Wisconsin Libertarians Join Other State Affiliates in Calling for Clearer Discipline Rules

The full text of a Libertarian Party of Wisconsin resolution affirming state affiliate autonomy and calling for clearer national party discipline procedures has been shared on the Libertarian National Committee’s public Business List after a member of the committee first mentioned its adoption in June.

LNC Region 1 Alternate Sonja Feintech included the document in a response to a separate thread earlier this week. While it came from Feintech, she does not represent Wisconsin, which is instead part of Region 8. The resolution is also undated; however, its original filename suggests the Wisconsin affiliate adopted it on June 21.

The resolution places Wisconsin among a group of state affiliates that adopted similar declarations addressing affiliate communications and the procedures by which the national party may discipline state organizations. The Libertarian parties of Oregon, Maine, Hawaii, and Delaware also approved their measures throughout June.

Region 1 Representative Austin Martin previously mentioned the Wisconsin resolution while passing along actions taken by several of those affiliates, though he did not provide its language at the time. “Hawai’i joins Wisconsin and a growing list of other concerned State Parties in condemning LNC abuses violating Process and LNC overreaches against state affiliate autonomy,” Martin originally said while sharing the Hawaii version.

Like the others, the Wisconsin resolution invokes Article 5, Section 5 of the Libertarian Party bylaws, which states that the autonomy of affiliates “shall not be abridged” by the National Committee or another party committee except as otherwise provided under party rules. It argues that the bylaws do not expressly authorize the LNC to police affiliate social media activity or other communications beyond the conduct prohibited under Article 5, Section 4.

Wisconsin calls on the LNC to identify in writing the bylaws authority for any claimed power over affiliate communications. It also implores the national party to provide advance written notice of disciplinary action, identify the alleged conduct and the specific bylaws provisions involved, and give the affiliate an opportunity to respond before a vote, like was the case with New Mexico in 2022.

Again, like the others, the resolution also supports the creation of an investigatory committee when facts are disputed, pointing to the procedures used in the leadership dispute involving New Hampshire in 2021. It warns that deviating from those practices now could “expose every state affiliate to discipline without procedural safeguards.”

Wisconsin further calls on the LNC to adopt and publish formal discipline procedures moving forward, either through the party bylaws or Policy Manual. The resolution originally directed state Chair Reese Wood to distribute copies to LNC Chair Evan McMahon and Secretary Jonathan McGee, Judicial Committee Chair Ken Moellman, and the chairs of the party’s other state affiliates.