Minutes
Libertarian Party of Florida
Executive Committee Meeting
Sunday, May 21, 2023
7:30 PM/Eastern 6:30 PM/Central
https://zoom.us/j/98465468002?pwd=ZmliZXBZdi9EcWlQcW5hWnl4dlZKUT09
Meeting ID: 984 6546 8002
Passcode: 268097
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Meeting ID: 984 6546 8002
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THIS CALL WAS RECORDED
Began Recording
Announced Recording
- Mr. Hlavka called the meeting to order at 7:32 PM EDT.
- Roll Call and Introduction of Guests
|
1 |
Josh Hlavka, Chair |
Present |
|
2 |
Tim Crosby, Vice Chair |
Present |
|
3 |
Edward Appler, Secretary |
Present |
|
4 |
Patrick Leistner, Treasurer |
Present |
|
5 |
Robert Vinson, At Large 1 |
Present |
|
6 |
Hector Roos, At Large 2 |
Present |
|
7 |
Lee Korotzer, At Large 3 |
Present |
|
8 |
Matt Rice, Region 1 |
Present |
|
9 |
Joey Ferguson, Region 2 |
Present |
|
10 |
Vacant, Region 3 |
N/A |
|
11 |
Leon Armstrong, Region 4 |
Present (Arrived Late) |
|
12 |
Rachel Danner, Region 5 |
Present |
|
13 |
Andrew Parrott, Region 6 |
Present |
|
14 |
Matt Johnson, Region 7 |
Present |
|
15 |
G. Padraig Quinn, Region 8 |
Present |
|
16 |
Dennis Misigoy, Region 9 |
Present |
|
17 |
Adam Whitworth, Region 10 |
Present |
|
18 |
Michael Rufo, Region 11 |
Present (Arrived 7:42 PM) |
|
19 |
John Paff, Region 12 |
Present |
|
20 |
Diona Kozma, Region 13 |
Present |
|
21 |
Lisa Gansky, Region 14 |
Present |
Invited Guests:
Dave Benner, LNC Region 2 Representative
Martin Cowen, LNC Region 2 Alternate
- Determination of Quorum (a majority of its seated members per LPF Constitution, Art. III, Sect. 5C, as amended 2021-03-21). 11 with 20 of 21 EC positions filled. 18 present at roll call; quorum determined.
- Public Comment (< 10 Minutes)
Stan McDaniels, Escambia County Chair, promoted the P3 Comedy Festival to be held in Pensacola during Pride Weekend.
- Approval of Agenda
Mr. Crosby moved to approve; Mr. Roos seconded. Mr. Crosby moved to amend the agenda to remove all reports except the LNC Report and move Old Business to the Consent Agenda; Mr. Paff seconded. Mr. Hlavka ruled moving Old Business to the Consent Agenda out of order. Motion to remove reports was approved. Mr. Korotzer moved to amend the amendment to retain the Consent Agenda; Mr. Roos seconded. Motion to amend the amendment passed. Main amendment to waive reports passed. Amended agenda was approved.
- Approval of LPF EC Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2023
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tgAREBXOHVek8WP0SgaR-R_XIYs1S6uwHmp1tYCssHs/edit?usp=sharing
Mr. Crosby moved to approve; Mr. Johnson seconded. Motion to approve the minutes passed.
- Approval of LPF Annual Business Meeting Minutes – April 22-23, 2023
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1G1xVcbro6Lqj-xk0_7rx0JSgJsxtJSHTiaYwruCTgz8/edit?usp=sharing
Mr. Crosby moved to approve; Mr. Johnson seconded. Motion to approve the minutes passed.
- LNC Report: Dave Benner/Martin Cowen
Mr. Cowen presented the LNC report.
- Committee Reports (< 5 Minutes Each)
- Rules – Greg Peele
- Affiliate Support – Krystina Baxter
- Audit – Suzanne Gilmore
- Candidates – Hector Roos
- Communications – Matt Johnson
- Convention – Brian Fleming
- Fundraising – Mitchell Wiecek
- Legislative Action – Vacant
- Membership – Ricardo Mejias
- Platform – Vacant
- Officer Reports and Comments (< 2 Minutes Each)
- Treasurer Report: Patrick Leistner
- Secretary Report: Edward Appler
- Vice-Chair Report: Tim Crosby
- Chair Report: Josh Hlavka
CONSENT AGENDA
Mr. Hlavka moved to staff LPF Committees as follows:
Affiliate Support: Krystina Baxter (Chair), Eric Cordova (Vice Chair), Eric Parker, John Paff, Michael Higgins
Audit: John Thompson (Chair), Christian Dove, Lee Korotzer
Candidates: Hector Roos (Chair), Eric Cordova (Vice Chair), Joshua Krakow, Jeremiah Swoveland
Communications: Matthew Johnson (Chair), Lisa Gansky (Vice Chair), Krystina Baxter, Beth Johnson,
Christian Perley, Tony Sellers, Jeremiah Swoveland
Convention: Patrick Leistner (Chair), Lisa Gansky, Dennis (Mike) Simpson, Marc Golob, Gabrielle Cordova, Victor Weirich
Fundraising: Steven Nekhaila (Chair), Gabrielle Cordova (Vice Chair), Hector Roos, Robert Kraus
Legislative Action: Robert Vinson (Chair), Sarah Groves, Becky Brewington, Hector Roos, Lee Korotzer,
Ed Wagner
Membership: Ricardo Mejias (Chair), TBD, TBD
Platform: John Thompson (Chair), TBD, TBD
Disposition: Consent Agenda passed.
- Directors At Large and Region Reports (< 2 Minutes Each)
- Robert Vinson, At Large 1
- Hector Roos, At Large 2
- Lee Korotzer, At Large 3
- Matt Rice, Region 1
- Joey Ferguson, Region 2
- Vacant, Region 3
- Leon Armstrong, Region 4
- Rachel Danner, Region 5
- Andrew Parrott, Region 6
- Matt Johnson, Region 7
- G. Padraig Quinn, Region 8
- Dennis Misigoy, Region 9
- Adam Whitworth, Region 10
- Michael Rufo, Region 11
- John Paff, Region 12
- Diona Kozma, Region 13
- Lisa Gansky, Region 14
- Unfinished Business
MOTION NO. 806 (E-mail Ballot)
TITLE: Motion to Affiliate Hillsborough County
MOVER: Edin Veladzic
MOTION: Having been successfully credentialed and after submitting the petition to affiliate and their governing documents, I move to affiliate Hillsborough County.
Hillsborough County Affiliation Documents attached as PDF.
Disposition: E-mail voting began on March 31; final e-mail ballot was submitted on April 5. Motion passed with 15 ayes (Nekhaila, Hlavka, Appler, Perez, Gilmore, Roos, Thompson, Leistner, Johnson, Danner, Whitworth, Rufo, Paff, Pinkosky, and Sellers); 0 nays; and 4 did not vote (Vinson, Baxter, Veladzic, and Fleming).
- New Business
- Election of Region 3 Representative
No nominations were submitted.
- Motion No. 807
Title: Motion for the LPF to Take Over Paying $8 per Month for Twitter Blue
Mover: Lisa Gansky
Motion: I move that the Libertarian Party of Florida budget and take over paying $8 per month in order to retain Twitter Blue and our Verified Check Mark.
Rationale: Paying for Twitter Blue grants us a blue checkmark and allows our tweets to be seen by far more people and provides better account security. Simply put: It’s great for our brand & helps to differentiate us from unofficial groups.
Disposition: Mr. Roos seconded. Ms. Gansky moved to amend to pay a yearly amount of $84; Mr. Johnson seconded. Mr. Leistner moved to amend the amendment to pay a yearly amount of no more than $100; Mr. Crosby seconded. Motion to amend the amendment passed. Main amendment passed. Amended motion was approved.
- Motion No. 808
Title: Motion to Amend Standing Rules to Add Operation First Step Incentive Program
Mover: Hector Roos
Motion: I move to amend LPF Standing Rules, introduce a new Article III to be titled “Operation First Step Incentive Program” and adjust the numbering of Standing Rule Article numbers accordingly as follows:
Article III Operation First Step Incentive Program
Section 1. Purpose. The LPF establishes the Operation First Step Incentive Program to directly assist its affiliates with funding to achieve their local goals by providing a financial incentive to affiliates for members who are appointed to public office and join certain community service organizations.
Section 2. Timing. Funds awarded to an affiliate will cause a payment by the LPF Treasurer to the affiliate within 60 days after confirmation by the LPF EC of the Award earned by the LPF EC.
Section 3. Applying for an Award. Affiliates or LPF registered voters must submit requests for an Award with evidence to the LPF Chair, LPF Treasurer and their Regional Representative.
Evidence of an Appointment can include an official letter of appointment, a saved copy of a government website listing a member’s appointed status, or a media publication announcing or referencing a member’s appointed status. Other forms of evidence of an Appointment is acceptable at the discretion of the LPF EC.
The LPF EC will approve the achievement of each Award at the EC meeting following the submission of a request by an affiliate with evidence of an Appointment.
Section 4. Award for Appointments.
Awards for Municipal (<100,000 population) or County (<250,000 population) Board Appointments: $200 for the first Board Appointment for each separate LPF voter
$100 for each additional concurrently held Appointment by the same LPF voter
$100 for each re-Appointment to a Board by the same LPF voter
$100 additional to above for service as the presiding member of a Board (except for temporary assignment to fill in for the usual presiding member)
Awards for Municipal (>100,000 population) or County (>250,000 population) or any Regional (multi-county) Board Appointments:
$300 for the first Board Appointment for each separate LPF voter
$200 for each additional concurrently held Appointment by the same LPF voter $200 for each re-Appointment to a Board by the same LPF voter
$300 additional to above for service as the presiding member of a Board (except for temporary assignment to fill in for the usual presiding member)
Awards for State Board or any Gubernatorial Appointments:
$400 for the first Board Appointment for each separate LPF voter
$200 for each additional concurrently held Appointment by the same LPF voter
$200 for each re-Appointment to a Board by the same LPF voter
$300 additional to above for service as the presiding member of a Board (except for temporary assignment to fill in for the usual presiding member)
Section 5. Award for Community Service Organization membership.
$50 for the first Membership for each separate LPF voter
$30 for each additional concurrently held Membership by the same LPF voter
Section 6. Retroactive Awards. In the case of Appointments or Memberships by LPF voters earned in the previous 365 days from the effective date of this rule or in a county with a new county affiliate, the LPF EC will honor applications for a retroactive Award according to Section 3 of this rule.
Section 7. Definitions.
Appointments (Appointed) are served when a LPF voter takes the oath of office and is accepted as a voting member on a Board for a partial or full term OR switches party affiliation to LPF during a term on a Board.
Awards are cash payments to LPF affiliates for EC approved achievement of an Appointment or Membership in a Service Organization.
Board is a government created and maintained board of citizens whose members are appointed by either an elected public official or by vote of the current board members composed of at least half the membership appointed by elected public officials. Boards can be temporarily impaneled for a specified purpose, for example, charter review or redistricting.
Program refers to the Operation First Step Incentive Program.
Service Organizations are voluntary membership, non-profit groups organized locally to support their community through charitable activities, including fundraising for charity by charging to participate in events. The approved organizations are Rotary, Kiwanis, Optimist, Lions clubs; Loyal Order of the Moose (and its affiliated membership programs); and Chamber of Commerce. Other organizations will need case-by-case approval of the LPF EC. Usually, clubs like Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Toastmasters, Masonic Lodges and religious organizations / churches are not Service Organizations with broad membership access and service to the community.
Membership in Service Organizations to earn Awards must be voluntary (not for compensation) and paid enrollment (minimum one year period) with some form of proof of acceptance by the Service Organization. Evidence of the nature of the Service Organization may be requested (if not an approved Service Organization), such as the charter or mission statement (probably via website). LPF expects the voter qualifying for the award to attend at least one Service Organization meeting per quarter.
LPF EC is the Libertarian Party of Florida Executive Committee.
The financial liability to the LPF will be a maximum of $6,500 to be expended with the approval of the LPF EC.
Threshold to Pass: Two-thirds vote of the Executive Committee (LPF Standing Rules Article XIII, Section 2)
Rationale: The OFS Incentive Program was initially passed in 2021 and successfully used as a fundraising program for affiliates. The annual cost of the program never exceeded $3,000. It is debatable whether ongoing appointments and memberships should be rewarded every year. However, it was agreed previously to award funds only once per person per appointment. In addition, by affiliates applying for the award they are in turn informing the LPF of who is prepared to run for office or otherwise provide political leadership. The language for this proposed Standing Rule is based on the originally approved motion for the OFS with some re-write for clarity and adjusted to reflect past board practices (example: pre-approval of Moose lodge members).
Disposition: Mr. Leistner seconded. Mr. Crosby moved to amend to strike Section 5 and renumber the remainder of the motion; Mr. Johnson seconded. Amendment passed. Amended motion was approved.
- Motion No. 809
Title: Motion to Approve the Calling of Libertarian Presidential Preference Primary in March 2024
Mover: Hector Roos
Motion: I move for the LPF to approve the following Resolution for the LPF to call for a Libertarian Presidential Preference Primary in March 19, 2024 to coincide with the other parties’ presidential primaries; directing the Chair to make the arrangements with the Florida Secretary of State according
to Florida law; and for publication of this resolution on all LPF communication platforms. The
resolution is as follows:
Title: LPF Calls for a Libertarian Presidential Primary in March 2024
Whereas, the Libertarian Party of Florida finds that holding primaries and inviting the public to participate in them is a practical strategy to recruit new members and build coalitions; and
Whereas, Florida Law requires primaries when there is more than one party candidate running for the same partisan office, except for President where the presidential preference primary is optional for minor parties; and
Whereas, the Libertarian Party of Florida regularly runs candidates for President there is an opportunity every four years to hold a Presidential Preference Primary and invite members of the public who are not registered to vote as Libertarian to participate.
Therefore be it,
Resolved, on this day, that the Libertarian Party of Florida will call for a Presidential Preference Primary to take place on March 19, 2024 alongside those primaries for other parties with the list of candidates to be transmitted to the Florida Secretary of State as follows:
Justin Amash
Spike Cohen
Jacob Hornberger
Mike ter Maat
Lars Mapstead
Chase Oliver
Joshua Rodriguez
Dave Smith
that is subject to change through the November 30, 2023 deadline; and
Resolved, the Libertarian Party of Florida will also allow voters, especially “No Party Affiliated”
or independent voters be allowed to participate in this Libertarian Presidential Preference Primary; and
Resolved, the Libertarian Party of Florida will attempt to invite those voters who chose to participate in the Libertarian Presidential Preference Primary to join the party and/or work
in coalition.
Rationale:
Calling for our own Presidential Preference Primary that is not at our cost (already paid for in the Florida state budget) is an obvious activity to encourage our own LPF voters to participate in.
However, it is an added benefit that we can allow independent voters, particularly NPA voters to participate in our election. The idea of doing this (which is not unique around the country) is to encourage more people to participate with the LPF and to remember to come back in November to vote for their candidate. This would allow us to reach voters who we could not reach before.
It is the policy of the LPF through the LPF Platform that we get to call our own shots with regards to how we organize ourselves and the rules we set for our primaries and conventions. Asking for independent voters to participate in the presidential primary (not the August primaries which we won’t have anyway) is a first step to putting our principles into practice.
In all likelihood, the Secretary of State will probably say “NO” to our request to allow non-LP voters
into the Presidential Preference Primary because of Florida law. But the law about us having a Presidential Preference Primary is definitely in our favor.
Disposition: Ms. Danner seconded. Mr. Roos moved to postpone the motion until the June LPF EC meeting; Ms. Danner seconded. Roll call vote resulted in 9 ayes (Appler, Roos, Korotzer, Danner, Parrott, Misigoy, Whitworth, Rufo, and Paff); 8 nays (Crosby, Leistner, Rice, Ferguson, Johnson, Quinn, Kozma, and Gansky); and 2 abstains (Hlavka and Vinson).
- Discussion on a Proposal for a Strategic Plan for the LPF (< 30 minutes)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G0Yt9Qb-X9KZxKsP5IGBdUh3m9obZdY4/view?usp=share_link
- Discussion on 23-24 Term Vision Deck (< 30 Minutes)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OV1Er-K_DtXmE9ALmRA77Hca3Rh2MG52/view?usp=share_link
- Executive Session (Proposed by Hector Roos)
Purpose: Discuss Motion to Approve Filing of Amicus Brief in Florida Closed Primary Lawsuit
Disposition: Executive session began at 8:51 PM; open session resumed at 9:25 PM.
- Notice
The next Executive Committee meeting will be held on June 18, 2023.
- Announcements (<10 Minutes)
- Adjourn
Mr. Quinn moved to adjourn; Mr. Johnson seconded. Motion to adjourn passed and the meeting adjourned at 9:26 PM EDT.
