[GPCA-SGA-Votes] Discuss ID 157: Bylaws Amendment: Clarify Notice Requirements and Reset Quorum at a Minimum of 50% For Standing Committees’ Voting Membership

[Linda Piera-Avila]

More of Mike Feinstein's emails that are not being sent through to this 
list, despite being sent hours ago

Linda


> *From:*Mike Feinstein <mfeinstein at feinstein.org>
> *Subject:**Re: [GPCA-SGA-Votes] Discuss ID 157: Bylaws Amendment: 
> Clarify Notice Requirements and Reset Quorum at a Minimum of 50% For 
> Standing Committees’ Voting Membership*
> *Date:*March 30, 2018 at 10:17:02 AM PDT
> *To:*GPCA Discussion List for SGA Votes <gpca-votes at sfgreens.org>
>
> There is no reason to require less than a majority of committee 
> members in place to conduct committee business, especially since 
> on-line votes are available for ALL committee members to participate 
> in a decision, including those who may not be able to make a 
> particular teleconference.
>
> Again, this is a thinly veiled attempt to consolidate power in fewer 
> and few hands.
>
> I am really disappointed we keep seeing so many rule changes mean to 
> reward infighting, and so little actual electoral strategy in the party.
>
>>
>> Background
>>
>> This proposal has been brought forth because in recent years a number 
>> of standing committees of the Green Party of California (GPCA) have 
>> been unable to conduct any business for lengthy periods of time due 
>> to failure to reach quorum.  This state of affairs has often impeded 
>> the GPCA Coordinating Committee (CC) from fulfilling its own 
>> responsibilities per GPCA Bylaw 8-1.7
>
> This is NOT true.  The CC has not had a quorum issue.
>
>> (“Request and receive reports from Committees and Working Groups, 
>> refer matters to them, and monitor and assist their work”).  GPCA 
>> standing committees are capped, for gender balance, at an even number 
>> of members,
>
> This is yet another case where the sponsors don’t know what they are 
> talking about.  GPCA standing committees are NOT capped to promote 
> gender balance.  Only the CC has a gender balance requirement.  All 
> other committees do not.
>
>> and currently establish quorum at a majority of voting members.  This 
>> proposed amendment would establish the minimum quorum at least 50% of 
>> standing committees’ voting membership.
>
> This is just a move for the other committees to have a lower 
> participation threshold, to make it easier for a smaller number of 
> people to push things through when others aren’t on a particular 
> teleconference.
>
>>
>> This proposal would also clarify an ambiguity in notice requirements 
>> for calling meetings.  The language of GPCA Bylaw 9-3.1 is silent 
>> regarding notice requirements for standing committees that establish 
>> regular meeting schedules.  In practice, most if not all standing 
>> committees establish regular meeting schedules for their work year. 
>>  The proposed language would make explicit that two weeks’ notice is 
>> required for meetings that fall outside a standing committee’s 
>> regular meeting schedule, should one be set.
>
> If people think establishing regular meeting schedules is appropriate, 
> THAT is what should have been submitted here, not this rule change.
>
> For all these reasons,  I am voting no
>
> Mike Feinstein
> SGA Delegate, GPLAC
>
>>
>> Proposal
>>
>> That GPCA Bylaw Article 9-3 be amended as follows:
>>
>> That Article 9-3 be amended from its current text:
>>
>> Section 9-3 Meetings
>>
>> 9-3.1 Committees shall meet during GPCA state meetings, on 
>> teleconferences and otherwise as necessary to achieve the objectives 
>> outlined in its work plan. Meetings must be called with a minimum of 
>> two weeks notice to committee members.
>>
>> 9-3.2 The decision-making process for committees shall follow that 
>> described for the General Assembly in 7-5.5. Quorum is a majority of 
>> the committee's voting membership.
>>
>> To read as follows:
>>
>> Section 9-3 Meetings
>>
>> 9-3.1 Committees shall meet during GPCA state meetings, on 
>> teleconferences and otherwise as necessary to achieve the objectives 
>> outlined in their work plans. Meetings outside any regular meeting 
>> schedule shall be called with a minimum of two weeks notice to 
>> committee members.
>>
>> 9-3.2 The decision-making process for committees shall follow that 
>> described for the General Assembly in 7-5.5. Quorum shall be at least 
>> 50% of the committee's voting membership.​
>>
>> Sponsors: The proposed amendment has been endorsed and sponsored by 
>> the Green Party of Butte County and the Green Party of Yolo County.
>>
>> Full details will be available at: 
>> http://www.sjcgreens.org/sga_vote_bylaw_interpretations
>>
>> Please send your discussion comments to gpca-votes at sfgreens.org
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