2019 Spring Statecom Proposals

Please enter proposals for 2019 Spring Statecom meeting below.

Key Dates

  • Mar 9 Proposals Deadline (four weeks before meeting).
  • Apr 3  09:00 AM: Comments and Vetting close 
  • Apr 4  09:00 AM: Amendments Due
  • Apr 5 09:00 PM: Rankings Close

Please enter, below, your proposals, including

Proposal Header and Preamble

  • proposal title: short version
  • proposal sponsor/shepherd
    • proposer serves as floor manager and shepherd
    • all proposals require a co-sponsor
    • click on Will Co-Sponsor button to co-sponsor
  • contact info for floor manager
  • committees from which you are requesting review and feedback
  • explanatory background 
  • proposal summary
  • financial impact
  • implementation: who will do what, when, where and how?

Proposal Header and Preamble:

A Clarified Process for Appointing people to GPUS Committees

Short title: GPUS Appointment Procedure

Sponsor: Joshua Gerloff, Secretary and Statecom member, MDVR

Contact Info: [email protected], 978-335-6650

Co-sponsor: Dan Kontoff, Statecom member

Shephard: Joshua Gerloff

Vetting Committee: Adcom

Background: Each state party must have a clearly defined process for appointing delegates to GPUS committees. The Green-Rainbow Party does not have that. How does one apply for appointment? Is there a timeline for submittal? Does your appointment expire and who needs to keep track of that? Etc.

Proposal summary: The Applicant for GRP Appointment to GPUS Committee or other external organization will fill out an application and submit at any time by posting to the StateCom business list. (Any StateCom member can post such an application at the request of the applicant.)  If less than two weeks have elapsed between submission and meeting, the application will be taken up at the next StateCom meeting/telecon. Applicant is required to attend the Statecom meeting to answer questions. Or if they can not attend in person, they can call in for a telephone interview. If consensus is not reached, a majority vote is required to approve their appointment.

Notice of appointments should go to the GP Secretary and to the committee co-chairs.  The notice should include the start month and end month of the appointment. If a state party appoints more than their allotted seats, they should say which member they want to drop.   Appointments can be no more than two years. The Secretary will notify delegates of the expiration of their term 1-2 months before the end of that term, or at the State Committee quarterly meeting before their term expiration.

Financial impact: none.

Implementation: Joshua will update the GRP Secretaries Handbook with these new responsibilities. Josh will create a post / web page / etc informing the GRP membership of this procedure with links to GPUS Committees page https://gpus.org/committees/ and an invitation to serve. Josh will set up a calendar page (or something) on the GRP website which will automatically notify future GRP Secretaries of waning appointments.

Official response from submitted

Statecom has approved the GPUS Appointment Procedure Proposal with a friendly amendment: that the application be welcoming

Thank you so much for your thoughtful consideration and input.

I will be implementing the necessary work in the coming days.

Joshua Gerloff

GRP Secretary

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Join Efforts to Draft a ‘Green New Deal for Massachusetts’.

Short Title: #GND4MA

Sponsor: Brian Cady 617-943-2853 briancady413yahoocom

Vetting committees: Legislative Comm(vetted by vote), Adcom,

Background: Led by 350-MA, the existing effort strives to draw Environmental Justice and Labor forces into co-operation with 350-MA in drafting a bill to transform Massachusetts infrastructure to become carbon neutral by 2030 while making opportunity in society more fairly available. 350-MA seeks input from multiple diverse stakeholders. This is an opening the GRP can use for good. We can help preserve the ‘Green’ part of this GND, by preventing dilution of the core concepts brought to USA politics by the GPUS and Jill Stein. Already Mike Pascucci and Brian Cady have verbally explored the possibility of collaboration with 350-MA’s Suzette Abbot, Julie Taberman and David Klafter.

350-MA: "...A Green New Deal must bring together the needs and hopes of many groups:  climate groups, environmental justice groups, labor unions, low income and frontline groups, Indigenous tribes, youth, faith groups and more. A first step will therefore be for 350 Mass to connect with key partners, frontline groups, and others, and work to help bring together a coalition, which will shape a Massachusetts Green New Deal. " https://350mass.betterfutureproject.org/road-to-ma-gnd

Financial Impact: Miscellaneous Office Supplies, say $20 cost to GRP. Implementation: Legislative committee member Brian Cady will pursue in league with the rest of LegisComm by meeting with 350-MA Boston node people, then pursue meeting and working with state-level 350-MA policy-makers working on GND4MA.

 

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Living Wage Proposal

Sponsor: Jed Stamas, Pioneer Valley Chapter, jstamas at gmail dot com Co-sponsor: seeking Introduced March 9, 2019 Vetting Sought: Platform, CDLC, LegisComm, Adcom Background: As of Jan. 1, 2019, Massachusetts minimum wage law sets the minimum wage for non-tipped workers at $12.00/hour, and for tipped workers at $4.35/hour. Under current law, the non-tipped minimum wage will be increased in steps of +$0.75/hour yearly, until reaching $15.00/hour on Jan. 1, 2023. The tipped minimum wage will reach $6.75 on Jan.1, 2023, increased in steps of +$0.60/hour yearly. Summary: The Green-Rainbow party believes all workers deserve a living wage. We are concerned that when these yearly minimum wage increases are implemented, some workers are being left behind. These workers deserve wage increases as well. For example, consider two workers with the same job, one who makes $12.00/hour (person A), and another worker who has already received an experience-based raise to $12.75/hour (person B). On Jan. 1, 2020, person A's wage will be raised to $12.75/hour. But under current law, employers are under no obligation to raise worker B's wage, effectively eliminating their hard-earned raise. We propose that current law be amended to include +$0.75/hour wage increases for all workers earning less than $14.25/hour on Jan. 1 of each year. Under our proposal, person B's minimum wage would increase to $13.50/hour on Jan. 1, 2020, to $14.25/hour on Jan. 1, 2021, and reach $15.00/hour on Jan. 1, 2022. All tipped employees receiving less than $6.75/hour would receive +$0.60/hour yearly wage increases, up to $6.75/hour. Cost: No cost to the GRP. Implementation: CommComm will explain this in a blog entry and quarter-sheet handout. CDLC will review the laws proposed.

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