I concur with the First Vice-Chair=E2=80=99s rema=
rks. I will bring this language up in Matthew=E2=80=99s example in front of the By=
laws Committee on Wednesday.
Th=
ank you!=
Will Fowlkes, ITIL, SA
E: will@m=
yfowlkes.com
C: 678-761-2226
Chair, Charter, Bylaws and Comp=
liance Review Committee
Democratic Party of Georgia
Date: Frida=
y, March 7, 2025 at 07:59
To: Bryan Hager <bhager2015@gmail.com=
>
Cc: Will Fowlkes <will@myfowlkes.com>, Nathan Rich <=
chair@cherokeedemocrats.com>
Subject: Re: bylaws changes
Thank you, Bryan (and Nate) for working with us to =
get this right. Group projects are not the most efficient nor fun but the pr=
ocess here is necessary for the shared work we have ahead of us.
My opinion would be to make the change to the proposed BL4.01.02, to read:=
BL4.0=
1.02. &n=
bsp; The Chair shall be a full-time position. Neither the Chair nor any candidate for =
Chair shall be an elected government official or declared candidate for gove=
rnment office. The salary of the Chair shall be set by the Executive Committee. Such=
compensation:
=C2=
=B7 &n=
bsp; Shall align with the financial capabilities and=
annual operating budget of the State Party and may include consideration fo=
r benefits, travel allowances, and other necessary expenses as determined by=
the Executive Committee.
=C2=B7 &nb=
sp; Shall be established at least thirty=
(30) days prior to the election of the Chair and be included in the Call fo=
r Elections distributed by the State Party Secretary.
=C2=B7 Shall fa=
ctor in the Chair=E2=80=99s duties, time commitment, fundraising targets, and perf=
ormance metrics when setting compensation levels.
=C2=B7 May be adjus=
ted annually based on budgetary considerations, performance evaluations, and=
comparable positions.
=C2=B7 =
Shall ensure the Chair retains the righ=
t to opt out of receiving compensation, or to request a reduced level of com=
pensation, if so desired.
=
Logistically, this would come as a floor amendmen=
t by way of a separate motion after we pass the Bylaws Committee prop=
osal (as opposed to an amendment to the motion to pass the proposed BL4.01.0=
2). I think this approach would best limit an onslaught of many other floor =
amendments and ensure this one passes. Once we reach a consensus on this lan=
guage, I’d like to work with y’all to get it out to as many State Committee =
members ahead of time as we can. Another idea I had last night — if you’d l=
ike me to run this through the Executive Committee and get their prior endor=
sement of this language, I am happy to do that and think it would likely pas=
s (though we do have some ExCom members who believe an exception should be m=
ade for part-time electeds, I do not share that opinion and don’t believe th=
e majority of ExCom members, and certainly not the vast majority of StateCom=
members, share that opinion either).
MW
On Thu=
, Mar 6, 2025 at 8:48=E2=80=AF=
PM Bryan Hager <bhager2015@gmail.co=
m> wrote:
The bylaws change could be as s=
imple as the following.
DPG Byla=
ws Update
I used the word "=
serving" to make clear that someone who is currently an elected officia=
l could run for State Party Chair but would have to resign their public posi=
tion upon being elected State Party Chair. I include a clause limiting being=
an announced candidate for an elected office. In many ways this is a potent=
ially bigger conflict than someone who is a current office holder, because t=
hat is know when they are campaigning for election. I have used what I think=
is clear language about the conflicting office. If there are other terms wh=
ich are more clear these could be changed.
It looks to me this is the most appropriate place to put this . T=
he other option would be to add it as a new number after the existing change=
.
BL4.02.06 No person serving as State Party Chair may hold, or be an annou=
nced candidate for, an elected office in a local, state or federal governmen=
t entity.
On a side note, my apologies to Will. I =
looked through my previous submittals to the Bylaws committee and saw that I=
never suggested specific language on this matter. I made lots of other spec=
ific suggestions but not this one.
—
&q=
uot;Wars only affect some regions of the world, yet weapons of war are produ=
ced and sold in other regions which are then unwilling to take in the refuge=
es generated by these conflicts," Pope Francis
—
Matthew Wilson=
(he/him)
First Vice Chair, Democratic Party of Georgia
678-631-8820 (w)