March 6, 2009 SD36 Convention Agenda and Rules
It is time for the Senate District 36 Convention.
We will meet in the Farmington High School Commons
20655 Flagstaff Avenue, Farmington, MN
Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. and the convention convenes at 9:45 a.m.
Proposed Agenda:
AGENDA
2010 DFL SENATE DISTRICT 36 CONVENTION AGENDA
1. Call to order by Senate District Chair.
2. Flag ceremony.
3. Welcome(s).
4. Reading of Affirmative Action Statement.
5. Resolution of any credentials challenges, appointment of Sgt at Arms, Tellers
6. Election of Convention Chair(s).
7. Adoption of Rules
8. Adoption of Agenda (with flexibility).
9. Officer reports.
10. Election of Party Officers:
a. Chair.
b. Associate Chair (opposite gender from Chair).
c. Secretary.
d. Treasurer.
e. Affirmative Action Officer.
f. 12 Directors
11. Election of four State Central Committee Delegates and six Alternates.
12. Ratification of Senate District Central Committee members and precinct officers.
13. Consideration of amendments to Senate District Constitution, if any.
14. Adoption of Resolutions for the DFL Action Agenda and Ongoing Platform.
15. Endorsement of State Senate candidate.
16. Separation into House District Conventions and endorsement of candidates for State House of Representatives. Then reconvene as Senate District Convention.
17. Election of State Convention Delegates and Alternates.
18. Election of Congressional District Convention Committee members and alternates, if applicable.
19. Other Business.
20. Adjournment.
Proposed Rules:
RULES
2010 DFL SENATE DISTRICT 36 CONVENTION
GOVERNING AUTHORITY AND AGENDA
1) Upon all matters not governed by the Official Call, the State DFL Party Constitution and Bylaws, the Senate District Constitution, and these Rules, Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall govern. Provisions of the Official Call shall take precedence over any other party rules at any level wherever a conflict exists.
2) A majority vote of the convention is required to adopt these rules and the agenda. Once adopted, these rules and the agenda shall govern unless suspended or modified by a two-thirds vote of the convention.
3) The quorum for conducting any business of the convention is a majority of the registered delegates (including upgraded alternates).
SEATING OF DELEGATES AND ALTERNATES
4) Registration of delegates and alternates to the convention shall continue until adjournment.
5) Each precinct delegation shall elect one or more delegation chairs for purposes of alternate seating, roll calls and ballot voting. The Convention Chair shall instruct the convention as to the duties each delegation chair will be expected to perform during the convention. The name of each delegation chair shall be reported promptly to the Convention Chair, Any delegate shall be eligible for election as delegation chair.
6) The seating of delegates and alternates shall be governed by the following:
a) All registered delegates (not alternates) on the temporary roll shall be seated.
b) The convention shall hear and resolve any challenges regarding delegate or alternate seating pursuant to the Official Call.
c) Any delegates or alternates entitled to be seated after all challenges have been resolved shall go to the registration table with their delegation chair so that proper seating can be arranged. As soon as practicable after verification of a quorum, the registration staff shall function inside the convention hall so as to permit its members to maintain a consistent and accurate delegate count by precincts while participating as convention delegates.
d) Alternates elected at large shall be upgraded to delegate status according to their numerical ranking on the precinct report. Alternates elected through subcaucus voting systems will be upgraded to delegate status in the order reported within their subcaucus. If there are no alternates available within a subcaucus, alternates will be raised by lot from among the highest ranking alternates within the other subcaucuses. Each subcaucus will be represented in the lot system in proportion to its delegate allocation strength.
e) The registration staff shall issue identification badges to delegates, alternates, visitors and other authorized persons during the registration process. Badges issued to each group shall be of a different color. Each candidate seeking endorsement shall be issued four floor passes, including one for the candidate.
f) A temporary delegate badge shall be issued to an appropriate alternate when the alternate is raised to delegate status. There shall be no upgrading of alternates during any voting process. If the raised alternate is subsequently returned to alternate status, the alternate’s delegate badge shall be immediately surrendered to the registration table.
Alternates and visitors shall be seated separately from delegates and shall not be allowed on the convention floor during the convention.
g) Special floor passes shall be issued for an interpreter or other personal care assistant for any delegate or upgraded alternate who submits a request to the credentials committee. Such persons may be seated in close proximity to the delegate or alternate they are assisting, but shall play no role in the convention.
GENERAL CONVENTION RULES
7) The convention shall not adjourn until all elections have been held for the following positions:
a) Party Officers and Directors,
b) State Central Delegates and Alternates,
c) State Convention Delegates and Alternates.
d) Any positions not filled at the convention shall be filled by the Central Committee in a timely fashion.
8) One or more Convention Chairs, with gender balance, if applicable, shall be elected by a plurality vote of the convention. The Convention Chairs may appoint a convention secretary, timekeepers, judges, clerks, tellers, sergeants-at-arms, parliamentarians, pages and other assistants as they deem necessary to conduct convention business.
9) For state delegate and alternate elections and for State Central Committee elections, there shall be an equal division by gender. Even numbered allocations shall be equally divided. Odd numbered allocations shall be as equally divided as possible. If both delegate and alternate allocations are odd numbered, the imbalance in delegate election must be reversed in favor of the opposite gender in the alternate election.
10) If elections take place by subcaucus and the resulting delegation is not balanced by gender, an odd-numbered subcaucus selected by lot from among those that elected more delegates of the over-represented gender will be instructed by the Convention Chair to exchange one delegate of the over-represented gender for its highest ranking alternate of the opposite gender in the case of state delegates, and to replace a person it had elected with a person of the opposite gender in any other case. Any delegate reduced to alternate status will become the highest ranking alternate of that subcaucus. If balance by gender is still not achieved, the process will be repeated with another odd-numbered subcaucus.
11) Candidates for elective positions listed in Rule 7 shall be nominated by name only, but each candidate may have two minutes to use as he or she wishes. In the case of District Chair and Associate Chair, five minutes may be allotted to each candidate.
12) If a contest exists, all elections shall be done by written ballot. In the event of a tie vote, there will be a run-off ballot including only the names of the tied candidates; if a tie still exists, it will be broken by lot. All other voting shall be by voice vote or standing division unless a written ballot vote is requested by the Convention Chair or by 1/3 of the delegates present.
13) Convention tellers shall distribute ballots to the chair of each precinct delegation on matters to be determined by written ballot. Ballots shall be distributed only to delegates and upgraded alternates seated under the rules of this convention. These ballots shall be returned by the precinct delegation chair to the tellers.
14) Smoking and use of intoxicants is prohibited on the convention floor. No smoking is allowed in the hallways adjacent to the convention hall, or outside the main entry to the building. All persons shall comply with any additional rules established by the convention facility.
15) If the convention has a nominations committee, the report of the committee shall place in nomination the committee’s recommendation. Other nominations shall be made from the floor without speeches or seconds.
16) The Convention Chair shall insure that each election complies with the requirements regarding equal division by gender.
SPEECH AND DEBATE RULES
17) No delegate may speak until recognized by the Convention Chair. Speakers will first state their name and precinct. No person may speak more than once on an item of business until all others on that side who wish to do so have had an opportunity.
18) Unless otherwise provided for in these rules, no delegate shall speak for more than two minutes on any item. The chair will rotate speaking privileges among floor microphones and between proponents and opponents of a measure to the extent possible. Debate will terminate when three speakers have been heard on each side.
19) With respect to credentials challenges to delegations, prior to floor debate, speakers on behalf of both the challenged delegation and the challenging delegation shall each be allowed five minutes in total to present their positions, with the challenged delegation speaking last.
20) Any motion to table shall be considered as though it were a motion to postpone indefinitely. A motion to postpone indefinitely does not preclude amendments to the main motion. The motions “to reconsider and enter on the minutes” and “to object to consideration” are not in order. The motion to reconsider is in order and will require a two-thirds vote.
21) Any amendment to a motion or resolution which removes, changes or adds five or more words must be submitted in writing to the Convention Chair before being considered. When the motion to amend is made, it must be seconded. Amendments take a majority vote for adoption.
PARTY OFFICER ELECTIONS
22) The Senate District Chair, Associate Chair (of the opposite gender from the Chair), Secretary, Treasurer and Affirmative Action Officer shall be elected, by a majority vote. Voting will be conducted by separate ballot for each position. If none of the nominees for an office receives a majority vote on a ballot, the nominee with the least number of votes will be dropped on the next ballot, provided that at least two candidates remain on that ballot.
23) The convention shall elect 12 Directors, with gender balance. If delegates sufficient to elect one Director request proportional voting for Directors, the convention will use the Walking Subcaucus system provided in the Official Call. If the Walking Subcaucus system is used, delegates will have an initial period of 15 minutes after subcaucus nominations are completed to move to the subcaucus of their choice. If all remaining subcaucuses are viable on the first count, then there shall be no second count. If any subcaucus is not viable on the first count, the Chair will announce an additional 15 minute period during which delegates can move among the remaining subcaucuses. If proportional voting is not used, Directors will be elected by majority vote of the convention.
STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE ELECTIONS
24) State Central Committee members and alternates will be elected by the convention as a whole. The number to be elected is specified in the Official Call. (The Senate District Chair and Associate Chair are automatic members.) If a contest for members exists and more than two members are to be elected by the convention, the Chair will ask for a show of hands on proportional voting.
a) If delegates sufficient to elect one member request proportional voting, the convention will use the Walking Subcaucus system provided in the Official Call. If the Walking Subcaucus system is used, the time limits specified in Rule 25 shall apply.
b) If proportional voting is not used, members and alternates shall be elected by majority vote of the convention. A record of the number of votes each alternate receives will be recorded for purposes of ranking alternates.
c) If proportional voting is used, alternates shall be ranked according to the size of each subcaucus.
d) If proportional voting is not used for election of members and more than two alternates are to be elected, the above procedures will be used to determine if proportional voting is to be used for the election of alternates.
e) One alternate shall be elected for each delegate, including the Chair and Associate Chair. State Central Committee delegates and alternates shall be elected by gender and alternates shall be ranked on separate lists by gender.
SENATE DISTRICT ENDORSEMENT RULES
25) Endorsement of a candidate for State Senate requires a sixty percent affirmative vote of the Senate District Convention.
a) Each candidate (and/or his/her representative(s)) shall be allowed no more than five minutes to address the convention. Candidates shall be given ten minutes to answer questions.
b) No others may speak on behalf of or against the candidate.
c) The convention may adopt by majority vote rules and procedures for a question and answer period of the candidates prior to the first ballot.
d) Candidates receiving less than 10% will be dropped after the first ballot. On subsequent ballots, the drop off percent will be raised by 5% each ballot. In addition, after the fourth ballot, the lowest remaining candidate will be dropped regardless of the percent. However, in no case will this drop off rule be used to reduce the number of candidates remaining on the next ballot to less than two.
e) If no candidate for endorsement has received sixty percent of the votes cast after five ballots, a motion to have no endorsement will be in order at any time thereafter, and will pass with a majority vote. In that event, balloting shall terminate and the Senate District DFL will not endorse for that position prior to the primary election.
HOUSE DISTRICT ENDORSEMENT RULES
26) The Senate District Convention shall recess into two House District Conventions. The House District Conventions shall each elect one or more Chairs. The business of each House District Convention shall be the endorsement of a candidate for the State House of Representatives from that House District, and any other business authorized by the Senate District constitution. The Senate District Convention shall reconvene upon completion of the House District Conventions.
27) Endorsement of a candidate for State House of Representatives by each House District Convention shall be done using the procedures in Rule 27, substituting “House” for “Senate.”
STATE CONVENTION DELEGATE ELECTIONS
28) The number of state delegates and alternates to be elected by the convention appears in the Official Call. The procedures to be used in the election of delegates and alternates to the Congressional District and State Conventions are as follows:
a) The Convention Chair shall determine if a contest exists by a show of hands. If no more want to serve than there are delegate positions, no contest exists and a formal election will not be held.
b) If a contest exists, the Convention Chair shall ask for a show of hands on proportional voting. If delegates equal to the number represented by one State Convention delegate want proportional voting, it must be used.
c) If proportional voting is not used, the convention will elect State Convention delegates by majority or plurality vote as the convention determines. Alternates will be nominated and elected in a similar fashion. Alternates must be ranked by the convention (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.) for use in alternate upgrading at the congressional district and state conventions. Alternates are ranked without regard to gender.
d) The number of votes each alternate receives will be recorded for use in alternate ranking at the Congressional District and State Conventions. Even if no contest exists for alternate selection, the vote must be taken to determine this ranking. Any ties are broken by lot.
e) If proportional voting is used, the convention will use the Walking Subcaucus system provided in the Official Call. If the system is used, the time limits specified in Rule 25 shall apply.
PLATFORM RESOLUTIONS
29) The Senate District shall submit no more than 32 resolutions to the State Platform Commission. The resolutions to be forwarded by the Senate District must be selected from among those resolutions adopted by the precinct caucuses within the Senate District. The resolutions forwarded to the State Platform Commission should address party positions on state and national issues. Resolutions that cover only local issues should not be forwarded to the State Platform Commission. All resolutions forwarded to the State Platform Commission must be submitted in the format prescribed by the State Platform Commission, with only one resolution per form and only one subject per resolution.
30) The Platform Resolutions Statement provided by the State DFL Office shall be read to the convention or other group selecting the resolutions to forward before consideration of platform resolutions begins.
31) The procedure for selecting the resolutions to be forwarded to the State Platform Commission is as follows:
The convention will allot up to thirty (30) minutes for discussion of resolutions. Speakers shall be limited to no more than three speakers in favor and three speakers against a specific resolution. Resolution speeches are limited to one minute. Each delegate will be provided copies of all resolutions individually numbered and a ballot. Delegates will vote in favor of a resolution by circling the resolution’s item number on the ballot. The Resolutions will be tallied. No negative votes will be recorded. The thirty-two (32) resolutions receiving the most votes will be presented to the Senate District Chair along with the full vote tally records. The original resolution will be recorded and will accompany the surviving resolutions.
32) After the convention , the Senate District Chair must send or deliver the resolutions selected to the State DFL Office so that they are received not later than March 17, 2010.
CONVENTION SPEAKERS.
33) Incumbent DFL office holders, declared DFL candidates for public office, and other party dignitaries may address the convention at the discretion of the Convention Chair. Such visitors will be requested to limit their remarks to no more than three minutes.
34) No more than five candidate signs may be displayed or attached to the interior of the building. No signs may be attached to the exterior of the convention site building.
35) No person may place any banners or posters on the convention platform or in any way obstruct the view of the platform by delegates. All signs and other materials must comply with the rules of the convention facility, and with any additional rules and procedures established by the County Unit central committee. Campaign literature may not be distributed in the convention hall after balloting has begun. No moving demonstrations are permitted during balloting. There shall be no disruptive demonstrations in the galleries. Each delegation will be responsible for collecting materials and garbage, Whistles, air horns, bull horns, and strobe lights or other similar devices will not be allowed during the convention in the convention hall.
