Nebraska Democratic Party Central Committee Meeting Chadron High School, 901 Cedar St, Chadron, NE 69337 Saturday, June 10, 2017
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Nebraska Democratic Party Central Committee Meeting Chadron High School, 901 Cedar St, Chadron, NE 69337 Saturday, June 10, 2017 Call to Order - Meeting called to order by State Chair Jane Kleeb Pledge of Alliance Welcome – Roger Wess, Dawes County Democratic Party Chair Quorum - 61 present - Secretary, Charlene Ligon Congressional District Caucus Reports CD1 – Richard Register - No Changes CD2 – Mark Hoeger LD5- Lacey Merica – Delegate LD6 – Craig Jackson – Delegate Phil Montag - Alternate LD10 – Charles Spence – Delegate Justin Jennings - Alternate LD39 – Kevin Pierce – Delegate CD3 – Stan Kontogiannis – No Changes Motion to seat the delegates by Bob Meyers LD12, seconded; carried by voice vote . Approval of Minutes – Corrected minutes will be filed as corrected. (Correction Bill Clark LD8 present at 3/8/2017 meeting) Treasurer’s Report – Ted Kessler, Treasurer Written report available upon request. Motion by Trevor Fitzgerald to approve Jim Simon as Finance Chair; seconded and carried by voice vote. Pam Hopkins recommended the approval of the Climate Caucus. Motion to approve the Climate Caucus by Bill Forsee LD3, seconded and carried by voice vote. Pam Hopkins, Chair, Rules Committee Proposed By-Law Changes to By-Laws 5.5.3, 5.10.11 and 5.10.14 approved by voice vote. See Attachment 1 Patty Zieg, National Committeewoman - Discussed the NDP Finance Plan. Morrison-Exon Dinner will be held Oct 6 or Oct 13. 1 Jessica McClure, Candidate for Congress for District 1 addressed the SCC. Ryan Griffin announced he was running for County Clerk Jennie Butler, Chair, Platform and Resolution Committee Motion by recommend submitted resolutions back to the committee by Ben Cass, seconded and carried by voice vote. Resolution submitted by Clayton Christiansen on White Clay WHEREAS Whiteclay, an unincorporated village in northwestern Nebraska with fewer than a dozen residents, lies on the border of the Pine Ridge; and WHEREAS Whiteclay lies on a 50-square-mile parcel of land in Nebraska known as the Whiteclay Extension (and today commonly referred to as the Buffer Zone), which was incorporated into the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1889 by an act of Congress of the United States to rid the area of whiskey ranches which preyed upon the Oglalas living at the Pine Ridge Agency; and WHEREAS the majority (49 square miles) of the Whiteclay Extension, including that part which now contains the village of Whiteclay, was removed from the Pine Ridge in 1904 by executive order of President Theodore Roosevelt in illegal contravention of acts of Congress: and WHEREAS the removal of the Whiteclay Extension from the Pine Ridge resulted in the return of whiskey peddlers to the area now known as Whiteclay Nebraska; and WHEREAS Whiteclay is today the site of four liquor stores licensed by the State of Nebraska that sell over four million cans of beer a year almost exclusively to residents of the Pine Ridge; and WHEREAS Whiteclay has no local law enforcement and has experienced rampant lawlessness and illegal activities, including unsolved murders; and WHEREAS an estimated one in four children on the Pine Ridge Indian reservation suffer from the effects of fetal alcohol syndrome disorder (FASD); and WHEREAS the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council had declared Whiteclay a public nuisance and had repeatedly asked the State of Nebraska to stop the sale of alcohol in Whiteclay; and WHEREAS Nebraska governors, attorneys general and the Liquor Control Commission have failed to act in the matter to stop the sale of alcohol in Whiteclay; and WHEREAS the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council passed a resolution in April 2017 asking the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission to deny liquor licenses at Whiteclay; and WHEREAS the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission denied the renewal of said licenses effective April 30, 2017; and WHEREAS the denial renders moot the matter of alcohol sales at Whiteclay but does not address the illegal taking of Oglala Sioux Tribal lands known as the Whiteclay Extension; and 2 Therefore, Be It Resolved that the Nebraska Democratic Party reaffirms its oft-stated opposition to the sale of alcohol at Whiteclay as long as the grass shall grow, the rivers flow and the Oglala Sioux Tribe remains sovereign nation; and Be It Further Resolved the Nebraska Democratic Party calls upon our congressional delegation, our Unicameral, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe to engage and to request the President of the United States to issue an Executive Order countermanding the Executive Order issued by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1904 and returning the Whiteclay Extension to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Passed by Unanimous Consent Reports from Caucus Chairs • Women’s Caucus,Janet Stewart • Veterans Caucus, Bryon Line • Catholic Caucus, Ellen Moore • Latino Caucus, Marta Nieves • Native Caucus, Mechelle Sky Walker Project Updates Knock Every Door – Tom Tilden Tom Tilden stated there will be canvassers in Kearney and Grand Island. The results of the survey will go to the NDP. Tom will supply the list. Unity Commission – Chair Kleeb • Reforming the primary schedule • Uniform Caucus • General Party Reform • Budget to State Parties • Superdelegates • Next meeting Aug 25 & 26 Staff Report Eric Aspengren - Political & Field Director • Lincoln won back the majority Democratic City Council. o Elected the first Latinx to the Airport Authority • Omaha Mayor’s race o Heath Mello ran a great campaign o NDP is proud of the support they gave Heath’s campaign • 2018 Legislative races have been focus. • Voter Registration numbers are up. • VAN training statewide soon Jacob Denniston – Grassroots Organizing Director • Townhalls – 3, one per CD • Allied Groups and County Parties o 65 resistance events o 15 trainings with county parties o 13,00 phone calls o Connected to 40 different organizations o Grant from DNC for resistance 3 • NDP hiring three full time organizers Motion by Lisa Jennings to hold only one more meeting (Sep 30) for the 2017 calendar year and seconded Moved by Richard Register to amend motion to hold the meeting after ME dinner Motion defeated 30 aye’s, 31 no’s by show of hands. Chair Kleeb stated she will schedule a phone meeting for the 4th meeting. She stated the future meeting for 2018 are Hastings, February; North Platte April; Crete July SCC and Convention; Omaha October. Frank LaMere closing prayer. Meeting adjourned by motion. Submitted by Charlene Ligon Secretary, Nebraska Democratic Party ATTACHMENT I NOTICE OF PROPOSED BY-LAW AMENDMENT: New By-Law 5.5.3 Please be advised that the Rules Committee is proposing, at the June 10, 2017 sec meeting, to amend By-Law 5.5 as follows: New By-Law 5.5.3 Minutes. In addition to all other requirements, minutes of State Central Committee meetings shall include a list of those delegates and alternates attending and a list of those delegates absent with prior notice. This change is recommended to bring the By-Laws into conformity with the vote of the sec membership at the meeting of March 18, 2017 regarding contents of sec minutes. If the membership adopts these amendments, By-Law 5.5 will read, in its entirety, as follows: 5.5. Meetings. 5.5.1. Time and Place. The newly elected State Central Committee shall hold an organizational meeting immediately after the adjournment of the State Convention. The State Chair shall call at least four (4) regular meetings each year scheduled among the Congressional Districts on an equitable basis. The organizational meeting of a State Central Committee shall not be considered a meeting for purposes of this rule. The State Chair shall fix the time and place of all such meetings with the approval of the State Central Committee. 4 A special meeting of the State Central Committee may be called by the State Chair or upon petition of fifteen (15) State Central Committee members with at least three (3) members from each Congressional District represented on the petition. Said petition to hold a special meeting shall be delivered to the State Secretary and the State Chair. The State Chair shall fix the time and place of said special meeting within ten (10) days of receipt of the petition, and unless otherwise specified in the petition, the special meeting shall be held no more than thirty (30) days following receipt of the petition. 5.5.2. Quorum. Quorum for a State Central Committee meeting is forty percent (40%) of the total membership. 5.5.3 Minutes. In addition to all other requirements, minutes of State Central Committee meetings shall include a list of those delegates and alternates attending and a list of those delegates absent with prior notice. NOTICE OF PROPOSED BY-LAW AMENDMENT: Amendment of By-Law 5.10.1.1. Please be advised that the Rules Committee is proposing, at the June 10, 2017 SCC meeting, to amend By-Law 5.10.1.1 as follows: Amendment of By-Law 5.10.1.1. Platform and Resolutions. The Platform and Resolutions Committee of the Nebraska Democratic Party shall develop the Party's platform and resolutions in a timely, orderly, and open process, for presentation and action at each State Convention. The Committee is also responsible for a timely, orderly, and open process for presenting resolutions offered for action at meetings of the State Central Committee. New Bylaw 5.10.1.1.4 Resolutions. At each State Central Committee meeting, the Platform and Resolutions Committee shall submit a report of those resolutions timely submitted to the committee for consideration by the State Central Committee. The committee's report to the State Central Committee shall include the proposed resolutions recommended for adoption, those forwarded without recommendation, those recommended for consideration at the next biennial State Convention, and a list of those not recommended by the committee. A two-thirds (2/3) vote of the State Central Committee shall be required for consideration of a resolution not submitted to the Platform and Resolutions Committee at least ten days prior to the State Central Committee meeting.