I. Executive Board:
A. Co-chairs:
i. One male and one female.
ii. Shall serve two year terms until 2005 at which point terms shall
be one year. Dates of caucus elections (chairs and board) to be determined.
iii. Duties: Co-Chair duties shall include but are not limited to:
Spokespersons for the Progressive Caucus, liaisons to state Democratic
Party (members Central Committee), call meetings, and administration
of caucus business. Shall perform same duties with regard to the Progressive
Political Action Committee (ProPAC).
B. Secretary:
i. Shall serve one year term.
ii. First Secretary to be appointed by Chairs with first election
to occur in 2004, date to be determined.
iii. Duties: Shall maintain all records of the Progressive Caucus
and the Progressive Political Action Committee (ProPAC) with the exception
of financial records. This will include but is not limited to: Notify
board and membership of meetings, call for agenda items, record meeting
minutes, maintain membership records, list-serve and county caucus
reports. Shall provide access to membership records to all standing
committees as required to facilitate their duties.
C. Treasurer:
i. Shall serve one year term.
ii. First Treasurer to be appointed by Chairs with first election
to occur in 2004, date to be determined.
iii. Duties: Shall maintain all financial records, make deposits and
pay all financial obligations of the Progressive Caucus including
the Caucus’ Progressive Political Action Committee (ProPAC).
Shall ensure all financial reports are timely filed with the appropriate
local, county, state or federal agency or office and shall provide
for an annual independent audit of all financial records.
D. General Board (Shall
include Executive Board and County Caucus Chairs and chairs of standing
caucus committees):
i. County Caucus Chairs:
One individual to be selected by caucus members in up to each of Utah’s
29 counties.
(a) For every 20 county progressive caucus members that are elected
as delegates to their county Democratic Party convention that county
is entitled to one additional representative on the General Board.
ii. Terms to be determined
by each county Progressive Caucus.
iii. Along with all other officers (Co-Chairs, etc) shall serve on
board of the Progressive Political Action Committee (ProPAC)
iv. Process and structure of each county caucus to be determined by
that caucus and filed with Secretary.
v. Duties: Make regular reports to the Secretary regarding County
Progressive Caucus officers, membership, fundraising, lobbying, candidate/delegate
recruitment efforts, and other activities as required by the Board.
Participate regularly in State Progressive Caucus meetings.
II. Progressive Caucus Membership:
A. Individual Membership:
i. Any registered Democrat that signs a membership form stating they
agree with the positions and mission/vision statement of the Progressive
Caucus of the Utah Democratic Party and donates at least $10 or 2
hours of volunteer time to the Caucus annually.
ii. Junior Members: Any minor attending a Utah High School that signs
a membership form as defined under (i) above and provides a waiver
signed by his/her parents.
iii. Duties: Maintenance of membership requires active participation
in the electoral process including but not limited to: Writing/lobbying
representatives in government, writing letters to the editor or other
media, participating in local Democratic Caucus meetings, or when
possible running for Democratic Party Delegate positions or as a candidate
for public office.
B. Organizational Membership:
i. Any organization (i.e. labor union, environmental group, religious
organization) that is not legally prohibited from engaging in political
activity and whose authorized representative signs a membership form
indicating the organization agrees with the positions and mission/vision
statement of the Progressive Caucus of the Utah Democratic Party and
meets the other requirements of membership as outlined under A(i)
above.
ii. Duties: Lend name in public support of Progressive Caucus and/or
provide mailing lists or other outreach materials as allowed by organizational
bylaws and applicable state and federal laws.
C. Membership Privileges:
i. Voting for Co-Chairs, Secretary, Treasurer and appropriate county
Progressive Caucus chair as determined by county of residence or location
of organizations primary office.
ii. Are allowed to participate in formulating Progressive Caucus positions
as proposed by the Caucus Board or by other individual or organizational
members that have submitted a proposal to the board which has received
board approval.
iii. Will receive action alerts via email, mail or phone regarding
legislation, policy or other issues of concern to the Progressive
Caucus. Also members will be eligible to receive any newsletters or
other material the Board chooses to send to membership.
iv. Will be entitled to vote at endorsement meetings sponsored by
the Caucus for the various offices where eligible Democrats are running.
D. Committees:
i. Standing Committees: Fundraising Committee, Communications Committee,
Recruitment Committee (membership, delegates & candidates).
ii. Duties of Standing
Committees:
(a) Fundraising Committee: Organize fundraising events, mailings and
other efforts. Fundraising activities shall include fundraising for
ProPAC. All receipts shall be turned over to Treasurer by next business
day for deposit in appropriate account.
(b) Communications Committee: Create and manage Progressive Caucus
website, listserv (in cooperation with Secretary), and write/edit
any newsletter, press releases or other material as determined by
the Board. Co-Chairs, as Caucus spokespersons, shall be members of
the Communications Committee.
(c) Recruitment Committee: Shall actively recruit new members, potential
delegates to Democratic Party Conventions and candidates for office.
Shall work in concert with Secretary to maintain records.
(d) Chairs of standing committees shall serve on the General Board
of the Democratic Progressive Caucus.
(e) Chairs shall appointed by the General Board.
iii. Ad hoc Committees:
Structure, mission and duties and members to be determined by the
Board as needed.
E. Process:
i. Voting: All decisions shall be made by simple majority vote following
procedures outlined within the Democratic Party Bylaws, Constitution
and other governing documents unless otherwise noted in these bylaws.
ii. Quorum: Shall constitute three members of the Executive Board.
The Executive Board shall have the right to meet as necessary without
notification of the entire board (County Chairs).
iii. Executive Board shall meet once a month or as determined necessary
by the Executive Board.
iv. General Board shall meet at least quarterly or as determined by
the General Board.
v. Any changes to procedure or positions articulated by the Progressive
Caucus or ProPAC shall require a vote of the General Board with at
least three members of the Executive Board present.
vi. Voting can be done via email or phone with the approval of the
Executive Board.
vii. County Progressive Caucus’ are prohibited from taking any
position contrary to positions officially adopted by the state Progressive
Caucus or ProPAC, but may petition the General Board to change a position
provided a majority of the county caucus membership concurs.
viii. Until all four positions of the Executive Board are filled,
these rules are suspended to facilitate establishment of the Progressive
Caucus.
F. Endorsements:
i. The Utah Democratic
Progressive Caucus shall meet to consider and, where appropriate endorse
Democratic candidates or issues on the ballot as it sees fit prior
to any election. Endorsements shall be limited to Democratic candidates.
The Progressive Caucus and its PAC reserve the right to endorse no
candidate, but will not actively oppose any Democrat unless there
is more than one Democrat in the race where an endorsement is being
made.
ii. All members in good standing as of at least three weeks prior
to an endorsement vote will be entitled to vote at an endorsement
meeting or via email or regular mail if these options are provided
and the member elects to use them.
iii. All members voting in an endorsement meeting will be asked to
sign a document stating they are registered Democrats and will vote
for the candidate endorsed by the Caucus in any upcoming elections
where the endorsement applies.
iv. All candidates seeking or eligible to receive the Caucus’
endorsement will be either invited to speak to Caucus members prior
to the vote or to provide written statements or answers to questions
submitted by the Caucus to their campaigns. The Caucus will make all
reasonable efforts to get copies of written statements or answers
to its membership in a timely manner prior to any vote being taken.
v. In cases where only one Democratic candidate is seeking the Caucus’
endorsement, the Caucus membership will vote “yes” or
“no” on the question of endorsement and a simple majority
will decide the question.
vi. In cases where two Democrats are seeking endorsement, the ballot
will offer a choice between the two candidates and “none of
the above.” The selection receiving a majority of the vote shall
receive the endorsement.
vii. In cases where three or more Democrats are being considered for
endorsement, the Utah Democratic Progressive Caucus shall use the
“Instant Run Off Voting” method. Candidates will be ranked
and a “none of the above” option shall be provided on
the ballot. In the event no candidate receives a majority vote in
the first round, the candidate with the least votes is eliminated
and the second choice of those choosing that candidate is added to
the total votes until a candidate or the “None of the Above”
option has achieved a majority, at which time an endorsement by the
Caucus has been determined.
viii. All candidates receiving the endorsement of the Caucus are eligible
to receive donations through the Caucus’ PAC, unless local,
state, or federal law prohibits or otherwise limits the PAC’s
ability to donate.
G. Disclaimer:
i. The Chairs of the Progressive Caucus as recognized by the Executive
Committee of the State Democratic Party shall serve as the board until
such time as an Executive Board is established by the Chairs and said
Executive Board has determined a General Board is sufficiently established
to fulfill its duties as described above.
