PROPOSAL NUMBER: 004-05

1. Date proposed 2/12/05. Sponsors: Charlie Green, RG Greens, Art Goodtimes, SM Greens, and Bruce Meyer, Denver GP

2. TITLE:
Amendment to the GPUS Bylaws to explicitly include Alternates as representatives to the Coordinating Committee.

3. FULL PROPOSAL:
A proposal to the GPUS CC will be submitted by the GPCO delegation to amend Article II, section 2 of the GPUS Bylaws

from:

"The Coordinating Committee of the Green Party of the United States shall consist of the representatives of state parties and accredited caucuses of underrepresented groups."

to:

"The Coordinating Committee of the Green Party of the United States shall consist of the delegates and alternates of state parties and accredited caucuses of underrepresented groups."

4. BACKGROUND:
A recent event in the CC elicited Proposal 119 which read: Article IV of the GPUS Bylaws shall be interpreted so as to mean that an alternate is considered part of the delegation of a state/caucus, and the delegations of the states and caucuses together comprise the Coordinating Committee, and therefore, an alternate is eligible to run for and serve in the position of Co-Chair on the Steering Committee.

This proposal required a 2/3 majority (that choice was also heavily debated) which did not materialize. It failed 37 to 30 with 7 abstentions.

During the lengthy discussion, there was a division of opinion that alternates were fully members of the CC. Many delegates felt they were not. Yet alternates are required to join the e-lists and be prepared to vote on any issue as needed. Some even felt they were not entitled to join in discussion or any of the other privileges delegates have.

5. JUSTIFICATION/GOALS:
The GPCO delegation presently consists of one delegate and three (soon to be two) alternates with one alternate carrying the duties as a delegate. This proposed bylaw amendment would give alternates the ability to join in discussions, propose amendments to items on the floor, and conduct other forms of participation short of voting if a state's delegation has its quota of votes.

This would also give alternates the same ability to join committees as delegates and run for a Co-chair position on the Steering Committee (most party's Executive Committee).

6. PROS AND CONS:
Pro / Con of officially endorsing this initiative
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Pros for this GPCO proposal:

Equal rights for alternates,
More participatory alternates on the CC, and
Alternates would be more experienced when elected to a delegate position.

Cons for this GPCO proposal:

Could lead to confusion on the CC as to who is what in a delegation, and Alternates might also get confused and vote when they shouldn't (they do that now, anyway).

7. Alternatives to the proposal
Let the present ambiguous GPUS policy stand.

Propose that alternates are second-class members of a state's delegation.

Require each state delegation with alternates to have its authorized number of delegates before any alternates are added.

8. REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:

http://www.gp.org/documents/bylaws.html