DRAFT This is a draft proposal which has not yet been voted on by the committee.
Proposed by Rich Tomasso and Alicia Mattson.
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Problem: Our bylaws establish an affiliate relationship between the national party and state parties. For this reason, the national party cannot (and should not) compel state affiliates to accept as voting members at their conventions, national party members based solely on their national party membership. That same courtesy in the bylaws is not extended the other way – a state affiliate can compel the national party to accept as a national delegate someone who is only a member of that state party.
All a person has to do to become a national member is to certify in writing that they oppose the initiation of force to achieve political or social goals. In spite of how easy it is to become a member, our current rules allow delegates to attend Libertarian Party conventions and vote on our leadership, platform, and bylaws even if they are not members of the Libertarian Party. - Solution: To create a relationship where both the national and state parties are on equal footing, we propose requiring that national delegates be members.
- Benefits: This change further commits us to the model that both the states and the national party are truly affiliates, with neither being subservient to the other.
Bylaws of the Libertarian Party
ARTICLE 11: CONVENTIONS
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Delegates:
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Delegates shall be required to be members of
eitherthe Partyor an affiliate party. At all Regular Conventions delegates shall be those so accredited who have registered at the Convention. At all Non-Regular Conventions, any person who wishes to attend may do so.
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Delegates shall be required to be members of
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This proposal if passed would likely result in Oregon voting in the affirmative to end our relationship with the LP at our 2015 convention. If it even sees the floor it will weigh as evidence as to why that vote should be taking in the affirmative.
ReplyDeleteWe reject the creation by the national party of additional encumbrances on our members in order to exercise their rights as a member of our party.
Disclaimer:
The Libertarian Party of Oregon has an unresolved legal dispute with the LNC Inc resulting from their hiring of the Oregon Republican Party’s Lawyer, then sponsoring his litigation against us to through signing a conflict of interest release in pursuing an agenda of replacing our state party leadership through a sponsored coup, initiated by officers of the LNC at the time and composed of current members of the bylaws committee. Further our delegation was not seated in 2012 due to a poisoned credentials committee which included several of the plaintiffs in the dispute and the Chairperson of the LNC at the time was willing to allow that committee to violate the bylaws and their authority under RROR at the Las Vegas Convention.
You may consider my statements on this matter bias or experience depending on your disposition.
If Wayne Root were still among us he would LOVE this proposal. Only national party MEMBERs can be delegates; and then let's raise the dues.
ReplyDeleteDo we really think those who might not be libertarians will be kept from our conventions by requiring membership?
No, I have a better idea: Let's partner with the Homeland Security and NSA folks to BAN anyone registered as a Democrat, Green, Republican etc from attending our conventions . . . That will fix things!