Liberty For All

by Julie Fox

Chair’s Report (Bill Redpath):
The Chair had lunch on March 23rd with George Will.  After the lunch, Will requested to be included on the LP’s media list.  Attended Freedom Fest and the regional C4L conference held in June in Las Vegas.  Redpath described Freedom Fest as a “great conference” with about 1700 attendees.  He has a meeting planned with Jim Clymer, Chair of the Constitution Party, the week following the St. Louis LNC meeting.  Redpath included other events he attended as well, which will be included in the LNC meeting minutes. 

Treasurer’s Report (Aaron Starr):
Confidential financial reports will be distributed to LNC members between the 20th and the 31st of the following month.  Rent charges contain “maintenance” fees, which include property tax charges and various other expenses incurred by the landlord.  This is an annual fee that is charged each year in May on top of the regular monthly rent.   Accounts payable as of May 31 was $15,000, all being current.   Net income year-to-date has averaged $6,000 per month. 

Aaron Starr moved to add text to the LNC Policy Manual, Article III, Section 3, Position Description of National Treasurer.  After a friendly amendment was accepted, the LNC passed a motion to add, “To prepare a quarterly Treasurer’s Report to be mailed to any sustaining member who either a) was a registered delegate at the most recent regular convention, or b) requests such reports.”   Monthly financial statements will no longer be e-mailed to LP members from their LNC representatives, but members can/will receive hard copy quarterly statements via the mail. 

Secretary’s Report (Bob Sullentrup):
Sullentrup noted the mail ballots introduced to the LNC since the last meeting in Charleston.  Sullentrup spoke about the 2010 convention.  Speakers are currently being sought for the convention.  To date, speakers include:  David Nolan, Bob Barr, Gary Nolan, Mary Ruwart, Jeff Davis (relative of Jefferson Davis), Neal Boortz, and Jim Lark, who will be speaking at the Torch Club event.  The incoming national chair will be given time to speak and take questions on Monday of the convention, something that has not been done at previous LPN conventions. 

Staff Report (Robert Krause, Wes Benedict, and Donny Ferguson):
Wes Benedict was hired as Executive Director effective July 17.  His top priorities during his first months on the job will be fundraising and increasing membership in the LP to 20,000.  Benedict has a proven track record from his Executive Director position in Texas, where his biggest successes were with fundraising, candidate recruitment, and membership.  

In regard to recent discussions amongst LNC members on the cost of various fundraising methods, Krause noted that having one’s account debited is much less costly to the party than paying with a credit card.

Ferguson noted that elected Libertarians should keep him updated with their activities.

National Volunteer Coordinator Austin Petersen will be leaving the LP on August 14 to pursue career opportunities with the Cato Institute.

Campus Organizing Report (Jim Lark):
Lark encouraged members of the LP to work with Students for Liberty.  SFL plans to work with LP campus organizations.  Please note that there can be no formal connections due to SFL’s 501(c)3 status.

Following the Campus Organizing report and regional reports were executive sessions where the LNC held teleconferences with newly hired LPN attorney Gary Sinawski and with FEC consultant Paula Edwards.  Edwards relayed general information regarding state parties filing with the FEC that is able to be shared with members.  She urged state parties to file with the FEC due to the likelihood that some of their financial transactions could likely be construed as being related to federal election activity. 

Lark made a motion, which passed without objection on Sunday morning, that “The members of the LNC offer our appreciation and gratitude to Austin Petersen, national Volunteer Coordinator, for his fine work on behalf of the Libertarian Party, and we offer our best wishes to him in his future endeavors.”

Nondisclosure Form (Stewart Flood):
Currently LPN staff and consultants sign confidentiality agreements.  Flood introduced a nondisclosure form to be signed by LNC members.  Further discussion was postponed until the December 2009 LNC meeting so LNC members would have ample time to review the document before voting on its use, and to allow the LNC’s attorney to review it as well.

Election of Credentials Committee:
Five members of the credential committee are elected by the five state parties with the highest membership numbers as of December 31, 2009.  The other five are elected by the LNC.  Those were:  Jeff Dimit (serving as interim Chair), Emily Salvette, Mark Bodenhausen, Christiana Mayer, and Scott Lieberman.  Michael Houze, with the next highest number of votes, became the alternate.

APRC Review (Mary Ruwart):
Ruwart made the motion that the APRC, with input from the new ED, rewrite Article 6, Section 3, Part F of the LNC Policy Manual before the next LNC meeting in December.  She noted that LP News should not be considered a time-sensitive document in regards to APRC review of its contents before publication. 

Membership Analysis (Mary Ruwart):
Ruwart’s analysis of the numbers indicated that the LP is losing money sending direct mail appeals to unqualified leads.  Direct mail is profitable only when it goes out to qualified leads.  Ruwart stressed that, in terms of profitability, we need to focus more on renewing members than in getting new ones.

Financial Records Confidentiality (Mary Ruwart):
Ruwart made the motion that all donor records should be considered private.  The arguments against this motion were that membership donor data (while not exact amounts) was available already through state data dumps, donors’ names appear on the LP’s website, and that donation ranges appear with members’ names in LP News.

Alicia Mattson made a motion, which the LNC passed, to create a five-member committee to study the issue and bring it before the LNC at the December meeting.  The motion passed.  The committee will be selected by the Chair within two weeks following the St. Louis meeting.

Strategic Plan (Aaron Starr):
Starr made the motion that the LNC policy manual section related to the LP’s strategic plan be deleted, considering that the LNC has not been reviewing and updating the plan yearly as outlined in the policy manual.  The LNC voted to delete this section of the policy manual.  The strategic plan still remains, but the LNC’s requirement to review it yearly no longer does. 

LNC Convention Oversight Committee (Michael Colley):
The 2010 convention will be held in St. Louis on Memorial Day weekend.  The St. Louis meeting was held at the same site (the Renaissance Hotel) so LNC members could take a tour and experience the accommodations.   In addition what was included in the Secretary’s report, Colley noted that the LPN is hiring an event coordinator to handle the event.  He is currently accepting applications from companies in the St. Louis area.  Steve Hellin of LP Illinois, who lives close by in Collinsville, IL, volunteered to act as a local contact. 

Planning began three months ago for the 2012 convention.  The site will be on the east coast.  Currently being considered are Pittsburgh, Washington DC, Nashville, Cincinnati, and Charlotte.  Other possibilities at this time are Baltimore and Manchester, NH.  Site considerations include locations of major airline hubs, tourist attractions, and involvement of local and state parties in planning of the event.

By-Laws Committee (Dan Karlan):
The By-Laws Committee sent out a survey twice to LP members.  1032 members have responded to the survey to date.  Karlan urged LNC members who have not yet filled out the survey to do so.

Discipline - or not - of Steve LaBianca (Dan Karlan):
Karlan presented a resolution regarding the refusal of LNC alternate Steve LaBianca to follow the LNC’s policy manual’s instructions that LNC members acknowledge viewing of a sexual harassment video each term.  Karlan’s resolution commended LaBianca for taking a stand on the issue of sexual harassment.   More than one LNC member brought up their concern of how this would affect director’s and officer’s insurance coverage should the LNC pass the resolution, which resulted in the resolution being dropped.

The resolution submitted is as follows:

WHEREAS, the Policy Manual Article I: GENERAL POLICY, Section 8: HARASSMENT AND OFFENSIVE BEHAVIOR PROHIBITION, states (page 10), “Toward ensuring that all LNC members are thoroughly familiar not only with this policy but also the ramifications of it, they must participate in a standard program of exposure to the issues raised by these concerns…. Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action against the perpetrator including removal from the LNC”; and

WHEREAS, failure to subscribe to the policy adopted by the LNC exposes the LNC and the LP to substantial and catastrophic risk in this litigious social climate; and

WHEREAS, Regional Alternate Steve LaBianca, in a general disclosure to the LNC dated May 1, 2009, declared that he “refuse[d] to read and/or acknowledge reading the allegedly required sexual harassment policy of the LP and/or LNC”; and

WHEREAS, said Regional Alternate further stated, “I am ready to be made an example of, I am ready to be ‘disciplined’”; and

WHEREAS, it appears that Mr. LaBianca’s challenge to us is sufficiently clear as to absolve the LNC from any legal exposure for his rebelliousness; therefore be it

RESOLVED, that Regional Alternate Steve LaBianca is hereby commended for his willingness to take the heat for his personal and principled objection to the requirements of the LNC Policy Manual.

 
Policy Manual Changes (Dan Karlan):
The proposed new policy manual was handed out, to be reviewed by LNC members before the December meeting.

Policy Manual Amendment (Dan Karlan)
The LNC passed a motion by Karlan to add the following text to Article 1, Section 2, Sub-section F of the policy manual,  “main motions must be submitted in writing to the Chair before being moved.”   The following endnote will accompany the text, “See RONR, page 32: “A resolution or long or complicated motion should be prepared in advance of the meeting, if possible, and should be put in writing before it is offered.”

Ballot Access Report (Bill Redpath):
Recent ballot access legislation in WV reduced the amount of signature required in half (to 7500 for statewide candidates).  Current law requires 1% of the vote in the gubernatorial race for ballot access.  A ballot access bill has partially passed the Oklahoma legislature.  The LP, with help from Bill Redpath, covered costs for a lobbyist in OK.  Cost of the lobbyist is $2500/month.  The lobbyist will need to be hired again when the bill goes before the OK state legislature for a final vote. 

Ballot drives are currently underway in Alaska, Nebraska, New Mexico, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Alabama, and Arkansas. 

Audit Committee Report (M Carling and Julie Fox):
The LPN received a favorable opinion on the audit of its financial statements for the year ending December 31, 2008.  Review of the audited financial statements as of December 31, 2008 was held in open session.  No issues were discussed.  Discussion of the auditor’s management report was done in executive session.

Executive session was held to discuss FEC reporting issues.

The next LNC meeting will be held December 5-6 in a location to be determined within two weeks of the St. Louis meeting.  The LNC will meet following that in Austin, TX, in conjunction with the LSLA conference Feb. 27-28.   The final meeting of this LNC’s term will be held on May 28 in St. Louis, at the start of the 2010 LPN Convention.

Please note that I will not be attending the December 2009 LNC meeting.  I will provide a Region 6 report.  Region 6 alternate, Jake Porter, will attend the December meeting in my absence.  Please also note that I do not intend on serving on the LNC in the next term.  I will be focusing my time on my campaign for Illinois State Comptroller in 2010, and after that on Illinois local and state party activities, and Illinois ballot access issues as well. 

It will be a big uphill battle to get LP Illinois statewide candidates on the ballot in 2010.  I hope that LP members in surrounding states will consider helping with that effort.  We can make history in Illinois with the Comptroller’s race, but we need to get on the ballot in order for that to happen!  Please contact me at jfox1214@sbcglobal.net if you can help, or if you have any questions or concerns regarding this report.