Proposal: Endorse the Ballot Petition Modernization Act (2024)
February 26, 2024

APPROVED: 9 YES, 0 NO

Proposal: Endorse the Ballot Petition Modernization Act (2024), introduced as House Bill 1109 and Senate Bill 1029. HB 1109 is available athttps://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2024RS/bills/hb/hb1109f.pdf. SB 1029 is available athttps://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2024RS/bills/sb/sb1029f.pdf.



Proposal: Submit GPUS Platform Amendment: African American Cemetaries
January 30, 2024

APPROVED: 7 YES, 2 UNDECIDED

Proposal: 

1. Name of party/caucus/committee and co-chair contact information- Maryland Green Party, Mary Rooker CoChair, [email protected]

2. Brief explanation of approval process and date of approval-

The GMD process is to discuss the plank for 3 or more days, make suggested edits that are accepted by the author/cosponsors, and a 3-day online vote.

3. Contact Information for author: Mary Rooker - [email protected]; 

4. Where in Platform is this addressed: 2. Social Justice, A. Civil Rights, 3. Reparations for US Afrodescendants, (k)

5. Current Language-

 (new section)

6. Proposed revision or amendment of the current language-

L. Protect and Preserve African/African American Cemeteries

We call upon government agencies at all levels to protect and preserve African/African American cemeteries in the US and its territories. Special attention is needed to ensure that these sacred burial grounds are identified and appropriately marked to prevent accidental or intentional desecration. The erasure of African/African-American history, such as the desecration of African cemeteries, is the bedrock and foundation of white supremacy. Desecration is one of the physical manifestations of genocide and historic trauma.

The Green Party calls for the immediate cessation of any and all drilling, excavation and/or digging of soils in all African/African American Cemeteries in the US and its territories. We call for the Department of Justice to bring criminal charges against all parties involved in the desecration of any such cemetery. We call for reparations and the immediate repatriation of all remains and bone fragments previously displaced from any such cemeteries to the descendant community.

The destruction of cemeteries and graveyards is understood to be a distinct form of cultural violence. “Cultural destruction during genocidal campaigns is a dimension of genocide itself and is evidence of the intent to completely erase the targeted group from existence.” (1) 

We understand that such desecration is a violent, political, cultural, and spiritual act, perpetuated by those holding political and economic power committed to erasing the legacy, significance, history, memory, and ancestry of the oppressed to dominate and hold hegemonic power. Desecration seeks to launder and plunder sacred land, thus transferring wealth from vulnerable groups to landowning aristocracies.

References

1. Killing the dead: The logic of cemetery destruction during genocidal campaigns, Noa Krikler, European Institute, March 6, 2023, DOI: 10.1111/nana.12956

Proposal: Hire Paid Petitioners
January 30, 2024

APPROVED: 7 YES, 2 UNDECIDED

The Maryland Green Party authorizes the Treasurer to hire local people to petition for us, authorizing $3.50 per signature we verify, not to exceed $5,000.



Proposal: Endorse Howard County for a Free Palestine's Statement and Rally
December 28, 2023

APPROVED: 7 YES, 1 NO, 1 ABSTAIN, 1 UNDECIDED

Proposal: Endorse Howard County for a Free Palestine's statement and solidarity rally scheduled for January 7, 2024.

Statement: As the organizers of this rally, we stand united in our commitment to fiercely defend the fundamental right of every American to free speech. We are deeply troubled by the ongoing efforts of Maryland State Legislators, the Attorney General, Universities, School Systems, and other entities to undermine this right. Their actions, characterized by a manipulative use of language, aim to instill fear and intimidation among those who dare to voice support for the oppressed.

The Middle East has been witness to unspeakable war crimes for the past 75 years, with the recent escalation of US-funded Israeli aggression highlighting the severity of the situation. The atrocities range from the inhumane treatment thru the colonization of Palestinian territories and the establishment of the abhorrent checkpoints, to the violent confiscation of Palestinian properties, targeted assassinations, in the West Bank, and the prolonged 17-year blockade and siege of Gaza. The increasing brazenness of these war crimes has led to the loss of thousands of innocent lives, including a staggering number of children, in what can only be described as a War on Children.

Amidst this turmoil, our local, state, and federal legislators have remained conspicuously silent. Rather than addressing these atrocities, they have chosen to silence those who criticize Israel. The recent retraction of a solidarity statement by CASA, under pressure, is a glaring example of this. CASA's initial statement expressed unwavering support for the Palestinian struggle for freedom, a stance that we firmly endorse.

The backlash against CASA's statement, along with the suspension of CAIR-MD’s Executive Director, Zainab Chaudry, from Maryland’s Commission on Hate Crimes Response and Prevention, reflects a concerning trend. These actions demonstrate a concerted effort to stifle free speech, especially when it involves criticism of Israel. This trend is further evidenced by the suspension of a middle school teacher in Takoma Park and attempts by University Administrators at the University of Maryland and Towson University to censor student activism supportive of Palestine, often labeling it as “antisemitic.”

In light of these developments, we demand that our elected officials honor their oath of office by defending our right to free speech. Specifically, we call for:

• A resolution reaffirming the rights of every American to express themselves freely and without fear of retribution.

• The repeal of anti-BDS laws, on the grounds that they violate the First Amendment.

Furthermore, we urge our elected officials to take a firm stance against the ongoing atrocities in the Middle East by:

• Calling for an immediate ceasefire.

• Join Amnesty International, Humans Rights Watch, B’Tselem, and the Government of South Africa in officially recognizing Israel as an apartheid state.

• Advocating for the cessation of U.S. funding that contributes to these war crimes.

It is time for our leaders to stand on the right side of history and defend the principles of freedom and justice for all.

Proposal: Create a Communications Committee
December 28, 2023

APPROVED: 8 YES, 1 NO, 1 UNDECIDED

Proposal: Create an ad-hoc Communications Committee to begin working immediately. The ad-hoc Committee will continue work as constituted until it is established as a Standing Committee under Article 9 of the MGP Bylaws. The Communications Committee shall replace the former Press and Publicity Committee for any purposes necessary for compliance with party rules.

Committee Rules: 

The Communications Committee shall be composed of members of the Maryland Green Party approved by the Coordinating Council. Each member may serve a one-year term after approval from the CC, after which they must seek re-approval for an additional one-year term. There are no jurisdictional limits on membership, and no limits on how many individuals may serve from any MGP Local. The MGP Co-Chairs are automatically granted membership to the Communications Committee, but are not required to serve as a member.  

The Committee shall name its own Chair who shall coordinate the day-to-day operations of the Committee. If necessary, the Coordinating Council may resolve any leadership issues through the MGP Decision-Making Process. 

The Committee shall generally work asynchronously through a medium of the Committee's choosing (e-mail list, task management app, etc). The Chair may call a meeting of the Committee when necessary to discuss issues of general concern to Committee members. The Committee shall make regular reports of its activities to the Coordinating Council. 

The Committee shall be empowered to craft and issue e-mail communications to the party membership, public statements, social media communications, and direct communications with members of the media or general public. The Committee shall determine a process for crafting and approving the above communications, which will be provided to the Coordinating Council. 

The Committee will support the Co-Chairs as spokespersons for the MGP, or, in the case that the Co-Chairs delegate their authority as spokespersons for the MGP (under Bylaws Section 8.3), select up to two individuals to serve as official spokespersons for the MGP.



Proposal: Approve Andy Ellis to Run for Coordinated Campaign Committee
December 14, 2023

APPROVED: 7 YES, 1 NO, 2 UNDECIDED

Andy Ellis has nominated himself for the Green Party of the United States' Coordinated Campaign Committee. This nomination must be approved by the Maryland Green Party. Approving this nomination allows Andy Ellis' name to be added to the election held by the National Committee to select new CCC members.



Proposal: Amend 2024 Presidential Candidate Support Policy
October 1, 2023

APPROVED: 8 YES, 2 UNDECIDED

Proposal: Amend Section A of the "Supporting Resources" section of the MGP 2024 Presidential Nominating Process to include the following (addition bolded and capitalized): 

A. The MGP will maintain a "Presidential Candidates" webpage on mdgreens.org listing candidates for the Green Party's Presidential nomination. Until December 31, 2023, any candidate WHO IS AFFILIATED WITH THE GREEN PARTY AND HAS FILED FEC FORM 2 - STATEMENT OF CANDIDACY may request that a link to their campaign website and a 250-word personal statement be placed on this page. The MGP reserves the right to edit the statement for clarity or content. Candidates may request that the link to their website direct to a specific subdomain, such as a page specifically designed for Maryland Greens. Starting January 1, 2024, all candidates must meet the above qualifications for placement on the MGP ballot in order to be listed on the MGP's "Presidential Candidates" webpage.



Proposal: Forum Moderation Policy
September 24, 2023

APPROVED: 8 YES, 1 NO, 1 UNDECIDED

Section 5.8 of the MGP Bylaws requires the MGP to maintain an online forum for official discussion and decision-making. The decision-making forum is the e-mail listserv known as the "MGP-CC" list. The MGP also maintains a discussion e-mail listserv known as the “MGP-Discussion” list. 

According to Section 5.9 of the MGP Bylaws, the Forum Manager is responsible for administering forum moderation rules for these lists. Those rules are as follows: 

The purpose of the decision-making forum is to facilitate communications for the purpose of decision-making and management of the affairs of the MGP-CC. List content should be limited to messages relating to proposals, formal MGP-CC business, committee reports, and related formal matters. Repeated, flagrant, or egregious violations of the above limitations on list content may result in sanctions enforced by the Forum Manager. The purpose of the MGP-Discussion list is to discuss topics of interest to Green values and strategy.

Violations of the Section 5.7 of the Bylaws (Code of Conduct) committed on either listserv may also result in sanctions enforced by the Forum Manager. The following prohibitions listed in the Code of Conduct are particularly relevant to online communication:

• Racist, misogynistic, xenophobic, antisemitic, homophobic, transphobic, etc. language, insults and/or name-calling;

• Sharing sexually explicit or violent material;

• Doxing (defined as searching for and publishing private or identifying information about a particular individual on the Internet, typically with malicious intent); and

• Making false and defamatory accusations. 

The Forum Manager may sanction a listserv member by placing them on moderation. The moderated individual will be able to post to the list only after each message is approved by the Forum Manager. 

The decision to place a member of either listserv on moderation can be made at the sole discretion of the Forum Manager. The Forum Manager will publicly announce the decision to place a member on moderation and explain the justification for doing so. The member will be immediately placed on moderation with no additional process needed. 

If a majority (50%+1) of the members of the Coordinating Council disagree with the Forum Manager's decision to moderate a member of the MGP-CC list and publicly state so, the member will be removed from moderation. 

A member placed on moderation can attempt to remediate their conduct and, with the approval of the Forum Manager, may be reinstated to full posting privileges. In any case, a first instance of moderation will last no longer than 30 days. A second instance of moderation will last no longer than 60 days. Further instances of moderation may be unlimited in duration, at the discretion of the Forum Manager.