Green Party of Connecticut Bylaws

Adopted by the State Central Committee - January, 1999
(amended 2000, 2001, 2004, 2008, 2013, 2021)

[Previous 2013 version archived here.]

Preface
The Green Party of Connecticut is composed of local Green Party Town Committees and Chapters. We are a political party committed to the Four Pillars of the Green Party movement: grassroots democracy, social justice, ecological wisdom, and non-violence. Our goal is to put government in the hands of working people. For that reason we do not accept contributions from corporate political action committees.

Section One. Organizational Structure of the Green Party of Connecticut

1.1 Organization
The Green Party of Connecticut is made up of individual Members, Chapters or Town Committees, Annual Meeting, State Central Committee, Executive Committee, and such committees as the State Central Committee may from time to time establish. The nature and duties of each are set out in this Section.

1.2 Members

1.2.1 Registered Members
To the extent that the State of Connecticut recognizes the Green Party of Connecticut as a Minor Party, a person who registers to vote in the State of Connecticut and lists their party affiliation as Green Party is considered to be a registered member for all purposes relevant to these bylaws, provided that they have not been registered with any other political party recognized by the State of Connecticut during the previous ninety (90) days.

1.2.2 Affiliated Members
Whether or not the State of Connecticut recognizes the Green Party of Connecticut as a Minor Party, any person who is at least sixteen (16) years of age and is a resident of Connecticut and not a member of any other ballot qualified political party in Connecticut may become a member of the Green Party of Connecticut by signing and submitting to an officer of the Green Party a membership application in the form set out in Appendix A. All members shall enjoy the same rights and privileges, except to the extent prohibited by law.

1.3 Chapters

1.3.1 Establishment of a Chapter
Any group of five or more members, resident in a town or city of Connecticut, or resident in more than one contiguous cities or towns of Connecticut in which no such geographic chapter exists, may seek recognition from the State Central Committee as a Chapter of the Green Party of Connecticut.

1.3.2 Requirements for recognition of a Chapter
To be recognized by the State Central Committee as a Chapter, the following requirements must be met:

Appointment of at least one individual as Secretary whose duties will include providing reasonable notice to members of chapter meetings, keeping minutes (or in the Secretary’s absence, delegating the responsibility to take minutes) of such meetings, maintaining a list of Chapter members, and providing to the Secretary of the Green Party of Connecticut on an ongoing basis or upon request copies of notices of meetings, minutes of meetings, a list of members, and information regarding other significant Chapter activities.

Appointment of a Treasurer to maintain all necessary financial records and opening of a bank account, consistent with the requirements of the SEEC.

Appointment of representation to the State Central Committee, attendance at State Central Committee meetings, and timely response to the Party’s requests for action and information. Minutes reflecting at least three meetings of the Chapter in a period not less than three nor more than six months.

Ongoing participation by at least five members.

Commitment to the Four Pillars and Ten Key Values of the Green Party and support for the work of the Green Party of Connecticut.

Reasonable notice, for purposes of this section, shall include but is not limited to electronic distribution via an electronic mailing list and by posting on social media outlets, so long as these are reasonably accessible to the general public.

1.4 Town Committees
Where a recognized Chapter of the Green Party of Connecticut includes a town or city, and the requirements under Connecticut law have been met for the establishment of a Town Committee, the members resident in that town or city shall determine whether to establish a Town Committee and shall be responsible for such establishment.

Where no recognized Chapter exists and the requirements under Connecticut law have been met for the establishment of a Town Committee, a group of at least five Green Party of Connecticut members resident in that town or city may undertake the establishment of a Town Committee consistent with the requirements of Connecticut law.

Any duly established Green Party Town Committee recognized by the State of Connecticut shall be recognized by the State Central Committee and shall have the same rights and responsibilities as a Chapter, except to the extent inconsistent with Connecticut law.

1.5 General Chapter
Five or more individual members residing beyond the boundaries of any established Chapter or Town Committee may form a single, state-wide General Chapter if it otherwise meets the requirements set out above for a Chapter and is recognized by the State Central Committee.

1.6 Annual Meeting
An Annual Meeting of the Green Party of Connecticut shall be convened each year on a date designated by the Executive Committee and noticed at least sixty (60) days in advance. Any member in good standing may attend, participate, and vote at an Annual Meeting. The business of an Annual Meeting shall include:

Reports by members of the Executive Committee on the work of the Party over the previous year;

Voting on such proposed changes to the Bylaws as may be referred to that body by the State Central Committee; and

Voting on nomination or endorsement of candidates for United States Senate, and for all State Constitutional offices, except that where the question of nomination or endorsement arises after the Annual Meeting but within the same election cycle, the authority to nominate or endorse shall reside with the State Central Committee. Such voting shall be conducted by secret ballot employing Ranked Choice Voting.

1.7 State Central Committee
The State Central Committee shall be composed of Chapter representatives, Town Committee representatives, and members of the Executive Committee. There shall be at least nine (9) meetings of the State Central Committee over the course of a year. Each Chapter or Town Committee shall have a minimum of two representatives to the State Central Committee for the first five members, and shall have one additional representative for each five members.

The State Central Committee shall be responsible for:

Appointment of the Executive Committee;

Formulation of Statements of Purpose and Principles and plans for organization, programs, financing, and strategy;

Acting on petitions for formation and recognition of new Chapters and Town Committees; and Determining and directing all action required for implementation of established Purposes and Plans;

Consistent with these Bylaws and Connecticut law, the endorsement of candidates for office; and

Acting on proposals to amend these by-laws, whether to enact such proposals as provided in Section 5.1, or by majority vote to refer the question to the Annual Meeting.

In the course of carrying out its responsibilities, as described above, the State Central Committee may establish subordinate committees, expend Party funds, take or direct all action required for the execution of established Purposes and plans, and coordinate all joint Chapter and Town Committee activities.

The State Central Committee shall maintain Minutes of all its meetings. Copies of draft Minutes shall be forwarded to each Chapter and Town Committee within fourteen (14) days of each meeting.

Duly noticed meetings of the State Central Committee may be held in person or remotely. Attendance by at least one representative of two thirds of all Chapters and Town Committees shall be required for formal consideration of any non-procedural motion or proposal (quorum).

1.8 Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall consist of the following positions: three Co-Chairpersons (who shall not be all of the same gender expression), one Secretary, and one Treasurer.

At the first meeting of the newly-elected Executive Committee, as provided in Section 2.1, below, the members shall designate a Co-Chair who, for purposes of preparing paperwork for the Connecticut Secretary of the State’s office or for the Connecticut State Elections Enforcement Committee or as needed for other official documents (but for no other purposes), shall be designated Chairperson of the Green Party of Connecticut.

The Executive Committee shall meet at least nine (9) times over the course of a year, and notice of each such meeting shall be made at least seven (7) days before it takes place. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for setting the date and the agenda for each State Central Committee meeting. Between State Central Committee meetings, the Executive Committee shall be responsible for addressing time-sensitive matters including issuing press releases or other statements on behalf of the Green Party of Connecticut, endorsing political actions or events, and communications with other political organizations.

One or more of the Co-Chairpersons shall conduct meetings of the Executive Committee, shall conduct or appoint a facilitator for meetings of the State Central Committee, and shall in person or through a designee represent the Green Party of Connecticut at meetings or in discussions with individuals and groups outside the Green Party of Connecticut.

The Secretary shall take minutes as required by the Executive Committee and State Central Committee, maintain a record of all representatives from Chapters and Town Committees to the State Central Committee, and maintain a record of all individual members. The Secretary shall manage official incoming and outgoing communications of the Executive Committee and State Central Committee; shall maintain a record of all written correspondence to or from the Green Party of Connecticut, and shall establish, maintain, and periodically publish information and data that may be of value to members and groups within the Green Party of Connecticut.

The Treasurer shall receive all dues, contributions, and other income; shall establish a bank account into which all receipts shall be promptly deposited; shall promptly make payment for all duly authorized obligations, and shall establish a procedure for such authorization; may recommend to the State Central Committee investment of any funds that exceed short-term commitments and requirements; and maintain financial records in accordance with sound accounting practice and publish monthly and statements of initial and final assets, income, and expenditures. The Treasurer shall provide a report to each meeting of the Executive Committee, which report shall also be presented to the next meeting of the State Central Committee for adoption. The Treasurer shall ensure that all financial requirements established under Connecticut law by the State Elections Enforcement Commission are met.

There shall be one Deputy Treasurer, who shall be appointed by the Treasurer with the consent of the other members of the Executive Committee, but shall not serve on the Executive Committee.

Section Two. Selection of the Executive Committee and other Officials

2.1 Election of the Executive Committee
Members of the Executive Committee shall be elected by secret ballot, employing Ranked Choice Voting, at the first State Central Committee meeting following an Annual Meeting, and shall serve a term of office of two years.

In the first year in which these Bylaws are adopted, the State Central Committee shall elect the five members of the Executive Committee. Subsequently, one Co-Chair, the Secretary, and the Treasurer shall be elected in odd-numbered years and two Co-Chairs shall be elected in even-numbered years.

Members of the Executive Committee are subject to removal from office by a three-fourths vote of the State Central Committee. A motion to remove an Executive Committee member shall be made at a meeting of the State Central Committee and voted upon at the next subsequent meeting of the State Central Committee. Where a member of the Executive Committee does not, for whatever reason, complete their term of office, the State Central Commission may, by majority vote, appoint a replacement for that member of the Executive Committee, which person shall hold office for the remainder of that term.

2.2 Appointment of Other Offices
The State Central Committee shall have the authority to appoint Green Party of Connecticut members to serve as representatives or delegates to other bodies, including but not limited to the Green Party of the United States.

The State Central Committee shall have the authority to appoint Green Party of Connecticut members to serve on committees of the Green Party of Connecticut and/or committees of the Green Party of the United States.

Section Three. Nomination and Endorsement of Candidates for Office
For the purposes of these bylaws, “nominate” refers to the process by which the Green Party of Connecticut agrees to place a party member on its ballot line; while “endorse” refers to the process by which the Green Party of Connecticut agrees to place a non-party member on its ballot line.

3.1 Requirements for Nomination for Public Office

With the exception of candidates for President and Vice-President of the United States, any person seeking nomination to public office as a candidate of the Green Party of Connecticut or any affiliated body of the Green Party of Connecticut must be a member in good standing of the Green Party of Connecticut at the time of any nomination decision. For purposes of this subsection, the 90 day requirement set out in subsection 1.2.1 is waived.

3.2. Nomination and Endorsement Authority

3.2.1 Local and State Offices
A Chapter or Town Committee shall have responsibility for nominating and endorsing candidates for local and state offices solely within their jurisdiction, and shall give notice of and hold meetings as necessary for such purposes in a manner consistent with state and local law, and at which all Green Party of Connecticut members within that jurisdiction may vote.

Where the jurisdiction of a local or state office includes more than one town or city, nomination or endorsement of a candidate for said office may be made in a joint meeting convened by all recognized Chapters or Town Committees within that jurisdiction and at which all Green Party of Connecticut members residing within that jurisdiction may vote; except that where there is no recognized Chapter or Town Committee within that jurisdiction, nomination or endorsement may be made by the State Central Committee, consistent with the requirements  of state law.

3.2.2 Congressional Districts
Nomination or endorsement of candidates for United States Congress may be made in a joint meeting convened by all recognized Chapters or Town Committees within that jurisdiction and the Executive Committee, and at which all Green Party of Connecticut members residing within that jurisdiction and members of the Executive Committee may vote; except that where there is no recognized Chapter or Town Committee within that jurisdiction, nomination or endorsement may be made by the State Central Committee, consistent with the requirements of state law.

3.2.3 United States Senate and State Constitutional offices
Except to the extent that nominations or endorsements are taken up at the Green Party of Connecticut Annual Meeting, the State Central Committee shall have responsibility for nominating and endorsing candidates for United States Senate, and for all State Constitutional offices.

3.2.4 Nomination or Endorsement for President and Vice President
In a year in which an election shall be held for President and Vice President of the United States, the State Central Committee shall appoint a committee to prepare a proposal for the conduct of a state-wide Presidential/Vice Presidential Preference Poll and the proportional appointment of delegates to the GPUS convention using ranked choice voting, which such proposal shall be adopted by a majority vote of the State Central Committee. The Green Party of Connecticut shall seek to place the GPUS nominees for President and Vice-President on the Connecticut ballot, whether as candidates, petitioning candidates, or write-in candidates.

3.3 Endorsement of Candidates on Other Ballot Lines
Any person seeking the endorsement of the Green Party of Connecticut or any affiliated body of the Green Party of Connecticut as a candidate for public office on a ballot line other than that of the Green Party of Connecticut shall, as a condition for such endorsement, provide a written statement explaining their agreement or disagreement with substantive policy positions of the Green Party of Connecticut. Such statement shall be in a format designated by the State Central Committee and may be made available to the public. No body of the Green Party of Connecticut shall endorse any candidate also endorsed by either of the two major parties (Democratic Party and Republican Party), except that as to candidates for local office, Chapters or Town Committees may request that a waiver of this rule may be made to the State Central Committee.

3.4 Revocation of Nomination or Endorsement
The State Central Committee reserves the right, by a two-thirds majority at a convened meeting of that body, to withdraw the nomination or endorsement of the Green Party of Connecticut or any affiliated body of the Green Party of Connecticut of any candidate for public office. Where the SCC has withdrawn its nomination of a candidate, it shall make a public statement of the withdrawal and the reasons thereof, and shall direct the Executive Committee to take all reasonable steps to have the candidate removed from the Green Party of Connecticut ballot line.

Section Four. Amendments to Bylaws

4.1 Consideration of amendments to the Bylaws by the State Central Committee
Any Chapter may, on a two-thirds (2/3) vote at a duly noticed meeting, propose to the State Central Committee amendments or other changes to the Green Party of Connecticut Bylaws. The State Central Committee shall refer the proposal to all active Chapters and Town Committees for review and recommendations. Each Chapter and Town Committee may, on a two thirds vote, recommend to the State Central Committee that it approve or reject the proposal, or that it refer the proposal to be voted upon at the next Annual Meeting. If two thirds of the Chapters and Town Committees recommend approval, the State Central Committee shall enact the proposal or, by a majority vote, refer it to be voted upon at the next Annual Meeting.

4.2 Consideration of amendments to the Bylaws by the Annual Meeting
Any proposals for amendments or other changes to the Green Party of Connecticut Bylaws brought to the agenda of an Annual Meeting by a vote of the State Central Committee shall be adopted if accepted by a two-thirds (2/3) vote, in secret ballot, of those members present.

Section Five. Diversity, Accessibility, and Transparency

5.1 Diversity
The Green Party of Connecticut shall encourage broad public support and participation in its activities and shall not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, mental or physical handicap or disability, formal education level, language ability, or condition of restraint in any institution. The Green Party of Connecticut seeks to reflect the diversity and composition of the communities it serves, and people of color and under-represented groups shall be encouraged and recruited to participate in all aspects of its activities and leadership.

5.2 Accessibility
The Green Party of Connecticut shall make all reasonable efforts to ensure that meetings, including meetings of its affiliated bodies, will be held at locations that are fully accessible to persons of all abilities. It is the responsibility of the person or body calling the meeting to ensure, in advance, that the meeting space is fully accessible. In addition, any body or person calling a meeting shall make all reasonable efforts to ensure that any member wishing to can attend the meeting electronically or telephonically. The fact that a meeting can be attended electronically or telephonically is meant to encourage participation by members from across the state and is not intended to relieve the meeting organizer from ensuring that the physical meeting space is also fully accessible.

5.3 Transparency
Unless otherwise specified in these Bylaws, written notice of State Central Committee meetings shall be published via electronic mail lists and social media as far in advance as practicable and a minimum of fourteen (14) days prior to the meeting unless good cause and emergency circumstances dictate shorter notice. The minutes of all Executive Committee, State Central Committee, and Annual meetings shall be published via listserve and the Green Party of Connecticut website, which shall maintain an archive of such minutes.

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