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Constitution & Bylaws

Adopted at Annual Meeting on 09/27/2022 in Moro, Oregon

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ARTICLE I – Principles and Objectives

We, the members of the Sherman County Libertarian Party (“SCLP”) support the principles and objectives of the Libertarian Party of Oregon (“LPO”), as declared in the bylaws of the LPO.

We further uphold the Non-Aggression Principle and support the platform of the Libertarian National Committee (“LNC”).

The vision of the SCLP is to become the voice for Libertarian principles within Sherman County, Oregon. Through local community organizing, community volunteerism, political action, candidate support, and civic engagement, we hope to make Sherman County a beacon for liberty.

ARTICLE II – Membership

2.1 General Membership

All registered Libertarians in Sherman County shall be considered General Members.

2.2 Active Membership

An Active Member is any General Member who attends at least one meeting of the SCLP annually, is current on dues (if required), and affirms the following pledge: “I certify that I oppose the initiation of force to achieve political or social goals.

2.3 Dues

  1. Dues for Active Membership of the SCLP shall be set by the Executive Committee not more than once annually.
  2. Dues may be set at $0 and shall not exceed $75.
  3. If the LPO adopts a dues policy, it shall be the policy of the SCLP to seek a dues-sharing arrangement.
  4. Dues/donations paid to national and state affiliates are not creditable toward SCLP Active Membership.

ARTICLE III – Meetings

3.1 Annual Meetings

  1. SCLP shall hold one Annual Meeting for purposes of election of Officers in advance of the LPO primary or first annual convention.
  2. Special notice of the Annual Meeting shall be made to all General Members with electronic contact information on file.

3.2 Regular Meetings

The SCLP shall have a minimum of one Regular Meeting per quarter (inclusive of the Annual Meeting), but preferably monthly.

3.3 Special Meetings

The Chair, at his/her discretion, may call limited-notice Special Meetings for purposes of considering official business on timely matters necessary to smooth operations of the SCLP.

3.4 Electronic Meetings

Virtual/online meetings are permitted, but not required.

3.5 Agenda and Notices

  1. No fewer than three days prior to a Regular Meeting, the Chair, or their designee, shall publish an Agenda to the SCLP website.
  2. New agenda items may be added from the floor at a Regular Meeting; however, the SCLP may not take official action on an unnoticed item impacting an individual if that individual has not been informed of pending action (e.g. motion to discipline a member or remove an absent officer).

3.6 Executive Sessions

At any meeting, the Executive Committee may elect though unanimous vote to go into Executive Session, stating to all present the grounds for Executive Session, which will be recorded in the minutes. If any action is taken in Executive Session, those present will be informed of the nature of the action by the Chair upon the completion of Executive Session.

3.7 Transparency

  1. All SCLP meetings shall be open to the General Membership.
  2. All meetings with remote attendance capability shall be recorded and preserved for posterity.

ARTICLE IV – Officers

4.1    Titles and Qualifications

The titles of the SCLP officers must include Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and the Public Policy Officer. The Public Policy Officer may run concurrent with any other officer, excepting the Chair. All SCLP officers must be Active Members.

4.2 Duties

  1. Chair

The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the SCLP and shall perform such duties as usually pertain to the office of Chair, including final setting of the Agenda for meetings.

2. Vice-Chair

The Vice-Chair shall perform the duties of the Chair in the event of the latter’s absence, incapacity, or resignation.

3. Secretary

The Secretary shall ensure accurate minutes are kept of all meetings of the SCLP and the Executive Committee and shall present minutes of prior meetings for approval. In all roll-call votes, the Secretary shall call the roll of Active Members and keep an accurate tally of such votes, and verify voter eligibility. In addition, the Secretary shall maintain accurate records of membership, prepare periodic membership reports, and coordinate with the LPO on information exchange. Finally, the Secretary shall maintain a record of all administrative credentials of SCLP online/computer assets and accounts and an inventory of all such accounts.

4. Treasurer

The Treasurer shall receive and give receipts for all monies and assets of the SCLP, deposit funds in such banks as designated by the SCLP Executive Committee, and shall prepare periodic financial reports, such as balance sheets and income/expense, no less often than quarterly for review by the General Membership. Funds shall only be expended in accordance with regulations established by the Executive Committee or by official action of the Active Membership. In addition, the Treasurer shall be responsible for maintaining compliance with Oregon election/PAC laws and transparency reporting, and acting as the legal custodian of records.

5. Public Policy Officer

The SCLP recognizes local/state legislation, administrative rulemaking, and political events move at a fast pace. The Public Policy Officer shall be charged with formulating and controlling official SCLP positions for circulation to press, with the joint consent of the Chair or Vice-Chair, public comment periods of public bodies, and testimony opportunities in the Oregon State Legislature. In addition, the Public Policy Officer shall monitor election deadlines inclusive of ballot handbook submission requirements as well as measure notices by public bodies. The Public Policy Officer shall ensure the Membership is given regular opportunities at meetings to make and review endorsements including measure argument submissions to ballot handbooks within deadline constraints. The Public Policy Officer shall also ensure quality control of the SCLP’s presence on social media.

4.3 Nominations

  1. Nominations of all Officer candidates shall be from the floor during the Annual Meeting.
  2. Nominations must be proposed by at least two Active Members of the SCLP, which may include Nominee.
  3. Nominations may be accepted in advance at any Regular Meeting contingent upon the agreement of the Nominee, orally or in writing.
  4. None of the Above (“NOTA”) shall automatically be a candidate on any ballot or floor vote for Officer elections. In the event NOTA receives the most votes, the position shall be vacant until the remainder of the Executive Committee appoints an Active Member to the role.

4.4 Elections

  1. Officers shall be elected each year at the Annual Meeting.
  2. In the case of vacancy, the Executive Committee shall appoint an Active Member at the next Regular Meeting.
  3. All Active Members are eligible to vote in elections.

4.5 Term of Office

Each elected Officer shall hold that post for a period of one year or until the next Annual Meeting is held.

4.6 Officer Removal

An Officer of the SCLP may be removed from office by a 2/3 vote of attending Active Members at a properly noticed Regular Meeting. Virtual/online meetings are not sufficient for the removal process. A motion to remove must state reasonable grounds for removal, which shall be recorded by the Secretary in the meeting minutes.

ARTICLE V – The Executive Committee

5.1 The Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary shall sit on the Executive Committee.

5.2 Each Executive Committee member shall have one vote. Voting by proxy is not permitted.

5.3 Authorization to preside over or act on behalf of the SCLP shall expire upon the installation of a new Executive Committee (e.g. after the Annual Meeting).

5.4 Attendance at meetings of the Executive Committee is mandatory for all Executive Committee members. Failure to maintain regular attendance may be grounds for the Membership to consider removal.

5.5 All meetings of the Executive Committee shall be open for observation to Active Members of the SCLP.

ARTICLE VI – Endorsements, Official Policy Positions, Policy Resolutions

6.1 Endorsements

1.  Campaign, ballot measure, initiative, referendum, and recall endorsements may only be made by 2/3 vote of attending Active Members at a properly noticed Regular Meeting.

2.  The SCLP may endorse non-Libertarian candidates only for non-partisan public offices.

3.  The SCLP may endorse or oppose local or non-local campaigns, ballot measures, initiatives, referenda, and recalls.

4.  The SCLP may make endorsements that conflict with those of the LPO.

5.  All General Members may propose an endorsement with the inclusion of rationales to the Executive Committee for submission to vote by the Active Membership.

6.  Executive Committee shall ensure endorsement proposals are reviewed in a sufficiently timely manner so that the SCLP endorsements appear in ballot handbooks.

6.2 Official Public Policy – Pending State and Local Legislation

In order to enable the SCLP to appropriately and efficiently react to the very short legislative notice periods and rapidly changing news cycle:

1. Any General Member may propose the SCLP adopt an official position respective to proposed legislation and ordinances or timely political questions to the Public Policy Officer.

2. The Public Policy Officer may formulate a policy position statement justified by the LPO and LNC platforms, Libertarian values, or SCLP policy resolutions, and forward the statement to the SCLP chair, or their designee.

3. The SCLP Chair, or their designee, shall review submitted position statements and consent, reject, or send back for revision and is not under obligation to respond. If a position statement receives the dual consent of either the Chair or the Vice-Chair and the Public Policy Officer, it becomes the official position of the SCLP, and shall be posted on the SCLP’s website.

4. Any Active Member may speak toan official position during public comment periods of public bodies, but may not speak as a representative of the SCLP to the press or to public bodies without preauthorization by the Public Policy Officer.

ARTICLE VII – Voting Procedures

7.1 Quorum

Quorum at all SCLP Meetings shall consist of at least three members of the Executive Committee, plus two Active Members of the SCLP. Executive Committee quorum shall consist of at least three of the Executive Committee Members. Executive Committee ties may be broken by granting either the Public Policy Officer or the LPO Chair one vote.

7.2 Voting

At all SCLP meetings, a motion shall be passed on a majority vote.

ARTICLE VIII – Amendment and Repeal Procedures

8.1 Proposed amendments to or repeal of any of these bylaws, if approved by the Executive Committee, shall be entered on the agenda of the next Annual Meeting of the SCLP.

8.2 In any amendment or repeal vote, a 2/3 majority of those Active Members voting shall be necessary for adoption.

8.3 All changes to the bylaws shall be forwarded to the Secretary of the LPO.

Article IX – Parliamentary Authority

The SCLP at present recognizes no parliamentary authority other than general nonbinding conformance to Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised for official and substantive action.

Article X – Miscellany

10.1 Gift Acceptance

All donations made to the SCLP and monies received shall be considered unrestricted. The Executive Committee and Treasurer may refuse any donation.

10.2 Nomination of Candidates

In accordance with the LPO bylaws, the SCLP may not nominate any candidate for public office or otherwise indenture the LPO.

10.3 Force Majeure

The Executive Committee may suspend or modify these bylaws as necessary to ensure continued operations of the SCLP in extreme circumstances.

10.4 Conflict with Other Laws

If it is determined these bylaws conflict with charter provisions granted by the LPO or with the Laws of the State of Oregon, the higher law shall supersede until a bylaws revision to repair the conflicting language is passed.