Twin Ports Democratic Socialists of America
Bylaws
Adopted November 20, 2016
Revised January 26, 2020
Revised January 24, 2021
ARTICLE I. Name
The name of the Local shall be the Twin Ports Democratic Socialists of America, a not-for-profit corporation, hereinafter referred to as Twin Ports DSA.
ARTICLE II. Purpose
The purpose of the chapter shall be to organize the activities of the members of the Democratic Socialists of America. Its activities shall include education and advocacy. We share a vision of a humane social order based on control of resources by the people, economic planning, equitable distribution of economic resources, ecological sustainability, feminism, racial equality and non-oppressive relationships. In pursuing these goals, we recognize that no one individual or organization has all the answers to the challenges faced by our community and our world. We approach our work with an open mind and a willingness to reconsider our conclusions in the face of new information and insights, while maintaining our commitment to our fundamental values.
ARTICLE III. Membership
Section 1. Membership
Members of the chapter will be those individuals whose dues to national DSA are paid in full, who reside and/or work in Duluth (MN), Superior (WI), and the greater Twin Ports region. It will be the responsibility of members to approve policies and guidelines for the operation of the local chapter, to elect delegates to the national convention, to vote on matters related to national policy, and to make recommendations on issues and other matters to the National Political Committee of DSA.
Section 2. Removal of Members
If a full member is found to be in substantial disagreement with the principles or policies of national DSA, or if s/he is found to be consistently engaging in undemocratic, disruptive behavior, the Local may vote to expel her/him from DSA. In order for such a finding to be made, another DSA member must formally present written charges against the member in question to the Local Steering Committee, which shall set the date of a Local meeting for deliberations on the charges. The member in question must receive a copy of the written charges and notice of the meeting a minimum of two weeks before that meeting takes place. Expulsion of a member or affiliate member requires a two-thirds vote of the Local meeting. An expelled full member may appeal to the National Political Committee of DSA.
Section 3. Dues
The Local chapter may establish a Local pledge system of voluntary donations for its members.
ARTICLE IV. Local Meetings
Section 1. Annual Meeting
The Local will hold an Annual Meeting in January of each year, and all members of the Local will receive three weeks written (or electronic mail) notice and an agenda of the Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting will elect Local officers and may adopt an annual budget. In general, it is the highest legislative body of the Local.
Section 2. Monthly Meetings
The Local will hold Monthly Meetings, the time and place of which shall be set in a schedule published and distributed by the Local Steering Committee. The Regular Meetings will set Local policy and work priorities, and will include political education sessions. The Local Steering Committee will set the agenda for Monthly Meetings. In general, the Monthly Meeting is the operating legislative body of the Local. The Annual Meeting will serve as the Monthly Meeting for the month of January.
Section 3. Emergency Meetings
The Local Steering Committee may call an Emergency Meeting of the Local on five days notice when an urgent and important matter requires deliberation.
Section 4. Quorum
A quorum of 10 percent of the members is required for Annual, Monthly, or Emergency Meetings to transact business.
ARTICLE V. Powers and Duties of Local Officers
Section 1. Officers and Terms
The officers of the Local will be the Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and four At-Large Steering Committee Members. The term of office will be one year, and shall run from February 1 to January 31 or until their successors are elected. Eligibility for office shall be open to any member of the Local in good standing. To the greatest extent possible, members shall be selected to represent the diversity of populations in the Twin Ports Area. The Local shall seek gender balance on the Steering Committee.
Section 2. Vacancies
In the event of a vacancy in the office of Chair, the Secretary will assume that office. In the event of a vacancy in any other Local office, the Monthly Meeting will appoint a replacement for the remainder of the term.
Section 3. Chair
The sole function of the chair is to sign legal documents requiring the signature of the chair. In the event that the Chair is unable to perform her/his duties for a single event or a longer period of time, the Secretary will serve as replacement.
Section 4 Secretary
a) The Secretary will be responsible for answering all correspondence and queries of the Local, and for maintaining an up-to-date membership list of the Local. S/he will insure effective communication with the national DSA.
b) The Secretary will be responsible also for the taking of minutes of all local and Steering Committee Meetings, and shall have custody of these minutes, and the resolutions, reports and other official records of the Local. S/he shall transfer official records in good condition to her/his successor. Official records shall include meeting minutes and member lists.
Section 5. Treasurer
a) The Treasurer will be responsible for the funds, financial accounts and records of the chapter. All funds collected by the chapter will be turned over to, and managed by, the Treasurer.
b) In cooperation with the Secretary, the Treasurer will be responsible for ensuring that membership dues are paid.
c) The Treasurer will provide a verbal treasury update at each Monthly Meeting, as well as yearly financial reports in writing at the Annual Meeting and at any time when requested by the Steering Committee. The Treasurer may prepare an annual chapter budget.
d)The Treasurer will administer the Solidarity Fund [Article XVI], chair a standing committee to oversee its operations [Article VIII, Section 3], and report on the status of the Fund at each monthly meeting.
Section 6. Spokespersons
The Monthly Meeting shall elect one or more individuals to serve as spokespersons for the chapter. Spokespersons shall be authorized to speak on behalf of the chapter. No other individual shall be authorized to speak on behalf of the chapter. Spokespersons shall serve either for a period fixed by the Monthly Meeting or at its pleasure.
ARTICLE VI. Steering Committee
Section 1. Composition
The Local Steering Committee will be composed of the Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer of the local, plus four at-large members.
Section 2. Duties
a) The Steering Committee shall exercise a general oversight function of the Local. It shall set the agenda for the Monthly and Annual Meetings, choose a facilitator for each Monthly and Annual Meeting from among the Steering Committee members, and authorize Twin Ports DSA appearances at fairs, festivals, and other similar public events.
b) The Steering Committee shall not have the power to endorse or sponsor public events.
c) The Steering Committee may be delegated additional authority and responsibilities by the Monthly Meeting.
d) The Steering Committee shall be authorized to make expenditures of up to $100.00 from chapter funds, with the exception of the Solidarity Fund. Expenditures in excess of $100.00 must be approved by the membership via majority vote at a Monthly Meeting. The Steering Committee shall not have the authority to make purchases, withdrawals, or transfers out of the Solidarity Fund. Money earmarked for the Solidarity Fund shall be governed instead by the Solidarity Fund Control Plan [Article XVI], and overseen by Solidarity Fund Committee [Article VIII, Section 3]. Payments from the Solidarity Fund are exempt from membership approval and the spending limitations imposed upon the Steering Committee.
e) In situations that require urgent action, the Steering Committee may act on behalf of the organization.
f) The Steering Committee shall complete an audit of the organization’s finances annually. The findings of the audit shall be reported to the Annual Meeting.
Section 3. Meetings
The Steering Committee shall meet at least once per month on a schedule to be determined by the members of the committee
Section 4. Quorum
Four members of the Steering Committee shall constitute a quorum.
Section 5. Sub-Committees
The Steering Committee may appoint sub-committees from time to time for limited purposes as specified by the Steering Committee.
Section 6. Accountability
a) The Steering Committee shall report its actions each month to the Monthly Meeting. The Monthly Meeting may veto the decisions of the Steering Committee by two-thirds vote.
b) Members of the Steering Committee may be removed for cause by a majority vote at a Monthly Meeting. All members, including the Steering Committee member proposed for removal, must be notified at least one week before the meeting where the issue of removal will be raised. For purposes of this section, 20% of the Local’s membership, but not less than twenty members shall constitute a quorum.
Section 12. Vacancies
The Steering Committee can determine that a seat has been vacated by a member of the Steering Committee who has failed to be present at three or more consecutive Steering Committee meetings, and has not made contact with any other regularly attending Steering Committee member to offer an excused absence. The Steering Committee can also determine a seat to be vacated by any member who fails to be present at all Steering Committee meetings for a period of six months or longer.
ARTICLE VII. Branches
Section 1. Definition
A branch is a subgroup of the Local consisting of at least three full members in good standing with national DSA. Branches may be defined by geography, work site, constituency (e.g., labor, minority, feminist), or area of political work (e.g., peace action, environmental movement).
Section 2. Recognition and Dissolution
A Branch may be chartered by the Monthly Meeting upon petition of at least three members residing within a defined territory, belonging to a particular institution, or sharing a common interest. A Branch may be dissolved by the Monthly Meeting if it has not met for at least six months or if it has been promoting policies contrary to those of the chapter or national Democratic Socialists of America. The representative(s) from said Branch must be informed that dissolution is on the agenda when notified of the meeting. The decision to dissolve a Branch may be appealed to the next Monthly Meeting, during which time said Branch may be continued or re-established. Upon dissolution, all property and records of a Branch will be surrendered to the Twin Ports Steering Committee.
Section 3. Youth Sections.
Branches established on college campuses and consisting of students will be called Local Youth Sections. Youth Sections must have at least three full members in good standing with national DSA.
ARTICLE VIII Committees
Section 1. Duration
The Local may have Ad Hoc Committees, which will exist for a limited and explicit duration. Ad Hoc Committees may be established by a vote of full members at a Monthly Meeting of the Local.
Section 2. Duties
Chairs of Ad Hoc Committees will keep the Steering Committee and the Monthly Meetings of the Local informed on the activities of the committee.
Section 3. Solidarity Fund Committee
The chapter shall have a standing committee of three members in good standing, including the Treasurer, to oversee the Solidarity Fund. The committee will be chaired by the Treasurer, and the remaining membership will be at-will. This committee will assure that the Treasurer administers the Solidarity Fund openly and honestly according to Solidarity Fund Control Plan [Article XVI]. If members of the Solidarity Fund Committee observe that the Treasurer is conducting the business of the Solidarity Fund in an irregular or dishonest way, they are expected to immediately report their observations to the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee is responsible for a swift investigation, corrective action, and report to the membership in the event that chapter accounts have been misused.
ARTICLE IX. Delegates to National, Regional, and State Bodies
Section 1. Convention
Local delegates and alternates to the National Convention will be elected by full members of the chapter at a Monthly Meeting. Elections for the National Convention delegation shall be held on the schedule announced by the national organization.
ARTICLE X. Prohibited Activity
Twin Ports DSA shall not engage in activity prohibited by the IRS guidelines established for 501(c)(4) organizations or similar rules established by the state of Minnesota. Nor shall the local engage in any activity prohibited by resolutions adopted by DSA’s National Convention or DSA’s National Political Committee.
ARTICLE XI. Nominations and Election Processes of Twin Ports DSA Officers
Section 1. Nominations
Nominations and self -nominations for officer positions shall take place prior to the vote at the meeting at which the election is to take place.
Section 2. Election Process
a) Contested elections shall be decided by plurality vote.
b) If a position is uncontested, the nominee will be declared elected by a majority vote of members present.
ARTICLE XII. Endorsements.
Section 1. Electoral Committee
a) An electoral committee shall be maintained to prepare for possible political endorsements. At least 3, but no more than 7 dues paid members shall be elected each year at the January General Membership meeting. A Quorum will be at least three members The Electoral Committee shall be free to acquire more committee members from the general membership to maintain a functional committee or gather more expertise.
b) Committee Officers shall be at least a Chair and Secretary. One or the other will be responsible to keep the general membership informed of its activities.
c) Electoral committee shall draft a written candidate questionnaire specifically for each office sought. In any questionnaire, the first question shall always be, “What does Democratic Socialism mean to you?” The Electoral Committee shall also assume duties assigned to it by the General Membership at a regular meeting.
d) There shall be no recommendation of endorsement for any public candidate from the Electoral Committee to the general membership.
Section 2. Candidate Requirements
a) To receive the endorsement of the chapter, a public candidate must undergo a screening process. The candidate shall return the completed written DSA Questionnaire no later than 1 week before their screening date.
b) To receive the chapter endorsement, candidates for municipal, county, or state legislative office must commit, should they be elected, to participate in two at least one accountability session per year. The accountability session may take place either at a Monthly Meeting or at other times and places by mutual agreement of the office holder and the membership.
c) By the time of the candidate’s screening, the candidate shall have announced their candidacy publicly, either through mainstream media or campaign facebook page.
d) Endorsements will be made on the basis of the candidate's commitment to the mission of the chapter .
Section 3. Endorsement and Screening Process.
a) A motion to endorse for a specific public office may be made by any paid dues member when the office sought falls within or partially within the geographic area covered by Twin Ports DSA and shall not be considered earlier than the January membership meeting of the year the Election is held.
b) The screening of candidates for a specific office will take place at a General Membership Meeting, but no earlier than the next monthly meeting after the motion to do so was passed. All candidates for that office shall be invited and questionnaires sent to those who express interest. Candidates shall be screened one at a time.
c) Members’ dues status will be checked prior to screening. Digital or printed copies of the candidates completed questionnaires shall be available to members. Any dues paid by a member present at the screening may ask one questions and one follow-up question of the candidate.
d) The endorsement will be granted by a two-thirds majority vote of the chapter members present.
e) A vote for no endorsement is allowed and considered in the percentage.
f) In screenings where two or less candidates are considered, there will only be one ballot. With more than two candidates, when one candidate does not meet the endorsement threshold (two-thirds), the lowest percentage candidate will be dropped from consideration and another ballot taken. This will continue until there are only two candidates.
g) In the event that the health or safety of the membership and candidates would be put at risk by a physical screening meeting, a screening process via electronic means, may be allowed. Should this decision fall upon the steering committee to make, the Electoral Committee shall be consulted for process.
h) Should the endorsed candidate for office drop out or be eliminated, a motion to endorse for that office is in order at the next monthly meeting and a vote on endorsement may follow immediately afterwards.
i) Should new information about a TP DSA endorsed candidate come to light or new candidates seek an office where TP DSA has already endorsed, the membership may rescind endorsement by a two-thirds majority. A member’s motion to begin rescindment, passed by 51% of the general membership, will be followed by a vote to rescind at the next monthly meeting. Screening of new candidates would be allowed before the rescindment vote. Should rescindment prevail, a motion to endorse a candidate for that office would be in order and voting on said endorsement may begin immediately afterward.
j) The endorsement of a candidate for public office ends when the election is finalized.
Section 4 National Endorsements
Endorsements by the chapter for federal office must be submitted to the national DSA Political Action Committee for approval.
Section 5 Campaign Support
The chapter will actively support the campaign of any candidate that it endorses. the chapter will only endorse candidates that it is prepared to actively support. the chapter will commit itself to providing ongoing support to any endorsed candidate who is elected to office. Section 6 As a 501(c)(4) tax exempt organization, the chapter may not contribute funds to any candidate or candidate committee. the chapter may expend funds on behalf of an endorsed candidate, provided it does so independently of the candidate or of any political party. the chapter may only spend funds on behalf of a candidate that has received the organization’s endorsement.
Section 7 Priorities
As a 501(c)(4) organization, the primary activities of the chapter shall remain education and advocacy. Support for candidates for public office shall remain a secondary activity.
ARTICLE XIII. Amendments
Proposed amendments to these Bylaws must be made by written resolution, endorsed by five members of the Local chapter of DSA, and submitted to the Steering Committee a month in advance of a Monthly Meeting. The Steering Committee is required to provide the organization’s membership with two weeks’ written notice of the proposed amendments. The amendment must be approved by a majority vote of two consecutive (Annual or Monthly) Local meetings.
ARTICLE XIV. Rules of the Local
Section 1. Rules
Consensus decision-making is desirable where feasible, but meetings must submit to Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised upon the request of a member or at the discretion of the meeting facilitator, unless such rules are inconsistent with these Bylaws.
Section 2. Action Out of Order
Any action taken by an officer or member of the Local in contravention of these Bylaws is null and void.
Section 3. Dissolution
The chapter may be dissolved by a two-thirds vote of the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee is required to provide the organization’s membership with two weeks’ written notice that a proposal to dissolve the organization is scheduled for a vote. Upon dissolution of the organization, any residual assets shall be become the property of the national Democratic Socialists of America.
Article XVI. Solidarity Fund
The chapter's Solidarity Fund shall be conducted according to a documented Control Plan. This Control Plan, and any subsequent amendments to the Control Plan, must be approved by a majority vote of the membership at a regular chapter meeting before taking effect. The Control Plan document shall be a public document, available for review by any person at any time, and provided to all people requesting money from the Solidarity Fund. The Solidarity Fund shall be overseen by a standing committee [Article VIII, Section 2]. The Solidarity Fund's administration shall be subject to the annual treasury audit by the membership stipulated [Article VI, Section 2, Clause F].
