LNC Meeting Liveblog

This is the Third Party Watch liveblog of the LNC meeting of February 4, 2024.  Note that I do not have enough screen space to approve comments readily.

Meeting came to order at 7:07 PM.  Roll call of attendance.

Public comment: Chair explains how to signal that you want to speak.

Jonathan Jacobs: Speaks in favor of policy change to allow special meetings during NatCon.  Change would require that notice be given to all LNC members.

Malagon discusses LPCA plans to let Presidential candidates address their convention.  This plan currently includes several non-lp candidates, including Jill Stein, Cornell West, and Robert Kennedy.

Mark Tuniewicz suggests that the notice of executive session meetings perhaps does not satisfy our best interests.

Caryn Ann Harlos indicates that Mark Tuniewicz is mistaken in some of his facts.

Chair ridicules the rumor that she is plotting to install Kennedy as our Presidential nominee.

Mr. Malagon reports on the forthcoming national convention.

Redpath reports on current signature drives in North Dakota and Ohio.  Kentucky and perhaps New Mexico will start soon.  Redpath praises Andy Jacobs for his superb work on the North Dakota drive.

Ford reports on what sounds to be legislation for improved ballot access in Rhode Island.  Lobbying seems to be work better than in the past.

Vest reports on new difficulties with ballot access in Louisiana.

Chair: Virginia is looking at electronic petitioning for candidates.

Harlos: Colorado, enemies of ballot access are hard at work.  Plan is to link RCV  and jungle primary, a poison pill.

Redpath: proposes that Louisiana issue may be drafting error open to litigation.

Harlos: Moves to amend policy manual to allow emergency LNC meeting at the national convention. Motion seconded.  Harlos points out a series of alternative events that would require the LNC to act, e.g., the hotel has a serious bomb threat that forces evacuating the building and blocks the convention from, e.g., choosing a President. [I shall briefly editorialize: As presented, this seems to be a sensible proposal.  Like all bylaws, it can doubtless be abused.]

Tuniewicz: Who decides what is an emergency?

Harlos: I would leave the decision to the Chair.  An intelligent person would see what an emergency is.  New LNC can always rescind a bad decision within a few days.  An emergency would be something that keeps the convention from advancing.

Chair: It would be something where I announced it and people did not vigorously object.

Debate on notifying the convention as a whole.  Secretary notes email to delegates would count.  Tuniewicz amendment passes 8-5:Requirement that delegates be notified becomes mandatory, not ‘if possible’.  Motion passes 11-1 with 4 abstentions.

Harlos: Move to amend composition of Convention Oversight Committee, to remove requirement that it contains at least two non-LNC members and clarify that if the Secretary is elected to the committee the secretary is no longer an ex officio member. Motion passes 16-0.

McArdle: Financial goals checkin: In January we came in a few thousand dollars short of our goals. There was a software failure.  If we had more LNC members doing renewal and donation calls, we would be better off. My goal is to get the nonconvention revenue up beyond $125K$ to reach $140K$.  Transition in software will help.

Tuniewicz: What are we doing on membership renewals?

McArdle: We are increasing time for a staff member.  We are looking at speaking to consultants.

Harlos: Happy to hear that we are making progress.  Happy to hear that Chair is acting as Executive Director at a huge saving to the party.  Do we need more staff members?

Chair: After we expand the hours of several staff members, we will probably add a contractor.

Tuniewicz in the chat column: When was the vote that made the chair the acting Executive Director?

Chair: New CRM will be Zoho, at $1350 a month.  Affiliates can be moved; costs as much as nation Builder.  We might finish the switch by the end of March.  Zoho will be doing the movement; staff will provide guidance.  Q: Can we afford it? We will outsource our mail room operations.  We can cover it.

Tuniewicz: Speaks up for Zoho.

Vest: Siting? This will be hosted not by our servers.

Chair: CiviCRM will stay on line.  There will be no lost data.

Malagon moves to adjourn: Tuniewicz objects. Secretary: Motion is Debateable. Remaining Agenda items. Tuniewicz had questions about Rage against the war machine rally and the fundraising and expenses related to our California Black-Tie fundraiser. These are issues the LNC should know about.

Blankenship: a short discussion here and then a discussion on the public list.

Hagopian: We don’t need to discuss this. We need to listen to minorities.  We have been adjourning rather than facing difficult issues.  These issues are not appropriate because they deal with an outside group.

Harlos: There was no reason to keep us all in the meeting when it could have been discussed on the list.  This takes us away from our families.

Tuniewicz: I asked on the list and could have been answered on the list.

There was debate on the Chat list associated with the meeting.

Tuniewicz We the LP sponsored that rally. The Chair was the co-organizer. The CA fundraiser was to benefit the LNC, that’s shy it’s relevant to be discussed. We sponsored the rally. That makes it relevant. The LNC deserves to know if the chair is making $$$ from the rally organization.

Vest: Thank you Mr. Hagopian. It is not correct that the chair can sign onto an LLC as chair, using the LP headquarters as the address for that organization, and then put the LP logo on the event materials while claiming it is an outside organization. I will tender my questions via the email list.

Vote on adjournment was 11-3-1.

We are apparently advancing to an Executive Committee meeting at 8:31 PM.  ExComm meeting called to order. Purpose is to consider ballot access encumbrances from Kentucky and New Mexico.

Harlos: Moves to got to executive session with ExComm, LNC, state representatives, and ballot access committee.

Malagon: Moves to amend the motion to exclude the representatives of regions 6 and 7 from the executive session.  Malagon claims that there have been leaks from executive session and this was done by Tuniewicz and/or Vest.  The region 6 and 7 alternates in particular Redpath would be allowed to remain.

Tuniewicz I have signed and honored my NDA.

Vest: Mr. Malagon are you implying I am leaking information from executive session?

Mark Tuniewicz: There has not been any meetings of the Executive Committee where LNC members and alternates have not been present.
Mr. Malagon has made false accusations as part of this discussion.

Beth Vest: I believe he has. I will consult my region about this. @Adrian F Malagon are you saying I have leaked information from executive sessions?

Mark Tuniewicz: This is the wrong thing to do, and sets an awful precedent. Shame.

Adrian F Malagon: Well, you’re an awful person so…

Beth Vest: Madam Chair, I ask that you address Mr. Malagon as to his comments and accusations.

Angela McArdle: Mr. Malagon, please no personal insults It’s a tense night. We need to just move on.

Hagopian: I will not be participating in this executive session. (Editor: They are discussing spending money and the Treasurer declines to participate.)

Mark Tuniewicz: THAT was the most principled thing I’ve heard on this LNC in a long time. Hat’s off to the Treasurer.

We reach the end of the meeting. The LNC Executive Committee has now moved to Executive session.