Accepted minutes from the 9-23-08 EC meeting in Hartford, CT for the Green Party of CT (7PM to 7:15PM)
Location: Lena’s First and Last Pizzeria, 2053 Park Street (near Prospect Street), Hartford, CT 06106-2025
Attending officers: Co-chairperson: S. Michael DeRosa; Treasurer: Christopher Reilly and Barbara Barry, Secretary.
Absent: Co-chairpersons: Phoebe Godfrey and Steve Fournier. No observers.
1. Any business/concerns from last SCC meeting of 8-26-08? Need to acquire names of electors so Cynthia McKinney may be a write-in candidate for the Green Party. The CT Secretary of State’s Office has indicated that all CTGP petitioning candidates have ballot access along with candidates who already had ballot access
2. Any proposed short and long term goals for the CTGP by the executive committee officers? CTGP literature for candidates: SMD provided literature to the New Haven chapter for their SCSC event…when no literature was received by the chapter from GPUS. New Haven has sent $200 to GPUS for the literature, but it did not arrive for the event.
3. Develop the agenda for the 9-30-08 SCC meeting. Template is below.
Proposed agenda for the 7PM 9-30-08 SCC CTGP meeting at Portland Senior Center
Facilitator: To Be Determined
A. Preliminaries:
1. (1 minute): Introductions of voting/non-voting attendees; chapters; if quorum was met; timekeeper; ground rules.
2. (2-4 minutes): Approval of tonight’s proposed agenda, any deletions or additions.
3. (2-4 minutes): Review and approval of minutes of 8-26-08 SCC meeting.
4. (2 minutes): Review and acceptance of the 9-23-08 EC meeting.
5. (2-4 minutes): Treasurer’s report from Christopher Reilly.
B. Any proposals/referendums by chapters, committee:
1. (10-15 minutes): PROPOSAL from Fairfield County chapter.
CONTACT: David Bedell, 12 Ardsley Rd, Stamford, CT 06906, 203-581-3193, dbedellgreen(at)hotmail.com
SUBJECT: Definition of party membership.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: At its February 2008 meeting, the Fairfield chapter adopted a somewhat stricter definition of membership than that in the state bylaws. New Haven has also adopted a stricter definition. The purpose of this proposal is to make party membership contingent on a simple written declaration, just like membership in the major parties, instead of the current definition, which includes vague criteria such as what constitutes a volunteer activity or what is a "coalition partner." This proposal also addresses the contingency of losing minor party status, which happened in some towns during 2004-2006. Further comments can be read at HYPERLINK http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldCountyGreens/message/839
PROPOSAL: In the CT Green Party bylaws (HYPERLINK http://www.ctgreens.org/bylaws.shtml ), the section under "Individual Membership" shall be revised to read:
If the Green Party has minor party status in a town, then: A person enrolled on their town voter list as a Green Party member is a member of the Green Party for all purposes.
If the Green Party does not have minor party status in a town, then a person may become a member of the Green Party under the following conditions:
1. The person must be an unaffiliated voter and must not have been registered with any other party affiliation during the past ninety (90) days.
2. The person shall fill out and sign a CT Voter Registration Form declaring enrollment in the Green Party and submit this to an officer of the local or state Green Party.
3. Upon submission of such declaration, the person's membership in the Green Party will be effective after ten business days.
A person not yet old enough to vote under state law may become a member of the Green Party under the following conditions:
1. The person will turn 18 and be eligible to vote before the next General Election Day.
2. The person has applied to vote by filling out and signing a Voter Registration Form with declaration of enrollment in the Green Party and submitted this to their town hall or to an officer of the local or state Green Party.
3. If the form is submitted to a local or state Green Party officer, membership in the Green Party will be effective after ten business days.
Party members shall receive announcements of State Party general meetings, and shall be entitled to vote when attending State Party general meetings.
When an active Member of a Chapter, the member shall be entitled to vote at all general meetings of the Chapter. No member, however, shall be entitled to vote in more than one Chapter. Chapters may institute their own requirements for membership different from those for State Party membership.
C. Reports:
1. (5 minutes): Number of petitions handed into the CT Secretary of State for GPUS Presidential Candidate: Cynthia McKinney; need seven more electors for her write-in candidacy.
2. (10-15 minutes): GPUS reports from: Cliff Thornton, Co-chairperson of GPUS, CTGP representatives: Tim McKee and Charlie Pillsbury and National Committee Members: Steve Fournier, Richard Duffee and S. Michael DeRosa.
3. (5-10 minutes): Steven Fournier, endorsed 1st Congressional District CTGP candidate: number of petition signatures handed in, campaign status.
4. (5-10 minutes): Scott Deshefy, endorsed 2nd Congressional District CTGP candidate: number of petition signatures handed in; campaign status.
5. (5-10 minutes): Ralph Ferrucci, endorsed candidate for the 3rd Congressional District line. Status of campaign; the 9-2-08 nominating convention.
6. (5-10 minutes): Richard Duffee, endorsed 4th Congressional District CTGP candidate; number of petition signatures handed in; campaign status.
7. (5-10 minutes): Harold Burbank, endorsed Green Party of CT candidate for 5th Congressional District; number of petition signatures handed in; campaign status.
8. (10-20 minutes): Status of other CTGP candidates for public office: number of signatures handed in for each candidate; their nominating convention occurred: campaign status.
9. (5-15minutes): CTGP literature.
10. (5-10 minutes): Fundraising for CTGP.
12. (1 minute): ACLU lawsuit update.
13. (2-5 minutes, each): Other Chapter reports.
16. Place for next SCC meeting at 7pm 10-28-08. Date, place and time of next EC meeting in 10-08: to be determined.
17. Any additions