CT Green Party State Meeting Minutes
February 27, 2001

I. Treasurer's report

Green Party funds: approximately $5000, of which $1759 is for the state, the rest for individual chapters. The newsletter (state expenditure) will require $2200; $450 is expected from ad revenue, and other fund-raising ideas were proposed, such as saving all change in a jar to contribute tp party, selling ad space on the Web site, and creating a mechanism for accepting monthly credit card donations.

II.

A protest march will be held in Hartford on 28 April, against construction of a 4500-person prison in the city. The march will emphasize ending the War on Drugs. Resolved unanimously to endorse the march. Contact Adam at (860)285-8831 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

OLD BUSINESS

I. Committee reports

A. Electoral comm. is working on informing chapters of deadlines for election processes, facilitating campaigns, and passing along training from the Women's Campaign School workshops. It was suggested that: 1) we get our own (Green) workshops organized (WCS is run by Dem's and Rep's); 2) candidate recruitment should be done soon (by Memorial Day if possible), through press releases, interviews, etc., in order to have time to line up endorsements and raise funds before Labor Day; 3) we look for quality, not quantity, of candidates, to concentrate resources.

B. Fundraising: no representative at meeting. Dmitri D'Alessandro is now a member of this committee. No concensus as to whether the convention chould be held before or after the election, but from June till Nov. is deemed too close to election day to consider.

C. Communications comm. will meet soon; have e-mailed each other. Local chapters: You are encouraged to contact Kevin if you want a web page set up for your chapter. Also, please email any notable events and meetings if you want them posted on the website.

D. Finance comm. has communicated via e-mail. Will research past expenditures and likely costs of local and statewide campaigns to help in determining budget priorities. Would like input from each Chapter as to what their priorities would be. Tom Sevigny selflessly ruptured his Achilles' tendon, to give himself ample down time in which to create a reimbursement form before the next state meeting. E. Bylaws comm. has e-mailed, and will meet soon. In duscussing whether voting for officers and on bylaw revisions should be allowed via mail and Internet or only at the convention, the increase in number of ballots was countered by the value of attending the convention. As for requiring voting members to register as Greens (if possible) or to attend a meeting before voting, etc., some se this as exclusionary while others feel it could help prevent a takeover. If each Chapter sets its own criteria for membership, then either the State must have separate voting requirements from Chapters, or some effort must be made to prevent Chapters with the most lenient requirements from being disproportionately represented at the State level. Restructuring or enlarging the Steering Committee has been proposed, as have term limits for State officers. Chapters are strongly encouraged to submit their views to the Bylaws comm. Contacts: Penny Teal and Amy vas Nunes.

II. Legislative update

A. IRV - no changes since last meeting

B. Filthy Five: Several proposed bills are to be heard by the Environmental Committee; only Chris Caruso's bill (endorsed by the Greens) specifically ends pollution trading credits and limits emissions at all sites. Hearing will be within 2-4 weeks; please continue to contact legislators to support Caruso's bill. (Contact Tom Sevigny for more information.) May launch a protest in Hartford if the bill fails; could hold a press conference (before or after the vote) featuring an asthmatic child. Meeting on 6 March at LLB (contact Mike DeRosa); according to a Union of Concerned Scientists study, 50% of New England's power output has vanished since restructuring.

C. Death penalty moratorium: no date set for Judicial Comm. hearing.

D. Ballot Access (HB5810): will be voted on before 9 April. Hearings on 14 and 19 March. Need to make more phone calls to support this bill.

E. Pesticide Spraying bills: 2 each of these, pertaining to spraying to contain spread of the West Nile virus, are in the House and Senate. One moves power to the DEP (away from communities) to decide on spraying. This issue will be discussed in Hartford on 3 March; contact Paul Bassler.

III. Chapter updates

A. Hartford will do a mailing soon, and is looking for candidates for Alderman positions. Contact Mike deRosa for meeting info.

B. New Haven held a protest at the local Filthy Five site, and is conducting regular educational forums (its first was titled "Yale University: Predator or Partner?")

C. Fairfield wants to produce a video show for public access broadcasting. Meetings are the 3rd Wed. of month; contact Paul Bassler.

D. Central meets 1st Sun. of month. They are involved in the anti-prison march on 28 April (see above) and will conduct an informational forum on 25 April. They intend to invite the low-income community, churches, schools, local politicians, and more, and to recruit Greens in the process. They now have officers who meet as a steering committee; they hope to run candidates for local offices in the fall.

E. Northeast has been very busy meeting with legislators to discuss the Filthy Five, and circulating petitions and writing letters about same. They recently organized a new Chapter in Pomfret. They will call or write to all 500 or so people on their mailing list, and will use a U-Conn proposed hazardous waste facility on a local watershed as an organizing issue. Meetings are 2nd Mon. of month. Contact Jean de Smet (456-2188) or Max and Chris (456-1804).

F. Southeast sent out a mailing in Dec.; hosted John Battista at Conn College in Jan. and hopes to continue hosting educational talks on a monthly basis; has established criteria for voting members and decided on a crew of committee heads and "officers" to provide structure; is well underway with establishing a platform for the city council race in New London; and recently interviewed a potential candidate for Stonington Selectman (he was turned down). Meetings are 3rd Wed. of month; contact Penny Teal (536-4980).

G. Northwest meets 2nd and 4th Wed. of month. they've been working on Chapter bylaws, including definition of voting members. They will be focusing on an anti-development fight and trying to recruit members through it.

H. S. Conn. State Univ. admitted as a new Chapter.

IV. The Campaign to Fight Poverty needs volunteers for the Green Party

Table on 8 March, from 4:30 till 8:00 pm. Contact Amy vas Nunes.

NEW BUSINESS

I. CT Green 2000 still has a $450 debt.

Chapters are requested to pass a hat at their next meeting. Make checks payable to CT Green 2000; record date of all contributions, and personal info (name, phone, address, etc.) for contributions of > $50.

II. Love Makes a Family

a group promoting legislation protecting the rights of gays and lesbians to adopt children, was endorsed after discussion about whether or not a representative from the group should come to a state meeting first. Endorsement was made with the proviso that we will ask a rep. to come to our next meeting.

III. A subcommittee of the Media Relations Committee

has been formed to produce a TV program. Aaron Tabackman will chair the comm., and will submit a detailed proposal at the next State meeting.