[gpva-ic] Proposal to Amend Article VII of GPVA Bylaws

[Audrey Clement]

Dear Interim Committee Members,

As you know, the GPVA Interim Committee is empowered to make decisions on behalf of GPVA between business meetings. Inasmuch as the next business meeting will not occur until January, 2013, I am convening the IC to consider the following proposed amendment to GPVA Bylaws. This proposal is also being published to the GPVA Business Listserv for a thirty-one day comment period. If after that time, the IC does not consense on the proposal, it will be scheduled for a vote as per GPVA Bylaws, Article XVII Interim Committee, D. Decision Making. 
Audrey Clement
Co-Chair


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SPONSOR(S): Audrey Clement and Tom Yager

SUBJECT/TITLE: Proposal to Amend GPVA Bylaws, Article VII Membership

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: 

Present rules governing the standard of conduct for GPVA members contained in Article VII of GPVA Bylaws are prescriptive rather than proscriptive. They describe how members should conduct themselves, but do not spell out the kinds of activity that ought to be proscribed. 
 
The co-chairs agree that Article VII could be improved by incorporating language that details the types of activities that could result in sanctions by the party against recalcitrant members. This language, which comprises Section 7-2.2 of the proposal, was adapted from the section on membership standards contained in the Bylaws of the Arlington Green Party. 
 
In addition, the co-chairs want to streamline the process for sanctioning members who are found to have violated the GPVA standard of conduct. The streamlined membership review process, which is contained in Section 7-3 of the proposal, was also adapted from the Bylaws of the Arlington Green Party.

PROPOSAL:

SECTION I
Amend GPVA Bylaws by substituting Article VII in its entirety with the 
following language:

ARTICLE VII. MEMBERSHIP

7-1 Eligibility

7-1.1 Membership in GPVA is open to all members of GPVA locals in Virginia 
and/or anyone holding membership in the GPVA At Large local, except for 
officers, official spokespersons, candidate and central committee members of 
other competing political parties.

7-1.2 For purposes of enforcing 7-1.1, GPVA shall determine which political 
parties are competing.

7-1.3 The GPVA welcomes and embraces all members regardless of age, race, 
color, gender, spiritual belief, physical challenge, or sexual orientation.

7-2 Membership Standards

7-2.1 Members of GPVA are expected to:

• uphold the Ten Key Values;
• be honest and forthright in all dealings;
• act scrupulously in handling state and local party funds.

7-2.2 Members of GPVA are proscribed from engaging in the following 
activities:

7-2.2(a) committing GPVA to actions, endorsements, and other policy 
positions outside that body's decision-making process;

7-2.2(b) misrepresenting the decisions or policies of the party or its 
officers;

7-2.2(c) financial irregularities with party funds;

7-2.2(d) acting to subvert the Green Party or its values, for example:
• advocacy or practice of racial, sexual, national or religious 
oppression;
• advocacy or practice of violent political actions; or
• acting as a strike-breaker, agent provocateur, or government or 
corporate informer;

7-2.2(e) acting to willfully disrupt the freedom of speech, press or 
assembly of any member or members of GPVA; or

7-2.2(f) acting contrary to the principles of grassroots democracy.

7-3 Membership Review Process

7-3.1 GPVA may sanction or remove members who behave in a manner 
inconsistent with its membership standards as defined in 7-2 above.

7-3.2 Charges of violation of membership standards against any member of 
GPVA may be made by any member.

7-3.3 All charges shall be in writing. The accused and the accuser shall 
have the option of seeking to resolve the conflict through mediation, if 
both parties agree.

7-3.4 All members charged with violations of membership standards shall have 
the right to rebut the charges.

7-3.5 The burden of proof shall be on those making the charges. After 
hearing testimony from the accusers and the accused, including the 
presentation of evidence and/or witnesses, the membership shall vote to 
impose sanctions on the accused by a two-thirds vote.

7-4 Voting Rights

7-4.1 Each GPVA member, who is registered with the state party for at least 
one year or is designated to party officers by his/her local representative 
or alternate as a member in good standing of the local, is entitled to vote 
on proposals presented at business meetings.

7-4.2 At Large members who wish to exercise voting rights within the first 
year of joining the party shall be vetted by one of the co-chairs.

SECTION II
For ease of readability and reference, recodify GPVA Bylaws to conform with 
the numbering scheme reflected in SECTION I above.

REFERENCES:

GPVA Bylaws
http://www.vagreenparty.org/bylaws.html

Arlington Green Party Bylaws
http://www.arlingtongreens.org/files/AGP_Bylaws_090815.pdf 

 		 	   		  
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