Bylaw and Platform Amendment proposals should be submitted to info@mainegreens.org no later than one month prior to the date of the annual State Convention. Any registered Green Independent in the state of Maine is eligible to submit proposals. Amendment proposals failing to meet this deadline may be brought to the floor of the Convention, but the member submitting the proposal must be responsible for printing and distribution at the Convention.
The 2010 MGIP State Convention will be held May 1st at the Grange Hall in Greene, ME. To meet deadline, submissions must be made by April 1st.
Amended at the Green Independent Party Conventions
on May 20, 2000 in Bangor;
on May 19, 2001 in Portland;
on June 23, 2002 in Brunswick;
on June 7,2003 in South China;
on April 18th,2004 in Lewiston;
on June 25th, 2005 in Augusta;
on May 19th,2006 in Portland;
on May 19th, 2007 in Bangor;
on May 18th,2008 in Yarmouth
and on May 3, 2009 in Augusta.
PREAMBLE
TEN KEY VALUES
(click to read about our Ten Key Values)
ECOLOGICAL WISDOM
GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE
NONVIOLENCE
DECENTRALIZATION
COMMUNITY BASED ECONOMICS
GENDER EQUITY
RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY
PERSONAL AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
SUSTAINABILITY AND FUTURE FOCUS
The purpose of the Maine Green Independent Party (GIP) is to transform Maine's political and economic environment to be consistent with our 10 Key Values, by means of all legal and non-violent methods which include but are not limited to:
We expect and insist on constitutional and legal over-sight and accountability at all levels of government, while preserving civil liberties as guaranteed by the Constitution of the USA and State of Maine
With these by-laws we seek to facilitate those goals in a manner consistent with the ten key values and that is responsive to the roots of the organization (local groups) and to external forces.
Any person who is registered to vote in the Maine Green Independent Party is a Member of the Maine Green Independent Party (herein called the "Party"). Any Member is entitled to fully participate in all aspects of the Party in accordance with these By-Laws, without exception.
Members of the Party meeting a minimum of four times annually in their area, shall be considered a Local Group or Epicenter of the Party. Each Local Group will designate one person to act as a Steering Committee Contact for that local. That person will be responsible for communicating the local concerns, questions, etc... to the Steering Committee, as well as relaying information to local members from the Steering Committee. All County and Local Group meetings shall be open to the public.
a) The Steering Committee of Directors (Steering Committee) is established to coordinate the efforts and oversee the management of the Party. The Steering Committee shall meet at its discretion, but at a minimum once every two months. Notice of those meetings and meeting minutes will be given to all Local Groups, posted on the Party's web site and advertised in any way the Steering Committee deems necessary. All Steering Committee meetings shall be open to members of the Party.
In the case of phone conference meetings, any interested Green shall be given the opportunity of attending by notifying the Steering Committee of their interest in attending, being contacted with the phone number and access code for the conference call.
The duties of the Steering Committee include, but are not limited to:
Acting as the official voice of the party through its designated spokespeople,
Overseeing the finances of the Party,
Working to achieve the goals of the Party as set at Annual Convention,
Establishing and overseeing committees of the Party,
Being responsible for staffing the Party office,
Organizing the Annual Convention, special conventions and other meetings,
Coordinate communications within and without the Party,
Helping Local Groups organize,
Assuring the Party meets its statutory obligations (Municipal Caucuses in every County, Party Conventions, etc.),
Approving liaisons with other groups,
Consulting with county committees and local groups,
Surveying of known active members,
Taking timely public positions on social, political or economic issues that are of considerable concern to Mainers, including matters of peace and justice worldwide.
In so doing, the Party shall demonstrate leadership of such issues and concern, first by declaring such positions, and second, by participating as a Party, in rallies, marches, and other political events as may occur.
The Steering Committee is comprised of six members voted at large. One of whom shall be the elected chair. The members of the Steering Committee shall designate, either from among themselves or from Party membership, a Financial Officer; Communications person; Media Coordinator; Candidate recruitment entity; Lobbying coordinator; and Web page coordinator, whose roles and responsibilities the entire Steering Committee shall clearly outline and communicate to those persons and make publicly available in its minutes. The Steering Committee shall also designate a Membership Chair, whose responsibility would include maintenance of enrollment lists, names, addresses, (physical & electronic), and phone numbers with said list available for any legitimate purpose within the purview of the MGIP Steering Committee, these Bylaws, and in connection with calling of official party meetings, including Convention. From its membership, the Steering Committee shall appoint a Scribe. Separately, there shall be elected at a convention an additional member as Treasurer. This brings the Steering Committee membership to a total of seven (7).
b) The Steering Committee has the authority to adopt rules and procedures to meet its obligations to the Party. It shall conduct its process and policies in accordance with the Ten Key Values. The Steering Committee shall develop and adopt a decision-making process that is consensus seeking, and make it a formal part of its proceedings. The Steering Committee may change its process at any time but only in accordance with the process in place at that time. A quorum of a simple majority will enable the Steering Committee to conduct its business. The Scribe shall record the percentages of any votes taken by the Steering Committee.
c) Election of Steering Committee members: Steering Committee members will be elected at the Annual Convention. Each member will be elected for a term of two years with chair being one of the seven members, holding chair position for only one year of the two year term. If for some reason an officer elected under Article IV, Section 3 is unable to serve his/her entire term the Steering Committee shall select a replacement to serve until the next convention, at which time a replacement will be elected to complete the term. When the Treasurer Position term on the Steering Committee is open, the replacement will be for Treasurer as well as Steering Committee.
d) Resignation and Removal:
(1) Any Steering Committee member may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Chair of the Steering Committee.
(2) Any Steering Committee member whose term has not expired may be removed by vote of three-quarters of the members present at an Annual State Convention or other special convention as outlined in Article V of these Bylaws.
e) Communications with local groups: The Steering Committee will keep local groups informed of its actions and pose questions to the local groups via the Steering Committee Contact of each local (as described in Article II).
f) Local group access to Steering Committee agenda: Any local group as defined in Article II may propose items to the Steering Committee for consideration of action.
g) The Steering Committee will create and maintain job descriptions for its Members.
The Party shall hold an Annual Convention, as specified under statute, for the purpose of:
The Convention will be open only to members of the Party as defined in Article I.
The Steering Committee may call and organize special conventions throughout the year,
as it deems necessary, to accomplish specific purposes. Special
conventions must be open to all members of the Party as defined in
Article I and notice of such conventions must be given to all local
groups in accordance with the Party's convention rules. The business of
special conventions shall be restricted to agenda items of which the
Steering Committee has notified the local groups as being the purpose of the
convention. A special convention may be called for the purpose of
holding a recall hearing to remove members of the Steering Committee. All applicable
rules for calling a special convention and the decision-making process
for a special convention would apply.
The Steering Committee may also organize and sponsor other Party meetings and forums,
such as a Fall Assembly, to explore issues in depth, to educate members
on issues of individual interest, to build community and to have fun.
Section 6.1. Adoption of Platform and Policy Positions
The Maine Green Independent Party shall adopt a platform based on the Ten Key Values that clearly define the Party's position on issues facing our society and the world. The platform will be a guide for elected officials and other Party members engaged in public policy making. Such platform may be amended from time to time as provided for herein. The Maine Green Independent Party shall also adopt policy positions addressing political issues in Maine, the bioregion, in the United States as a nation, and elsewhere in the world.
Section 6.2. Amendments to Platform and to Policy Positions
(1) Any member may propose amendments to the Platform or a new platform, or a policy resolution, by presenting such proposal in writing to the standing committee on platform and policy development. If the standing committee is inactive, the member may refer the proposal in writing to the State Steering Committee.
(2) Thereafter, the procedures for review and adoption of proposals for the Platform and Policy Positions shall be the same as provided by Section IX for adoption of amendments to these Bylaws.
The Party will adopt an annual budget, including anticipated expenses and sources of revenue. The budget may be revised from time to time by the Steering Committee in response to changing financial circumstances. The Party may not incur debt of any kind. The Financial Officer and Treasurer are responsible for overseeing the finances of the Party and making regular reports to the Steering Committee. They are also responsible for submitting financial reports to the appropriate State or Federal agencies, including but not limited to the Maine State Ethics Commission and the Federal Elections Commission.
The Party shall restrict any and all spending and/or commitment of funds
to be at the sole discretion of the Steering Committee, and that no subcommittee, nor
committee member, nor any member of the Party shall have the right to
commit funds of the Party, without express permission of the Steering Committee. Any
commitments of money by any person without the Steering Committee's written permission
shall be taken as a personal debt commitment by that person, and the
Party shall not be held responsible for any amount that has not been
pre-approved by the Steering Committee in writing.
For Presidential nominations, the Party shall place on the General
Election Ballot of the State of Maine as its official nominee, the
candidate who is declared the official nominee of the Green Party of the
United States.
The Party convention (either Annual or Special) will select four people, one from each congressional district and two at-large all of whom are Party members, to be Presidential Electors.
These by-laws or amendments thereto may only be adopted by a majority of members present at a statewide convention of the Party. Amendments should be submitted to a standing committee on by-laws at least one month prior to the statewide convention, and may be proposed by any member of the Party.
