<div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">For
 over a year, Greens whose gender identity does not fit
the Male / Female binary framework have talked with me and other members
 of the
Coordinating Committee (CC) about addressing the problem of how they are
 excluded from being candidates when there is an election that is 
limited to "Male" seats and
"Female" seats for the CC.</font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2"><br></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">Approving the <span><span><a shape="rect" href="http://cagreens.nationbuilder.com/sga_election_164_bylaws_interpretation_CC_election" style="color:blue;text-decoration:underline" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bylaws Interpretation ID # 164</a> will mean that we can conduct the CC election in an
inclusive and fair manner</span></span>.<br><span></span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">



</font></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2"> </font></span></p><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">

</font></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">A lot has been done over many months that has established
expectation for this. At CC meetings in March, April and May, the CC progressively
developed and approved this bylaws interpretation and its method for conducting
the election. <span></span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">

</font></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">In March, the announcement calling for candidates for the
upcoming CC election included the intention to welcome non-binary candidates. <span></span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">

</font></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">The notice to the SGA at the start of the discussion period on
May 7^th re-iterated the aim of the CC<span> as it announced:<br>
ID #161 - Election: Coordinating Committee, 12 seats for the term July 2018 -
June 2020 (secret ballot) <a href="http://cagreens.nationbuilder.com/sga_election_coordinating_committee_12_seats" style="color:blue;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">http://cagreens.nationbuilder.<wbr>com/sga_election_coordinating_<wbr>committee_12_seats</a><span></span></span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">

</font></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">The SGA vote administrators prepared the election in
accordance to the notice and decisions of the CC.<span></span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">

</font></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2"> </font></span></p><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">

</font></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2"><i>Unintended error and choice for going forward:</i><span></span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">

</font></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">Then there was an unintended error that this bylaws interpretation
was not on the agenda to be voted on by the GA on June 9-10 as it should have
been. The bylaws interpretation has been put to this SGA to be voted on June
18-24.<span>  </span>Because of the timing, that isn’t
consistent with our bylaws.<span>  <br></span></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">However, the<i> </i>bylaws also state the CC election must
be held June 18-24. <span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Changing the CC election process now would create changes
to the election timing which would not be consistent with our bylaws</span></span></span></span></span></span></span>.</font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">At this point,
which ever path we take it will be outside of the bylaws in some way.<span>  </span><span></span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">

</font></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2"> </font></span></p><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">

</font></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">The GA / SGA is the highest decision-making entity of the
Green Party of California.<span>  </span>It is
appropriate that you/SGA decide which path best reflects the spirit of the
bylaws and our Green Party values. In voting yes or no on <a href="http://cagreens.nationbuilder.com/sga_election_164_bylaws_interpretation_CC_election" style="color:blue;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">Bylaws
Interpretation ID # 164</a>  the SGA resolves this and determines which way we go.<span></span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">

</font></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2"> </font></span></p><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">

</font></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2"><a href="http://cagreens.nationbuilder.com/sga_election_164_bylaws_interpretation_CC_election" style="color:blue;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">Bylaws
Interpretation ID # 164</a> is about justice for non-binary candidates to be
included in our CC elections<span class="gmail-im">.  <span></span></span><span></span>As the
May 7^th notice to the SGA at the start of the discussion period
stated, “the <span>CC has
concluded</span> <span>that
the decades-old Green Party of California bylaws were not intended to exclude
any Greens who are non-binary.”</span><span class="gmail-im"></span></font></span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2"><span></span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">

</font></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2"> </font></span></p><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">

<span class="gmail-im"><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span><span><span><span>A vote of NO would return
 us to the past process of having to conduct the CC election in a way 
which excludes candidates outside of the Male /Female binary and</span></span></span></span><span class="gmail-im"> does not recognize the full spectrum of gender identity of
our Green membership.</span></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><br><span class="gmail-im"></span><span></span></div></span></font></span><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2"><span>A vote of YES on </span><a href="http://cagreens.nationbuilder.com/sga_election_164_bylaws_interpretation_CC_election" style="color:blue" target="_blank">Bylaws
Interpretation ID # 164</a><span> </span><span>provides a mechanism for conducting
this current CC election in an inclusionary way.</span></font></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2"><br></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2"><br></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2"><br></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">June Brashares,<br></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">member of the current CC, <br></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">candidate for CC term 2018-2020, <br></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">& Sonoma County SGA delegate</font></span></p><br></div>