The MN CD2 GREEN PARTY BYLAWS

 

Adopted: DRAFT

Amended: May 2, 2019

 

ARTICLE I – NAME

The name of the organization shall be the MN CD2 Green Party.

 

ARTICLE II – PURPOSE

MN CD2 Green Party is dedicated to achieving economic, environmental, and social justice through both elections and activism. We stand for greater participation by individuals in the decision making that affects our lives and our communities.

We uphold a vision based on the four pillars of the global Green movement: ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy, and nonviolence. We affirm the Ten Key Values of the Green Party of the United States. We are dedicated to achieving a diverse socially responsible community.

We strive, not merely to survive, but to share lives that are truly worth living. We believe the quality of our individual lives is enriched by the quality of all of our lives and direct interpersonal relationships. We encourage everyone to see the dignity and intrinsic worth in all of life and to take the time to understand and appreciate themselves, their community, and the magnificent beauty of this world.

 

ARTICLE III - STRUCTURE

 

Section 1. The party is established as a direct, participatory democracy. One person, one vote - all members are encouraged to vote and participate at all local and general membership meetings in accordance with the appropriate Bylaws.

Section 2. The party will be coordinated by a coordinating committee (CC) with the duties and outlined in ARTICLE VI of these bylaws.

 

ARTICLE IV – MEMBERSHIP

 

Section 1. Membership is open to any Minnesota resident who:

a. is in general agreement with the Four Pillars and Ten Key Values of the Green Party

b. supports the Party and its purpose

c. submits an approved Green Party membership form

d. Lives within the boundaries of MN CD 2.

 

Section 2. Membership terms

In order to maintain accurate and current membership roles, a membership term of one year beyond the annual membership meeting. Members will receive renewal notice with the notice of the annual membership meeting. An additional reminder will be sent 30 days after the annual meeting.

Members not responding within 60 days of the annual meeting will be marked as inactive and ineligible to participate in voting activities until submitting a new registration.

 

 

ARTICLE V – OFFICERS

a. CHAIR

The MN CD2 Green Party shall elect a chair who is the designated representative of the party as may be required by Minnesota law and shall be the media representative for the party. The chair shall serve a term of two years from Jan 1 of the even-numbered year until Dec 31 of the next odd-numbered year. The chair shall be elected at the district convention following a vacancy.

b. CO-CHAIR

The MN CD2 Green Party may elect a co-chair who may assist the chair. The co-chair will succeed the Chair in the event of a vacancy until a new chair is elected. The co-chair shall serve a term of two years from Jan 1 of the odd-numbered year until Dec 31 of the next even-numbered year. The co-chair shall be elected at the district convention following a vacancy.

c. TREASURER

The MN CD2 Green Party shall elect a treasurer as may be required by Minnesota law. The treasurer shall be elected at the district convention when a qualified candidate is available. A qualified candidate must complete the state campaign finance training or have demonstrated experience with campaign finance. The Treasurer shall maintain the MN CD2 Green Party bank accounts, file all required financial and campaign reports with government entities, and submit a status report quarterly for review of the General Membership.

d. SECRETARY

The MN CD2 Green Party may elect a Secretary. The secretary shall be elected at the state convention. The Secretary shall maintain party records that are not the responsibility of the treasurer.

f. ELECTION

All officers will be elected at a district convention by a simple majority.

 

ARTICLE VI – EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

 

Section 1. Existence: There shall be an MN CD2 Green Party Executive Committee as may be required by Minnesota law.

Section 2. Members and Officers: The executive committee shall be comprised of the party officers; chair, co-chair, treasurer, and secretary; and four at-large members elected by the Coordinating Committee.

Section 3. Responsibilities: The MN CD2 Green Party Executive Committee shall provide the governance of the MN CD2 Green Party between Coordinating Committee meetings.

Section 4. Powers: The MN CD2 Green Party Executive Committee shall be the second-highest governing body of the MN CD2 Green Party. The MN CD2 Green Party Executive Committee shall have such powers as may be appropriate and necessary to carry on the affairs of the MN CD2 Green Party, subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the Bylaws, and laws of the State of Minnesota.

Section 5. Duties: The MN CD2 Green Party Executive Committee shall conduct the day-to-day business of the MN CD2 Green Party and shall have other such duties as may be appropriate and necessary to carry on the affairs of the MN CD2 Green Party, subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the Bylaws and the laws of the state of Minnesota.

 

ARTICLE VII – STEERING COMMITTEE

Section 1. Existence: There shall be an MN CD2 Green Party Steering Committee (SC).

Section 2. Members and Officers:

a. The SC shall be composed of members selected by the locals and at-large membership.

b. Each local and the at-large membership shall select up to 4 representatives to sit on the SC.

c. A local is defined as a community of three or more MN CD2 Green Party members who: reside in the same or neighboring state house districts and vote to affiliate with the MN CD2 Green Party. The SC shall recognize one local per state house district. However, if there are multiple locals who desire to cover the same state house district such as groups who may organize around relationships that are not municipalities or geographic, the proposed locals shall petition the SC, and together, the petitioners and the SC shall develop a plan of representation for the area that shall be presented at the next state convention for ratification by the Party membership.

d. At-large membership is defined as MN CD2 Green Party members who: reside in a state house district within the second congressional district of Minnesota that is not covered by a local.

e. The term of SC representatives shall be determined by the locals. The CC shall coordinate the selection of representatives by the at-large membership.

f. Vacancies may be filled any time after a vacancy occurs by a local or the at-large membership with members receiving notification of the election at least 10 days prior to the election.

g. Vacancies - Vacancies of the SC shall arise when any of the following occur:

1. The death of a member

2. Expiration of a member's term

3. The resignation of a member

4. Recall by the body that elected the SC member.

5. As provided elsewhere in these bylaws (e.g. automatic resignation)

h. The SC shall include the following officers of the Executive Committee: Chair, Co-chair, Secretary, and Treasurer.

 

Section 4. Meetings of the SC shall be held at least quarterly, or as necessary as determined by request of a majority of the committee.

a. The SC shall strive to meet in person but may also meet by conference call or video conference. Call for votes may be conducted in person, via phone or email. All SC members shall be notified of all quarterly meetings at least two weeks in advance. The SC members should strive to encourage their constituencies to attend meetings as non-voting participants.

b. For decision making, the SC will strive for consensus according to the consensus process defined in the party documents. Failing the ability to reach unanimous consensus, decisions shall be made by a simple majority of SC members voting.

c. The presence in person, conference call, or video conference of at least a SIMPLE majority of the SC shall constitute a quorum.

d. Minutes of meetings shall be available to the general membership and may consist of written minutes by the secretary, audio recording, or video recording. Members may request a transcript of the audio of video recording if required for unique accommodations.

e. The failure of a SC member to attend three consecutive SC meetings without notification to the SC for a cause of absence shall constitute an automatic resignation from the SC and a vacancy in such SC member’s seat.

Section 5. Duties of the SC shall be, but shall not be limited to:

1. Implement guidelines developed at the District Convention to grow the Party throughout the respective senate districts.

b. Develop the SC's operational procedures.

c. Oversee the district-level finances.

d. Represent district or regional-wide interests.

e. Make interpretations of the state Party's organizational documents.

f. Appoint committees as necessary.

g. Choose delegates and alternates to conferences and assemblies as may be required.

h. Develop those policies that may require state-wide coordination and administrative efforts.

i. Institute a network to facilitate the free flow of communication between the various member organizations within the locals and at-large membership.

j. Take action and make policy deemed necessary and proper to carry out the foregoing duties.

k. To develop new locals in underrepresented areas.

l. Establish duties and responsibilities of individual offices.

 

ARTICLE VIII – DISTRICT CONVENTION

Section 1. The MN CD2 Green Party shall hold an annual District Convention to be called by the SC in the first quarter of the year to allow for candidate endorsements according to the election calendar. The SC shall be charged with planning the logistics of the convention.

Section 2. In the event that the SC fails to meet as required by these bylaws or fails to set a convention date, time, and place in any calendar year; a petition signed by the number equal or above the convention members present at the previous convention, and letter to the previous Secretary shall be sufficient to initiate convention planning meetings composed of signers of the petition so long as the meeting times and places are announced to party membership.

Section 3. Items to be addressed at a district convention include a presentation of SC members, the election of SC officers, treasury reports, policy discussions and proposed amendments, community building, networking, education, debate, deciding time and location of next district Convention, celebration and fun.

Section 4. The State Convention shall utilize a consensus process on all decisions with a simple majority fallback unless specified otherwise (i.e. Selection of SC officers and amendments to the Bylaws).

Instant run-off process will be used if there are more than two (2) nominees per position.

 

ARTICLE IX – FISCAL POLICY

Section 1. The MN CD2 Green Party shall accept contributions from individuals.

Section 2. The MN CD2 Green Party and its endorsed candidates shall not accept contributions from for-profit or nonprofit corporations.

Section 3. Candidates receiving contributions from Political Action Committee should submit to review by the executive committee to ensure that the funding sources and values of the PAC align with Green party values.

Section 4. The MN CD2 Green Party may accept contributions from the Green Party of Minnesota. The MN CD2 Green Party may also accept contributions from Green Party candidate committees, within the limits of local, state, and federal campaign finance regulations.

 

ARTICLE X – CANDIDATE ENDORSEMENT

Section 1.

a. The MN CD2 Green Party shall adopt a standard Candidate's Questionnaire to be answered by all candidates for elected office seeking endorsement by the MN CD2 Green Party.

b. No part of Article IX shall be construed to prohibit the development and use of additional questionnaires, such as one containing questions specific to the office being sought by the candidate. All candidates seeking endorsement for the same specific office shall complete the same questionnaires.

Section 2. The Candidate's responses shall be made available to all members of the MN CD2 Green Party no less than 7 days prior to the endorsing meeting.

Section 3. Endorsement of candidates will happen at a general membership meeting either called for that purpose or as an agenda item at an already scheduled General Membership Meeting. Endorsements will follow the Voting Standards outlined in Article 3.

Section 4. All candidates seeking endorsement by the MN CD2 Green Party must be present in person at the endorsing meeting, and shall be available at that time to respond to additional questions posed by members.

Section 5. All candidates seeking endorsement by the MN CD2 Green Party may be required to demonstrate previous campaign experience or candidate training. Candidate training offered by the Coordinated Campaign Committee of the Green Party US may fulfill the candidate training requirement.

Section 6. The MN CD2 Green Party will not endorse more candidates for political office than there are seats available for that political office.

 

 

ARTICLE XI - The MN CD2 Green Party is affiliated with the Green Party of Minnesota.

 

a. The MN CD2 Green Party may elect a representative to serve on the State Party Coordinating Committee.

b. State Party representative will be elected at a district convention by a simple majority.

c. If a State Party representative is not chosen, the party chair shall serve in that capacity.

 

ARTICLE XII – AMENDMENTS

Section 1. These Bylaws may be amended at a properly called Steering Committee Meeting. Proposed amendments must be made available to SC members 7 days prior to the meeting.

Section 2. These Bylaws may be amended at a properly called general membership meeting by a vote of the membership. Call for votes may be conducted in person, via phone or email. Proposed amendments must be made available to members 7 days prior to the meeting.

Section 3. Amendments to the bylaws shall take effect upon approval by consensus according to the consensus process in the party documents or, if failing consensus by, a 2/3 majority.

 

ARTICLE XIII – SUSPENSION OF BYLAWS

Section 1. These bylaws may be suspended upon approval by a 5/6 majority vote of members present at a district convention Meeting.

Section 2. Members wishing to suspend the bylaws shall specify the purpose of the suspension of the bylaws.

Section 3. If approved, the suspension of the bylaws must be limited in scope and duration to the stated purpose of the suspension.

 

ARTICLE XIV – GRIEVANCE PROCESS

Section 1. A member of the MN CD2 Green Party who has a grievance with another Green Party member should first attempt to resolve their issue(s) with the MN CD2 Green Party Steering Committee (SC). If the conflict involves a SC member, that member would recuse themselves.

Section 2. A Green may notify a SC member, or have another Green notify a SC member on their behalf, of a grievance. Within 48 hours of the notification of a grievance, the SC member will contact the person(s) involved in the grievance and other SC members to schedule a meeting as soon as possible to resolve the grievance. SC members are responsible for gathering facts pertaining to the grievance.

Section 3. The SC will consult neutral, impartial experts if expertise on an issue is needed to gather facts.

Section 4. After the facts have been gathered on the grievance issue, the SC will meet with both parties at the scheduled time to communicate the facts they have gathered and to formulate a solution.

 

ARTICLE XV – PARTY DOCUMENTS

The party documents shall include, but are not limited to, the bylaws, the consensus process, SC policies, and any regional policies in an online location that is accessible to the general membership