. For the purposes of defining terms of office, years are defined as the period between regular elections as described in Article VI. Four Co-chairs shall be elected in odd-numbered years and three in even-numbered years.

4-4.1(b) After two consecutive terms, and after at least one additional year, a candidate may serve two consecutive terms. For the purposes of calculating consecutive terms, if in being elected to fill a vacancy under 6-3, a person has served for less than one year, it shall not count as a term under this Section. If they have served for one year or more, it shall count as a term.

4-4.2 Secretary and Treasurer

4-4.2(a) The term of office is two years, with no term limits. For the purposes of defining terms of office, years are defined as the period between regular elections as described in Article VI. The Secretary shall be elected in odd-numbered years and the Treasurer elected in even-numbered years.

Section 4-5 Duties and Responsibilities of the Co-Chairs, Secretary and Treasurer

4-5.1 The Co-Chairs, Secretary and Treasurer shall collectively have the duties as described in Section 4-1. Individually the duties and responsibilities of the Co-Chairs, Secretary and Treasurer shall be established in the Rules and Procedures.

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THAT Sub-Sections 6-2.2 and 6-2.3 be amended by adding the second sentence in each below to read as follows

6-2.2 Co-chairs shall be elected in a single Ranked Choice Voting election according to the process described in the GPUS Rules and Procedures, Article VII. Co-chairs shall appear on the GPUS voting page affiliated with the state party or caucus through which they became a National Committee member.

6-2.3 The Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected in separate elections using Instant Run-Off Voting, according to the process described in the GPUS Rules and Procedures, Article VII. The Secretary and Treasurer may appear on the ballot either affiliated with any affiliated state party or caucus of which they are a member.

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AND that ARTICLE I of the GPUS RULES AND PROCEDURES: POWERS OF STEERING COMMITTEE will be deleted, as the content is merged into the bylaws text above.

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Resources

Bylaw change would become effective upon passage.

References

GPUS Bylaws, ARTICLE IV. THE STEERING COMMITTEE http://www.gp.org/documents/bylaws.shtml#article4

GPUS Rules and Procedures, ARTICLE I: POWERS OF STEERING COMMITTEE http://www.gp.org/documents/rules.shtml#section1

Proposal #126 Bylaws Clarification: Fixed Term of Office http://gp.org/cgi-bin/vote/propdetail?pid=126

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