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Proposal Details

Proposal ID136
ProposalBylaws Interpretation: Endorsement of Statewide Ballot Measures
PresenterCoordinating Committee
Floor ManagerTim Laidman
PhaseClosed
Discussion02/19/2018 - 03/25/2018
Voting03/26/2018 - 04/01/2018
ResultFailed: Quorum Not Met
Presens Quorum16 0.5001
Consens Quorum0 0.6666 of Yes and No Votes

Background

GPCA Bylaws Section 13-3 Bylaws Interpretation states (http://www.cagreens.org/bylaws/2016-07-03#Article_13-3_Bylaws_Interpretation ) : "In cases of ambiguity or procedural disagreement, the General Assembly shall decide for itself the meaning of its governing documents, the appropriate procedure to be followed and what amendments are necessary to resolve any further ambiguity or disagreement. Between General Assembly meetings, the Coordinating Committee shall decide these questions. (http://www.cagreens.org/bylaws/interpretations ).

Proposal

That the Standing General Assembly approve the following Bylaws Interpretation

Under GPCA Bylaws, only the Standing General Assembly is authorized to take a position on a ballot-qualified statewide ballot measure. At the same time under GPCA Bylaws, proposals to take a position on a statewide ballot measure only can come from the Campaigns and Candidates Working Group, as that group is the only Working Group or Standing Committee containing such authorization in its Duties and Responsibilities, as specified in GPCA Bylaws.

http://www.cagreens.org/bylaws/2016-07-03#Section_10-5_Campaigns_and_Candidates_Working_Group

10-5.1(b) Establish internal procedures for and coordinate a process of inviting, receiving and compiling analysis and recommendations from Greens and others on statewide ballot measures, perform an analysis of each ballot measure in relation to the GPCA Platform, resolutions and Ten Key Values, and make proposals to the General Assembly for GPCA positions;

Unfortunately despite a proposal submitted to the Campaigns and Candidates Working Group (CCWG) before its August 28 teleconference to take a position on a ballot measure that has not yet qualified for the ballot, that would overturn Top Two elections in California, the matter was not taken up by the CCWG on that teleconference.

In past years, it has been almost exclusively the policy of the GPCA to **only** take positions on ballot measures once they qualified for the ballot. In 2008 that policy was quantified in the Appendix to the GPCA Bylaws, and in 2013 became part of the amended bylaws describing the Standing General Assembly - but not in the Bylaws themselves:

http://www.cagreens.org/bylaws/2016-07-03#Section_7-6_Standing_General_Assembly
7-6.2 Decision Items (as last amended 7/3/2016 and 7/3/2016)

"The following decision items shall automatically be placed before the Standing General Assembly. Other decision items may be submitted to the Standing General Assembly by Standing Committees, Working Groups and/or active County Organizations as provided for in 7-2.1."

7-6.2(a) Endorsement/opposition of qualified statewide ballot measures;

"At the same time the bylaws are silent on the issue of taking a position on measure that have not yet qualified for the ballot, primarily because the GPCA has not seen it in its interest to conduct such a process with its limited resources, until its seen whether a measure actually makes it to the ballot, because the qualification process is so difficult."

However in October 2009 at the Cotati General Assembly, permission was sought to endorse a ballot measure before it qualified for the ballot - a measure about a potential Constitutional Convention to be held in the state, that would focus on electoral reform issues.

http://www.cagreens.org/plenary/archives/agendas/0910proposals.pdf

The request for this permission showed that this would be an exception to given practice - and was approved. (The Constitutional Convention item never made it to the ballot after all). At the same time, if the GPCA takes positions on every measure that is submitted - or feels it has to - that may create unnecessary burdens upon the party.

All of the above said, a measure that would overturn Top Two elections in California has been submitted to the Attorney General’s office and will be cleared for signature gathering within two months.

http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article168541712.html

It was already the GPCA’s position in the June 2010 elections to oppose Proposition 14 - The Top Two ballot measure at that time.

http://www.cagreens.org/elections/propositions/archive

and the party has continue to oppose Top Two since

http://www.cagreens.org/action/stop-top-two

Given the circumstances above, that one a one time basis the Coordinating Committee shall make an endorsement of the measure that would overturn Top Two elections in California, and will put this bylaws interpretation before the next Standing General Assembly for approval of the Coordinating Committee’s ability to do so.

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