Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Party of Minneapolis
Constitution &
Bylaws
As Amended May 13, 2006
Article I
General Principles
§ 1. Name
The
name of this organization shall be the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL)
Party of Minneapolis.
§ 2. Subordination
This
constitution and any bylaws adopted pursuant to it are subordinate to the Fifth
Congressional District DFL and Minnesota DFL constitutions, bylaws and calls,
the National Democratic Charter, rules on the selection of delegates to the National
Convention, and law. Matters not
specifically governed by this constitution or its bylaws, but provided for in
superior documents, shall be given effect if the provisions in question clearly
apply to the Minneapolis DFL, notwithstanding inconsistent
language. General rules and policies
stated in these superior documents shall govern the Minneapolis DFL if clearly
applicable. These policies shall include, but are not limited to, affirmative
action, qualifications for voting, election of and voting by delegates, convention
and meeting registration fees, endorsements, and preparation, issuance and
distribution of DFL sample ballots. Voluntary
contributions to the party may be made, but under no circumstance shall a
contribution be mandatory for participation.
Subdivision
A: Minneapolis DFL ward and park district
conventions and organizations and operation of sub-municipal central
committees, commissions, and clubs, if any, shall be subject to this
constitution and its bylaws.
§ 3. Affirmative Action
The
Minneapolis DFL Chair and all officers shall act in accordance with the
Affirmative Action Principles set forth in this section. These principles shall
apply to both appointed and elected positions.
Subdivision
A: The following Affirmative Action
Statement shall be read at each party convention and at all meetings before
elections or appointment ratifications take place:
“The goal of affirmative action is to recruit individuals for political activity in the DFL and the democratic process of our government. The DFL is an active participant in the struggle to end all forms of bigotry and discrimination. As part of our commitment to ending discrimination, we seek to increase the participation of members of those communities that have been traditionally shut out of and/or underrepresented in the political process. As part of this commitment, we will seek to elect members of these communities to positions both within the DFL Party and in public office. These efforts will be directed toward all underrepresented communities.”
Subdivision B: Non-Discrimination. Discrimination on the basis of gender, age, religion, economic status, ethnic identity, national origin, color, sexual and affectional orientation, disability or veteran status in the conduct of Minneapolis DFL affairs is prohibited.
Subdivision
C: Meeting Locations. All meetings will be held in public buildings
accessible to persons with disabilities and senior citizens. Buildings which by their character prevent open
discussion of any issue are not suitable locations. If commercial establishments are utilized,
unionized establishments shall be given priority in site consideration. Wherever possible, meetings will be held at
locations accessible to public transportation.
§ 4. Amendments; Bylaws
Section
A. Amendments. This constitution may
be amended by a majority vote of any convention of the Minneapolis DFL
organization where consideration of the constitution is indicated as part of
the call.
Section
B. Bylaws. Bylaws to this constitution
may be adopted and amended by majority vote of the Minneapolis DFL Central
Committee. Bylaws concerning matters not
expressly governed nor in conflict with this Constitution or Minnesota election
laws may be adopted by a majority vote of the Minneapolis DFL Central Committee
members voting on the question, provided that a quorum is present, and further
provided that such bylaws were considered at a prior meeting of the Central
Committee and notice of intent to consider the bylaws was included in the
meeting notice.
Article II
Party Organization
§ 1. Officers
The
Minneapolis DFL Party officers shall consist of a Chair and Associate Chair (of
opposite gender), a Secretary, a Treasurer, an Affirmative Action Officer, a Fund
Raising Director, and two at-large Directors (one of each gender). These officers shall take office immediately
upon their election by the City Convention. If that Convention did not complete its
business, the officers shall take office immediately upon being elected by a
subsequent City Central Committee meeting.
Officers elected to fill a
vacancy take office immediately. Outgoing
officers shall remain non-voting members of the Executive Committee until December
first of the year their successors were elected.
Subdivision
A. The Chair shall be the chief executive
officer of the Minneapolis DFL Party. The Chair shall be empowered to convene
and conduct the meetings of the Minneapolis DFL Central Committee and shall
also convene the Minneapolis DFL Convention.
Subdivision
B. The Associate Chair shall aid the Chair and
shall fulfill the duties of the Chair in the absence or inability of the Chair
to act.
Subdivision
C. The Secretary shall (1) keep the minutes
of all Central and Executive Committee meetings, (2) keep records of all
official Minneapolis DFL actions, (3) prepare all necessary documents, (4)
prepare and send all official Minneapolis DFL correspondence, (5) notify all
members of Central and Executive Committee meetings, and (6) send copies of
revised constitution and minutes of conventions to the state DFL office for
permanent recording.
Subdivision
D. The
Treasurer shall manage all party funds and submit a full written report of
receipts and disbursements to each Central and Executive Committee meeting and
the Minneapolis DFL Convention. The Treasurer shall also complete and submit
any report on party finances or campaign contributions required by the agencies
of the state or federal government. The
Treasurer shall also arrange for an independent audit of party finances once a
year.
Subdivision
E. The Affirmative Action Officer shall prepare
and enforce the Minneapolis DFL Affirmative Action Plan, and shall develop,
coordinate, and ensure implementation of specific activities designed to
promote ongoing and increased access to and participation of traditionally
underrepresented constituencies in party affairs.
Subdivision
F. Additional duties of the officers shall
be assigned by the Minneapolis DFL Central Committee. These duties shall
include, but shall not be limited to, affirmative action, fundraising, and the sample
ballot.
Subdivision
G. In the temporary absence of the Chair, the
order for succession for official activities of the Chair during that absence
shall be the Associate Chair, followed by the Secretary, the Treasurer and then
the Affirmative Action Officer.
§ 2. Minneapolis DFL Central Committee
The
Minneapolis DFL Central Committee shall include the Minneapolis DFL Executive
Committee, the ward coordinators of each ward in the city, and those members of
the State DFL Central Committee residing in the City of Minneapolis. Between
conventions, the Minneapolis DFL Central Committee may declare and fill
vacancies among party officers and ward coordinators according to Article II,
Section 5. A quorum shall consist of
thirty percent of the elected delegates with at least one-half of the senate
districts represented.
Subdivision
A. Central
Committee meetings may be called by the Chair, by one-eighth of the membership
of the Minneapolis DFL Central Committee, or by a majority of the Minneapolis
DFL Executive Committee. Notice of
meetings shall be sent out not less than ten days in advance of the meeting.
Subdivision
B. The
Minneapolis DFL Central Committee is the primary entity of the Minneapolis Democratic
Farmer Labor Party, subject only to the City Convention and superior DFL organizations
as cited in Article I, Section 2. The
Committee shall be responsible for the management of party affairs in the City
subject to the control of the governing convention. Standing committees may be
established by the Minneapolis DFL Central Committee according to need.
§ 3. Minneapolis DFL Executive Committee
The
Minneapolis DFL Executive Committee shall be responsible for the administration
and organization of party affairs within the City subject to the control and
direction of the Minneapolis DFL Central Committee. The Minneapolis DFL Executive Committee shall
consist of the Minneapolis DFL officers and the chair and associate chair of
each senate district if they reside within the City of Minneapolis. If the chair or the associate chair of a senate
district does not reside within the City of Minneapolis, their positions on the
Executive Committee shall be filled by the next highest ranking party
officer(s) within the district who reside within the City of Minneapolis. Chairs
of Minneapolis DFL ongoing commissions will serve as non-voting members. A quorum shall consist of thirty percent of
the members of the Executive Committee.
§ 4. Ward Coordinators
Two
ward coordinators of opposite gender and two alternate coordinators of opposite
gender shall be elected at each ward convention. Their terms shall expire at
the following ward convention.
§ 5. Vacancies, Dismissals
In
the case of a vacancy of the Chair, the Associate Chair shall succeed to the
office of Chair and a new Associate Chair shall be elected by the Minneapolis
DFL Central Committee. Vacancies in other Party officer positions shall be
filled by the Minneapolis DFL Central Committee. Party officers may be dismissed by the
Minneapolis DFL Central Committee for cause only on grounds of clear
malfeasance or nonfeasance in office using the same procedures as outlined in
the Fifth Congressional District DFL Constitution.
Article III
Endorsing Conventions
§ 1. Call
The
Minneapolis DFL Central Committee shall issue the call for all endorsing
conventions provided for in this constitution.
Subdivision
A. Ward
conventions shall be held in those city election years in which City Council
members are elected, no earlier than March 1.
Subdivision
B. City
Conventions shall be convened in election years when there is a citywide
contest by the Chair, or other officers in order of succession of the
Minneapolis DFL Central Committee. Park
district convention conveners shall be appointed by the Chair of the
Minneapolis DFL with preference given to the highest-ranking DFL officer living
within that jurisdiction. These appointments shall be subject to ratification
of the City Central Committee and made in accordance with the DFL Affirmative
Action Principles.
Subdivision
C: When a municipal election occurs in a year
when statewide precinct caucuses are not being held, the delegates to the
conventions that may endorse candidates for that municipal election will be
elected by and from precinct caucuses held for that purpose, on the first
Tuesday in March at 7 p.m. in the same manner as the last statewide precinct
caucuses, except as this subdivision otherwise provides.
Subdivision
D: Each
caucus may elect one delegate and one alternate for the City and Park District
Conventions per 100 votes in the DFL party candidates average vote, calculated
in the manner for which the State Party’s Constitution provides.
Subdivision
E: Each
caucus may elect one delegate and one alternate for the ward convention per 25
votes in the DFL party candidates average vote, calculated in the manner for
which the State Party’s Constitution provides.
§ 2. Ward Conventions
The
business of the ward convention shall include consideration of endorsement for
City Council and the election of ward coordinators and alternates and ward
representatives for the Constitution Commission. Each ward convention
shall consist of delegates and alternates elected by their precinct caucuses,
in a manner for which the Constitution and bylaws shall provide and pursuant to
a call which the Central Committee shall issue, in the same calendar year as
the general election for which the convention is considering an
endorsement. No amendment to the bylaws
affecting these precinct caucuses shall take effect before the end of the
calendar year in which it is adopted, unless the Central Committee finds by a
two-thirds vote that earlier implementation is necessary. Ward conventions shall be convened by the ward
coordinators.
Subdivision
A. Precinct delegates and alternates elected
anywhere within Minneapolis at the most recent precinct caucuses who have moved
to another precinct within Minneapolis shall be eligible to participate in ward
and city conventions as the last alternate in their new precincts.
Subdivision
B. The Ward
Coordinators shall arrange pre-ward convention committees.
§ 3. City Convention
The
business of the City Convention shall be to consider endorsement for citywide
offices, election of City Central Committee officers, and any amendments to
this constitution or its bylaws. It may transact such other business as may
come before the Convention. Delegates and alternates elected at the most recent
precinct caucuses shall be delegates and alternates to the City Convention.
Subdivision
A. During years in which Council members are
elected, each ward convention shall elect two delegates (no alternates) to each
pre-city convention committee. During
convention years when City Council members are not elected, the Minneapolis DFL
Central Committee shall appoint two members to the committees from each ward,
in accordance with the DFL Affirmative Action Principles. These committees may include committees on
Rules, Credentials, Endorsements, Resolutions, Arrangements, and such other
committees deemed necessary by the Minneapolis DFL Central Committee.
Subdivision
B. Conveners
of pre-convention committees shall be appointed by the City DFL Chair, subject
to ratification by the City Central Committee and in accordance with the DFL
Affirmative Action Principles. The
conveners shall be full voting members of the committees regardless of whether
they are elected permanent chairs of the committees.
Subdivision
C: Any resolutions affirmed by the Convention
shall be referred to the Central Committee.
§ 4. Park District Conventions
The
business of the park district conventions will be to consider endorsement for
district park commissioners. City delegates and alternates shall be delegates
and alternates to park district conventions.
§ 5. Convention Cancellation
Once
called, no convention may be canceled except in extraordinary circumstances, in
which case the City Chair, in consultation with the Convener and if possible
all City officers, shall declare a cancellation. Every effort shall be made to notify the
delegates, publicizing through the media and other appropriate means. In case of a cancellation, the City DFL Chair
shall, in consultation with the other officers and the Convener, call another
convention. The rescheduled convention
shall be held within twenty-five days of the date of the cancellation and shall
be called with at least ten days written notice. The timing in article IV, section 1, Subdivision
A, does not apply to a rescheduled convention.
§ 6. Special Elections
If
any special election is called for an elective office for which candidates
would be endorsed by the Minneapolis DFL, the City Central Committee, in
consultation with the City Officers, may issue a call for a special endorsing
convention for that office. The Central
Committee shall appoint members of pre-convention committees.
Subdivision
A. Delegates to the special endorsing convention
shall be the delegates elected to the last city convention. If the special election is for a subdivision
of the city, delegates shall be only those elected to the last convention from
that subdivision.
Article IV
Constitution Commission
The
Minneapolis DFL Constitution Commission shall be an ongoing commission. Each
ward convention shall elect one delegate and one alternate to the Commission
for a four-year term. In cases of vacancy, a delegate from the same ward as the
vacancy occurs in shall be appointed by the Minneapolis DFL Chair, subject to
ratification by the City Central Committee and in accordance with DFL
Affirmative Action Principles. This
commission shall review and make recommendations regarding the Minneapolis DFL
Constitution and Bylaws to the City Central Committee and the Minneapolis DFL Convention.
The Commission shall serve as the pre-convention committee. The Commission
shall be composed of thirteen delegates and thirteen alternates, one from each
ward. Their terms of office shall begin immediately following the ward convention
at which they are elected and shall run through the following ward convention
for the delegate’s ward.
Article V
Constitutional Convention
The
Minneapolis DFL Central Committee, by a two-thirds vote of those present and
voting, may call a special City Convention for the sole purpose of amending
this Constitution, at any time, on no less than thirty and no more than 120
days written notice to the City delegates and alternates.