LPNY bylaws

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[edit] Background

The ad hoc Libertarian Party of New York bylaws committee is reviewing the NY Libertarian Party's bylaws. The current bylaws can be found at http://ny.lp.org/official/bylaws.htm

[edit] Proposed LPNY Bylaws

[edit] Suggested Changes

The bylaws describe the procedure we follow to change the bylaws.

http://ny.lp.org/official/bylaws.htm#Article%20XII:%20Amendment%20Procedures

[edit] add your suggestions here

[edit] suggestions from Bonnie, edited post-UMP

Summary of changes:

  • describe online business procedures
  • take UMP and other dues realities into consideration
  • change and pre-emptively define our 'lockbox' requirements
  • define rights of Board of Elections Libertarian enrollees
  • remove at-large positions
  • remove age requirement for officers
  • a change from the latest version of RRO to the latest PD version (withdrawn)
  • allow alternative but still majority-based voting for officers and nominations
  • recognize national's pledge and the state Pricinples and Objective as equal alternatives for state party membership; require affirmation of at least one of them for enrollees to be able to vote on party business


Description of changes suggested, by article and section: (please send your feedback on these to rabbit@cownow.com)

II. Membership 

       A. Need to take UMP and Enrollees into consideration

       B. Direct State Membership may be technically in violation of our
       UMP agreement, but we can use our amendment as a way to have a separate
       class of membership of those who don't want to take national's pledge

       B. 2. Timing of membership periods -- national's just refined
        their rules; we should align with theirs, probably Do we want
       ours all coming due at the end of the year?


III. County Organizations 

       A. 1. also include enrollees who have affirmed the pledge or P&O

       D. This is where we'd stick revenue-sharing, if we wanted to do that


IV. Conventions 

       A. What we set here for eligibility deadlines will be what we use
       to go to court over the "lockbox" with. Currently, the state uses General
       Election as the date when it reviews memberships and will make party
       transfers in their records. We either need to align with their schedule
       into consideration, or take a stand and prepare to litigate.


V. Officers 

       B. Duties

               3. Secretary

The "master book?" When did we last have one of those? (Cathleen kept one, I think, but I don't know who might have last had one prior to her. I keep minutes and evotes on the website in http://ny.lp.org/official/minutes/ and publish the exact URLs on the state committee list. (Specific URLs are needed to get the exact files.) 

               4. Treasurer

Collection of dues: The January 5 date is no longer relevant under UMP, really. combines all our renewals into one mailing. Do we want that? I think there are arguments for it. 

   C, D, E, F. Remove At-Large language (number of committee members even

without them could grow to 67 members) 

       E. Manner of Election

Allow IRV, approval, Condorcet as alternatives to multi-round voting. Keep majority requirement and NOTA, of course.

VI. State Committee 

       B. Replace "(intentionally left blank)" with "Conducting Committee

Business" 

          Insert a section "3. Online Business" and re-number 3 to 4.
       Cover "current or future communication technology," not just email and web
       polling.
          Better define "notice" as either postal or two-way communication
       (i.e., affirmatively confirmed receipt), not just a one-way email

announcement. 

       E. add online equivalent: current members have right to audit the
       list where state committee business is conducted. (audit = read-only
       membership, i.e., non-participating unless invited by majority of state
       committee, or if invited informally with no objection by voting members)

       G. delete the words "and shall be at least eighteen (18) years of age"

       H. important issues: add the online equivalent: securing votes from
       members with technical difficulties or extended absence from the list


IX. Participation 

       C. Allow national pledge as alternative to state principles and
       objectives (in reality, that's what we do for UMP memberships) -- Now, 
       needed to grandfather our UMP members in as LPNY members, when they 
       signed the Pledge but not our Objectives

X. Quorums 

       B. Meetings of the state committee: amend to include online quorum
       requirements, using terms from article VI.

XI. Committees

Add "and Advisors" to section title

Add definition of the 'advisory committee' -- group of non-voting online participants. (i.e., committee list members who can post on the business list but not vote)

The state committee shall vote on appointment of directors and other advisors to the state party (all non-voting).

The state chair shall appoint other 'advisors to the chair' as needed to execute the state chair's duties.


XIV: Parlimentary Authority

THIS HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN, ALTHOUGH I STILL LIKE THE IDEA IN THE SPIRIT OF INCLUSIVENESS: I'd like us to consider a change from "latest edition" of RRO to "latest edition in the public domain". Any negatives on that? The latest Roberts Rules of Order isn't available for free, and this would remove some obstacles to informed participation.


XVII: Location of the Party Office

Do we need to add? -> "The party may "outsource" office services to other states when necessary."

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