[Green-Rainbow] Re: [Procedures] Section 8

[Jamie O'Keefe]

Quoting Jeffrey O'Neill <jeffo at massgreens.org>:

> Gil, I don't like the idea of adding Mass laws as an official addendum
> to the bylaws, but we can talk about that later.

I agree with Jeff.  State laws are available on the web for all to use and may 
change.  no reason to enshrine them in our bylaws.

> 8.5 The state committee shall consist of a fixed number of seats
>   elected as described in section 8.6 plus a variable number of
>   additional seats that will be created as necessary to satisfy the
>   diversity criteria in section 8.7.  In all cases, state committee
>   members must be registered Green voters and their term of office
>   will end on or before the thirtieth day following the presidential
>   primary.

terms ending "on or before the thirtieth day following the presidential 
primary." works for 4 yr seats, but not for the other seats which are 2 years.
 
> 8.6 A total of 40 state committee members shall be equally distributed
>   to eight regions.  This number shall increase to 60 members on
>   February 1st, 2003 and shall increase to 80 members on February 1st,
>   2004.

First, I am totally confused.  You state a total number of members and then 
state that they must be distributed equally over the regions destroying any 
attempt a mirroring the distribution of Greens as opposed to the population in 
general.

Second, how do we change these numbers post-2/1/2004?  The current by-laws 
leave that to the yearly convention.  This fixes it in the by-laws and requires 
that the by-laws be changed.

> 8.6.1 The eight regions are each composed of five state senatorial
> districts.
> 
> Region I - Berkshire, Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin; Hampden; First
>   Hampden and Hampshire; Second Hampden and Hampshire; and Hampshire
> and
>   Franklin.
> Region II - will fill in later
> Region III - 
> Region IV - 
> Region V -
> Region VI - 
> Region VII - 
> Region VIII - 
> These regions shall be re-evaluated when state senate districts are
> changed.  
> 
> 8.6.2 Up to 5 men and 5 women in each region (one from each senate
>     district) shall be elected to four-year terms at the presidential
>     primaries as described in Massachusetts General Laws.  Their terms
>     shall begin on the thirtieth day following their election and end
>     four years later on the thirtieth day following the presidential
>     primary to be held that year.  

Again, this is problematic.  There are a total of 80 4 yr seats.  Yet the 
number of members shall be 80 as of the presidential primary.  It is certainly 
possible that few 4yr seats will be filled by election at the presidential 
primary, however, the system as proposed specifies 10 state senate based seats 
for every region and leaves no extra seats to distribute based on where we are 
members on.  Basically, any form of geographic representation based on the 
distribution of Green members as opposed to the population of Mass. goes out 
the window with this proposal.

Also, if you read this strictly, we will have negative seats since the number 
of seats is set at 40 now, and 60 on 2/1/2003, but you state that there shall 
be 10 seats per region (i.e. 80 seats).

>                                    Any vacancies in these seats will
>     not be filled until the next presidential primary and converted to
>     a two year seat to be filled as in section 8.6.3.

Just reiterating my suggestion that all vacancies (except maybe for diversity 
seats) use one method and the definition of how to fill them and the length of 
their terms be in one subsection.

> 8.6.3 The remaining regional seats shall be elected to two-year terms
>     at regional conventions and each region must reserve half (rounded
>     down) of their total seats for each gender.  In the event that
>     there are not enough candidates of a gender, then those seats will
>     remain empty.  Candidates must be nominated by at least two other
>     members.  State committee members elected in this way may be
>     removed through a 2/3 vote of a regional convention.  Each region
>     must hold a regional convention for the purpose of electing state
>     committee members after the presidential primaries and within the
>     time period specified by state law for the initial organization of
>     the State Committee.  Each region must also hold a regional
>     convention two years later.  The terms of members so elected will
>     begin the day following their election and end two years later.
>     In the event of a vacancy on the State Committee a region may hold
>     a regional convention to fill the seat provided it is not within
>     six months of the previously mentioned regional conventions.

What mechanism do we use to distribute the total seats over the regions?

> 8.7 The state committee will create additional state committee seats,
>   when necessary, to ensure the diversity of the state committee.
> 
> By the end of March in every even year, the State Committee shall
> receive a report of the racial distribution of the general population
> of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, including estimated percentages
> of uncounted individuals and undercounted segments.  The duty for
> determining the source of this report shall be assigned to a
> sub-committee of the state committee.
> 
> The state committee shall take the figure, contained in this report,
> for the percentage of the population that are people of color and add
> 5% to this amount.  The result of this addition shall be known as the
> diversity goal for the purposes of these bylaws.  The value of the
> diversity goal for the year 2002 shall be 25%.
> 
> Whenever the percentage of the state committee members who are persons
> of color fails to achieve or exceed the diversity goal for that year,
> additional diversity seats shall automatically be created to meet the
> diversity goal.
> 
> In addition, the state committee may, by a 2/3 vote, create or remove
> any additional diversity seats that it desires, to represent other
> under-represented groups, such as but not limited to, on the basis of
> gender, geography, income, and sexual preference.

Should we maintain proportionality, can we remove geography as one of the 
criteria for running for a diversity seat?  If past experience is any guide our 
proportional method will already distribute seats away from Boston and the 
eastern part of the state.
 
> Candidates must be nominated by at least two other members.  Nominees
> for unfilled diversity seats shall be appointed by a 2/3 vote of state
> committee members prior to the consideration of regular business at
> any state committee meeting.

peace,

Jamie

James O\'Keefe
Green Party Candidate for Massachusetts State Treasurer
jamesokeefe.org