Indiana Green Party

Indiana Green Party Bylaws
Revised 10/24/07

1 - Purposes and Values
We, the active members of the Indiana Green Party have come together to form a new political party based on the 10 Key Values of the Green movement. The Indiana Green Party shall strive to understand and live the values of the Green movement in our electoral work, and shall promote the understanding and practice of these values in our neighborhoods, our cities and counties, our state and country, and internationally. The following Ten Key Values shall be embodied in the organization and actions of the Indiana Green Party, and shall guide all actions of the Party at all times:

• Ecological wisdom
• Grassroots democracy
• Social justice
• Nonviolence
• Decentralization
• Community-based economics
• Feminism
• Respect for diversity
• Personal and global responsibility
• Future focus / sustainability

These values will be clarified through the ever-unfolding dynamics of study, discussion, and action.

2 - Membership

2.1 Membership Definition

2.1.1 Membership in the Indiana Green Party shall be open to all Indiana residents who agree with the Ten Key Values (Section 1) and the Political Practices (Section 3) as a framework for organizing and action.

2.1.2 Membership shall be renewable annually and shall be arranged in two categories:

2.1.2.1 Active state members are members in good standing of a Green local or of the unaffiliated state caucus. Members of locals shall pay local dues, and all active members shall pay state dues and participate actively in local and state organizations. Only active state members are eligible to be delegates to state gatherings and to vote on state issues.

2.1.2.2 All persons who join a local Green party in the state of Indiana shall be considered members of the Indiana Green Party. However voting privileges in Indiana Green Party shall be given to those individuals who sign the IGP membership form and pay or waive their dues.

2.1.2.3 Supporting members are people who wish to support the work of the organization without being an active member.

2.1.3 All membership dues shall be reduced or waived upon request by a member with a financial hardship such as family income below a living wage.

2.1.3.1 No documentation or means testing is required to request or to grant dues reductions and waivers.

2.1.3.2 Dues waivers and reductions do not diminish members' rights. Such members have all the rights and obligations of dues-paying members.

2.2 Membership Standards Policies against the following shall apply at all levels of the Indiana Green Party. Violation by any individual Green, local chapter or confederal body may be cause for sanctions including (as appropriate) reprimand, suspension or loss of accreditation, recall, or expulsion.

2.2.1 Committing the Indiana Green Party or any of its affiliated locals or confederations to actions, endorsements, and other policy positions outside that body's decision-making process;

2.2.2 Misrepresenting the decisions and policies of any such Indiana Green body;

2.2.3 Making false statements in an application for membership or affiliation to any such Indiana Green body;

2.2.4 Financial irregularities with Indiana Green funds;

2.2.5 Acting to subvert the Green Party or its values, for example: advocacy or practice of racial, sexual, national or religious oppression; advocacy or practice of violent political actions by Indiana Green Party or any of its affiliated locals or confederations; or acting as a strike-breaker, agent provocateur, or government or corporate informer.

2.2.6 Acting to willfully disrupt the freedom of speech, press or assembly of any individual or body of the Indiana Green Party; or

2.2.7 Violating the principles of grassroots democracy as embodied in Article 3 of the Bylaws.

2.3 Membership Review Process
2.3.1 Each level of the confederation may sanction or exclude members of affiliates who behave in a manner inconsistent with the membership standards of the Indiana Green Party as defined in Membership Standards above.
2.3.2 Charges of violation of membership standards against any member or affiliate of the Indiana Green Party may be made by any member.
2.3.3 Locals, or the next larger level of the confederation responsible for organizing in their locality, are responsible for reviewing the standing of the members who are charged with violating membership standards.
2.3.4 All charges shall be in writing. The accused and the accuser shall have the first option of seeking a resolution of the conflict through mediation if both parties agree.
2.3.4.1 No charges shall be published or otherwise made public prior to the conclusion of the mediation process, without written consent of all parties involved.
2.3.5 If mediation is not agreeable or not successful, the case shall be handled expeditiously by a special committee selected by lot from the membership of the appropriate level of the confederation.
2.3.5.1 A written report will be prepared by the mediator(s) and sent to the special committee.
2.3.5.2 The substance of the conflict referred to the special committee must remain strictly confidential, with the exception of notice of the convening of the special committee and names of the parties involved.
2.3.5.3 The special committee shall hear charges, report finding, make recommendations, and then disband.
2.3.5.4 Findings of the special committee shall be reported to all individuals and groups involved, appropriate regional bodies, and any mediators.
2.3.6 All members or affiliates charged with violations of membership standards shall have the right to appear, to bring witnesses, and to testify.
2.3.7 The burden of proof shall be on those making the charges. After hearing the report of the special committee and statements by those making the charges and by those charged, the membership assembly of the appropriate level of the confederation shall have the right to vote and sanction, including exclusion, by a 66 2/3% vote.
2.3.8 Sanctions may be automatically appealed to the next larger level of the confederation. Appeals shall be heard at the next meeting of the appropriate body where the appeal has been announced through that body's normal procedures.
2.4 Dues shall be collected yearly by the Treasurer according to the following:
2.4.1 Active: $25.00
2.4.2 Student, senior citizen, and low-income: $10.00
2.4.3 Waiver: $0.00 - By application to and approval of Secretary
2.4.4 Continually failing, after receiving written notice, to renew Membership will result in removal from the active member list.
2.4.5 Locals may give their members the option of paying state dues along with local dues. The local treasurer would then forward the member's state dues to the state treasurer. Otherwise the local member will pay state dues directly to the state.
3 - Politics The Indiana Green Party shall be organized and act in accord with the principles of grassroots democracy.
3.1 General Political Practices
3.1.1 Affirmative action shall be taken within all parts of the organization to reach goals of gender, racial and social diversity and balance in the allocation of responsibilities among members. Additionally, participation in the organization shall be open to all interested people of Indiana, with a special effort made to seek the membership and leadership of those people who belong to historically disempowered social groups.
3.1.2 There shall be strict accountability of all parts of the organization to the membership base. Any decision made by delegates, by the leadership or by other parts of the organization can be rescinded or changed by the membership as a whole.
3.1.3 All delegates and the leadership shall obey imperative mandates, that is, they must follow the instructions of the bodies they represent. They are free to express their personal views but must state them as such, and they may abstain from implementing, but shall not act against, such mandates if their consciences require. Mandates of discretion may also be given.
3.1.4 All delegates and leadership shall always be immediately recallable by the body that chose them.
3.1.5 It shall be strongly encouraged that the responsibilities of all delegates and the leadership be rotated, on a staggered basis, to find the fullest and broadest participation of the membership.
3.1.6 Decisions of the organization and its duly constituted parts shall be made democratically and only after all points of view are fairly and openly heard. Members shall vigorously strive to reach decisions by consensus. If consensus fails, then a vote may be taken (see appropriate Voting sections in section 4, Structure).
3.1.7 Members in the minority on a decision may publicly dissent from that decision, provided they clearly distinguish their position from that of the majority. Minorities may call for a procedure of division in the allocation of imperative mandated votes. All such minority positions of members are to be noted in meeting minutes.
3.1.8 Meeting minutes, financial records, membership lists and all other organizational records and materials shall be open to inspection by any member of good standing in the organization.
3.1.8.1 All meeting minutes shall be posted on the IGP web site as soon as possible.
3.1.9 A full range of nonviolent strategies and tactics shall be considered desirable in pursuing Green social change, including but not limited to demonstrations, boycotts, strikes, lobbying, education, civil disobedience, direct action, electoral politics, and building alternative institutions.
3.2 Electoral Political Practices
3.2.1 State Party Chairperson
3.2.1.1 IN Code (Title 3, CH. 5) requires state parties with ballot line access to elect a Chairperson. The Coordinating Committee shall elect the Indiana Green Party State Committee Chair from among the membership of the Coordinating Committee.
3.2.1.2 The State Chairperson, as an elected representative of IGP, shall be accountable to the Congress or, on an interim basis, the Coordinating Committee and shall abide by the bylaws of IGP.
3.2.1.3 The State Party Chair shall be an active member in good standing of the IGP for at least six (6) months.
3.2.2 Candidate Selection and Standards
3.2.2.1 Candidates shall be members in good standing of the Indiana Green Party.
3.2.2.2 Candidates shall publicly commit to Article 1, the Purposes and Values, of the Charter and include the 10 Keys Values on their campaign literature.
3.2.2.3 Candidates for public office shall be selected by the Congress or by the Coordinating Committee. If selected by the Coordinating Committee, this decision is subject to an immediate referendum by all active state members.
3.2.2.4 Candidates, as elected leaders, shall be accountable to the Congress or, on an interim basis, the Coordinating Committee and shall abide by the Bylaws of the Indiana Green Party.
4 – Structure: The Indiana Green Party shall be a confederation of local Greens chapters and an unaffiliated Greens caucus in the state of Indiana and any other alliance or confederation agreed upon by the Indiana Green Party in keeping with the purpose and values of this organization.
4.1 Local Chapters
4.1.1 Local chapters shall be comprised of a minimum of three (3) members of the Indiana Green Party.
4.1.2 Local chapters in counties are encouraged to confederate to form a county party.
4.1.3 IGP requires locals to apply to the Coordinating Committee for affiliation. The minimum requirements are Adoption of the 10 Key Values of the Green Party Minimum three() active IGP Members in the local Complete and functional bylaws which express the 10 Key Values Political goals, program or platform which expresses the 10 Key Values Leaders elected according to the bylaws Familiarity with Roberts Rules of Order. No substantial disputes within the local regarding any of the above points. Member forms for Locals must include agreement with 10 Key Values.
4.1.4 The Coordinating Committee shall review all affiliation requests and has the authority to grant or deny provisional affiliation. The Coordinating Committee will make a recommendation to the next scheduled IGP Member Congress whether to convert the provisional affiliation to regular affiliation, and the Congress will vote to accept or reject the recommendation.
4.1.4.1 To help Locals to draft bylaws, IGP requires that each local address the following issues in their bylaws. There are many examples of Green bylaws on the Internet. Purpose and values Political practices Membership Structure Membership standards and review process How to amend bylaws
4.2 Local and regional caucus
4.2.1 To encourage the formation of local chapters and to increase participation of unaffiliated Members in Party business, the Indiana Green Party shall recognize local caucuses.
4.2.1.1 Three (3) or more IGP Members may request to form a local or regional caucus and elect a delegate to the Coordinating Committee and Congress. The Coordinating Committee will review, approve or deny all written requests within 60 days of receipt. Requests to form a local caucus must be sent to the Secretary of Indiana Green Party at the Parties post office box.
4.2.1.2 A local caucus may be formed only in jurisdictions where there is no affiliated local chapter or other recognized local caucus.
4.2.1.3 Upon approval by the Coordinating Committee a local caucus then has twelve (12) months to meet the requirements to affiliate as a local chapter or dissolve.
4.2.2 Requirements for Local or Regional Caucus
4.2.2.1 Caucus must meet a minimum of one (1) time annually for the purpose of electing a delegate.
4.2.2.2 Complete minutes and delegate voting results are to be forwarded to IGP Secretary within three (3) weeks of meeting to elect delegates.
4.2.2.3 IGP CC must be notified of Local or Regional Caucus Delegates a minimum of one (1) month prior to the IGP Annual Congress. 4.3 Unaffiliated Caucus
4.3.1 The unaffiliated caucus shall be comprised of members of the Indiana Green Party who have no local to join.
4.3.2 Once one or more locals form in a county, memberships in the unaffiliated caucus shall be transferred to the member's preferred local in the county.
4.3.3 IGP Members not choosing to participate through their county local may opt to seek representation through or by joining a local of their choice.
4.3.4 Unaffiliated IGP Members may choose to participate through an affiliated local of their choice in lieu of participating in the Unaffiliated Caucus.
4.4 Congress
4.4.1 The Indiana Green Party Congress shall be the highest decision-making body of the organization and shall meet at least annually.
4.4.2 Special Congresses may be called with the approval of at least 33 1/3% of the active members.
4.4.3 Congress shall be comprised of delegates from the locals, the unaffiliated caucus and other caucuses and confederations chartered by the Congress.
4.4.4 As Congress is comprised of delegates from the chartered Green bodies in Indiana, only delegates to Congress shall vote, except as indicated below. Delegates shall have a number of votes equal to the number of active IGP members in their local party, whose IGP membership is up-to-date at the time of the Congress. Individual Members may choose to carry their own votes instead of the local delegate or in the absence of a local delegate. The Secretary shall bring to the Congress a record of: 1) active and up-to-date IGP members in good standing with their local party, 2) membership in the unaffiliated caucus, and 3) all other caucuses and confederations chartered by Congress.
4.4.4.1 Secretaries from county locals shall notify IGP Secretary of delegate choice(s) at least one (1) week prior to annual or special congress.
4.4.4.2 Organizer of unaffiliated or regional caucus shall notify IGP Secretary of delegate choice(s) at least one(1) week prior to annual or special congress.
4.4.4.3 Congress shall have the discretion to recognize delegates and delegations not communicated to the Secretary in timely manner.
4.4.4.4 A quorum for Congress is 60% of the total votes available in the locals, the unaffiliated caucus and any other caucuses or confederations chartered by the Congress, based on one-member/one-vote.
4.4.5 Congresses shall have the charge to:
4.4.5.1 review, amend, and ratify the Charter, by-laws, program, principles, and policies; 4.4.5.2 elect and recall delegates and leadership;
4.4.5.3 elect and recall candidates for public office;
4.4.5.4 sanction members;
4.4.5.5 review and amend the actions of delegates and leadership;
4.4.5.6 charter, review and amend the actions of all working groups;
4.4.5.7 review, initiate and set strategic and policy parameters for actions and campaigns.
4.4.6 Voting Process for Congress
4.4.6.1 Any active member in good standing of the Indiana Green Party shall have the right to speak to Congress regarding any proposal. The Coordinators shall determine the length and frequency of such speech with the goal of encouraging participation by everyone present .
4.4.6.2 Any active member in good standing of the Indiana Green Party shall have the opportunity to submit proposals to Congress. Proposals must be submitted in writing to the Coordinators at least 45 days prior to the Congress. The Coordinators shall publish proposals on the IGP web site and general electronic mailing lists 30 days prior to Congress.
4.4.6.3 Decisions shall pass, after attempts to reach consensus have failed, by the following schedule:
4.4.6.3.1 66-2/3% of votes shall be required to approve any written draft amendments or changes to the Bylaws, to recall delegates and leadership, to join or leave confederations and alliances, and to sanction members.
4.4.6.3.2 50%+1 affirmative vote shall be required for all other matters, including to accredit Green electoral candidates; and IRV (instant runoff voting) shall be used to select the winning option when there are three or more options.
4.4.6.3.3 In the case of multiple decisions with multiple choices Congress shall use a multiple vote system. In such an event, each voter shall choose as many of the choices as decisions (positions) are available. No choice may be listed more than once. Those choices that receive a majority of the number of votes are elected.
4.4.6.3.4 Abstentions shall not be counted toward percentage of votes.
4.4.6.3.5 The annual IGP Congress shall have the authority, on a case-by-case basis, to override, by a vote of 75% of voting delegates and voting members in attendance at the Congress, the requirement of advance submission of resolutions for bylaws and platform changes and resolutions for other purposes.
4.5 Leadership
4.5.1 Coordinators
4.5.1.1 It shall be required to have at least one female in this two-person position. If a female coordinator is not available or elected, a member of a minority (i.e.; racial, ethnic, sexual orientation, age, disability) group may serve as coordinator. If a minority member is not available, then any male may serve as an interim coordinator until either a female member or minority group member is available.
4.5.1.2 Coordinators shall be the official spokespeople for the Indiana Green Party, accountable to the membership and required to obey any imperative mandates or other decisions of the membership.
4.5.1.3 Coordinators shall chair the regular meetings and the Congresses, be responsible for the organization of these meetings, solicit proposals and propose an agenda.
4.5.1.4 Coordinators shall also cosign, with the Treasurer, all required documents.
4.5.2 Secretary
4.5.2.1 The Secretary shall oversee membership application procedures, maintain membership lists, take minutes of regular business meetings and Congresses, keep and make available to members all non-financial records, and perform general secretarial duties.
4.5.3 Treasurer
4.5.3.1 The Treasurer shall have charge of and be responsible for all funds, prepare financial reports for meetings, cosign with the coordinators all required documents, develop and submit budgets, and perform general treasurer duties under oversight of the coordinating committee.
4.5.3.2 The Treasurer shall research and understand legal responsibilities of the position and keep accurate and up-to-date records that may be inspected by government entities or members of the IGP.
4.5.3.3 Within ten days of being elected, the Treasurer shall under state law obtain and file a completed Statement or Organization form with the State of Indiana Election Division.
4.5.3.4 The Treasurer must understand and complete all reporting requirements within legally specified deadlines as delineated in the Indiana Campaign Finance Manual published by the Indiana Election Division.
4.5.3.5 The Treasurer shall report financial activity to the membership and the coordinating committee.
4.5.3.6 The Treasurer of the Indiana Green Party may not hold the office of Treasurer of another political party committee or political campaign committee within the Green Party of the United States or any other political party in the United States. The Treasurer may not be the Treasurer of any Political Action Committee. 4.6 Coordinating Committee
4.5.4 Delegates to the Green Party of the United States National Committee
4.6.1 The Coordinating Committee conducts the organizational business of the Party under the policy guidance of the Congress on an interim basis between Congresses.
4.6.2 The Coordinating Committee shall be accountable to the Congress, and Coordinating Committee members shall be recallable by the bodies which chose them.
4.6.3 The Coordinating Committee shall be charged to:
4.6.3.1 Institute policies and mandates established at the Congress;
4.6.3.2 meet on a monthly basis, and whenever possible, meetings may be held on the internet, by conference calling, or by live web conferencing.
4.6.3.3 organize and maintain a Clearinghouse of Indiana Green Party members, organizational contacts and materials;
4.6.3.4 vote on the position of State Committee Chairperson (per Indiana Code, Title 3, Ch. 5) from amongst the Coordinating Committee membership;
4.6.3.5 oversee Working Groups and Committees.
4.6.4 Terms for officers last from the IGP annual Congress at which they are elected to the next annual IGP Congress. No person may serve in one officer position for more than five consecutive years.
4.6.5 The Coordinating Committee shall consist of:
4.6.5.1 State elected officers (Coordinators, Secretary, Treasurer).
4.6.5.2 One delegate each from locals, the unaffiliated caucus and any other caucuses and confederations chartered by the Congress. Each member shall choose one level of confederation through which they are represented in the Coordinating Committee.
4.6.5.3 One delegate from each Working Group.
4.6.5.4 GPUS National Committee delegates
4.6.6 Voting Process for the Coordinating Committee
4.6.6.1 The CC shall attempt to reach consensus on all decisions. When consensus cannot be reached, the IGP officers (co-coordinators, secretary, and treasurer) shall vote. A majority of officers must vote in favor of a decision for it to pass.
4.6.6.2 A simple majority of the CC total Delegates constitutes a quorum on any matter.
4.6.7 Replacement of Officers: should a vacancy on the Coordinating Committee occur between Congress sessions, the decision on replacing them should be as follows:
4.6.7.1 Replacement of members stated in 4.6.5.2 shall be decided by the body they represent.
4.6.7.2 Replacement of officers not mentioned above shall be nominated by either of the Coordinators and selected by the majority of the Coordinating Committee.
4.6.7.3 All positions shall be filled no later than two (2) months of the officer’s departure.
4.7 Working Groups
4.7.1 WGs shall be formed as the need arises by the Congress or at Coordinating Committee meetings.
4.7.2 WGs shall adhere to the bylaws, choose their own delegates to the Coordinating Committee and take responsibility for working on projects chartered by the Congress or by the Coordinating Committee.
4.7.3 Working Groups may commission committees.
4.7.4 Voting Process for Working Groups and Committees
4.7.4.1. 50%+1 affirmative vote shall be required for all matters, and IRV (instant runoff voting) shall be used to select the winning option when there are three or more options to chose from.
4.8 Referenda
4.8.1 If 15% or more of active members oppose a decision by the Coordinating Committee, signify so in writing, and wish the membership to vote on the decision, the Coordinating Committee shall conduct a referendum.
4.8.2 A ballot question must be drawn up and mailed (postal mail) to the Indiana Green Party Coordinators. The ballot question must be concisely presented and contain statements representing all points presented. A vote must take place within 28 days of the date when the Coordinators receive and confirm the signatures of the written request for a referendum. 50%+1 of active members must vote for the ballot for it to pass.
4.8.3 The referendum shall use email to reach members with Internet mail addresses and postal mail to reach members who do not have Internet mail or cannot be reached at their Internet mail addresses.
5 - Glossary
10 Key Values - The founding principles of the Green movement, which form the basis for all Green activity: 1) ecological wisdom, 2) social justice, 3) grassroots democracy, 4) nonviolence, 5) community based economics, 6) decentralization, 7) feminism, 8) personal and global responsibility, 9) respect for diversity, 10) future focus and sustainability
Bylaws - any of a set of rules adopted by an organization for governing its own meetings or affairs
Community-based economics - Greens seek a new economics based upon the natural limits of the Earth, which meets the basic needs of everyone on the planet, and is under democratic, decentralized community control.
Confederation - the uniting or being united in a league or alliance; creating higher level organizations by electing mandated delegates
Decentralization - Power and responsibility must be restored to local communities, within an overall framework of ecologically sound, socially just values and life-styles.
Ecological wisdom - The Greens recognize that the Earth sustains all life forms. Whatever we do to the web of life, we do to ourselves.
Feminism - The Green movement is profoundly inspired by feminism. The ethics of cooperation and understanding must replace the values of domination and control.
Future focus - Like the Iroquois Indians, Greens seek a society where the interests of the seventh generation are considered equal to the interests of the present. We must reclaim the future for ourselves and our children.
Grassroots democracy - The powerless suffer the most from resource exhaustion and toxic pollution. Greens believe in direct participation by all citizens in the environmental, political, and economic decisions that affect their lives. Grassroots democracy preserves political power at the lowest level by confederating to form higer levels of organization, mandating leadership, immediate recall of leadership, rotating leadership and term limits.
Imperative mandate - same as "mandate"; officers and delegates are bound to act and vote according to the mandate Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) - a form of proportional representation used to preserve minority votes where there is only one possible winning option or candidate; guarantees a majority rather than a plurality
Mandate - the wishes of the membership expressed to an officer or a delegate as an order which must be followed Mandate of discretion - the wishes of the membership expressed to an officer or delegate as guidance, not as an order
Nonviolence - Greens reject violence as a way of settling disputes--it is shortsighted, morally wrong, and ultimately self-defeating. We are working to end war forever.
Personal and global responsibility - Greens express commitment to global sustainability and international justice both through political solidarity and personal life-styles based on sufficiency and living lightly.
Procedure Of division - allocate imperative mandates according to the proportion of votes; preserves minority representation Proportional representation - allocation of votes according to the proportion cast by the electorate; if three candidates garner 60%, 25% and 15% of the votes, then those candidates have 60%, 25% and 15% of the votes in the legislative body; preserves minority representation; common in parliamentary governments;
Referendum - the submission of a law, proposed or already in effect, to a vote of the membership
Respect for diversity - Greens honor the biological diversity of the Earth, and the cultural, sexual, and spiritual diversity of Earth's people. We aim to reclaim this country's finest ideals: popular democracy, the dignity of the individual, and liberty and justice for all.
Social justice - Greens find the worldwide growth of poverty and injustice unacceptable and are working for a world in which all can fulfill their potential regardless of their sex, race, citizenship, or sexual preference.
Update 10/24/07