LNC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
CONFERENCE CALL MINUTES
SEPTEMBER 3, 2015
CURRENT STATUS: CANDIDATE FOR AUTO-APPROVAL
CALL TO ORDER
Nick Sarwark called the meeting to order at 9:32 p.m. (all times Eastern).
ATTENDANCE
Executive Committee members participating were: Nick Sarwark (Chair), Alicia Mattson (Secretary), Tim Hagan, (Treasurer), Sam Goldstein (At-Large), Jim Lark (Region 5), Bill Redpath (At-Large). Arvin Vohra (Vice Chair), Other LNC participants were: Vicki Kirkland (Region 2), Roland Riemers (Region 6)
Staff participants were: Wes Benedict (Executive Director)
Guest participants were: Ken Santema (Libertarian Party of South Dakota)
PURPOSE
The meeting was called for the purpose of discussing a ballot access petition drive for South Dakota.
SOUTHDAKOTA BALLOT ACCESS
Discussion yielded the following background details: Mr. Redpath has long projected that the LNC would likely need to spend $20,000 to achieve ballot access in South Dakota for our 2016 presidential ticket. A petitioner that the South Dakota affiliate has successfully used in the past (Charles Tuttle) has offered to complete the drive for $15,000. A successful drive would result in party status for both the 2016 and 2018 election cycles, with a chance to retain for another 4 years if a 2018 gubernatorial candidate receives 2.5% of the vote. The South Dakota affiliate has collected 600 signatures so far towards the goal of 10,000 raw signatures to achieve 6,936 valid signatures. Mr. Santema believes the affiliate can collect an additional 1,000 volunteer signatures.
Mr. Redpath moved that the Libertarian National Committee encumber $15,000 for a petition drive to acquire party status in South Dakota. Following discussion, the vote on the main motion was as follows: Voting “aye”: Goldstein, Hagan, Lark, Mattson, Redpath, Sarwark, Vohra
At the suggestion of Dr. Lark, without objection the Executive Committee adopted a motion to thank our colleagues in the Libertarian Party of South Dakota for their efforts and wish them all the best in this petition
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned without objection at 9:48 p.m. Eastern.
Per email from Alicia Mattson, LNC Secretary: Absent objection from an EC member who attended, these minutes will auto-approve on 9/17/15.
On a serious note, I am pleased to see that SD, has a plan to come in under-budget like New York did in 2014, National LP funds are limited and paying for petitioning is unfortunately one of the most important things we can do with our money.
States who are able to raise funds locally and/or do a chunk of the petitioning themselves are to be commended. We are not mouchers on the dole, whether the funds come from the National Party or elsewhere.
Dr. Lark’s motion was quite appropriate.
A comment is warranted about the photo:
Cracked me up!!!
We need all those drafts right away!!!
Yes, I do not know what Andy J”s list is… It felt like I was missing some context:)
I don’t understand either. They approved money for South Dakota. How is this part of why we are failing? It’s what we are supposed to do when states keep us off the ballot. I don’t think you are on Andy J’s distribution so I am guessing the complaint here is not about the contracting issues.
Explain?
And this is part of the reason why the Libertarian is failing.