Libertarian Party of Massachusetts Leadership Controversy 2022: Difference between revisions

  RESOLUTION TO RECOGNIZE THE RIGHTFUL STATE COMMITTEE OF THE LIBERTARIAN ASSOCIATION OF MASSACHUSETTS(LAMA)<br /><br />Whereas, on December 19, 2021, LAMA membership submitted a petition for a special convention to conduct a recall election of the LAMA State Committee;<br /><br />Whereas, the petition contained greater than the 10% of valid member signatures required for a special convention in accordance with Article 2 Section 5 of the LAMA Constitution;<br /><br />“If 10% or 500 (whichever is less) of the current dues paying membership signs a petition requesting a special state convention, and mails or presents the petition papers to the state committee, the state committee must organize a state convention to be held between 30 and 60 days of the date of delivery of the petition to the state committee.”<br /><br />Whereas, the petition was submitted with an agenda, as required by the following Constitutional provision;<br /><br />“The petition shall specify the agenda of the special state convention, and the state committee may, by majority vote, append items to the end of that agenda, but may not otherwise change the agenda.”<br /><br />Whereas, on January 10, 2022, the response from the State Committee to the properly constituted petition was to expel en masse all petition signatories, in violation of basic member rights, due process, and Article 1 Section 3 of the LAMA bylaws, which allow for expulsion of “a person from membership” (not mass expulsions).<br /><br />“The State Committee may for cause by 2/3 secret ballot vote of the entire State Committee expel a person from membership in the Libertarian Association of Massachusetts; an expelled person must receive a 2/3 secret ballot favorable vote from the State Committee to rejoin.”<br /><br />Whereas, the vote to expel LAMA members was taken during a supposed State Committee meeting that had no agenda, thus denying targeted members notice of any proposed action against them and an opportunity to defend themselves, and the meeting was called to order in closed session, against longstanding custom (their parliamentary authority does not address the topic at all), and contrary to the public notice given;<br /><br />Whereas, among the wrongfully expelled were two State Committee members who were denied any access to due process, in violation of Article 4 Section 10 of the LAMA Constitution;<br /><br />“The State Committee may by two-thirds vote of its entire membership expel a person from the State Committee, for cause, after affording the accused reasonable access to due process.”<br /><br />Whereas, a member of that State Committee who has not been a resident of Massachusetts for close to a year, cast their vote for the expulsion, in violation of Article 4 Section 8 and Article 1 Section 1 of the LAMA Constitution;<br /><br />“To be elected or serve as a member or officer of the State Committee, a person must be a Member of the Organization whose dues are current.”<br /><br />“Members are all dues-paying members in Massachusetts, and all other persons who may so qualify under uniform rules of non-dues paying membership for which the State Committee may provide in its Bylaws.”<br /><br />Whereas, two duly elected members of the 2021 LAMA State Committee did organize and conduct the special convention as is required by Article 2 Section 5 of the LAMA Constitution and provided notice to the extent possible given deliberate obstructive actions and omissions by former State Committee members;<br /><br />Whereas, a new State Committee was elected at that special convention on February 26, 2022, in accordance with the LAMA Bylaws Article 2 and the LAMA Constitution Article 2 and as specified on the submitted agenda, with the positions now filled as follows;<br /><br />Andrew Cordio, Chair<br />Charlie Larkin, Treasurer & Archivist<br />Scott Gray, Recording Secretary<br />Jason Brand, Membership Director<br />Janel Holmes, Political Director<br />David Burnham, Operations Director<br />Thomas Eddlem, Communications Director<br />Brodi Elwood, Technology Director<br />Daniel Garrity, Fundraising Director<br /><br />Whereas, the newly elected State Committee has set and noticed their annual convention for April 24, 2022, at which time the State Committee for the next term, and national convention delegates, will be elected;<br /><br />BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Libertarian National Committee recognizes the results of election at the special convention and the State Committee elected therein.

    

On March 23, 2022, John  Phillips raised a Point of Order claiming that the motion was in violation of the Bylaws of the national Libertarian Party (without specifying a particular bylaw but rather just vague inferences about autonomy and interference).  Contrary to the long-standing custom of the LNC in which fully sponsored email ballots proceed onward pending a ruling of the Chair so that time is not wasted and the “clock run out,” no ballot was ever started in this matter.  On March 24, 2022, the Chair ruled that the Bowen/Ford resolution was Out of Order as violating Article 5.5 of the Bylaws of the national Libertarian Party which was appealed by Joshua Smith for which Ballot 20220325-01 was opened to determine whether or not to sustain the ruling of the Chair.