Original version - May 1996 1/1/97 - Added appendix 1 7/23/02 and 8/27/02 - Amendment to Article VII, Consensus, of the SFGP Bylaws. Matt Spencer proposed changing the endorsement threshold, when consensus cannot be reached, from the current 80% vote of active members to 75%. This amendment would apply to endorsements of candidates and ballot measures only; all other endorsements and policy decisions would remain at 80% vote of active membership. 11/20/02 and 12/17/02 - Paul Platt's in between-meeting event-endorsements proposal. 11/16/05 and 12/14/05 - Marc's proposal splitting M&A into Rules and Arbitration WG Article IX: Conflict Resolution A. Rules Committee The Rules Committee of the San Francisco Green Party shall: 1. Be the final arbiter of disputes involving interpretation of the Bylaws, 2. Maintain in a manner accessible to active Greens the records of bylaw amendments and archive of party policies, and 3. Serve as a working group to advise members on proposed bylaw amendments and internal party policies. Each new County Council will nominate, and with the consent of a General Meeting (business decision), appoint three standing members of a Rules Committee. Standing members will serve the same terms as the County Council that nominated them. Vacancies on the committee will be filled using the same procedure. At least one standing member shall not be a member of the County Council. At least one standing member shall have legal training or extensive legal experience. Once appointed, the Rules Committee shall adopt its own bylaws that allow for the participation of active Greens in interpreting the SFGP bylaws. The Rules Committee shall take jurisdiction of SFGP bylaws disputes when referred by any active Green, any working group, the general membership meeting or the County Council. Bylaws interpretations are a business decision for the Rules Committee. The Rules Committee may request reasonable funds from the CC to keep secure records. In the case of a bylaws interpretation, if two of the three standing members disagree with an interpretation and elect to do so, they may veto an interpretation consensed upon by the full committee. This allows for the elected County Council and the General Membership to have a check on stacked meetings. After every successful Bylaws amendment, the Rules Committee shall provide the CC with an updated copy of the Bylaws, for public dissemination. The Rules Committee shall also maintain a current archive of party policies, which the CC will make available to the public. Standing members shall coordinate the production and promulgation of a committee report to the County Council and General Membership documenting the issue(s) investigated, fact-finding efforts and any findings and conclusions. This report must be crafted with legal defensibility in mind. In the event of a veto, the standing members shall solicit minority reports from active Greens on their differences that shall be included in the committee report. In its roles of maintaining records and advising on proposed bylaw amendments, the Rules Committee shall function as any other working group. B. Interpersonal Dispute Resolution Board Each new County Council will nominate, and with the consent of a General Meeting (business decision), appoint three standing members to a Dispute Resolution Board. Standing members will serve the same terms as the County Council that nominated them. Vacancies on the committee will be filled using the same procedure. At least one member shall not be a member of the County Council. The Board shall facilitate conflict resolution for disputes that originate at SFGP facilities, meetings and events only. The Board shall work with stakeholders to identify and engage forms of conflict resolution acceptable to all parties to a dispute. The Board is the first recourse of dispute resolution. If the Board is unable to resolve the dispute, it can designate an ad hoc committee of at least three Greens (one not a member of the County Council) acceptable to all parties who are willing to work to resolve the conflict or to an independent dispute resolution service. The Board shall report to the County Council any action it takes in referring disputes for resolution. The proceedings of the Dispute Resolution Board shall be closed, unless all parties to a matter stipulate otherwise. Internal records of dispute resolution shall remain closed unless all parties agree to open them. Internal records shall be deleted two years after the conclusion of dispute resolution, unless they have been opened. Any County Council oversight of The Board shall be held in closed session if any party to the matter requests so. The Board shall produce a report at the conclusion of dispute resolution which shall include the substance of the initial positions of each side in the dispute, allegations investigated and whether substantiated, efforts made towards resolution and recommended action. The County Council must affirm by a simple majority any action forwarded by The Board and any member of the County Council party to a dispute must be recused from the affirmation vote. If affirmed, the report will be made available to active Greens. The Ten Key Values of the Green Party shall serve as standards for dispute resolution. Transparency, objectivity, justice and fairness shall be the goals. The only winner in dispute resolution should be the Green Party. 5/17/06 and 6/21/06 - JMC's proposal to lower quorum at cc meetings to 50%. The proposal is to change the quorum to 50% of the current number of CC members, rounded up. 7/19/06 and 8/16/06 - Rules Cmte's proposals regarding CC attendance and renumbering bylaws Renumber bylaws from Roman Numerals to outline system A member will be automatically removed from the Council in the event that the member: a) Moves out of the county; or b) Registers with another political party or Decline to State; or c) Is absent from at least three out of any six consecutive regularly scheduled County Council meetings, without being excused by the CC. Absences may be excused by the CC (business decision) in advance of a scheduled absence or at the next CC meeting following an absence. 1/17/07 and 2/21/07 - Rules Cmte's GPCA delegates bylaws changes (at the end of section 8): In the last sentence, add after "may choose" the clause ", by consensus (no fallback vote, notwithstanding section 7)," (after the last sentence in section 8, add the following language) The quorum for this decision is 2 SFGP delegates, at least 1 of whom must be a SF regional rep or regional rep alternate. If quorum is not met, the CC may still choose alternates (business decision). Alternates may optionally be assigned to particular delegates or prioritized for vacancies. Any delegate may assign all their duties to an alternate. If a delegate has not checked in, an alternate may perform the absent delegate's duties until the delegate arrives. If there is disagreement about which alternate has priority for a particular vacancy, the alternates will choose among themselves through a random selection process such as flipping a coin or drawing straws. 2/21/07 and 3/21/07 - Rules Cmte's Local/Caucus bylaws Change Article 2 from "Neighborhood Groups" to "chartered Locals and Caucuses" Article 5: Locals and Caucuses 5.1. Locals are groups of Green Party members based in a particular San Francisco neighborhood, and focused on issues concerning that neighborhood. Caucuses are groups of Green Party members who share a common identity (e.g., gender, age, race, sexual orientation, or culture). Locals and Caucuses are permitted to restrict their membership to Green Party members meeting these qualifications. All locals and caucuses must reflect Green values and be in accordance with the goals and purposes of the San Francisco Green Party. 5.2. Any group of Green Party members may start a local or caucus. Once they have at least five ongoing, active members, they may apply to the County Council or General Membership to be chartered. Chartering a local or caucus is a business decision. Once chartered, another business decision by the CC or GM is required to revoke a charter. Charters are valid for two years, and automatically renewed unless the membership of the local or caucus falls below five members. 5.3. Chartered locals and caucuses must use the consensus process for decision making. A minimum quorum of 3 members is required to make decisions. Locals and caucuses may write bylaws governing their own internal processes, provided the bylaws and any changes to them are approved (policy decision) at two consecutive meetings of the local or caucus. 5.4. Chartered locals and caucuses may make endorsements and raise funds for campaigns in accordance with FPPC regulations. The SF Green Party will help inform locals and caucuses about these regulations. If a local or caucus wants to make endorsements or raise funds for any campaign not endorsed by the SF Green Party, they must choose their own treasurer and follow all FPPC regulations. If a local or caucus raises funds exclusively for SF Green Party-endorsed campaigns, they may comply with FPPC regulations by providing the SF Green Party treasurer with the appropriate documents. 5.5. Chartered locals and caucuses may nominate one of their own members to the County Council for the duration of the current CC's term. The consent of the GM (business decision) is required to appoint the nominee to the CC. If appointed, the maximum size of the CC is increased by one for the duration of the current CC's term per each chartered local or caucus. If this position becomes vacant, or if the nominee is rejected by the GM, or up to one month before a new CC takes office following an election, the local or caucus may nominate another (or the same) member. CC members representing locals and caucuses are otherwise equivalent to CC members appointed to fill vacancies, and all rules and bylaws regarding CC members apply to them. No person may simultaneously hold more than one seat on the County Council. 5.6. Chartered locals and caucuses cannot use the phrase "Green Party" in their name, to avoid confusion with the county party. They should use an alternate name such as "Greens" or "Green Club."