(In order of most recent to oldest)

23-04-26: Hire a Ballot Access Coordinator

Passed 4/26/2023 (Loomio): 6 Yes (BB, RB, ND, CM, MR, TW), 0 No, 3 Not Voting (NW, JL, JS); Submitted by Ballot Access and Finance Committees
Hire a Ballot Access Coordinator part-time (5-10 hours per week) petition coordinator at $20/hour with a focus on petitioning. That person should have an 80/20 split between petitioning and finding places to petition and come on board in late May/early June.

23-04-25: Establish Voting and Tabulation Procedures for 2023 MGP Elections

PASSED 4/25/2023 (Loomio): 6 Yes (BB, RB, ND, CM, MR, TW), 0 No, 3 Not Voting (JL, JS, NW); Submitted by Renaud Brown, Baltimore City
Establishing voting and tabulation procedures for internal Maryland Green Party elections for officers and bylaws proposals.

23-04-19: Approve MGP 2024 Presidential Primary Policy

PASSED 4/19/2023 (Loomio): 6 Yes (BB, RB, ND, CM, MR, TW), 0 No, 3 Not Voting (NW, JL, JS); Submitted by Brian Bittner, Baltimore
As part of the national primary election process for this office, the MGP will hold its own primary election to select delegates to send to the Green Party's Presidential Nominating Convention. This policy set guidelines for that process, adopting most of the GPUS criteria and assigning responsibility of fielding candidate inquiries to an individual rather than a committee. This policy also pledged two supports for party candidates - a webpage listing candidates, and several e-mail alerts from the party listing candidates. Promises of forums, debates, etc. were not included, although the Coordinating Council could decide to offer these later.

23-03-10c: Endorse Additional Voting Rights Bills

PASSED 3/10/2023 (Loomio): 7 Yes  (BB, RB, ND, JL, MR, NW, TW), 0 No, 2 Not Voting (CM, JS); Submitted by Mary Rooker, Montgomery County
Endorsed two additional bills: Accommodating Takoma Park’s RCV Elections HB 334 and Electronic Petition Signatures HB 1112.

23-03-10b: Endorse Voting Rights Bills

PASSED 3/10/2023 (Loomio): 7 Yes (BB, RB, ND, JL, MR, NW, TW), 0 No, 1 Not Voting (CM); Submitted by Renaud Brown, Baltimore City

Endorsed Montgomery County Voting Methods (Ranked Choice and Approval Voting Methods), HB 344 and Civil Rights Voting Act HB 1104.

23-03-10a: Approving 2023 Legislative Assembly Bills 

PASSED 3/10/2023 (Loomio): 7 Yes (BB, RB, ND, JL, MR, NW, TW), O No, 1 Not Voting (CM); Submitted by Mary Rooker

Single Payer HB 0025, Reparations HB 0049, Repealing No-Knock Warrants HB 0038,  Barring Police from Supporting White Supremacist Groups HB 0088, Universal Basic Income for Youth in Transition HB 108, Repeal Sodomy Laws HB0131 (Moon) / SB0054, Gender-Affirming Treatment HB0283, and PFAs Monitoring HB0499/SB0225/HB0319.

23-02-08: Endorse the Transportation Equity Act

PASSED 2/8/2023 (Loomio):  6 Yes (TW, BB, MR, RB, ND, JS); 0 No; 3 Not Voting: (CM, NW, JL); Submitted by Renaud Brown, Baltimore City
The Maryland Green Party endorsed passage of the Transportation Equity Act (Maryland Senate Bill SB 19 (Jill Carter)/Maryland House Bill HB 9 (Sheila Ruth). 

23-01-24b Declare the Allegany Local Disbanded

AGREED 1/24/2023 (Meeting)
We declared the Allegany local defunct due to inactivity and the resignation of the most active member.

23-01-24a: Renew Endorsements of BACC and BTEC

AGREED 1/24/2023 (Meeting) Submitted by Nancy Wallace, Montgomery County
Renewed our existing endorsements of the Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition and the Baltimore Transit Equity Coalition. (Our endorsement policy requires that we review endorsements every 6 to 12 months.)

22-12-27: Task Membership Coordinator with E-Newsletters re: Curtis Bay Action & Zeese Memorial Fund

AGREED, 12/27/22 (Meeting) Submitted by Mary Rooker
Notify the membership of the recent Curtis Bay action first, then followup with a blast about the Zeese Memorial Fund.

22-11-22: Review and Report on 2022 Electoral Campaigns

AGREED, 11/22/22 (Meeting) Submitted by Baltimore City
Restart the Electoral Committee with the following tasks: to review campaign issues, including campaign finance violation concerns, and to report back to the CC with recommendations by Jan. 31, 2022.

22-10-25: Establish a Legal Defense Fund in Honor of Kevin Zeese

AGREED, 10/25/22 (Meeting) Submitted by Ballot Access Committee
We agreed to a proposal from Brian Bittner, discussed last month, on a legal defense fund. We need to develop a policy on it and use it for a fundraising opportunity.

22-08-28: Designate Bill Barry as MGP Chair for SBE Purposes

PASSED 8/28/2022 (Loomio): 7 Yes, 0 no, 0 Abstain, 2 Not Voting (ND, SW); Submitted by Mary Rooker, Montgomery County
At our Aug. 23 MGP-CC meeting, we agreed to designate Bill Barry as MGP chair for State Board of Elections (SBE) purposes. This Loomio vote confirmed that decision. If SBE requires that the designated chair remain the same throughout the petition drive, the MGP-CC can continue with Bill as designated chair with SBE regardless of internal officer election changes before the drive ends in May 2024.

22-08-18: Establish a Pre-Set GPUS National Committee Voting Schedule for Delegates and Alternate Delegates

PASSED 8/18/2022 (Loomio): 6 Yes, 0 No, 0 Abstain, 2 Not Voting; Submitted by Mary Rooker, Secretary & NC Delegate
    Maryland's 3 Delegates to the national Green Party (GPUS) National Committee (NC) have often missed NC votes for over a year. Alternate Delegates have often been scrambling at the last few hours of voting to try to ascertain whether they should vote or if a full Delegate or another alternate is planning to vote. This policy sets a simple procedure to bypass that uncertainty and increase the likelihood that Maryland will have the fullest voting representation on the GPUS-NC, which we have not had for some years.
    Most GPUS NC votes are preceded by a 2- to 4-week discussion period, followed by a week of voting. Delegates shall have 5 of the 7 days to vote. If any have not voted with 48 hours remaining to vote, the following schedule for Alternate Delegates to vote shall take effect, with alternates ranked by the order in which candidate received the most votes in the MGP-CC Officer election.

Days 1-5 of voting: only full voting GPUS National Committee (NC) Delegates vote.
Days 6 and 7 of voting: Delegates who have not voted forfeit the right to vote. Alternates may begin voting according to the following schedule.

• If none of the three Delegates has voted with 48 hours remaining to vote, with all 3 of Maryland’s 3 votes remaining,
  --> Day 6, 3:00 a.m. to Day 7, 3:00 a.m.:  all three alternate delegates may vote.
• If one of the three Delegates has voted with 48 hours remaining to vote, with 2 of Maryland's 3 votes remaining,
  --> Day 6 from 3:00 a.m. – Day 7 at Noon: Alternates #1 and #2 may vote.
  --> Day 7 at Noon – Day 7 at 3:00 a.m.: Alternate #3 may vote.
• If two of the three Delegates have voted with 48 hours remaining to vote, with 1 of Maryland's 3 votes remaining,
  --> Day 6 from 3:00 a.m. - 3:00 a.m.: Alternate #1 may vote.
  --> Day 7 from 3:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.: Alternate #2 may vote.
  --> Day 7 from 8:00 p.m. - 3:00 a.m.: Alternate #3 may vote.

22-07-05: Primary for Nominating Governor/Lieutenant Governor

PASSED, 7/05/22 (Loomio) 6 yes, 1 no, 1 abstain, 2 not voting; Submitted by Baltimore City
The MGP CC shall declare a special primary open to all Green voters in Maryland for the position of Governor and Lieutenant Governor. The primary should start after July 5th.

22-07-05: Process for Nominating Locally Endorsed Candidates

PASSED, 7/05/22 (Loomio) 5 yes, 1 no, 1 abstain, 3 not voting; Submitted by Baltimore City
/Candidates must have a declaration of intent filed as a green party candidate. Local Requests for nomination should be submitted to the co-chairs and the mgp-cc listserv. The CC should provide approval to all requests for nomination within 7 days of receipt. Any CC member may object to a nomination based on the extenuating circumstances outlined in the MGP Candidate Nomination procedures, they must do so within 48 hours of notification and the objection request must be in writing. If a CC member has questions about the fairness of the local process the local should reply to reasonable requests for information.

22-06-28b: Reimburse Anne Arundel Green Party Local

AGREED, 06/28/22 (Meeting) Submitted by Robb Tufts, Anne Arundel (AA)
We agreed to reimburse AAGP for half the rental costs (approximately $55) for their local's annual assembly. The local does not have its own central committee and thus no credit union account. Members are paying expenses out of pocket even though some donate to the MGP.

22-06-28a: Delay Change of Chairperson Notification to State Board of Elections

AGREED, 06/28/22 (Meeting) Submitted by Charlotte McBrearty, the new Co-Chair
McBrearty requested, and former co-chair Olivia Romano agreed, to have Romano continue being the designated chairperson with the State Board of Elections (SBE) until a second co-chair is elected. McBrearty requested this so she can be a candidate for public office, which the SBE-listed chair is not allowed to do, and for other personal reasons.

22-05-24b:  Set Up Group to Review Digital Assets Management

AGREED, 05/24/22 (Meeting) Submitted by Robb Tufts, Anne Arundel
We agreed to an Inventory Group to start the digital assets management process. Examples of items to address include policies and rules for password management, including inventory, who has access, setting up office-specific email addresses (eg, [email protected]). Also ensure updates to FaceBook page and other social media. 

22-05-24a:  Appoint Tim Willard as Interim Treasurer

AGREED 05/24/22 (Meeting) Submitted by Tim Willard, Montgomery
MGP officer nominations closed May 20, and no one was nominated nor volunteered to run for Treasurer. Treasurer is a legally required position, so we agreed to have Tim Willard serve as interim treasurer from June 12 until the second (July) election.

22-04-26:  Hire Part-Time Social Media Person

AGREED 04/26/22 (Meeting) Submitted by Tim Willard, Montgomery and Andy Ellis, Baltimore City
We agreed to hire a part-time person to manage our social media posts for $150/monthly stipend ($15/hour for about 10 hours/month). No one is currently managing our social media.

22-04-12:  Approve Voting Procedure for 2022 MGP Officer Elections

PASSED 4/12/2022 (Loomio): 11 Yes, 1 No, 0 Abstain, 2 Not Voting; Submitted by Mary Rooker
Bylaws require that the voting procedure to be used in Maryland Green Party officer elections be posted 60 days in advance of the close of voting. Because voting in 2022 closes June 12, the date for posting this voting procedure was April 13. Once approved, these procedures were posted to the MGP website and the membership was also notified directly through email.

22-03-22:  Create a Separate MGP CC Discussion Listserv

Agreed, 03/22/22 (Meeting) Submitted by Robb Tufts, Anne Arundel
We agreed to create a separate announcement list where people can post items not directly related to CC business. Purpose is to ensure that the CC listserv stays on topic with only old business, new business (e.g. locals submitting a proposal), and anything *directly* related to our work at the state level (e.g. updates on coalitions we are a part of, updates on committee work, etc). Separate lists will make it easier for delegates and officers to avoid missing critical emails that can get lost in listserv traffic. The listserv would need to be moderated to ensure that non-business items were moved to the non-business list. [Robb Tufts later volunteered to moderate; Mary Rooker agreed to help if needed.]

22-02-22:  Start a $500 Scholarship Fund

AGREED, 02/22/22 (Meeting) Submitted by Steve Wollett, Allegany)
A $500 scholarship fund was approved unanimously, with a new ad hoc group to meet  to work out details, such as whether just high school or college, get a legal opinion with the party treasurer on how to do scholarships from party funds. The fund will open with a donation from Delegate Wollett. We pick a county and ask high school students there to write an essay on a subject of our choosing (he prefers the Ninth Amendment to the US Constitution). 

22-01-25:  Make Loomio Votes Public

AGREED, 01/25/22 (Meeting) Submitted by Andy Ellis, Baltimore City
In the interest of openness and transparency, we agreed to make Loomio public. This allows members to be able to follow votes on their own without needing information to be forwarded by delegates. We recently switched from a Loomio account paid by one individual to one paid for by the MGP, and this setting was unintentionally not transferred to the new account.

22-01-25:  Issue No Challenge on Congressional Redistricting

AGREED 01/25/22 (Meeting) Arose from discussion
We reaffirmed our decision at our December CC meeting not to challenge the redistricting issue for congressional districts.

22-01-25a:  Create Ad Hoc Working Group to Facilitate Our 2022 Primary

AGREED, 01/25/22 (Meeting)  Submitted by Tim Willard, Montgomery
We approved an ad hoc working group, composed of any interested MGP persons, to work on the primary required by the new bylaws amendment passed in June 2021. 

22-01-25b:  Appoint De’Narde English to the GPUS Peace Action Committee

AGREED, 01/25/22 (Meeting)  Submitted by De’Narde English, Pasadena-Anne Arundel
De’Narde English has expressed interest in serving as a Maryland Green Party delegate to the national Green Party’s Peace Action Committee (GPAX). [Note: De’Narde is our second delegate to GPAX; Matt Hand currently also serves.]

22-01-25c:  Endorse Coalition Effort Favoring Electronic Petitioning

AGREED, 01/25/22 (Meeting) Submitted by Tim Willard, Montgomery
We agreed to sign on to the Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition (BACC) letter expressing support for the State Board of Elections (SBE) to reinstate electronic petitioning due to covid-19 concerns. The issue is on the agenda for the  SBE’s upcoming Jan. 27 meeting. [Note: BACC is already an MGP-endorsed partner.]

21-12-28:  Allow GPUS Delegate to Vote Their Conscience on Covid Statement

AGREED, 12/28/21 (Meeting) Submitted by Richard Ochs, MGP Delegate to the GPUS International Committee
The GPUS International Committee (IC) is voting whether to endorse the GPUS Steering Committee’s (SC) covid statement.  We don’t have a position on the mandates and we do support most of the SC statement. No one supported universal mandates for everyone; many support limited mandates, and at least one supports no mandates. We agreed that we can disagree on the mandates without wading into the debate. We agreed to issue no statement on the GPUS Steering Committee’s covid statement. We shared this discussion with our International Committee delegate, Dick Ochs, so he can reach his own decision on the pending IC vote rather than issue an MGP directive on how to vote.

21-12-28:  Purchase Voter Registration Lists Quarterly

AGREED, 12/28/21 (Meeting) Arose from discussion
The MGP agreed to purchase (for $125) the new voter registration list from the State Board of Elections (SBE) quarterly. One person has been buying them and has a script that cleans up the lists, but the MGP should be paying for them. SBE requires that their files not be stored except in a secured location; SBE allows google drive documents but not Excel files on a personal laptop.

21-12-28a:  Donate $250 to Jill Stein

AGREED, 12/28/21 (Meeting) Submitted by Nancy Wallace, Montgomery
The Federal Election Commission is trying to force Jill Stein to repay $175,000 in public matching funding we spent to get on the ballot - more than 5 years after the end of the 2016 election. Stein has issued an email appeal to Greens; we responded with an MGP donation of $250.

21-11-27:  Confirm Dick Ochs as MGP Delegate on the International Committee

PASSED 11/27/21 (Loomio): 12 Yes, 0 No, 0 Abstain, 3 Not Voting; Submitted by Vince Tola, Baltimore City, 11/24/21
Questions emerged over whether Dick Ochs was ever reconfirmed by the Maryland Green Party Coordinating Council to the GPUS International Committee. The CC reconfirmed a number of GPUS delegates at its 8/26/2020 meeting. A review of the Zoom recording of that meeting showed that the CC attempted to recall from memory the names of all of the MGP members currently serving on GPUS committees and reconfirm them to their posts. Whether by accident or intent, the CC did not mention the name of "Richard Ochs" (aka Dick Ochs). The MGP CC discussed this at its 11/23/21 meeting via Zoom. At that meeting, there was unanimous consent from the delegates present (and quorum was reached) that the MGP should confirm Dick Ochs as an MGP delegate to the GPUS International Committee through the remainder of the current term, which ends in August 2022.

21-11-23:  Run a Gubernatorial Candidate in 2022 to Maintain Ballot Access

AGREED 11/23/21 (Meeting) Submitted by Tim Willard, Montgomery
We will likely lose ballot access Dec. 31, 2022. We should consider running a gubernatorial candidate and, absent that, should aim for access to the 2024 and 2026 elections. Each petition drive gives two election cycles; if we submit petitions at the end of 2022, we’d only have access for 2022 and 2024. Submitting petitions in 2023 or 2024 ensures access in the 2024 and 2026 elections.

21-11-15:  Recall Bahram Zandi, MGP Delegate to the GPUS International Committee

PASSED 11/15/21 (Loomio) 12 Yes, 0 No, 2 Abstain, 3 Not Voting. Submitted by Mary Rooker, Co-Chair, 11/08/21
On Oct. 18, 2021, the MGP received an email from Ahmed Eltouny asking us  to recall MGP to the GPUS International Committee (IC) Delegate Bahram Zandi on behalf of  14 IC signers. He presented further information at our Oct. 26, 2021 regular CC meeting. We agreed to review the complaints and scheduled a hearing via Zoom Nov. 6, 2021. It was attended by Ahmed Eltouny, Bahram Zandi, and Richard Ochs, the other MGP delegate to the IC who asked to be present in support of Zandi. Although additional concerns were raised about Zandi’s actions, the primary reasons we agreed to recall Bahram Zandi is that we found he failed to represent the IC while serving as GPUS Representative to FPVA (Federación de los Partidos Verdes de las Américas) in two instances: 

1. when he voted against the Argentina motion that the IC had instructed him to support; and,
2. when he refused to sign onto a letter that the IC voted to sign on to, even after the IC had the opportunity to assess the amendments.

Further, he seriously neglected his duties as co-chair by failing to report out within the 3-day deadline a complaint filed by members of the IC. This failure constitutes a gross abuse of power.

21-10-26:  Purchase a Banner 

AGREED 10/26/21 (Meeting) Submitted by Nancy Wallace, Montgomery
We agreed to purchase a banner for the MGP to use in protests, tabling, and other events. Guesstimated budget at least $250. Considerations include using a print shop that is local and unionized; materials that are eco-friendly. [Note: banner was not purchased.]

21-10-26a:  Review Bylaws, Especially Committee Structure and Requirements for Locals

AGREED 10/26/21 (Meeting) Submitted by Tim Willard, Montgomery; Matt Hand, Membership
We referred to the Bylaws Review and Rules Committee numerous bylaws that need review, either because they are outdated or because we cannot achieve compliance:

• standing committees need to be streamlined - they are too numerous, and most require a representative from each local; and
• requirements for local chapters to be recognized and maintain status needs to be reviewed - the definition of “active member” is too loose and left to each local, creating inequity; number of meetings and reporting requirements, numerous issues identified.

21-10-03:  Endorse the Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition

PASSED 10/03/21 (Loomio) 11 Yes, 0 No, 0 Abstain, 4 Not Voting; Submitted by Tim Willard, Montgomery, 09/26/21
This proposal asks the Maryland Green Party to endorse the Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition, BACC is a coalition committed to stopping the desecration of the historic Moses African Cemetery on River Road in Bethesda, MD and memorializing the people buried there.  It is led by two Maryland Green Party members.

21-09-22:  Resolve the 2021 MGP Officer Election Dispute with Single Transferable Vote

PASSED 09/22/21 (Loomio) 11 Yes, 4 No, 3 Abstain, 0 Not Voting; Submitted by Vince Tola, Baltimore City, 09/15/21
The MGP shall enter its ballot data into Opavote, and have the results tabulated according to a Single-Transferable Vote (STV), Scottish method. The MGP shall accept as valid the results determined by Opavote. The Bylaws Review and Rules Committee shall propose rules for future MGP Officer elections, which must be approved by the Coordinating Council by the end of April 2022.

21-09-12:  Extend the Emergency Assembly Call

AGREED 09/12/21 (Meeting) Arose from discussion
We re-set the clock for the emergency assembly, as a date must be set within 10 days of declaring the need for one, and that deadline​ already​ passed with no date.​ We need to pick a date for the emergency assembly by Sept. 22, to be held within 70 days. ​[Note: we soon resolved this by setting Nov. 20, 2021, for the date of the emergency assembly.]

21-08-24:  Ensure Bylaws and Policy Compliance of Loomio Proposal Recognizing Olivia Romano as Co-chair for State Board of Elections Purposes

AGREED 08/24/21 (Meeting) Submitted by Nancy Wallace, Montgomery
Questions arose as to whether the 07/28/21 Loomio vote followed our voting policies. Bylaws say we need to strive for consensus and that a 2/3 vote is needed to move to a vote, but our bylaws were amended by our decision making process proposal a few years ago. We asked the Bylaws Review and Rules Committee to review our decision making process and tighten up the language and bring forward a clarifying proposal. [Note: we eventually resolved the election outcome issue by processing the votes through OpaVote for an accurate count and using single-transferable vote (STV) tabulation method as in previous elections.

21-08-24:  Restart Standing Committees for New Assembly

AGREED 08/24/21 (Meeting); Confirmed 09/04/21 (Loomio) 8 Yes, 0 No, 0 Abstain, 5 Not Voting. Submitted by Vince Tola, Baltimore City, 08/31/21
In order to hold an emergency assembly to resolve outstanding election issues where the bylaws were not clear, we needed to restart key committees to do the preparation work. As a procedural/process proposal (50%+1), not substantive (2/3): MGP shall reactivate the Rules and Bylaws Committee and the Meetings and Assemblies Committee. The Meetings and Assemblies Committee shall conduct the recently called for emergency assembly. The Rules and Bylaws Committee shall perform the duties as specified in the bylaws and shall determine the rules for voting at the emergency assembly and determine and announce the winners of all elections at the emergency assembly.

21-08-24a:  Shift from Two Membership Coordinators to One

AGREED 08/24/21 (Meeting) Submitted by Robb Tufts, Anne Arundel
We referred to the Bylaws Review and Rules Committee the question of whether we should have a second Membership Coordinator. We have had elections for two coordinators for several years, but a second membership coordinator position was never approved by the CC or any assembly, and the bylaws say only one. [Note: an emergency assembly was held Nov. 20, 2021 with a subsequent 3-week voting period to resolve this and other unresolved election questions. The proposal that passed called for only one coordinator, to take effect when current terms end in 2022. We agreed to keep the second coordinator until then.

21-07-28:  Appoint Olivia Romano as Co-Chair for State Board of Elections Purposes

PASSED 07/28/21 (Loomio): 9 Yes, 3 No, 1 Abstain, 1 Not Voting. Submitted by Andrew Eneim, Baltimore City, 07/27/21
Recognized Olivia Romano as Co-Chair for State Board of Elections purposes instead of Mary Rooker. [Note: this proposal was controversial and challenged because it was approved despite several blocking concerns but was allowed to stand.]