Proposals for action at 2017 State Meeting

This is Proposal 010-17: Update to GPUS Plank on Education

Per Section 4.3 of the Bylaws: All decisions concerning policy, finance, and objectives shall require consensus or a vote of at least 60% of the membership present at a state meeting and/or the Council. The Green Party of Colorado may adopt a party Platform by consensus or a vote of at least 60% of the membership present at a state meeting.

Per Section 4.1.1. of the Bylaws: In order for official decisions to be made at a state meeting, a quorum of at least 60% of local chapters must be represented, with a minimum number of voting participants (registered in the Green Party of Colorado) equal to twice the number of local chapters represented.

Per Section 3.2.5 of the GPCO Procedures and Guidelines: Proposals brought to the agenda of a state meeting must be made by local chapters or a minimum of 5 individuals at large, by the Council, or by any Officer of the GPCO. A written statement of the proposal must be sent to the Council by a representative of the sponsoring local, or by a member at large accompanied by evidence of at least 4 other member’s endorsements. The statement and evidence may be done by email or on paper.

There are currently 11 active voting chapters in the Green Party of Colorado. Adoption of this proposal requires an AGREE of at least 60% of all votes cast and also requires a minimum quorum of at least one response from seven (7) chapters.

Active Chapters
Adams County
Arapahoe County
Denver
Douglas County
Greater Boulder
Pikes Peak
Poudre Valley
Mesa
San Miguel
Longmont
Ouray

Passage of this proposal will be sought via consensus at the GPCO State Meeting on August 12, 2017.

1. Basic Info:

Date proposed: July 20, 2017
Name of the sponsors: Andrea Merida Cuellar, co-chair, Green Party of Colorado

2. Title: Update to GPUS Plank on Education

3. Text of the actual proposal:

The Green Party of Colorado submits the following substitution to the GPUS Platform, Section II: Social Justice, Item E: Education and the Arts. The Secretary or other designated person is charged with formatting the following plank change according to specifications of the GPUS Platform Committee and is also authorized to accept friendly amendments with consultation of the sponsors.

******************************

1. Education
The Green Party supports equal access to high-quality education, and sharp increases in financial aid for college students.

A great challenge facing the people of the United States is to educate ourselves to build a just, sustainable, humane and democratic future, and to become responsible and effective citizens of the local and global communities we share. Greens believe every child deserves a public education that fosters critical and holistic thought, and provides the breadth and depth of learning necessary to become an active citizen and a constructive member of our society. We do not believe our public school system, as it presently operates, helps us reach that goal.

Today, America’s public school system faces a different set of challenges. For the first time in this country’s history, students of color represent the majority of the PK-12 public education student body. Additionally, now more than half of all school children are classified as “low income.” Even more critical is the fact that now nearly 35 percent of all public school students have some specific learning disability and are receiving special education services. Given these factors, in order for America’s schools to truly become effective in teaching our students to think critically and to respond to life challenges, districts, schools and teachers must develop a new consciousness toward students that includes cultural competency, the understanding of the impact of poverty on school performance, asset-based engagement and how to create stable, nurturing school environments that will help students thrive and succeed.

Therefore, Greens work toward:

• Dismantling white supremacy in our schools, represented in curricula, discipline, teacher recruitment and more, by seeking to end the school-to-jailhouse track
• Free teachers from requirements to use exclusively Common Core Standards-aligned materials, which neglects the contributions and struggles of people of color. Teachers should be free to choose whichever materials are academically-challenging and culturally appropriate for their students.
• Strengthen cultural competency requirements for teachers. Provide robust professional development in cultural competency, and widen the scope of teacher preparation to include cultural competency training.
• End alternative teacher licensing initiatives, such as Teach for America, which recruit primarily white teachers and inject them into urban classrooms with as little as five weeks’ training and only a two-year commitment, creating great destabilization in school communities that need consistent leadership and community connections.
• Incentivize “grow your own teacher” programs in oppressed communities with targeted recruitment during high school, federal grants and loan forgiveness and mentoring.
• Invest more resources into recruiting fully bilingual school support staff, such as front-office and family resource personnel and counselors.
• Eliminate police officers from our schools. Ensure school security personnel are trained for, and held accountable to, conflict resolution techniques and anti-bias training. Security personnel should also demonstrate cultural competency and refrain from enforcing white supremacist oppresive tactics.
• Recognize the impact of poverty on student achievement, which no amount of sanctions, standards, turnarounds, teacher targeting or privatization will fix. Implement strategies such as wraparound services and more to support students in poverty.
• Eradicate the vestiges of structural racism represented through police violence, incarceration, school suspension and dropout rates, inequitable school funding and use of schemes like “student-based budgeting,” behavior policies based on “no excuses,” “character education” and “grit,” and school closures.

The Green Party is strongly opposed to the dissolution of public schools and the privatization of education. We believe that the best educational experience is guaranteed by the democratic empowerment of organized students, their parents and communities along with organized teachers. We should challenge students with great works of literature, economics, philosophy, history, music, and the arts as regular academic subjects.

We must stop disinvestment in education and instead put it at the top of our social and economic agenda. Effective schools have sufficient resources. Too many of our teachers are overworked, underpaid, and starved of key materials.
Greens believe in education, not indoctrination. We must not rely on standardized tests to reflect educational achievement because of their biases that reduce education quality to the lowest common denominator. Instead we support the use of tools such as the “learning record” that rely on the authentic assessment of a student’s actual work in terms of that student’s gifts and abilities. We believe it is very important to teach our children how to ask good questions.

We also call attention to the results of a quarter century of corporate funding from the likes of the Broad and Wal-Mart Family Foundations and a decade of No Child Left Behind and its repackaged new offspring, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) — a vast, well-endowed and lucrative sector which seeks to dismantle, privatize, or militarize public education and destroy teachers unions. Regimes of high-stakes standardized testing and the wholesale diversion of resources away from public schools are provoking crises for which the bipartisan corporate consensus recommends school closings, state takeovers of entire school districts and replacement by unaccountable, profit-based charter schools and voucher systems. The Green Party is unalterably opposed to the dissolution of public schools and the privatization of education.

Therefore, the Green Party advocates:

• That with the failure of NCLB’s testing mandate, recognize and uphold parents’ right to opt their children out of any standardized test, instead of ESSA’s weak permission of allowing states to pass such statutes. End the official bullying and threats from school and district officials when parents opt out.
• End all standardized testing and instead redirect the millions of funds allocated toward prep, materials, support, etc. to creating expanded access to music, arts, sciences and languages as mandatory, academic subjects.
• End all federal competitive grants like Race to the Top (RTTT) and instead equitably fund schools based on a priority of socioeconomic level.
• ESSA’s passing the buck of “test and punish” to the states puts more authority in the hands of people with even less understanding of pedagogy and child development than even the US Department of Education. Students of color, English learners and students with disabilities used to be able to count on federal oversight of their basic rights in school.
• End ESSA’s promotion of charter-friendly, unproven alternative teaching licensing and “credential mills” like Relay Graduate School of Education and others, that circumvent public oversight.

The Green Party views learning as a lifelong and life-affirming process to which all people should have access. We cannot state more forcefully our belief that in learning, and openness to learning, we find the foundation of our Platform.

We also recommend the following actions:

• Eliminate gross inequalities in school funding. Federal policy on education should act principally to provide equal access to a quality education.
• Provide free college tuition to all qualified students at public universities and vocational schools. Abolish all student and parent loans taken out to finance post-secondary and vocational education.
• Oppose the administration and operation of public schools by private, for-profit entities.
• Increase funding for after-school and daycare programs.
• Promote a diverse set of educational opportunities, including multilingual education, continuing education, job retraining, distance learning, mentoring and apprenticeship/vocational programs. Provide resources for career counseling.
• Give K-12 classroom teachers professional status and salaries commensurate with advanced education, training and responsibility.
• For students with disabilities, provide a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment (as inclusive as possible). Provide curriculum designed for specific disabilities, as well as inclusive training for ALL teachers. Improve transition programs for students with disabilities from ages 18-21.
• Teach non-violent conflict resolution and humane education at all levels of education. Implement and fully-fund restorative justice programs as an alternative to suspension and police referral.
• Provide age-appropriate education on gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, and safer sex.
  Prohibit advertising to children in schools. Corporations should not be allowed to use the schools as vehicles for commercial advertising or corporate propaganda.
• Provide healthy school meals that are rich in vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber, and offer plant-based vegetarian options, free of pesticides, processing or GMOs. Support Farm-to-School programs that provide food from local family farms and educational opportunities. Develop culturally-sensitive menus and provide opportunities for parents to assist in meal preparation.
• Build education programs based on autochthonous skills, crafts, art, music, permaculture, and history. Also present children of colonial heritage viable and sustainable ways of life of indigenous peoples worldwide.
• Ban the sale of soda pop and junk food in schools. Oppose military and corporate control over the priorities and topics of university academic research.
• Expand opportunities for universal higher education and life-long learning.
• Include a vigorous and engrossing civics curriculum in later elementary and secondary schools, to teach students to be active participants in society.
• Encourage parental responsibility by supporting parenting in culturally-sensitive ways and increasing opportunities for parents to be as involved as possible in their children’s education. Values start with parents, and schools should not seek to de-program students from those values. Expand arts education and physical education opportunities at school.
  Recognize the viable alternative of home-based education and support working-class parents who wish to offer it to their children.
• Oppose efforts to restrict the teaching of scientific information and the portrayal of religious belief as fact.
• Provide adequate academic and vocational education and training to prisoners.
• Decrease the student-teacher ratio in classrooms and increase the number of counselors, nurses, librarians and social workers.
• Make all public education sites gun-free to provide a safe learning environment
• Include self-defense skills in the physical education curriculum at elementary school level
• Provide researched-based drug, tobacco, and alcohol abuse prevention, as well as evidence-based information about the true effect of recreational or medicinal substances such as cannabis on the developing brain.
• Include curricula focusing on civil rights history, actions, and advances, and how current law can be used to achieve personal civil rights. Teach all students about white supremacy and intersectionality.

*************************************

4. Background: This amendment to the GPUS Education plank was edited and prepared by a number of Green public school educators, including Peggy Robertson (formerly Arapahoe), founder of United Opt-Out, as well as several other public school teachers from the Denver metro area who are also registered Green.

5. Justification/Goals: This platform amendment updates the plank to reflect current federal education legislation, as well as addressing the factors that contribute to the school-to-jailhouse pipeline.

6. Pros and Cons: None identified

7. Alternatives to the proposal: Take no action.

8. References: Bylaws, Green Party of Colorado: https://coloradogreenparty.org/about/bylaws/. Section II: Social Justice, of the Platform of GPUS: http://www.gp.org/social_justice_2016

This is Proposal 010-17: GPCO Anti-Oppression/Anti-Capitalist Bylaws Change

Per Section 4.3 of the Bylaws: All decisions concerning policy, finance, and objectives shall require consensus or a vote of at least 60% of the membership present at a state meeting and/or the Council. The Green Party of Colorado may adopt a party Platform by consensus or a vote of at least 60% of the membership present at a state meeting.

Per Section 4.1.1. of the Bylaws:  In order for official decisions to be made at a state meeting, a quorum of at least 60% of local chapters must be represented, with a minimum number of voting participants (registered in the Green Party of Colorado) equal to twice the number of local chapters represented.

There are currently 11 active voting chapters in the Green Party of Colorado. Adoption of this proposal requires an AGREE of at least 60% of all votes cast and also requires a minimum quorum of at least one response from seven (7) chapters.

Active Chapters
Adams County
Arapahoe County
Denver
Douglas County
Greater Boulder
Pikes Peak
Poudre Valley
Mesa
San Miguel
Longmont
Ouray

Passage of this proposal will be sought via consensus at the GPCO State Meeting on August 12, 2017.

1. Basic Info:

Date proposed: July 20, 2017
Name of the sponsors: Denver Green Party

2. Title: Adoption of GPCO Anti-Oppression/Anti-Capitalist Bylaws Change

3. Text of the actual proposal:

The Green Party of Colorado The Green Party of Colorado amends its bylaws with the insertion of this statement, beginning at Section 2.4.  The GPCO commits resources, funding and other tools to assist local chapters in this work of mutual liberation, and the yearly budget of the GPCO will include earmarks to that end.

****************************
START BYLAWS CHANGE

2.4 In keeping with the Green Party’s third pillar of Social Justice, the Green Party of Colorado declares itself to be an anti-oppression party, actively dedicated to the work of ending capitalism and dismantling white supremacy and heteropatriarchy.  As such, expressions of sexism, racism, classism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, and other oppressive behaviors are not in keeping with the values of the Green Party of Colorado.

2.4.1 Further, the Green Party of Colorado explicitly rejects the false ideas of reverse racism, misandry, etc., because we understand the role of white supremacy, heteropatriarchy, etc. in the oppression of our comrades of all colors, genders, and sexual orientations. While it is possible for prejudice against white people, against men, against cisgender people, against straight people (or any other privileged group) to exist, this prejudice is not oppression because there are no institutional power structures designed to disenfranchise these privileged groups.

2.4.2 State officers will conduct themselves in public statements, public appearances and other situations acting in the capacity as representatives of the GPCO, in a manner in keeping with the aforementioned values of anti-oppression. Representatives of the Green Party of Colorado shall make every effort to respect and amplify the voices of marginalized people.

2.4.3 Informed and inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King’s words in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail, in which he decries “the white moderate, who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice,”  state officers are charged with the responsibility of wading through the difficult discussions when oppression arises or to ask for help from outside allied organizations if they do not possess the skills.

2.4.4 Leadership of local chapters should also adhere to these values, and they should do everything within their capacity to help develop the consciousness of their membership, so as to create a welcoming, safe space in which to build collective power, with women, people of color, people with disabilities and the entire spectrum of the LGBTQIA+ community and the homeless.

2.4.5 As a corollary to oppression under capitalism is the oppression felt by the white working class members of our community, who are often used as bludgeons by the ruling class against women, people of color, people with disabilities, etc.  It is the mission of the Green Party of Colorado to create opportunities for solidarity so that mutual understanding and shared collective power can be built.

2.4.6 The Green Party recognizes this nation’s actual history, not its idealized history.  A history of empire building, capitalism, white supremacy, and genocide.  The Green Party must lead in the understanding of this history, and the current reality that is this history’s result. (EDIT: friendly amendment accepted)

BYLAWS CHANGE END

*************************

4. Background: As of the date of the 2017 GPCO State Meeting, the many locals have adopted similar statements or incorporated them into their bylaws.  With the adoption of these similar bylaws, the Denver Green Party has organically grown a diverse, large membership.  Discord has become almost non-existent in the Denver local, because a common definition of oppression and of focus has served as an important guideline for a common understanding.

5. Justification/Goals:  In order to orient the Green Party of Colorado toward greater inclusion and diversity, our locals must become havens where the oppressed do not have to wade through the justifications of their life experiences and instead focus on building mutual solidarity and collective political power.  The goal is to grow our locals with a robust membership ready to collaborate in full freedom.

6. Pros and Cons:  Some members who benefit from certain societal or economic privileges may feel excluded by this change, but as the language states, the state party will work in coordination with locals to ensure that all voices are heard and that everyone’s struggle is honored and supported.

7.  Alternatives to the proposal: Take no action.

8.  References: Bylaws, Green Party of Colorado: https://coloradogreenparty.org/about/bylaws/

NOTE: This proposal is intended for action at the state meeting, but the sponsors are open to friendly amendments until Friday, August 4, 2017.  Co-sponsoring individuals in good standing from active locals, or locals, are invited.

This is Proposal 014-17: Recognition of the Young Greens of Colorado

Per Section 3.1 of the GPCO Bylaws, “A Green local must present its proposed bylaws for approval, and be approved by 60% of the voting Greens at a state party meeting, or by the state council.”

There are currently 11 active voting chapters in the Green Party of Colorado. Adoption of this proposal requires an AGREE of at least 60% of all votes cast and also requires a minimum quorum of at least one response from seven (7) chapters.

Active Chapters
Adams County
Arapahoe County
Denver
Douglas County
Greater Boulder
Pikes Peak
Poudre Valley
Mesa
San Miguel
Longmont
Ouray

Passage of this proposal will be sought via consensus at the GPCO State Meeting on August 12, 2017.

1. Basic Info:

Date proposed: July 25, 2017
Name of the sponsors:Adams County Green Party

2. Title: Recognition of the Young Greens of Colorado

3. Text of the actual proposal:

The Green Party of Colorado recognizes the membership of the Young Greens of Colorado, as an affiliate.

4. Background: Members of the Young Greens of Colorado have been meeting regularly via Conference calls since January of 2017. Since then our members have helped start two Chapters(Longmont, Ouray), and have been beginning to organize on College and High School campuses. The Youth of the GPCO make up about half of the Party. Most of us don’t have the time to attend regular county/municipal meetings and would greatly benefit from having an alternative route to organize with the Green Party of Colorado. This would also give the Party a dedicated space to organize students and around issues students face. We are the future of this Party, but we feel we also need our own space in the present to ensure that we are the radicalizing force behind GPCO.

This chapter comports with all the requirements for affiliation, as set forth in the bylaws for the Green Party of Colorado, Section 3.1.

Their caucus bylaws, adopted May 31 2017, are included in the References section, below.

5. Justification/Goals:  Let’s give the Youth of Colorado a voice in electoral politics.

6. Pros and Cons:  No cons identified.

7.  Alternatives to the proposal: Take no action.

8.  References: Bylaws, Green Party of Colorado: https://coloradogreenparty.org/about/bylaws/

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Green Party of Colorado Youth Caucus Bylaws

Purpose:

The marginalization of youth in the U.S. political process, including the electoral process, and within social movements, has long existed in the United States. Furthermore, youth are always the spark of systemic change in society, and thus always repressed by older more conservative people and groups, always dis-empowered by the legal system and in the wider culture due to adultism.

As a party that advocates for social justice issues, the Green Party offers youth an avenue to be represented and participate in electoral politics, in movement spaces, and in grassroots organizing work.

The Green Party of Colorado Youth Caucus (referred to as “GPCO Youth Caucus,” or “the caucus” elsewhere in this document) will work to provide Green identified youth representation and opportunities for participation within the GPUS. We also officially identify ourselves as the “Young Greens.”

The purpose of the GPCO Youth Caucus is to:

Educate youth about Eco-Socialist politics and educate Greens about issues that impact the lives and future of young Greens.

Recruit more youth to the Green Party, including finding and training political and movement organizers and revolutionaries at the high school, college and young-adult levels.

Give young Greens a voice within the GPCO, including seeking out leadership roles within the party. We recognize that we are incubating the next generation of the Green Party, and advocate for this process, so that the party understands and supports this critical work.

Create and provide educational and organizational resources.

Provide resources to caucus members to allow greater youth representation at Green Party related events.

Continue to fulfil the requirements to exist as an accredited caucus/committee of the GPCO.

Initiate and support movement work that aligns with our values.

Envision, nurture and grow strategic coalitions and programs that advance the Green Party’s Anti-Capitalist platform and objectives in relation to our constituents.

The GPCO Youth Caucus endorses the Ten Key Values of The GPUS and shall follow them as guiding principles. The GPCO Youth Caucus endorses the platform of the GPUS and will continue to take an active role in shaping it. The Youth Caucus shall support state and local candidates selected at GPCO nominating conventions. We will also seek to and entertain requests for us to endorse and support other National Green candidates.

Additionally, the GPCO Youth Caucus’s expression of the GPUS Platform, specifically the 7th and 8th Key Values, as well as of the Third and Fourth Pillars of the Green Party (Social Justice, Economic Justice) causes it to declare that we are an anti-capitalist, anti-oppression party, actively dedicated to the work of challenging white supremacy, cissexism and heteropatriarchy. As such, expressions of sexism, racism, classism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, and other oppressive behaviors are not in keeping with the values of this party.

Further, the Youth Caucus explicitly rejects the false ideas that are used to derail social justice movements, such as reverse racism and misandry. While prejudice may exist against white people, against men, against cisgender people, against heterosexual people (or any other privileged group), this prejudice is not oppression because there are no institutional power structures designed to disenfranchise these privileged groups.
The GPCO Youth Caucus also declares political independence from the corporate parties and from other forms of corporate influence.

Membership:

Membership in the GPCO Youth Caucus is open to those that meet all of the following criteria: Registered/Pre-Registered Green, agree to the Green Party’s Ten Key Values, agree with the platforms of the caucus and the GPUS, and are at least fourteen years of age, and no older than thirty-six and one day (having joined before or on their thirty-fifth birthday), and have met the yearly dues requirement.

The maximum age for new members to join the GPCO Youth Caucus is thirty-five and no days. Members in good standing who have been involved in the GPCO Youth Caucus for at least one year (having joined on or before their thirty-fifth birthday) may retain their membership through their thirty-sixth year of age, but may not be considered a member beyond that.

Members must abide by the governing documents of the GPCO Youth Caucus and must act in a way that represents the organization positively. Failure to meet these requirements may result in suspension of membership by a vote of the steering committee.

Members of the Youth Caucus may not be affiliated with any other political party for 90 days prior to a vote, such as the Republican, Democratic, and Libertarian parties. This is done on an honor system, based on our membership form.

Individual membership is dues-based, set at a minimum of $10 per year, paid to the Green Party of Colorado. This process shall be directed and tracked by the Youth Caucus Co-Chairs in coordination with the GPCO Treasurer, as needed. Additionally, members may substitute hours volunteered in lieu of dues.

Members meeting all of the above requirements are considered in good standing for caucus voting privileges and to serve in elected GPCO Youth Caucus positions or to represent the GPCO Youth Caucus on bodies within GPCO.

Others who do not meet the state party membership requirement, dues-based requirement, or are under 14–but identify as Green and with the 10 Key Values, generally support the GPUS & GPCO Platforms, and are under thirty-six (having joined on or before their thirty-fifth birthday)–are still encouraged and permitted to participate in the GPCO Youth Caucus and its activities, but will not have stature to vote on caucus business or represent the caucus in an official capacity. Persons under 14 are also encouraged to become involved in the caucus.

Member Privileges:

Members are entitled to participate in the election of steering committee members.

Proposals with the support of at least ten members that meet proper formatting specifications may be submitted to the steering committee for a vote of the Youth Council.

Any proposal vote of the steering committee may be reversed by a 60% vote of the Youth Council. A minimum of ten members must initiate the request to reverse a steering committee decision of a proposal.

Youth Council

The Youth Council shall be accountable to the local or campus Green Party that they represent.

The Youth Council shall be composed of at least one representative from each local or campus Green Party.The duties of an unfilled or vacant position shall be delegated to a co-chair of the Caucus.

Membership in the youth council shall be inclusive, and shall strive to reflect diversity in areas such as race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, class, ability, religion, and lawful American citizenship or resident status.

Steering Committee:

The steering committee shall be accountable to the members of the GPCO Youth Caucus and shall be the executive body of the Youth Council.

The steering committee shall be composed of five positions. The steering committee is composed of four co-chairs and one State Council Representative. The duties of an unfilled or vacant position shall be delegated to a co-chair of the committee.

Membership in the steering committee shall be inclusive, and shall strive to reflect diversity in areas such as race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, class, ability, religion, and lawful American citizenship or resident status.

Decisions:

Decisions of the Youth Council shall be made by consensus with voting choices being agree, stand-aside, block, or abstain. At least one agree vote is required for the Youth Council to pass a proposal. A summary of any reservations shall be recorded with the vote. Decisions not able to pass in consensus (when a block vote is placed or if no agree vote is cast) will proceed to the voting phase for a yes/no/abstain vote. A proposal must receive majority vote (greater than 50% of currently seated steering committee members) to pass.

All steering committee votes must be made available (such as by posting to an official GPCO Youth Caucus website or via email) to all caucus members upon passing.

Caucus Committees, Working Groups, and Positions.

The steering committee may create and delete working groups of the Youth Caucus, and appoint or remove members of these committees. Committees are accountable to the steering committee and must have a steering committee member designated as a liaison to the committee.

Similarly, the steering committee may create specifically designated roles and positions to assist the steering committee and the caucus with particular tasks. For example, with the website, social media, administrative tasks, or a particular project, program or initiative.

Officers:

Time Commitment to Organizing: While varying in responsibilities, all steering committee members are expected to put in 5 or more hours of work each month. The steering committee is a hands-on body of committed Green organizers whose labor fuels our party and the movements we participate in. Without this level of commitment to work, the caucus operations are inhibited to the detriment of the rest of the steering committee, the caucus as a whole, our constituencies, and the party. Members who have other party or outside commitments are encouraged to understand and consider these requirements prior to seeking office within the Youth Caucus.

Co-chairs are the primary officers of the Youth Council. Responsibilities include but are not limited to being the chief organizers of the caucus, spokespersons of the caucus, writing press releases and seeking media opportunities, facilitating ways for members to get involved in movements and actions that align with Green values, overseeing caucus social media, planning and mobilizing meetings, conducting caucus elections, monitoring the performance of other officers, and related duties.

Co-Chairs shall be responsible for the fiscal management of the caucus and shall serve as the caucus’s primary liaison to the GPCO Treasurer and local party Treasurers.

It is expected that the Co-chairs make available a financial statement to the caucus members no less than annually.

The Co-chairs are charged with  tracking and continual upkeep of our caucus dues-based membership requirement. The Co-chairs are also charged with making suggestions about funding and fundraising to the caucus and exploring other possibilities of material support.

Co-Chairs are responsible for keeping and maintaining meeting minutes. The Co-Chairs are responsible for the continual tracking of our membership roles and the verification, as needed, of membership status. They also oversee the integrity of the caucus archival structure–which includes documents and other items as determined by the steering committee.

State Council Representative shall serve as needed if a Co-Chair can no longer perform the duties of the position, or is absent from a meeting and is empowered to participate in Steering committee discussions and on proposals the caucus wishes to submit to the GPCO.

The State Council Representative will also be responsible for staying up to date on State Council business. They also help to oversee the Local Youth Caucus Representatives and help to keep local Green Parties up to date on Youth Caucus business.

Officer Removal:

An officer may be removed from office for misconduct or non-participation by a majority vote of the members of the steering committee, minus the member in question. This must be initiated by at least two steering committee members. An officer facing removal must be notified of this and allowed a chance to speak or issue a statement addressing the charges against them. The officer in question has seven days to issue such a statement. An officer’s privileges may be revoked temporarily if the members initiating removal cite a concern regarding damage that could be done by the officer in question during the period preceding the removal vote.

Elections, Voting, and Decision Making:

Officers Elections:

The regular election for officers shall occur yearly. In August, four co-chairs and one State Council Representative are elected.

The official transition will happen during the next regularly scheduled conference call of the steering committee after the election. While other previous and ongoing discussion is encouraged, this provides a minimum opportunity for outgoing and incoming steering committee members to ask questions and seamlessly pass along needed information.

Regular terms shall be approximately one year in length. The length of term may vary slightly depending on when the election is conducted.

Officers may serve indefinite terms so long as they meet the necessary requirements to hold office and be a member of the caucus.

An officer candidate may only run for one steering committee position per election.

Officer elections shall be conducted by Instant Runoff Vote (IRV).

Elections for officers shall include a binding “None of The Above” (NOTA) option. If NOTA wins an IRV election, the election must be conducted again with a new slate of candidates.

The officer election is to be conducted by online means to allow the greatest opportunity for members to participate. The online vote may be supplemented with other voting means (such as mail vote) at the discretion of the steering committee.

Elections shall be conducted in such a way to prevent non-members from participating.

Special Elections:

A special election may be conducted to fill an officer vacancy at the discretion of the steering committee. The length of an officer’s term when elected to fill a vacancy shall only be for the remainder of the term.

Officer Recall:

An officer recall may be initiated at any time by the request of a minimum of ten members. An officer may be recalled by a 60% vote of the members.

Proposal Voting:

The steering committee may issue referenda to be voted on by the members of the Youth Council.

Proposals with the support of at least ten members that meet proper formatting specifications may be submitted to the steering committee for a vote of the steering committee. The steering committee must consider the proposal during their next regularly scheduled call.

Any proposal vote of the steering committee may be reversed by a 60% vote of the members. A minimum of ten members must initiate the request to reverse a steering committee decision of a proposal. The steering committee must conduct the vote and otherwise cooperate with qualifying reversal requests.

Candidate Endorsements:

A presidential candidate may be endorsed prior to nomination, but this must be done by a 60% vote of the members.

The steering committee may issue an endorsement on behalf of the caucus prior to the nominating convention if a candidate has clinched the nomination. A candidate is considered to have clinched the nomination when enough delegates, bound or unbound, have been designated to the candidate sufficient to win the nomination.

The steering committee may endorse Green Party candidates that are uncontested by other Green Party candidates, and candidates for nonpartisan office running on a Green Party platform.

Non-presidential candidates running in a contested Green Party primary may seek the endorsement of the caucus, and earn the endorsement of the caucus by receiving over 60% of a caucus-wide vote.

Caucus Meetings:

The caucus shall convene no less than four times annually to discuss overall caucus direction. This meeting is an opportunity to systematically and holistically review the performance of the caucus, discuss both long and short-term strategy, and brainstorm revisions to the platform and governing documents of the caucus.

The meeting ideally should happen in person, but may also take place by phone or by online means if necessary, or be hybrid of an in person and online or phone meeting. It is the responsibility of the steering committee to announce, plan, schedule, and run the meeting to achieve maximum participation from committee members.

A review of decisions made and a summary of the meeting’s minutes shall be made available to caucus members within fourteen days of the meeting’s conclusion.

The Youth Council should meet no less than monthly–likely by phone or by online means.

The Steering Committee should stay in contact at least once per week.

Decision Making:

Endorsements and actions of the caucus shall comply with the Ten Key Values of the GPUS. Endorsements and actions of the caucus should also align with our caucus emphases on being anti-capitalist, intersectional/anti-oppression, anti-colonialist, and politically independent.

Consensus Process:

The steering committee and the delegation of the meeting shall use the consensus process to make decisions. Agreement seeking shall have the voting choices of agree, stand-aside, block, or abstain. At least one agree vote is required to pass a proposal. A stand-aside vote indicates non agreement with the proposal, but will not block a proposal from passing. A block vote indicates strong reservations and prevents a proposal from passing in the consensus phase unless the vote is rescinded. An abstain vote indicates that the individual does not have enough interest or knowledge on the topic to participate and is leaving the decision up to the others. Reservations are concerns individuals state when casting their vote. Discussion should seek to address as many reservations as possible. A summary of any reservations shall be recorded with the vote. Decisions not able to pass in consensus (when a block vote is placed or if no agree vote is cast) will proceed to the voting phase for a yes/no vote. A proposal must receive majority vote (greater than 50% of currently occupied elected steering committee positions) to pass.

Governing Documents:

The caucus may create other governing documents in addition to the bylaws, such as an operating rules document. Documents such as these must not conflict with bylaws.

Platform:

The caucus may create a platform, so long as the platform complies with the Ten Key Values of the GPUS.

Amendments:

This document may be amended by a 60% vote of the members from a steering committee referendum.

Ratified May 31st, 2017

This is Proposal 015-17: Bylaws Changes to Authorize Outreach Caucuses

This proposal is intended for the floor of the state meeting on August 12, 2017

Per Section 4.1.1 of the Bylaws, “In order for official decisions to be made at a state meeting, a quorum of at least 60% of local chapters must be represented, with a minimum number of voting participants (registered in the Green Party of Colorado not less than 90 days) equal to twice the number of local chapters represented.”

Per Section 4.3 of the Bylaws, “All decisions concerning policy, finance, and objectives shall require consensus or a vote of at least 60% of the membership present at a state meeting and/or the Council.”

Per Section of the GPCO Bylaws, “These bylaws may be amended on a three-fifths vote by members present at a state meeting or by the state council. A written copy of adopted bylaws (with any current amendments) will be maintained by the Secretary.”

There are currently 11 active voting chapters in the Green Party of Colorado. Adoption of this proposal requires an AGREE of at least 60% of all votes cast and also requires a minimum quorum of at least one response from seven (7) chapters.

Active Chapters
Adams County
Arapahoe County
Denver
Douglas County
Greater Boulder
Pikes Peak
Poudre Valley
Mesa
San Miguel
Longmont
Ouray

1. Basic Info:

Date proposed: July 26, 2017
Name of the sponsors: Andrea Merida Cuellar and Dave Bell, co-chairs, Green Party of Colorado; Sean Friend, Secretary, Green Party of Colorado

2. Title: Bylaws Changes to Authorize Outreach Caucuses

3. Text of the actual proposal:

The following changes will be made to the Bylaws, as follow in the References section of this proposal.

4. Background: Outreach caucuses are a different take on the idea of “identity caucuses.”  Often, members of an oppressed community can be sidelined into a caucus, while the dominant culture is absolved of any work toward justice, simply because a caucus exists.  Instead, outreach caucuses are a safe place for oppressed communities to build political power within the Green Party, armed with a mandate to grow our numbers and with the solidarity of the party at large.

5. Justification/Goals:  To grow the membership of the Green Party of Colorado and to expand our ranks from among members of oppressed communities, for mutual solidarity and to build collective power to challenge the corporate parties.

6. Pros and Cons:  To not build outreach avenues to oppressed communities is to deprive the party of the energy of persons who have a material stake in working for change NOW, is a failure to live up to the ideals of the 10 Key Values.

7.  Alternatives to the proposal: Take no action.

8.  References: Bylaws, Green Party of Colorado: https://coloradogreenparty.org/about/bylaws/

The changes to be made are in bold below.

3.1  A Green Local (insert: or Outreach Caucus) must agree to:
* Accept the Ten Key Values and to manage the chapter in accordance with those values.
* Abide by the bylaws of the Green Party of Colorado.
* Openly support only the national candidates selected by Green convention, state level candidates nominated at a Green Party of Colorado nominating convention, and local candidates selected with the criteria specified in sections 4.5.4 and 4.5.5 of these bylaws.
* Make a good faith effort, where reasonable, to increase the number of Green voter registrations within the boundaries of their chapter (insert: or outreach constituency).
* Make a good faith effort to (insert: recruit and) run state and local candidates.
* Make a good faith effort to increase the number of qualified voting members within their chapter (insert: or outreach constituency).
* Make a good faith effort to fundraise for the operation of their chapter (insert: or caucus) and to assist in the operation of the Green Party of Colorado.  (insert: A dues-paying structure is highly encouraged, to at least partially fund operations.)
* Demonstrate evidence of commitment to, and good faith efforts to achieve, [gender balance in party leadership and representation] (replace bracketed with: membership from among the wide spectrum of gender identities and gender expression in party leadership and representation).
* Demonstrate evidence of good faith efforts to empower individuals and groups from oppressed communities, through, for example, leadership responsibilities, [ remove: identity caucuses] and alliances with community-based organizations, and endorsements of issues and policies.

Chapter (insert: and caucus) officers and council representatives must not have been registered as a member of a political party other than the Green Party of Colorado for at least [remove: thirty days] (insert 90 days)  before nomination and must maintain registration as a Green Party of Colorado voter throughout the duration of the officer’s/representative’s term.

A Green local (insert: or outreach caucus) must present its proposed bylaws for approval, and be approved by 60% of the voting Greens at a state party meeting, or by the state council.

3.1.1 A Green local (insert: or outreach caucus) shall be placed in Inactive Status if it fails to send any representatives to a state meeting or if it fails to have representatives vote for three or more consecutive votes on the council, or if it no longer has any active members on the council. Council members will be considered inactive if they do not vote on three consecutive votes. [remove: They will be notified of their status by the Council Facilitator immediately upon missing the third vote]  (replace with: it is the responsibility of every local or caucus to monitor the votes of their delegates, and they are encouraged to appoint alternates in the event a delegate cannot vote). They can be reactivated by notifying the Council Facilitator that they wish to be reactivated and by voting on the next Council vote. Council representatives cannot be reactivated in an Inactive or defunct local (insert: or caucus). For absence at a state meeting, the local (insert: or caucus)  will be notified by the Secretary within one week of the meeting. Once placed in Inactive Status, [remove: a local] (replace with: locals or caucuses) will not be counted in the quorum for votes and its representatives will not be allowed to vote. For missing votes on the Council, the local (insert: or caucus) will be notified by the Council Facilitator [remove: immediately upon failing to vote for the third time], or when it no longer has any representatives on the Council.

3.1.1.1 A Green local can be removed from the Green Party of Colorado for any cause by a vote of at least 75% of the voting Greens at a state party meeting, or by consensus of the Council, not counting the local being removed.  (insert: Outreach caucuses are a permanent fixture of the Green Party of Colorado, and therefore they cannot be removed.  However, their members or leadership may be subject to disciplinary actions such as censure or removal of leadership by the state council as a result of documented violations of the 10 Key Values or these bylaws.)

3.1.1.2 A Green local (insert: or caucus) can be reinstated to Active Status by submitting a written request (email is acceptable) for reinstatement to the Council or to a state meeting, listing its new active members for the Council and being approved by at least a 60% vote of the voting Greens at a state meeting, or by at least a 60% vote of the Council.

3.1.1.3 If a Green local has been in Inactive Status for more than six months, it will be considered to be defunct and will be removed entirely as a Green local. To be reinstated, the local will have to go through the same procedures as a new local. (insert: This does not apply to organizing caucuses.)

Also update:

4.2.1. The Council is composed of up to four representatives from each local (insert: and outreach caucus) in Colorado, elected by the members of their respective locals (insert: or caucus) in any manner they chose at a regular meeting of that local (or caucus) for terms as long as the local (or caucus) approves, as well as the two state co-chairs, all other state party officers, and the representatives and alternates to the Green Party of the United States. Locals (insert: and caucuses) will also define their own recall or removal process. Council representatives must have email access and agree to read and respond to Council emails at least once within any [remove: ten] (insert: seven)-day period. The Council may also be referred to as the Steering Committee or Central Committee of the Green Party of Colorado for compliance with state law.