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DRAFT Agenda, GPLAC County Council meeting, January 20, 2019

Green Party of Los Angeles County County Council Meeting Agenda
Sunday, January 20, 2019, 2-5pm Teleconference

Co-Facilitators: Annie Goeke and Julia Russell
Minutes: Mike Feinstein
Time Keeper:  Linda Piera-Avila
Vibes Watcher: Ava Kermani


1. Welcome and Introductions - All attendees (five mins)

Brief introductions, including role with County Council or otherwise with Green Party, or as outside observer


2. Reviewing our process  (two minutes)
Presenter: Facilitators

Relevant Bylaw: Section 9.3 Participation
9.3.1 Open Meetings: With the consent of the Council, all members of the Green Party of Los Angeles County may participate in the 'Consensus-seeking Process' but only Council members may hold any 'unresolved concerns' and participate in any vote, should one become necessary.
9.3.2 County Council members shall receive priority in discussions, to ensure that they have time to a) seek clarifications. b) express their concerns and affirmations, and c) take a vote, if necessary. At the discretion of the facilitation


3. Opportunity to amend agenda and/or add emergency items (five minutes)
Presenter: Facilitators

Relevant By-Law 7.5.2.3 The agenda may be amended by a 3/5 vote of County Councilmember present. Emergency and/or late items may be added to the agenda by a 2/3 vote of County Councilmembers (in the interest of time, suggested amendments and their rationale should be offered on-line before the meeting) Proposal (Feinstein):  Add all items below marked with an asterik * as late items by a 2/3 vote at the time and place in the agenda as proposed below.


4. Discussion: Treasurer's Report  (five minutes)
Presenter: Barnett


5. Decision: Approval of minutes from GPLAC Nov. 11th County Council meeting (three minutes)
Presenter: Feinstein

https://losangeles.cagreens.org/county-council/minutes/2018-11-11 (minutes not yet posted)


6. Decision:  Endorse Danielle Mead for Neighborhod Council (eight minutes) - note timing of this item is contingent upon timing of availabilty of Mead to particpate in the call and could be held later in the agenda as needed
Sponsors/Presenters: Piera-Avila

Background:  Danielle Mead is a long-time Green who has served the last three years as an elected member on the Hollywood Hills West Neighborhood Council as Transportation Director. She was endorsed by the GPLAC in that race.  This year Mead is running for Vice-President on the Hollywood Hills West Neighborhood Council.  She is also the first Green Party member in the United States to qualify for the ballot in 2019. More about her campaign and issues is found here https://votedaniellemead.com/

Proposal:  Endorse Danielle Mead for Neighborhood Council, send an email blast to Greens in her Neighborhood Council district appraising them of the GPLAC's endorsement.


7. Discussion: Meeting Amy Tyler, Global Greens (seven minutes) - note timing of this item is contingent upon timing of availabilty of Mead to particpate in the call and could be held later in the agenda as needed

Background: In December, the GPLAC approved the following letter regarding consideration by the Global Greens of Amy Tyler becoming Global Greens Secretary https://losangeles.cagreens.org/county-council/letter/2018-12-13.  Tyler, a Green from Tasmania in Australia, is currently living in Los Angeles and would be based here during her work. This agenda item is to give her a chance to introduce herself to the GPLAC.  Attached are additional links regarding her background:

https://www.examiner.com.au/story/2126559/greens-amy-tyler/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-tyler-aba00611/
https://www.facebook.com/amy.tyler2


8. Decision: Endorse Cynthia Santiago livestream on immigration issues under Trump and Obama (five minutes)
Sponsors/Presenters: Feinstein, Piera-Avila

Background: Cynthia Santiago is a Green from Los Angeles County who has been a key immigration attorney fighting deportations and aiding immigrants during the Trump and Obama administrations. Recently she has visited a detention campaign in Texas and Central American migrants in a fútbol stadium in Tijuana.  As a Green Party member working on the frontlines of these issues, Cynthia can speak from personal experience and provide real life accounts, and connect them from a Green perspective. The timing in February would give give time to prepare and publicize the livestream, and it would occur soon after Trump stages his media event in late January where he will claim part of his border wall are already being built.  

This even would require a broadcast platform to livestream the presentation, working with GPUS webmaster David Doonan to create a web page for the event, working with GPUS staff member Starlene Rankin to send email blast to promote it, working with Doonan to promote it on GPUS social media.

Proposal: That the GPLAC co-sponsor and promote a Livestream workshop with Green Party member and immigration attorney Cynthia Santiago, on a time and date in February to be worked out with Ms. Santiago, possibly co-sponsoring with other levels of the Green Party (e.g. GPUS Internatioanl Committee, Outreach Committee, GPUS Latinx Caucus,  perhaps others) including presentations on

1) Conditions at the Texas Detention Center for immigrants seeking asylum in the US
2) Her experiences in Tijuana with the Central American migrants in the so-called ‘caravan’
3) Her experiences fighting deportations under the Trump and Obama administrations, and how laws and practices under those administrations affect communities on both sides of the border
4) Her personal knowledge of White House staff advisor Stephen Miller, who she went to high school with
5) Why she is a Green Party member and how that relates to her immigration work

References:  Cynthia Santiago links

Legal career as immigration attorney
http://cynthiasantiagolaw.com/about-cynthia-santiago
https://www.facebook.com/AbogadaSantiago/
https://www.instagram.com/abogadasantiago/

Green Party background
- Green Party member since 2002. Registered Green first time registered to vote, stayed Green since then.
- Green Party state assembly candidate, November 2010; 2nd place, 18% of the vote
- Campaign Worker for Green Party Candidate Josefina Santiago for Santa Monica City Council, November 2002
- GPUS NC Delegate, 2011-2017 GPUS NC Alternate, 2009-2011
- Member, GPUS Presidential Campaign Support Committee, 2011-present
- Featured in LA Weekly article about young Greens (2003) https://www.laweekly.com/news/baby-greens-2135835
- Featured in Los Angeles Times, regarding volunteering against Trump Travel Ban/Muslim Ban (2017)  https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-airport-protests-20170130-story.html
- Featured on Democracy Now talking about Stephen Miller (2017) https://www.democracynow.org/2017/2/15/the_stephen_miller_story_from_pestering
- Featured on Real America with Jorge Ramos, after visiting with Central American migrants in Tijuana https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1663560113748347
- Early video on cable TV explaining why she is a Green (2003) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8v-LjvFJJ8
- Featured in column about one of her immigrant rights workshops  http://smdp.com/inside-outside/158968


9) Discussion: Update on GPLAC Nationbuilder capability and outreach to promote Greens running in 2019 Los Angeles Neighborhood Council elections (ten minutes)
Sponsors/Presenters: Feinstein, Rai

Background:  Feinstein will provide an update on the latest importation of Green registration data, GPLAC email blasts sent, and a projection of future costs.


10) Decision: Planning Workshop: Think Globally, Run Locally for Los Angeles Neighborhood Council, Saturday, February 9 (fifteen minutes)
Sponsor/Presenter: Feinstein, Piera-Avila

Discussion: At its November County Council meeting, the GPLAC authorized holding one or more candidate training worshop to promote Greens running in 2019 Los Angeles Neighborhood Council elections. Filing deadlines run from early January through mid-March, depending upon the Neighborhood Council https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ED2bSzFgzJqmSfKA5ZpGVbctPAb_dAiZUrhaFiiOND8/edit. Election dates range from late March through mid-June https://losangeles.cagreens.org/elections/2019-la-nc-schedule

One workshop is already set: Workshop: Think Globally, Run Locally for Los Angeles Neighborhood Council, Saturday, February 9, 11am to 3pm, Beyond Baroque, 681 Venice Bl in Venice
http://losangeles.cagreens.org/elections/workshop-neighborhood-council-2019
https://www.facebook.com/events/2320139674886203

Thus far we have received a commitment from Department of Neighborhood Empowerment staff and from Greens who have served on Neighborhood Councils to attend.

Proposal: Establish the tentative schedule and agenda, and apppoint those Greens who will be responsible for running the event.


11) Decision: Planning for additional 2019-2020 Neighborhood Council candidate training events (ten minutes)
Sponsor/Presenter: Brown

Background:  Brown has raised the possiblty of an Eastside worksho and has infomation on a potential venue and cost.

Proposal:  Decide whether to hold a second workshop


12) Decision: Endorse Letter to Los Angeles Ethics Commission (ten minutes)
Sponsor/Presnter: Feinstein

Background: The electoral reform/good government organization Common Cause is proposing that to require that Los Angeles city council candidates seeking public financing must appear at candidate forums hosted by the neighborhood councils in their district  www.commoncause.org/california/democracy-wire/how-to-ensure-la-matching-funds-candidates-appear-in-town-halls-and-debates. It would be heard by the Los Angeles Ethics Commission (https://ethics.lacity.org/) at their February 19th meeting

Proposal: That the GPLAC concetually endorse the proposal by Common Cause, issue the following statement (text to come) and authorize Feinstein to speak on the GPLAC's behalf at the February 19 Los Angeles Ethics Commission meeting


13) Decision: Picking Next GPLAC Meeting Dates (ten minutes)
Sponsors/Presenters: Rai, Russell

Proposal: That the GPLAC select its next two meeting dates.


14) Amendment: GPCA Bylaws regarding duties of Liaison to CA Secretary of State (ten minutes)
Sponsor/Presenter: Feinstein

Background: The candidate endorsement process within the GPCA is that county parties make endorsements for all races other than the statewide races like Governor or U.S. Senate, which are made by the state party.  This allows local Greens to make endorsements for local races, and statewide Greens to make endorsements for statewide races. Those endorsements are then supposed to be reported for inclusion in the Voter Information Guide. Based upon these endorsements, the GPCA State Coordinating Committee is supposed to authorize the GPCA Liaison to the Secretary of State (Jared Laiti) to report to a given County Registrar, any candidate endorsements made by that County Green Party and upon that basis, the endorsements would be listed in the official Voter Information Guide for that County.

In the spring of 2018, the GPLAC endorsed Rodolfo Cortes Barragan and Kenneth Mejia for U.S. Congress https://losangeles.cagreens.org/issues/endorsements-spring-2018, and those endorsements continued through the November general election once thos candidates advanced to the November general election ballot https://losangeles.cagreens.org/issues/endorsements-fall-2018.

Unfortunately the Coordinating Committee failed to take that action. In fact it took no action on those candidacies, nor did it contact the GPLAC at any time during this process. This letter to Cortes Barragan and to Mejia summarizes the Coordinating Committees failure to act https://losangeles.cagreens.org/county-council/letter/2018-08-18.  This letter also contains a proposal to rectify this situation in the future, by amending the responsiblities of the GPCA LIaison to the Secretary of State an.  That proposal has not been acted upon by the Coordinating Committee.

Under GPCA Bylaws 13-2 http://www.cagreens.org/bylaws/2016-07-03#Article_13-2_Amendment, County Green Parties may sponsor amendments to the GPCA Bylaws.  Before they are forwarded to the General Assembly or the Standing General Assembly,  each proposed amendment must be submitted to the Bylaws Committee, for its review and recommendations to the sponsors, including to promote consistency in numbering, format, terminology and meaning with existing documents, and to minimize ambiguity and to promote clarify.  The following draft bylaw contains duties of the Liaison to the Secretary of State as specified in the Green Party section of California Elections Code in 14-1 through 14-8, that would become codified in GPCA Bylaws, as well as other duties in 14-9 and 14-11 that are in common practice within the GPCA, but not in the Green Party section of the California Elections Code.  An additional subsection 14-10 would be added to effectuate reporting to county parties and submission of their endorsed candidiates, to address the issue experienced by the GPLAC with its endorsed candidates this year.

Proposal: That the GPLAC sponsor the following proposal to amend GPCA Bylaws to create a new Article XIV: Liaison to the Secretary of State, as follows:

Article XIV: Liaison to the Secretary of State

14-1 Duties and Authority

14-1.1  The Liaison to the Secretary of State shall respond to all correspondence from the California Secretary of State, as specified by the Green Party section of the California Elections Code, regarding submission ot names by the GPCA for consideration by the Secretary of State in the determination of candidates to be placed on the Green Party presidential preference primary ballot, as specified by the Green Party section of the Califonria Elections Code.

14-1.2  The Liaison to the Secretary of State shall forward to the Coordinating Committee, a copy of the list and and any subsequent additions to the list of candidates placed on the Green Party presidential preference primary ballot by the Secretary of State.

14-1.3 The Liaison to the Secretary of State shall certify to the Secretary of State as specified by the Green Party section of the California Elections Code, the name of each elector nominated, and the elector's residence address, of the electors nominated by the GPCA for President and Vice President.

14-1.4 The Liaison to the Secretary of State shall communcate to the Secretary of State as specified by the Green Party section of the California Elections Code, changes in the number of members of any County Council, and shall do so no later than 175 days before the next presidential primary election, as specified by the Green Party section of the California Elections Code

14-1.5  The Liaison to the Secretary of State shall forward to the Coordinating Committee, the certificate from the Secretary of State as specified by the Green Party section of the California Elections Code, of the number of members of a county council to be elected in each county; and to each county Green Party, the certificate from the Secretary of State of the number of members to be elected for that County Council in that county

14-1.6  The Liaison to the Secretary of State shall forward to the Coordinating Committee, the certificate from the Secretary of State as specified by the Green Party section of the California Elections Code, stating the final total of votes cast for each candidate for member of county council, including the name, address, and ballot designation of each such candidate, and a specification as to which candidates were declared elected, upon completion of the official canvass.

14-1.7  The Liaison to the Secretary of State shall forward to the Coordinating Committee, the certificate from the Secretary of State as specified by the Green Party section of the California Elections Code, stating who are the elected members of all county councils.

14-1.8  The Liaison to the Secretary of State shall forward to the Coordinating Committee, as specified by the California Elections Code, any correspondance from the Secretary of State regarding length and submission deadlines for Political Party Statements of Purpose, and shall submit to the California Secretary of State, such Statements of Purpose as authorized by the Coordinating Commitee by the deadline required by the Secretary of State.

14-1.9 The Liaison to the Secretary of State shall forward to the Coordinating Committee, any correspondance from the Secretary of State regarding submission deadlines to report GPCA endorsements of statewide candidates; and shall submit to the California Secretary of State, such GPCA endorsements to the Secretary of State, as communicated by the Coordinating Commitee and/or as recorded in decisions of the Standing General Assembly.

14-1.10 The Liaison to the Secretary of State shall forward to the Coordinating Committee, any correspondance from the Secretary of State regarding submission deadlines to report county Green Party endorsements of non-statewide candidates for state and federal office, and shall forward to each individual county Green Party, said correspondance from the Secretary of State and/or any County Registrar of Voters regarding reporting endorsements from that individual county Green Party; and shall submit to the California Secretary of State, such county Green Party endorsements to the Secretary of State, with a copy to the Coordinating Committee, as communicated by the county Green Parties as recorded in the approved minutes of that county Green Party.

14-1.11 The Liaison to the Secretary of State shall forward to the Coordinating Committee, any correspondance from the Secretary of State requiring action by the GPCA or its county Green Parties, not otherwise contained herein; and shall respond to the Secretary of State accordingly, including at the direction of the Coordinating Committee.


15) Amendment: GPLAC Rules and Procedures regarding social media (fifteen minutes)
Sponsor/Presenter: Feinstein

Background: The GPCA Media Committee has official guidelines governing the use of official GPCA social media http://www.cagreens.org/committees/media/internal-procedures#Article_II_.... The GPLAC has none https://losangeles.cagreens.org/rules/2017-10-10, although suggested guidelines are posted in its GPLAC Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/114542358579795/, and have been utilized by the GPLAC Facebook administrators. They state:

"The Facebook group for members and supporters of the Green Party of Los Angeles County, with a focus on candidates, officeholders, issues and organizing of the Green Party of Los Angeles County./El grupo de Facebook para los miembros y simpatizantes del Partido Verde del Condado de Los Ángeles, con un enfoque sobre los candidatos, los funcionarios, los temas y la organización del Partido Verde del Condado de Los Angeles. Participants in this group are politely asked to follow these guidelines when posting to this group./Los participantes de este grupo se les pide amablemente que siga estas directrices cuando envío mensajes a este grupo."

Proposal: That the GPLAC amend its Rules and Procedures to establish a new Article 8: Social Media

Article 8 Social Media

Section 8-1 Purpose

The County Council may establish official GPLAC social networking pages and policies governing their content. The purpose of such pages shall be to primarily focus on issues and events in Los Angeles County relevant to the Green Party of Los Angeles County, including to

8-1.1 Promote and publicize the successes and achievements of the GPLAC, its candidates and officeholders, its leadership and its rank and file members.

8-1.2 Provide a source of objective, official information about the GPLAC, including its press statements, positions on ballot measures, platform and organization.

8-1.3 Promote publication of writings about Green Party issues by Green Party members within Los Angeles County

8-1.4 Provide opportunities for interaction and involvement in the GPLAC, as well as to GPCA, GPUS and international Green Party events and opportunities open to GPLAC members.

Section 8-2 Administration

8-2.1 GPCA social media pages (including groups, pages and similar such venues), shall include the following statement, and shall be moderated upon that basis:

This [page, group} is for members and supporters of the Green Party of Los Angeles County, with a focus on candidates, officeholders, issues and organizing of the Green Party of Los Angeles County./El grupo de Facebook para los miembros y simpatizantes del Partido Verde del Condado de Los Ángeles, con un enfoque sobre los candidatos, los funcionarios, los temas y la organización del Partido Verde del Condado de Los Angeles. Participants in this group are politely asked to follow these guidelines when posting to this group./Los participantes de este grupo se les pide amablemente que siga estas directrices cuando envío mensajes a este grupo."

8-2.2 The County Council shall appoint administrators for the official GPCA social networking pages, whose responsibility shall be to post content in keeping with 8-1 and otherwise administer the pages in keepign with 8-1.  The administrators shall make periodic reports to the County Coucnil and shall follow committee decisions regarding their work.


16) Discussion: Report back from GPCA General Assembly, November 2018 (fifteen minutes)
Sponsors/Presenters: Brown, Rai, Russell

Background: At its November 11th meeting, the County Council selected Barnett, Bernstein, Brown, Rai, Russell and Sabnis as delegates to the GPCA General Assembly, with the condition that they vote yes on the GPCA Governance Proposal https://losangeles.cagreens.org/gpca/gpca-governance

This item is to provide for their report back from the General Assembly.


17) Discussion: Next Steps with GPCA Governance concerns (fifteen minutes)
Sponsors/Presenters: Feinstein/Russell

Reference:  https://losangeles.cagreens.org/gpca/gpca-governance


18) Discussion: GPLAC 2019 Workplan (twenty minutes)
Sponsors/Presenters: Brown, Guevara

Background:  Discussion about County Council goals for 2019, such as: Green registration drives, outreach to grow the County Council, candiate recruitement and support.


19)  Discussion: GPLAC position regarding climate actions and groups (ten minutes)
Sponsor/Presenter: Guevara

Background:  GPLAC have or want to have a statement or view regarding new actions from different climate actions and groups, like Sunrise, Extinction Rebellion, Earthstrike.


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