After reading some comments and thinking on the merits, I don’t think the last resolution (which is contingent on the first two failing) is the best way to handle. I’m the author so no shade on anyone for wording- it’s mine. Rather what we need to do is adopt a special rule of order (which are suspendable). As the notice window is closed for this meeting but not if we end up having to adjourn to Friday due to running out of time - I give notice that I will be moving a special rule of order (if the first two motions fail) either on Friday or via email. The language will be posted this evening.
Before I give the language, I want to be clear that if it’s determined there is not a present NM affiliate (I firmly hold there is and what we are witnessing is a usurpation of the membership rights - I’ll save that debate for the meeting), I will not vote yes on ANY petition for affiliate that did not form via a mass meeting with open elections, open bylaws debate, and reasonable opportunity and notice for all interested members of the NM national and state party to have a voice considering the short window until November and needing to help our candidates.
If no group does this then I guess I’ll have to look at why and vote accordingly but I’m confident this can be done. We may end up with competing petitions but I hope not.
To be clear this is all contingent on the LNC deciding there was a disaffiliation by a handful of people with no vote of the membership in a special convention. I’m convinced there was not and that’s the position consistent with our prior votes on this matter.
If members in a valid convention wish to disaffiliate that is their choice but the operative Constitution of the LPNM does not grant that right to their board.
I’ll read any commentary here and will answer questions but I’m reserving debate for the meeting.
Wording on special rule of order later tonight.
Back to Douglas County road cleaning effort.
I will not be able
to attend during the first part of this meeting, but should come in
as soon as my conflicting event has concluded. This is what I would
like my colleagues to consider as the deliberations begin:
First,
in communication with several of Region 7 state chairs, one common
thread among all of them was:
The LNC should practice
restraint.
I have long
held that our actions regarding LPNM have been escalations: escalations to
a group of people that are extremely bitter with the results of the
National Convention. The Chair and at least a substantial number of
LPNM’s Central Committee are displaying an inevitable reaction of
people defeated in an extremely bitter political battle; and not just
defeated, but crushed. So, how should the victors proceed?
LPNM
clearly amended their bylaws to allow their Central Committee to
disaffiliate with the LNC, a clear signal that they did not think
that they had that authority prior to the Constitutional Convention.
The LNC has already declared this convention invalid, a clear
escalation of the conflict even if it was a correct interpretation.
It has not led to capitulation by the LPNM Central Committee nor any
indication that they wish to come to an amicable resolution, instead
declaring their disaffiliation.
The LNC is not a
judicial body: it is a political one. When members come to us
for relief, they are asking us to use our political authority to move
the needle one way or the other, even if our justification for action
relies on legal or parliamentary grounds. Our decision to declare
their convention invalid is no more binding on them than any
declaration that their disaffiliation was invalid is binding. If we
continue to escalate, what is next? Our next course of action will
almost certainly be a use of actual political force in some manner:
to call a convention on behalf of the members and eject the
leadership, sue in court to wrest control of assets, or some other
similar action; that or to disaffiliate, which simply leads to the
same result as their declaration of disaffiliation, solving precious
few of the issues of the control of the assets, and ballot access
among others. None of these actions will be restorative: they will,
quite to the contrary, be destructive, no matter the rationale.
I
cannot help to feel that further escalation of this matter will lead
us not to disaffiliate and deal with the repercussions, but will lead
to more slow, deliberate interventions which eerily mirrors the slow,
incremental utter dismantling of the 10th Amendment of the
US Constitution. The primary moral justification of this action is
that we have to defend the National members that many on the board
were elected to represent. We cannot simply use “member’s rights”
as a pretext to treat an affiliate in any way we want, even if we
consider the actions of that affiliate to be utterly immoral and
against their own bylaws.
I think it’s time for the LNC
to show all of its members virtuous qualities that have been dormant thus
far: virtues such as patience, understanding, empathy, and grace to
members who are bitter about the “Reno reset”. To take a step
back, let tempers subside, allow for discussion, deescalate, and to
maybe consider alternative courses of action.
I have been
given many long hours of thought ( many when I would have rather been
sleeping ) to consider mechanisms perhaps not to solve LPNM’s
issues directly, but to perhaps prevent more NM’s, OR’s, or
similar in the future. We must give members and leadership at all
levels time to weigh and consider these matters carefully and not act
rashly.
Donavan Pantke
Region 7 Alternate