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Proposal Details

Proposal ID	565
Proposal	Bylaws Amendment: GPUS Mission
Presenter	Steering Commttee
Floor Manager	Mike Feinstein
Phase	Closed - Failed
Discussion	10-11-2010 - 11-07-2010
Voting	11-08-2010 - 11-14-2010
Presens Quorum	Two Thirds of Active Accredited States/Caucuses
Consens Quorum	Two Thirds of Yes and No Votes

Background

This proposal would amend the current Article I Purpose of the GPUS Bylaws to create a GPUS Mission Statement, while retaining the valuable parts of the existing Article I and making other needed administrative changes. The proposal draws upon National Committee (NC) feedback on Proposal #445 in April 2010, feedback at the 2010 GPUS Annual National Meeting in June 2010 and afterwards on the NC Votes list and in response to NC direction at the ANM, that the Steering Committee submit a draft Mission Statement to the National Committee for its consideration.

Specifically the Mission Statement portion of this amendment would be

"1-2 The Green Party of the United States works to transform government, public policy and society around values of ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy and non-violence, in concert with state Green Parties and kindred social movements, by participating in the electoral system by running and electing Green Party members to public office."

In addition to this Mission Statement, this proposal would:

- retain what is valuable from the party's Purpose Section in the GPUS Bylaws (i.e. that the GPUS is a Federation of State Parties), while removing outdated content that goes back to the Association of State Green Parties in 1996, before there was a national Green Party

- establish a Primary Functions section, which contains some aspects that could arguably be included in a Mission Statement, but instead are placed into a separate section in order to make the Mission Statement short and to the point, and to make clear which functions are clearly the province of the national party; and

- establish a short administrative sub-section that clarifies the hierarchy of authority of the party's governing documents, that is currently lacking in the GPUS bylaws and fits well in an organizational section

Within the Primary Functions section, language is added supporting the development of GPUS caucuses, maintaining the party's FEC status, conducting a presidential nomination process, conducting relations with Green Parties internationally and approving a national platform. It also adds language supporting state parties by supporting electoral politics; facilitating the sharing of skills and information among state Green Parties and providing a national source of information about Green parties, candidates, officeholders, policies

Proposal

That the existing ARTICLE I. PURPOSE of the GPUS Bylaws be replaced with the following text

ARTICLE I. NAME, MISSION, FUNCTION AND APPLICABILITY

Section 1-1 Name and Structure

1-1.1 The name of this organization is the Green Party of the United States (GPUS).

1-1.2 The GPUS is a legally structured national Green Party federation of state Green parties.

Section 1-2 Mission

The Mission of the GPUS is to transform government, public policy and society based upon ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy and non-violence, in concert with state Green parties by running, electing and supporting Green Party candidates and officeholders and working with kindred social movements.

Section 1.3 Primary Functions

1-3.1 Maintain a legally structured national Green Party federation of state Green Parties, with National Committee status recognition by the Federal Elections Commission.

1-3.2 Support the development of accredited state parties and their electoral work; support the development of accredited caucuses; facilitate the sharing of skills and information among state Green Parties; and provide a national source of information about Green parties, candidates, officeholders, policies.

1-3.3 Conduct a national Presidential nomination process.

1-3.4 Conduct relations with Green Parties internationally.

1-3.5 Approve a national Party platform.

Section 1.4 Applicability

1-4.1 The Bylaws shall be the highest governing document of the GPUS. They shall describe the Party's basic structure, jurisdiction of power and the duties and responsibilities of its constituent parts. The Party's other governing documents shall implement the structure described in the Bylaws. Where there is an ambiguity between the jurisdiction of the Bylaws and the Party's other governing documents, the Bylaws shall take precedence.

1-4.2 The other governing documents of the Party shall be the Rules and Procedures, the Fiscal Policy and the Rules of the Presidential Nominating Convention. Each shall describe the Party's processes for that area of scope. Where there is an ambiguity between the jurisdiction of the Rules and Procedures and the Fiscal Policy, the Rules and Procedures shall take precedence.

1-4.3 The governing documents may only be amended by a 2/3 vote of the National Committee. State parties and caucuses may propose amendments to the governing documents, as may committees who have such specific authorization in their Mission Statements.

1-4.4 The name 'Green Party of the United States' shall be spelled out the first time it is used in each of the party's governing documents and thereafter be referred to as GPUS or the Party.

Resources

Bylaw change would become effective upon passage.

References

The current Purpose Article of the GPUS Bylaws is 14 years old and does not accurately describe or reflect current GPUS practice. The existing GPUS Purpose text is actually the same text as that approved as part of the founding bylaws of the Association of State Green Parties (ASGP) in November 1996:

ARTICLE I. PURPOSE

1. Assist in the development of State Green Parties

2. Create a legally structured national Green Party Federation

GPUS Bylaws, ARTICLE I. PURPOSE http://www.gp.org/documents/bylaws.shtml#article1

Original Bylaws of the Association of State Green Parties http://greenpages.wordpress.com/2008/10/26/the-association-of-state-green-parties

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