Bylaws

Article 1.  Membership

Section 1. The Executive Committee may suspend Officers and members by a two-thirds vote.

Section 2. The General membership may suspend members by a two-thirds vote of the attendees at the Semi-Annual Business Meeting.

Section 3. Suspension shall last for a period of 1 year, at which point the member shall be reinstated. Suspended members may appeal their suspension within 30 days. The Executive Committee may reinstate a suspended member by a two-thirds vote.

Article 2.  Officers and Executive Committee Members

Section 1. Election

  1. Non-Officer members of the Executive Committee will be elected at the annual election meeting for a term of one year.  The term begins at the close of the election meeting and ends at the adjournment of the next election meeting. Officers will be elected for two year terms.  The office of Chairperson and Treasurer will run staggered to the offices of Secretary and Vice-Chairperson. To implement this structure, the 2018 annual election meeting will elect the officeholders of Chairperson and Treasurer for one year.  A simple plurality is required for the election. A tie will result in a re-vote. None of the above is an option. This will invalidate all existing nominations and require new floor nominations for the office.
  2. Proxy and absentee voting shall be permitted for the annual officer election, for non-scheduled elections, and for general meetings.
  3. Proxy votes shall be handled and processed by the Secretary.

Section 2. Vacancies

  1. The Chairperson of the Executive Committee shall fill vacancies by appointment.  Said appointments are subject to the approval of the Executive Committee.
  2. If the Chairperson seat is vacant, the Vice-Chair will fill the Chairperson seat until elections are held.
  3. If the Chairperson and Vice-Chair seats are vacant, the Secretary will fill the Chairperson seat until elections are held.
  4. If the Chairperson, Vice-Chair, and Secretary seats are vacant, the Treasurer will fill the Chairperson seat until elections are held.

Section 3.  Duties

  1. The Chairperson shall preside over all meetings, and is responsible for managing the discussion of agenda items as proposed by the Executive Committee. The official spokesperson for the LPSRC shall be the Chairperson or designated by a vote of the Executive Committee on a case-by-case basis as the Executive Committee sees fit.
  2. The Vice-Chairperson shall serve as presiding officer in the absence of the Chairperson. The Vice-Chairperson is responsible for ensuring the obligations are being met among committee memberships through committee Chairpersons.
  3. The Secretary shall serve as recorder for all meetings of the Party and Executive Committee. The Secretary shall be custodians of all records of Party membership and the minutes of all meetings, correspondence, committee reports and the Constitution, Bylaws, and Standing Rules, and shall make provision for legal service to the LPSRC. The Secretary shall ensure all proxy votes are received and accounted for in Semi-Annual Business Meetings.
  4. The Treasurer shall be custodian of all funds, receiving and disposing of the funds at the discretion of the Executive Committee, and subject to the Standing Rules.

Section 4.  Meetings of the Executive Committee

  1. The powers and duties of the Executive Committee are prescribed by the Constitution, Bylaws, and Standing Rules, and by the direction of the General membership.
  2. The Executive Committee membership shall meet as prescribed in the Standing rules.
  3. A quorum of the Executive Committee shall be more than one-half the members of the Committee.

Section 5. Unable to form a quorum/non-scheduled elections

  1. In the event the Executive Committee is unable to form a quorum for two consecutive meetings, remaining members of the Executive Committee, or volunteers from the general membership, shall have the right to advertise and stage new elections within 60 days of the date the quorum became ineffective.
  2. All Executive Committee members shall undergo elections, including those who are still active.
  3. If the date the quorum became ineffective is within six months of the date of scheduled elections, the term of the elected officers will extend to a maximum of two years and six months.
  4. If the date the quorum became ineffective is greater than six months from the date of scheduled elections, the officers shall campaign for reelection at the scheduled time.
  5. In order to maintain staggered election times, in the event a non-scheduled election must be held, the Chairperson and Treasurer will have a term of one year (maximum of one year and six months in office) to be followed by a normal two year term if they are reelected and the quorum remains effective.
  6. Every reasonable means will be used to notify the General membership 15 days in advance of the non-scheduled election, and rules regarding proxy and absentee voting.

Article 3.   Meetings : Objects of Action

Section 1. Agenda

  1. The Executive Committee shall set the agenda and business of the LPSRC meetings.
  2. The order of business must include the adoption of the agenda. The meeting may amend the agenda by majority vote.

Section 2.  General

  1. Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, 11th Edition shall be the Parliamentary authority for all matters not covered by the Constitution, Bylaws and Standing Rules.

Section 3. Finance and Accounting

  1. The fiscal year of the LPSRC is the calendar year.
  2. The Treasurer shall be the chief financial officer.
  3. The Executive Committee shall cause an efficient system of accounting and budgeting to be installed and maintained, including audit and legal necessities. All expenditures exceeding $25 shall be made by check.
  4. The Executive Committee shall have the power to delegate power in the handling of funds.
  5. Cash donations to the LPSRC will be accepted only if two officers of the Executive Committee, either Executive Committee Officers or specific fundraising appointees, are present to make a record of the transaction and provide receipt.

Article 4.  Adoption and Amendments

Section 1. Adoption of the Bylaws shall be consistent with the adoption of the Constitution.

Section 2. Amendments to the Constitution may be made by a written, 30-day prior notice of any Semi-Annual Business Meeting and is approved by a three-fourths vote of the quorum, proxy, and absentee votes cast in accordance with established rules.

Section 3. Amendments to the Bylaws may be made by a proposal from the floor of any Semi-Annual Business Meeting and is approved by a two-thirds vote of the quorum, proxy, and absentee votes cast in accordance with established rules.  The proposal must be made in writing.

Section 4.  No change in the rules of the Executive Committee may have the effect of imposing a head tax on the membership.

Section 5.  No change in the rules by the Executive Committee shall have the effect of disenfranchising a member.

Section 6.  No change in the rules shall deny the autonomy of the individual member, except as provided in the Constitution and By-Laws.