CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS OF THE GREEN PARTY OHIO

as required by the State of Ohio - ORC 3517.02

Contents:
[Preamble]
[Article I - Name and Purpose]
[Article II - Membership and Party Organizations]
[Article III - Decision Making Bodies, Functionaries, Officials and Recall]
[Article IV - Required Meetings]
[Article V - Organizational Policies and Transparency]
[Article VI - Meeting Process and Agreement-Seeking Decision-Making Guidelines]

Preamble

We the people, in order to form a political party committed to Ecological Wisdom, Social Justice, Nonviolence and Democracy, and according to the laws and customs of the State of Ohio, do hereby set forth the Constitution and Bylaws of the Green Party of Ohio. The organization created by the adoption of this document replaces any previous formation calling itself the Green Party of Ohio.

The Green Party of Ohio is a political party that is democratically structured. We seek to comply with state laws and organize along the lines of existing political jurisdictions within the state of Ohio.

The purpose of this document is threefold:

1. To accurately describe the form of our political party in a way that facilitates its development, organization and sustenance.

2. To satisfy the requirements of the Ohio Revised Code regarding political parties existing in the State of Ohio.

3. To grant specific and limited authority to the various parts of the Green Party of Ohio.

Article I - NAME AND PURPOSE

A. The name of this political party is the Green Party of Ohio (herein after GPOHIO).

B. Mission Statement:

The GPOHIO exists in order to focus the political power of the people to:

preserve and restore viable ecosystems,
establish social justice and equity,
foster participatory democracy,
promote and practice nonviolence as a means of conflict resolution, and
ensure the rights of a community-based economic system for all people.

C. Key Values

The GPOHIO, like other Green Parties, is based on values. These values are: Ecological Wisdom, Social Justice, Nonviolence, Grassroots Democracy, Community Based Economics, Respect for Diversity, Decentralism, Personal and Global Responsibility, Feminism, and Future Focus.

Article II - MEMBERSHIP AND PARTY ORGANIZATIONS

A. Membership in the GPOHIO may include:

1. Qualified electors who vote in the primary elections of the GPOHIO.

2. Qualified electors who have signed the petition to form the GPOHIO.

3. Qualified electors who have signed a Declaration of Candidacy petition for a Green Party candidate.

4. Political candidates who run as candidates of the Green Party, whether or not these candidates are endorsed by the GPOHIO or its parts.

5. All those persons who actively participate in a local Green Party organization who desire to be identified as members.

B. Green Party Organizations aligned with the GPOHIO may include:

1. Regional, county, municipal, ward and precinct organizations which meet the following criteria and which have agreed to be organized according to these bylaws and the constitution of the GPOHIO:

a. a membership list must be filed with the GPOHIO State Secretary upon alignment with the GPOHIO and must be kept current. (All local Green Party organizations must include at least one member as defined in Article II-A.)

b. a mission statement of the Local Green Party Organization must be filed with the GPOHIO State Secretary and it must include as a purpose of its existence, "the formation, development and sustenance of the GPOHIO."

2. Local Green Party Organizations are autonomous and operate without direction from the party and may be considered PAC's under state law. They are therefore required to file their own campaign finance reports to the State of Ohio; the GPOHIO takes no responsibility for this task and will deny any association with a Local Green Party Organization which is not formed and functioning in accordance with state laws.

3. PACs, political organizations, campaign committees, specific issue committees and task forces which are created by and accountable to the GPOHIO Convention and State or County Coordinating Committees and operating under the authorization and direction of the Party, must provide complete financial reporting to the Treasurer for inclusion within the Party's reports. (Note: Coordinating Committees in the Green Party play the role of Central Committees in other parties).

C. All PACs, Candidate Committees, etc., are considered separate from and unaffiliated with the GPOHIO unless they have been created by and are accountable to the Green Party of Ohio Convention, the State or County Coordinating Committees.

Article III - DECISION MAKING BODIES, OFFICIALS, FUNCTIONARIES, AND RECALL

A. Decision-Making Bodies

1. The highest decision making body of the GPOHIO is the part of the Ohio electorate that votes the Green Party ticket.

2. The Convention, consisting of delegates of Local Green Party organizations of the GPOHIO, is empowered to set broad goals, objectives and policies, ratify the platform, elect representatives and delegates, endorse and certify candidates in the name of the GPOHIO, adopt and modify this Constitution and Bylaws, and allow for review of the performance of the State, Regional and County Coordinating Committees.

a. Voting apportionment - At such time as is necessary, the Convention or Credentials Committee established by the GPOHIO Coordinating Committee may adopt rules for apportioning votes to the local Green Party organizations which are related to Green Values and levels of organization, membership and population and/or existing political jurisdictions. Until that time, if voting at the Convention, votes will be apportioned according to this formula: one vote per delegate present.

b. General, nonspecific or unassigned proxy voting is not allowed.

3. Central Committees of Minor Political Parties in Ohio

a. State Coordinating Committee and/or officials shall be chosen in accordance with party rules and the names and addresses of members of the coordinating committee and party officers shall be filed with the secretary of state. (Note: Coordinating Committees in the Green Party fulfill the same role as Central Committees in other parties, this is the proposed interim form of the State Coordinating Committee that fits legal requirements for Minor Parties - an alternative approach is required upon reaching intermediate or major party status.)

b. The State Coordinating Committee is responsible for preparing the platform ratification process and candidate endorsement and elector selection process to be used at the Convention, and for interpreting, strategizing and implementing plans for achieving the goals, objectives and policies set by the Convention. This includes the raising and expending of funds towards these ends in the name of the GPOHIO; the endorsement of activities by, and the participation in coalitions by the Green Party of Ohio; the continued formation, development, and sustenance of the Green Party of Ohio; the cultivation and nomination of future and present candidates for office, including the endorsement of these candidates in the name of the State Coordinating Committee; the upholding of and the implementation of the Constitution and Bylaws of the GPOHIO, including making recommendations to the Convention for their improvement, and the representation and advocacy of the GPOHIO in all of its affairs. Endorsements of State and Federal candidates shall be made by the GPOHIO Coordinating Committee or Convention.

The State Coordinating Committee may choose to delegate tasks for which it is responsible to subcommittees as necessary, however, ultimate responsibility for carrying out these tasks is nontransferable and remains the State Coordinating Committee's. Members of the State Coordinating Committee shall not be personally liable for monetary damages for any action taken, or any failure to take any action, to the fullest extent permitted by law. The GPOHIO shall indemnify any member of the State Coordinating Committee to the fullest extent of the law.

c. Officials to be chosen by the State Coordinating Committee: Convener(s) of the State Coordinating Committee, Various Secretaries, Treasurer, and/or others as necessary.

d. A Regional or County Coordinating Committee of the GPOHIO may exist in any region or county provided they are chartered by the Convention or State Coordinating Committee and are accountable to the Convention and State Coordinating Committee. Any local Green Party Organization which adequately and democratically represents the election precincts and wards in a region or county may be chartered by the Convention or State Coordinating Committee and become a Regional or County Coordinating Committee of the GPOHIO.

B. Officials

1. The Convener is responsible for arranging the bringing together of participants, possible agenda items, miscellaneous details of a meeting, and the other functionaries, especially a facilitator.

2. The GPOHIO Secretary is responsible for maintaining the current mailing lists of all local Green Party organizations and their members, State Coordinating Committee members, etc. The lists of Coordinating Committee members, Party Officials, Local Green Party organizations including their mission statements and addresses must be maintained on the Internet Web page and must be made available to members upon request.

C. Functionaries

1. The Facilitator/Co-Facilitator conducts the process of the meeting at the discretion of the meeting participants. Their primary task is the orchestration of the flow of input into the meeting. The facilitator is never the presenter of an agenda item. Their role is (literally) to make it easier for the group to express its ideas and identify agreement on issues. Tasks include:

a. calling the group back to the agenda,
b. keeping member comments short and to the point,
c. restating comments for clarity as needed,
d. applying various processes and rules when appropriate, and
e. being attentive to the needs and input of the timekeepers, minutetakers, process observers, starting and stopping the meeting on time, and generally keeping things moving along at a timely pace.

Facilitators must remain nonpartisan and objective. If they perceive a conflict of interest or become emotionally charged by a particularly intense exchange or agenda item, they should allow a co-facilitator or other acceptable meeting participant to facilitate the meeting. The facilitator may be removed from the position at any time by the agreement of the meeting participants. The Convener and the Facilitator may not be the same person.

2. The Recording Secretary is responsible for assuring the recording the proceedings of the meeting, noting all decisions as separate "minutes," and for producing a written copy of the minutes and a summary of the content of major discussions for distribution to the group:

a. at the time of a decision by the group, the Recording Secretary should read out loud a written copy of the tentative agreement;

b. a copy of the list of attendees, minutes and summary of each, Convention and State Coordinating Committee Meeting shall be mailed to each member of the State Coordinating Committee and to each Local Green Party organization (and affiliated organization, if requested) and this record shall be posted on the Internet Web site;

c. costs incurred and environmental impact shall be minimized by using electronic communication where possible, a hard copy shall be maintained by the Secretary and provided at cost to any member upon request; and

d. a proposal that is submitted to the group should be written in its final form including amendments, clarifications and refinements, and given to the Secretary for inclusion in the minutes. This guarantees that all agreed upon items get included and frees the minutetaker for other duties.

4. The Treasurer is legally responsible for keeping detailed records of everything received or given, providing reports to the Convention and State Coordinating Committee and filing campaign finance reports as required by state law. The State Coordinating Committee shall indemnify the Treasurer to the fullest extent of the law. (There may be treasurers of Local Green Party Organizations who are responsible for the record keeping and reporting activities of that particular organization.)

5. Other offices as determined, including but not limited to Corresponding Secretary, Press and Media Secretary, Membership Chairperson, Auditor, Parliamentarian, Issue Campaign Chairpersons, etc.)

D. Recall of the Members of the Coordinating Committees including Officials

1. Individual members of the coordinating committees may be recalled by the bodies that appoint them, by the other members of the coordinating committee or by the Convention. Members of the coordinating committees must be available during the required meeting agenda time allotted for review of their activities and for questions from the participants, or face recall or probation.

2. 75% of the participants voting for recall removes the coordinating committee member from the coordinating committee.

3. 66-2/3% of participants voting for recall places the coordinating committee member on probation until the next required meeting. No coordinating committee member while on probation may be an official of the GPOHIO.

Article IV - REQUIRED MEETINGS

A. This Constitution and Bylaws will go into effect when three or more local Green Party organizations ratify these Bylaws and Constitution as agreed upon by the GPOHIO Committee at the August 26, 2000 meeting.

B. Biannual Convention - the GPOHIO shall meet once every two years in order to nominate, or certify candidates, ratify platform positions, initiate projects and issue campaigns, modify the Constitution and Bylaws, review the performance of the State
Coordinating Committee, etc.

1. At the convention immediately prior to the gubernatorial election the meeting shall include the ratification of a state platform, the ratification of platform proposals to a national convention and the certification to the ballot of candidates for Governor, Lt. Governor and other statewide offices as necessary.

2. At the convention immediately prior to the presidential election the meeting shall include, the ratification of platform proposals to a national convention, the certification to the ballot of presidential and vice presidential candidates and others as necessary, and the selection of presidential electors and delegates to the national convention of the Green Party.

3. The certification of candidates is not necessary if they have been selected through a primary election instead.

C. Coordinating Committee Meetings - ORC 3517.03, 5317.14, 3517.05, 3517.06

1. Members-elect of the State, Regional and County Coordinating Committees will meet in even-numbered years within three weeks following the convention, the first such meeting shall be called to order by the retiring Convener at which time, the committee shall proceed to organize by the selection of such officials as these rules provide.

2. Terms of Committee members shall be for two years.

3. In case of vacancies due to death, resignation, failure to elect, or removal from the precinct, ward, township, or district from which a committee member was chosen, the committee shall fill the vacancy for the unexpired term by a majority vote of the committee. The local Green Party Organization(s) existing within the jurisdiction in which a vacancy occurs may choose to appoint committee members to be accepted by the committee by majority vote.

4. Upon being recognized as a political party by the state of Ohio, a list of the names and addresses of the members and officers of the coordinating committees and their executive committees (if they exist) shall be filed by the secretary of each committee in the office of the Board of Elections of the county in which such committee exists promptly after the organization of such committee and in the office of the Secretary of State. All changes shall be promptly reported to the Local County Board of Elections and the Secretary of State. These lists will be open for inspection at all times when the offices where they are filed are open. (See ORC 3517.06)

Article V - ORGANIZATIONAL POLICY AND TRANSPARENCY

A. Openness and Internal Democracy

1. All required meetings and records of required meetings, decisions, and finances of the GPOHIO and its Local Green Party Organizations shall be open to the members of the GPOHIO, the media and the general public.

2. Participation in task force and project meetings may be limited to the active members of those groups only to the extent required to protect the strategic interests of the GPOHIO.

3. Notices of all meetings of the GPOHIO and the State, Regional and County Coordinating Committees must be posted publicly on the Internet Web site at least one week in advance.

a. Written notice of all meetings must be given by the Convener to each of the affiliated Local Green Party organizations and to each of the coordinating committee members and members-elect at least five days prior to the meeting by e-mail or, if necessary, US Mail.

b. These notices must include the date, time and place of the meeting.

c. At such time as the GPOHIO is recognized as a major political party, notice must be posted in the office of the Secretary of State or County Board of Elections, as the case may be.

Article VI - MEETING PROCESS, AGREEMENT-SEEKING, AND DECISION-MAKING
GUIDELINES

A. Process - "Agreement-seeking with a fallback vote" decision-making process shall be used by all parts of the GPOHIO - see the process manual for a more detailed description.

B. Order of Business

1. Seating and Introductions - Everyone should position themselves wherever they feel most comfortable in a circle (the preferred configuration for effective communication) and introduce themselves, stating their names, the group they belong to, and other relevant information such as their status at the meeting, i.e., delegate, representative, observer, etc.

2. Agenda Review - a tentative agenda should be assembled by the Convener including each item's title, the presenter's name, type of item (report, decision, brainstorm, etc.) and the item's time limit. In addition, there might be more than one facilitator during the meeting which should be listed alongside the items, and an indication of the priority of items or their numerical order. At the beginning of each meeting, the agenda may be reviewed by the meeting participants and altered. However, acceptance of the agenda implies a commitment to follow it.

3. Agenda Items:

a. Reports - The Convener, Secretaries and Treasurer must submit written reports at each coordinating committee meeting. Persons formally representing the GPOHIO at any meeting or convention must submit written reports to the Secretary including the votes cast on behalf of the GPOHIO.

b. Proposals - In order to be considered at the Convention a proposal must be sponsored by the State Coordinating Committee, an Official of the GPOHIO, a County Coordinating Committee, a Local Green Party Organization, or an aligned organization.

c. Constitutional Amendments and Changes to the Bylaws - Constitutional amendments and changes to the bylaws may only be made by an agreement or 66-2/3% vote of the Convention or a mail referendum of the delegates responding from affiliated Local Green Party Organizations. Proposed amendments and changes must be circulated to all registered Local Green Party Organizations at least six weeks in advance of the regularly scheduled meeting of the Convention or referendum response deadline.

d. Review of coordinating committee activities - Agenda time may be allotted for accountability of the members of the coordinating committees.

4. Allowable interruptions during the course of a discussion:

a. If a participant has information unknown to the rest of the group that is immediately relevant and necessary to what a speaker is saying, that participant should interrupt by saying "POINT OF INFORMATION." The facilitator should then allow that participant to briefly and concisely present their strictly informational, non-opinionated input. Following the interruption, the regular sequence of discussion is resumed.

b. If a participant is unclear about what has been said or what is going on and interrupts with "POINT OF CLARITY," the facilitator may suspend discussion briefly to respond to that participant's question. If the facilitator is unable to clear up the confusion, another participant may be recognized to briefly offer the necessary
information. This allows the participant seeking clarity to be brought up to speed so their input can be included in the ongoing discussion. Once the issue is resolved, or reasonable effort has been expended trying to do so, the facilitator should direct the group back to the regular sequence of discussion.

c. The call for "POINT OF PROCESS" should come from any participant who sees a problem developing due to the process breakdown. Once recognized by the facilitator, the participant should briefly indicate what "point of process" is involved (such as an impending time limit, straying from the topic, dealing with a non-agenda item, etc.) and offer a proposed solution.

d. Recall - A proposal may be made from the floor to recall a coordinating committee member. This motion takes precedence over any other agenda item and upon the motion being made, the group does not seek agreement on this decision but moves directly to a vote to defer the decision or to vote on the question.

5. "Calling The Question" may occur when the facilitator or any participant of the meeting feels that discussion is complete and no new input is forthcoming, s/he may say "call the question." If it is a simple and clear proposal or decision, the facilitator may briefly restate it, check to see if there is general agreement on calling the question, and ask "Is there any call for clarification?" If there is no call for clarification, the facilitator will ask "Is there any call for concern?" If there are neither further questions or concerns, the facilitator may ask the group to indicate their agreement.

6. Proposals may come complete from a single author, group, committee, or may be formed through discussion and brainstorming during the meeting. In general, detailed or complicated proposals should be in writing and circulated prior to the meeting. During discussion of a particular item, a "sense of the meeting" often emerges that can be put into words. When a participant feels that it would be helpful, s/he should state their understanding of the "sense of the meeting" as a proposal. A presenter should have the proposal written out for clarity.

7. Seeking Agreement - Participants should clearly indicate their position either with body language or vocally so that the facilitator has no difficulty determining the sense of the meeting.

a. Call For Clarification - The facilitator or minute taker will state the proposal and ask if there is any call for clarification. Questions about the proposal are answered during this part of the process, concerns are saved for later discussion. Once the group is satisfied that the proposal is clearly understood, the facilitator will ask if there is any call for concern.

b. Call For Concerns - The facilitator or minute taker will restate the proposal and ask if there is any call for concern regarding the proposal. A concern is a statement of how the proposal as stated might conflict with the group's stated purpose and shared values. The facilitator will recognize those who have concerns, distill their concerns into short phrases and a co-facilitator or scribe may list them on a blackboard or easel. Listing concerns in this manner helps the group focus on the concern, not the presenter or the person raising the concern. Concerns should be impersonal. After all the concerns have been listed, the facilitator will deal with each in turn to resolve the concerns through group discussion and friendly amendments.

c. Indicating Agreement - If there are no questions or concerns, a test for agreement is made where the facilitator may ask for an action by the group to indicate their AGREEMENT. The facilitator should then move the group on to the next item. If there are further questions and concerns, discussion should continue, or if time has run out, the group should move on to the next item or contract for more time. In more complicated decisions and for issues which may require exact understanding of the proposal, the Secretary or minute taker should be prepared to read the proposal to the group prior to testing for agreement.

d. Group Resolution - Concerns are resolved as the proposal is explained or changed to address them. To make agreement more easily attainable, it may be possible for a participant having difficulty accepting a proposal to offer a "friendly amendment" that expands somewhat on the original idea or changes it to a minor degree in a manner that satisfactorily addresses their concerns without altering the "sense of the meeting" on the issue. If accepted by the presenter and the group, the friendly amendment should be worded into the proposal being discussed. If, after further discussion, the proposal seems satisfactory, it should be carefully restated and the facilitator should call the question. The accepted proposal with amendments should be written down by the Secretary and confirmed by the presenter in its final form for inclusion in the minutes.

e. Standing Aside - If, after reasonable discussion and exploration, the group cannot resolve the concerns through friendly amendments, the facilitator should try to determine the depth of the concerns. The facilitator will ask if those with concerns will "stand aside" to allow the group to reach "agreement." The individuals who "stand aside" from the decision may be noted in the minutes with their reasons recorded. Many decisions can be made in this way without resorting to voting and without harmful consequences to the group. However, if a large percentage of the group is "standing aside," the rest of the group should weigh the consequences of making the decision without the support and inclusion of those who are "standing aside."

f. Withdrawal of the Proposal - If those with concerns are not willing to stand aside from the decision, the facilitator will ask the presenter if s/he will withdraw the proposal or the part of the proposal which is causing concern so that agreement may be reached. If not, the proposal can be delegated to a committee of resolution.

g. A Committee of Resolution may be formed which includes skilled representatives of all sides of the issue who are acceptable to all members of the larger group. They may meet during a break or temporarily withdraw from the larger group, which should then occupy itself with some other relatively minor issue, and attempt to come to agreement. The resolution this committee develops may then be carried back to the larger group and introduced for discussion and approval. It may be necessary to reconvene the smaller group for further attempts at achieving a workable solution before agreement can be reached.

8. The fallback vote to defer decision/vote - If the committee of resolution of the group absolutely cannot reach agreement, and it is determined that a decision must be made at the particular meeting, the facilitator will call for the group (voting members only) to vote on whether or not to defer the issue. If the vote to defer passes by 50% + 1, then a decision on the item is postponed for consideration at a future meeting. If the vote to defer does not pass, the facilitator then calls for a vote on the proposal. If the search for agreement through this process is unsuccessful, a group decision may be made by taking a vote on the issue. If the voting members or delegates vote to accept or reject the particular proposal (66-2/3% on substantive issues and changes to the Constitution and Bylaws, 50% +1 on procedural issues) the decision becomes binding and is entered into the minutes with a record of votes for and against, including abstentions. This means of decision-making should be used only as a last resort and it can be perceived as an abandonment of the principles of the consensus model of decision-making. Sometimes, with pressure of time and a sense of urgency, the group may vote on much of its agenda.

9. Evaluation - If the process is to improve, there must be an opportunity to review what went on and why, and a time to suggest ways to make it work better next time. For a large group the scribe can make a list on a blackboard or a large sheet of newsprint that the whole group can see. Headings should be placed at the top: a "-" on the left side, and a "+" on the right side. In brainstorming fashion and without argumentation or discussion, the group should create a list of all the things that did not work well under the "-" and of all the things that did go well under "+". After listing, the group should briefly discuss how to improve those items listed under "-" and, where necessary, ways of maintaining the items. Suggestions and listings should be included in the minutes.

Agreed To On This Date, August 26, 2000.