Constitution

As Revised at Convention 2017-05-06

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ARTICLE I Name & Object

Section 1.

The name of this organization shall be the Libertarian Party of Florida, Inc., hereinafter referred to as the LPF.

Section 2.

The object and purpose of the LPF is to engage in political action in the State of Florida, to serve as an affiliate organization of the Libertarian Party in national politics, and to serve as a nucleus for designated county affiliate organizations and for LPF members in matters of statewide political action.¹ And LPF members added April 9, 2016 at convention 

Section 3.

The purpose of the LPF is to implement and to give voice to the principles embodied in the Statement of Principles currently adopted by the LPF by:

A. Supporting candidates for national office, recruiting and supporting candidates for state and Congressional offices, and aiding local affiliates upon request.² Amended at Annual Meeting 2009

B. Promoting, chartering, and coordinating county affiliate parties within the State of Florida.

C. Entering into political information activities, including the promoting and securing of party members.

ARTICLE II Membership

Section 1.

LPF membership is open to whoever signs the pledge: “I hereby certify that I do not believe in or advocate the initiation of force as a means of achieving political or social goals,” and asks to be a member of the LPF.³And asks to be a member of the LPF; added May 25, 2013 at convention⁴Section 2. Matters pertaining to membership classification shall be prescribed in the Standing Rules.   deleted May 25, 2013 at Convention

Section 2.

No change in the Bylaws or Standing Rules may have the effect of imposing a head tax on the membership.⁵Moved to Article 4 from the Standing Rules at the Annual Business Meeting, 6-2-91; moved to this section at the Annual Business Meeting, 6-6-93⁶Moved Article II, Section 2 to new Article IV and renumbered at convention April 9, 2016

Section 3.

No change in the Bylaws or Standing Rules may have the effect of disenfranchising a member.⁷Moved to Article 4 from the Standing Rules at the Annual Business Meeting, 6-2-91; moved to this section at the Annual Business Meeting, 6-6-93

Section 4.

No change in the Bylaws or Standing Rules shall deny the autonomy of an individual member or an affiliate party, except as provided in the Constitution.⁸Moved to Article 4 from the Standing Rules at the Annual Business Meeting, 6-2-91; moved to this section at the Annual Business Meeting, 6-6-93

Section 5.

Certain rights and privileges of membership, including delegate status, committee appointments and observation of committee meetings, holding party office, exercise of voting rights in the conduct of any Libertarian Party of Florida business, and the right to bring business before the Annual Business Meeting, shall be unavailable to members and officers of any other political party registered in the state of Florida. Members and officers of other political parties registered in the state of Florida may participate in discussion on items of business brought before the membership, subject to the discretion of the Chair or majority vote of the body.⁹2006 Annual Meeting

ARTICLE III Officers, Executive Committee & Standing Committees

Section 1.

The Officers of the LPF shall be a Chairperson, a Vice Chairperson, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. The duties and election of the Officers shall be specified in the By-Laws.

Section 2.

The Executive Committee shall be composed of the Officers, three (3) Directors-at-Large, one (1) Regional Representative for each region elected at the Annual Business Meeting within the provision of the By-Laws. The powers and duties of the Executive Committee shall be prescribed in the Bylaws and Standing Rules, to provide the control and management of all the affairs, properties, and funds of the LPF consistent with this Constitution. Deficit spending shall be prohibited.¹⁰Last sentence added at the Annual Business Meeting, 6-4-94

Section 3. Standing Committees

A. Standing Committees of the LPF shall include the following:

Candidate Committee
Communications Committee
Membership Committee
Platform Committee
Rules Committee
Selection Committee ¹¹A. Standing Committees of the LPF shall include the following:
1. Rules Committee
2. Nominating Committee
3. Platform Committee
4. Membership Committee
5. Communications Committee (added Annual Meeting 2011). Deleted and Revised at convention May 25, 2013

B. Committees and Committee Chairs shall be appointed by the Chair of the LPF with the approval of the Executive Committee, unless otherwise provided in the Constitution. Removal of persons on a committee shall need the approval of the Executive Committee. Actions of all Committees shall be reported to the Executive Committee.¹²Committees and Committee Chairs shall be appointed by the Chair of the LPF with the approval of the Executive Committee unless otherwise provided in the Constitution. Actions of all Committees shall be reported to the Executive Committee. Deleted and Replaced at convention May 25, 2013

Section 4. Rules Committee

A. The Rules Committee will be composed of the LPF Chair, LPF Secretary, and three (3) other members of the party not on the Executive Committee, appointed annually by the Chair to serve a one-year term. The Rules Committee shall be responsible for interpreting the Constitution based on current Florida Statutes and shall prepare and submit amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws for a vote by the membership at the Annual Business Meeting.¹³Struck upon order of the Executive Committee at convention April 9, 2016

B. The Rules Committee may propose to the Executive Committee at a regular business meeting, to edit the Constitution and By-laws for grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors. Any edits done at a regular business meeting shall not change the current intention of the rule being edited.¹⁴The Rules Committee will be composed of the Chair, Secretary and three (3) other members of the party not on the Executive Committee, one of whom shall be appointed annually by the Chair to serve a three-year term. The appointed members with the longest tenure on the Committee shall chair the Committee. The Rules Committee shall be responsible for interpreting the Constitution based on current Florida Statutes (added at annual business meeting, 29 March 2008, Orlando) and upon order of the Executive Committee shall prepare and submit amendments to the Constitution and By-laws for a vote by the membership at the Annual Business Meeting. deleted and rewritten to include section B at convention May 25, 2013.

Section 5. Selection Committee

¹⁵Name changed at Convention May 25, 2013

A. The Selection Committee shall consist of five (5) members, elected at the Annual Business Meeting from diverse regions of the state. Vacancies on this committee occurring after the Annual Business Meeting may be filled by the Chair with the approval of the Executive Committee.

B. The Selection Committee shall be responsible for establishing guidelines the committee will follow when contacted by, or presented with, information in regards to any Florida candidate who seeks certification by the LPF.

1. The Selection Committee shall establish minimum criteria which a prospective candidate must meet before obtaining approval from the Selection Committee and shall specify this criteria in the Standing Rules.
2. The Selection Committee shall recommend candidates to the Executive Committee for certification who have been approved for recommendation by majority vote.
3. The Selection Committee shall make regular reports to the LPF Executive Committee.

(c) The Selection Committee shall perform its duties according to Article IV, Section 5C of the Bylaws.¹⁶Subsection B added at the Annual Meeting 2014

Section 6. Platform Committee

The Platform Committee shall be nominated by the Chair of the LPF with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee and contain at least three members whose task will be to present a combined document of proposed changes and additions to the Party Platform at the Annual Business Meeting. It shall perform its duties to present a document as outlined in Article V. ¹⁷The Platform Committee shall be nominated by the Chair of the LPF with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee and contain such members as can work together to present the document at the Annual Business Meeting. It shall perform its duties to present a document as outlined in Article V. deleted and rewritten May 25, 2013 ¹⁸Section 7. Electoral Victory Committee. The Electoral Victory Committee is appointed to serve as the Nominating Committee for Candidates for Political Office. The Electoral Victory Committee is directed to implement Political Candidate Endorsement procedures as may be outlined in the Standing Rules. deleted at convention May 25, 2013

Section 7. Membership Committee

The Membership Committee shall be appointed by the Chair and confirmed by the Executive Committee. It shall consist of at least five (5) members of the LPF with the majority NOT being members of the Executive Committee. The Committee must include the LPF Secretary, who maintains the membership records, with assistance and guidance from this committee. The principal duties of the Membership Committee shall be responsible for increasing the membership in the LPF and for increasing the LPF voter registration. The Membership Committee is also responsible for recruiting members both for the Affiliate and for the LPF. ¹⁹Struck The Membership Committee shall be appointed by the Executive Committee and shall consist of at least five (5) members of the LPF with the majority NOT being members of the Executive Committee. The Committee shall include the Membership LPF Secretary for the party, and shall oversee the activities of the Membership Secretary, giving assistance where needed. The principal duties of the Membership Committee shall be responsibility for increasing the membership in the LPF and for increasing the LP voter registration. The Membership Committee is also responsible for recruiting members both for the Affiliate and for the LPF. The Membership Secretary shall be responsible for maintaining party membership records and/or sending out dues notices on a timely basis to those members whose dues are about to lapse and replaced with The Membership Committee shall be appointed by the Chair and confirmed by the Executive Committee. It shall consist of at least five (5) members of the LPF with the majority NOT being members of the Executive Committee. The Committee must include the LPF Secretary, who maintains the membership records, with assistance and guidance from this committee. The principal duties of the Membership Committee shall be responsibility for increasing the membership in the LPF and for increasing the LPF voter registration. The Membership Committee is also responsible for recruiting members both for the Affiliate and for the LPF, at convention April 9, 2016

Section 8. Communications Committee

The Communications Committee shall be appointed for a two-year term by a majority of the Executive Committee. The Communications Committee is tasked with developing and implementing a plan or plans to facilitate two-way communications between the LPF and county affiliates, and the LPF and other interested parties. Plan(s) should be particularly focused on effective implementation of social media technology, in addition to using conventional channels of communication. The Communications Committee shall also function as the distribution channel for LPF press releases, and perform other communications tasks as the Executive Committee may delegate from time to time. ²⁰Added at convention 2011

Section 9. The Candidate Committee

The Candidate Committee shall be appointed by the LPF Chair and approved by the Executive Committee and shall consist of at least five (5) members of the LPF. The principal duties of the Candidate Committee shall include but not be limited to identifying potential Libertarian Party candidates, directing and preparing potential candidates for review by the Selection Committee,  to train vetted and approved Libertarian Party candidates for their respective races, and to identify and train campaign staff members to serve on the campaign staff for vetted and approved Libertarian Party Candidates. Should other duties of the committee arise which are not already specifically listed in this section, the Chair may make a motion as such to the Executive Committee or the LPF Chair for their approval before taking action as a committee.The Chair of the Candidate Committee shall present regular reports on the committee’s work to the Executive Committee.²¹Added at convention May 25, 2013

ARTICLE IV Affiliates

²²Moved Article II, Section 2 to new Article IV, Section 1 and renumbered at convention April 9, 2016

Section 1.

Affiliate organizations which choose to become affiliated parties of the LPF shall apply for official designation on a standard petition form for County Affiliates, as adopted by the Executive Committee and subject to the Bylaws and Standing Rules.

ARTICLE V Conventions & Meetings

Section 1.

The LPF shall hold an annual convention in accordance with the provisions of the Bylaws and Standing Rules.

Section 2.

The conduct of the business and meetings of the Executive Committee shall be prescribed in the Bylaws and Standing Rules.

ARTICLE VI Statement of Principles, Platform & Nominations

The Statement of Principles of the Libertarian Party is hereby ratified. The LPF may develop a Statement of Principles consistent with the Libertarian Party’s as a preamble to the Platform developed by the Convention, and as prescribed by this Constitution, By-Laws, and Standing Rules.

ARTICLE VII Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall govern the LPF in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with other rules adopted by the LPF.²³Article VII inserted and renumbered at Annual Business Meeting 2017-05-06

ARTICLE VIII Adoption & Amendments

Section 1.

This Constitution shall be adopted when approved by two-thirds of the delegates of the 1974 Convention.

Section 2.

Amendments to the Constitution may be made in the following manner:

A. Amendments must be published among on the LPF’s official, public, and functioning website for notification of all members in good standing, thirty (30) days prior to the Annual Business Meeting and passed by two-thirds of the members present at that meeting.²⁴Article VII Section 2 A. struck  “the Executive Committee, the County Affiliates and” and inserted “ on the LPF’s official, public, and functioning website for notification of” at Annual Business Meeting 2017-05-06

B. Upon establishment of affiliates in each county in Florida, a proposed Amendment can be accepted by a three-fourths vote of the Executive Committee and ratified by three-fourths of the county affiliates. ²⁵Sections A and B passed at the Annual Business Meeting, 6-6-93

C. If any term of this Constitution or any subordinate document is to any extent illegal, invalid, or incapable of being enforced, such term shall be excluded to the extent of such illegality, invalidity, or unenforceability; all other terms hereof shall remain in full force and effect; and, to the extent permitted and possible the illegal, invalid, or unenforceable term shall be deemed replaced by a term stated or implied by the adopted parliamentary authority that is legal, valid, and enforceable and that comes closest to expressing the intention of such illegal, invalid, or unenforceable term.

D. The LPF ByLaws shall be subordinate to this Constitution.  The LPF Standing Rules shall be subordinate to the LPF ByLaws.  Any other rule or procedure shall be subordinate to the LPF Standing rules.  In any conflict between these documents, the conflicting term from the subordinate document shall be deemed unenforceable.

E. Immaterial changes may be made under the provisions of Article III, Section 4, B. of this Constitution.²⁶Article VIII Section 2 C, D., and E. added Annual Business Meeting 2017-05-06