DRAFT Agenda, GPLAC County Council meeting, February 9, 2020

DRAFT Agenda, GPLAC County Council meeting, February 9, 2020
Teleconference, 2:50-5pm

Facilitator: Annie Goeke, Ajay Rai
Minutes: Mike Feinstein
Time Keeper:  Linda Piera-Avila
Vibes Watcher: Marla Bernstein

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

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 (three 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): That all the items marked with an * below are added to the agenda in the order presented

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

5. Decision: Schedule meeting dates and locations for April to December, 2020 (ten minutes)*
Sponsors/Presenters: Bernstein, Feinstein, Rai

Background: To provide the incoming County Council with an existing draft schedule to respond to, this schedule for meeting dates and locations for April to December, 2020 is put forward now as the current County Council nears the end of its term. The new County Council can always amend its schedule as it likes.  But given that it has been the practice for preceding County Councils to meet approximately every six weeks for a variety of reasons, and to include in those meetings some teleconferences, this proposed schedule would provide a template embodying those practices. It would give County Council applicants some clarity about when the first meetings might be held and what a meeting schedule commitment might entail for them.

Proposal:  Approve the following schedule of meeting dates and locations for April to December, 2020, with meetings scheduled at 2pm to 5pm unless otherwise noted. Include in the schedule (and add to it as needed) a list of General Assembly meetings of the Green Party of California and Annual National Meetings of the Green Party of the United States.

Sunday, April 5 - location TBD

Sunday, May 17- location TBD

Sunday, June 28 - teleconference

Thursday, July 9 to Sunday, July 12
GPUS Convention, Detroit
https://www.gp.org/detroit_2020

Sunday, August 9 or 16 - Tongva Park, Santa Monica

Sunday, September 20 - location TBD

Sunday, Nov 8 - location TBD (note)
a week late so that after November 2020 elections

Sunday, Dec 13 and/or 20 - teleconference and/or holiday party?

6. Decision: Authorize email blast to GPLAC members publicizing links to Green Party presidential candidate statements (ten minutes)*
Sponsors/Presenters: Feinstein, Rai

Background:  The Green Party of California platform supports public financing of elections. Depending upon the cost, the provision of candidate statements in official voter information can be considered a form of indirect public financing. The Green Party of California also supports informed Green voters and disseminating such candidate statements Green voters helps achieve that.

The California Elections Code section 9084(k) provides the opportunity for presidential candidates to have a 250-word candidate statement for inclusion in the official Presidential Primary Election Voter Information Guide https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/candidate-statements/ by following this process and submitting this documentation https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/candidate-stmts/mar-2020/pres-prim-cand....

Note that unlike candidate statements in the Voting Information Guide for state and federal office, there is no charge for this statement.  Despite this, only three of the five candidates whose names will appear on the March 3, 2020 California Green presidential ballot submitted statements:

https://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/candidates/pres-grn-cand-statement.htm

Proposal: Authorize the GPLAC Co-coordinators to send an email blast to GPLAC members before the March 3, 2020 Green presidential primary containing the link to the candidate statements, and an explanation as per the background here as to the opportunity to submit such statements.

7: Discussion/On-Line Decision: Endorse LA County Measure R - Los Angeles County Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission Ordinance (fifteen minutes)*
Sponsors/Presenters: Bernstein, Feinstein, Rai
Presenter: Leslie Estrada, Prop R campaign

Background: GPLAC Bylaws 5-2.10 Ballot Measures provide that one of the duties and responsibilities of the County Council is to “Endorse or oppose ballot measures appearing on the ballot in Los Angeles County.”

Measure R will be on the March 3, 2020 California primary election ballot.
https://lavote.net/docs/rrcc/election-info/03032020_Proposed-Ordinance-o...
https://lavote.net/docs/rrcc/election-info/03032020_Proposed-Ordinance-o...
https://www.lavote.net/docs/rrcc/election-info/03032020_Measures-Appeari...

According to its sponsors, which include Black Lives Matters, Measure R is designed to address these three issues:

•  Over incarceration of people who suffer from mental illness. LA County’s current practice prioritizes incarceration over treatment and perpetuates cycles of instability and homelessness.
• Substandard mental health care in jails, which results in jail based violence and self-harm.
•  Lack of Accountability and Oversight of the Sheriff’s Department compromises the safety of people held in the jails and protects deputy corruption.

According to its sponsors, if passed Measure R would  provide funding to invest in rehabilitation and mental health serves, helping to reduce the jail population of the mentally ill, and save taxpayers millions of dollars a year in the process.  Measure R is also designed to rout out corruption to prevent abuses by the Jails and Sheriff’s Department

https://voteyesonr.org/
https://reformlajails.com/initiativetext/
https://www.laprogressive.com/yes-on-measure-r/
https://laopinion.com/2020/01/16/organizaciones-luchan-por-regresar-el-p...

Proposal: Endorse Measure R, publicize GPLAC position via email to GPLAC members in LA County and via party web site and social media

8.  Discussion/On-Line Decision: The Green Party and Los Angeles City Council District 4 election (fifteen minutes)*
Sponsor/Presenter: Feinstein

Background: In November 2019 - at the direction of the County Council, the GPLAC contacted the Los Angeles City Council District 4 campaigns of Sarah Kate Levy, Nithya Raman and David Ryu, notifying them that the GPLAC will be sending them a questionnaire to be distributed to GPLAC members, and to be used as the basis for potential GPLAC support (not endorsement) in the CD 4 race. In December 2019 the questionnaire was sent to all three campaigns. Both Sarah Kate Levy (http://losangeles.cagreens.org/sites/all/Ext/candidates/GPLAC%20Question...) and Nithya Raman (http://losangeles.cagreens.org/sites/all/Ext/candidates/DUE%20Green%20Pa...) responded with completed questionnaires.  A representative of David Ryu’s campaign stated they would not be participating in the questionnaire

The completed questionnaires have been send to GPLAC members in City Council District 4 and have been published via GPLAC social media.

https://losangeles.cagreens.org/elections/los-angeles-cd4-questionnaire

GPLAC Bylaws 5-2.9 states that it among the duties and responsibilities of the County Council to "5-2.9(c) Endorse Green Party members who are candidates for public office and make a statement of support for candidates for public office who are not Green Party members”

http://losangeles.cagreens.org/bylaws/2019-08-04#section5-2.9

Under Los Angeles’s electoral system, if no candidate gets a majority in the March primary election, the top two place finishers advance to a November run-off general election.

Given that both Levy and Raman replied with questionnaires that are in general line with Green Party positions, and that Ryu did not; and given that as an incumbent it is likely that Ryu will advance to the general election run-off if he doesn’t win the March primary outright, a run-off election with either Levy or Raman would serve to better highlight green issues that Ryu has not responded to in the primary.

If Los Angeles City Council elections were conduced by ranked-choice voting - as the GPLAC supports - the GPLAC could recommend supporting both Levy and Raman, and ranking them in the order of the voter’s preference.  But since ranked choice voting is not in place, voters who seek a run-off with Ryu and another candidate need to make a choice between Levy and Raman.  This proposal would have the GPLAC support both candidates, and see the voters making their choice between the two.  In either case, voting for one of the two and not for Ryu increases the chance that at the race would go to a run-off between Ryu and either Levy or Raman.

In making this recommendation to compel a run-off, this is not a statement against Ryu but rather one in favor of Levy and Raman and a desire for Ryu to address issues the GPLAC has raised.

Proposal: That the GPLAC issues a statement of support for the city council campaigns of Sarah Kate Levy, Nithya Raman; to email it to Green Party members in City Council District 4, and to publicize it via the GPLAC’s website and social media; and that the email to Green Party members contains the background above as an explanation of the GPLAC’s support.

9. Discussion/On-Line Decision:: Support Lorraine Lundquist for Los Angeles City Council District 14 (ten minutes)*
Sponsor/Presenter: Piera-Avila

Background: GPLAC Bylaws 5-2.9 states that it among the duties and responsibilities of the County Council to "5-2.9(c) Endorse Green Party members who are candidates for public office and make a statement of support for candidates for public office who are not Green Party members”

http://losangeles.cagreens.org/bylaws/2019-08-04#section5-2.9
The GPLAC supported Lorraine Lundquist in the June 2019 special election and August 2019 run-off for Los Angeles City Council District 14, to fill the remainder of the 2015-2020 term for that seat https://losangeles.cagreens.org/issues/support-loraine-lundquist-2019 A new term for that seat begins in 2021 through 2024.  The primary election for that seat is on March 3, 2020, but since there are only two candidates, Lundquist and the incumbent, the winner of the primary will hold the seat in 2021-2024.

A proposal has been posted to the GPLAC voting page to issue a GPLAC statement of support for the city council campaign of Lorraine Lundquist; to email it to Green Party members in City Council District 14, and to publicize it via the GPLAC’s website and social media.
This agenda item provides an opportunity to discuss that proposal before the end of the voting period.

10. Discussion: 2020-2024 County Council appointments - bylaws amendment (twenty minutes)*
Sponsor/Presenter: Bernstein, Feinstein, Piera-Avila

Background: Five Greens in State Senate District 26 obtained enough signatures to qualify for the March 2020 County Council ballot, in a district with six seats.  Because their seats are uncontested, they will be automatically be elected next county council. No other Greens in Los Angeles County qualified for the ballot. That leaves 39 of the 44 potential County Council seats vacant to start the 2020-2024 County Council term.

Under GPLAC bylaws Article VIII County Council vacancies, individuals may apply to the County Council to be appointed to these vacancies. To qualify for consideration under current GPLAC Bylaws,

    8-3.1 Nominees must be registered Greens within the District they wish to         represent, and must also gather as many signatures of registered Greens in the district on a petition as defined in 8.4, as would be normally required by the County Registrar to appear on the ballot in that district, for the purposes of being elected to the Los Angeles County Green Party County Council; or for the County Council meetings of March 12, April 23 and June 4, (2017) may gather five signatures of registered Greens in the district on a petition as defined in 8.4 and to be appointed, would need 80% approval from the County Council   https://losangeles.cagreens.org/bylaws/2019-08-04#section8-3

Since the 2017 dates have sun-setted, the only option for any person seeking to be appointed is gather at least 20 valid nomination signatures - unless the County Council enacts a bylaws change, potentially similar to what was in place for early 2017, where a smaller number of signatures could required, combined with a higher approval threshold.

GPLAC Bylaws Article 14 Amendment of Bylaws requires a minimum of 30 days prior written notice to the County Council email list of the text of any proposed bylaws change. On February 2, 2019 a draft was posted to the GPLAC voting page, for a thirty day discussion period ending March 2, followed by a one week voting period between March 3 and 9.  https://losangeles.cagreens.org/bylaws/2019-08-04#ARTICLE14. This agenda item provides an opportunity to discussion such changes during the discussion period.

Proposal: Amend GPLAC Bylaws 8- from

8-3.1 Nominees must be registered Greens within the District they wish to represent, and must also gather as many signatures of registered Greens in the district on a petition as defined in 8.4, as would be normally required by the County Registrar to appear on the ballot in that district, for the purposes of being elected to the Los Angeles County Green Party County Council; or for the County Council meetings of March 12, April 23 and June 4, may gather five signatures of registered Greens in the district on a petition as defined in 8.4 and to be appointed, would need 80% approval from the County Council

to

8-3.1 Nominees must be registered Greens within the District they wish to represent, and must also gather as many signatures of registered Greens in the district on a petition as defined in 8.4, as would be normally required by the County Registrar to appear on the ballot in that district, for the purposes of being elected to the Los Angeles County Green Party County Council; or for the two regular County Council meetings in April or May 2020, if they have attended at least one prior County Council meeting within the previous six months, may gather five signatures of registered Greens in the district on a petition as defined in 8.4 and to be appointed, would need 80% approval from the County Council

And that after May 2020, the language “or for the two regular County Council meetings in April or May 2020, if they have attended at least one prior County Council meeting within the previous six months, may gather five signatures of registered Greens in the district on a petition as defined in 8.4 and to be appointed, would need 80% approval from the County Council” would be removed from the bylaws.

11. Decision: 2020-2024 County Council appointments - outreach (twenty minutes)*
Sponsor/Presenter: Feinstein, Piera-Avila

Background: Five Greens in State Senate District 26 obtained enough signatures to qualify for the ballot, in a district with six seats.  Because their seats are uncontested, they will be automatically be elected next county council. No other Greens qualified for the ballot. That leaves 39 of the 44 potential County Council seats vacant to start the 2020-2024 County Council term.

Current GPLAC bylaws require an applicant for a county council appointment to gather at least 20 signatures to be eligible for appointment. A GPLAC bylaws change is under consideration that would allow applicants to be eligible by gathering a lower number of signatures with a higher approval threshold at the first two meetings of the new County council in April and May 2020, if the applicant had attended a meeting within the prior six months.

To help enable this attendance requirements, this proposal would authorize email  and social media outreach to registered Greens to let them known of the duties and responsibilities of the County Council, and to attend the last meeting of the outgoing County Council on March 15, 2020, and/or the April 5 meeting to present their interest in apply to the new County Council at the regular County Council meetings of April or May 2020.

Time on the March 15 and April 5 agendas would be dedicated to hearing from these individuals as potential applicants.  This process would also inform more Greens who are not normally aware of the opportunity to apply to serve on the County, and would give County Councilmembers who would be making such decisions more time to know potential applicants.

Proposal: Direct the GPLAC co-coordinators to conduct email and social media outreach to Greens in Los Angeles County to attend the March 15 meeting and present their interest to interview to be appointed at the April 5 or May 15 meetings.

12.  Discussion/Decision (executive decision): Joining potential lawsuit to overturn Top Two elections (fifteen minutes) - Executive Session, Legal Matter County Councilmembers only*
Sponsors: Bernstein, Feinstein, Rai
Presenter: Richard Winger, Editor, Ballot Access News

Background: Material will be circulated to GPLAC County Council email list before the meeting