Minutes of the Meeting of the Libertarian National Committee 2-3 December 1989 San Diego, California Members Present: Chair Dave Walter Vice-Chair Mary T. Gingell Secretary Joseph W. Dehn III Treasurer Stephen R. Fielder At Large I. Dean Ahmad Steven Alexander Toni L. Black William Redpath Norma D. Segal Region 1 Karen Allard Region 2 Geoffrey J. Neale George O'Brien Region 3 Stephen L. Dasbach Region 4 Ron Crickenberger Region 5 Clifford F. Thies Region 6 Vicki Kirkland Region 7 Steven I. Givot Region 8 Gary Johnson 1. CALL TO ORDER: The regular meeting of the Libertarian National Committee was called to order by Chair Dave Walter at 9:17am on Saturday, 2 December 1989, at the Clarion Hotel in San Diego, California. 2. CREDENTIALS: It was noted that all members were present, and the address list was passed around for corrections. Walter announced that Jim Turney had requested to videotape the meeting; there were no objections. 3. APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MINUTES: The minutes of the August and September meetings were approved with no objections. 3A. CONVENTION REPORT: Without objection, corrections to the report of the 1989 convention [Attachment A] were considered. Fielder proposed that the last sentence of section D should read "The motion passed on a voice vote, but the report was not taken from the table." Ahmad proposed a set of corrections submitted to him by Dehn [Attachment M]. Walter proposed correcting section A to show that the convention managers were Dave Walter, Don Ernsberger, and Linda Morrison, and that the Convention Oversight Committee consisted of Steve Givot, Peggy Jeny, and Tonie Nathan. All the proposed corrections were accepted with no objection [Attachment Z]. Black noted that a resolution regarding Chinese students had been adopted, but did not appear in the report. 4. REPORT ON MAIL BALLOT: Dehn submitted a written report on the mail ballot of 22 September [Attachment B]. Dehn moved to repeal Resolution 347; the motion passed on a voice vote. 5. SETTING OF THE AGENDA: Dasbach moved that item 23 (Campaign 90) be deleted and that 5 minutes be added to item 15 (Affiliate Parties). Black moved that item 26 (Advertising Development) be made item 12A. Ahmad moved to add Judicial Committee Rules for 5 minutes as item 10A, and Future Meetings for 10 minutes as item 18A. Walter moved to add New Chair of Convention Oversight Committee for 5 minutes as item 16A. Thies moved to add 5 minutes to item 21 (Audit Report). Walter moved to expand item 19 (Regional Reports) to 30 minutes. These changes were approved without objection. Fielder moved that item 18 (Budget) be split into two 30 minute parts, one as the last item on Saturday and the other as the first item on Sunday. The motion failed. Givot moved that item 25 (Ballot Access) be made item 18B. Ahmad moved that Resolution on the Middle East be added for 10 minutes as item 18C. These changes were approved without objection. 6. CHECK OF PAPERWORK: Walter reviewed the paperwork that had been distributed up to that point. 7. CHAIR'S REPORT: Walter presented charts on membership and income [Attachment N]. He commented that more needs to be done to encourage the affiliate parties to bring in memberships and to be active in between elections, that fundraising is basically doing OK and that we would end the year with a surplus, that there had been lots of direct mail activity recently, and that various committees were actively working. He described the proposed budget for 1990 as aggressive, and said that this would require aggressiveness in fundraising. A discussion followed on the role of the affiliate parties in bringing in memberships, and the accuracy with which we can measure the effect of their efforts. Several people questioned the meaningfulness of the income source codes. Several people remarked on problems involving transfer of dues and membership information from the affiliate parties to the national office. Several people reported that states were doing followups on the C-SPAN inquiries. Ernsberger remarked that membership could expand dramatically as a result of recent increased publicity and the activities included in the new budget. 8. TREASURER'S REPORT: Fielder presented a written report [Attachment O]. In reply to questions from Walter, Fielder said that FEC reports were being submitted on time and that John Famularo was verifying that the program was working correctly, Givot reported that the BAC now has its own employer ID number, and Fielder said that the FEC had not questioned our reports as a result of the Nadia Hayes incident but that an amended report would have to be filed. In reply to a question from Ahmad, Walter stated that Paul Jacob is not on a leave of absence, having submitted a resignation and not having accepted the offer of leave. Givot pointed out that the figures for the Field Coordinator appear strange because of various adjustments between the general LNC budget and the BAC. Thies questioned the meaning of the figure for the Ballot Access Fund on the balance sheet, and asked some questions about leases. 9. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPORT: Dehn reported that minutes of the Executive Committee are available, and pointed out two resolutions that the Committee had passed. In reply to a question from Givot, Walter stated that he felt that the Committee had adequate authority to deal with headquarters matters. The question of whether the Committee should be making statements on public policy was discussed. Walter said that it is important to make statements on a timely basis, and that they have more credibility if they come from a committee than if they come from the Chair. Several people said that it was better for the Chair to be the spokesperson, but that consulting with the Committee was a good idea. Ahmad said that resolutions made by the Committee should be labeled as such, rather than as statements of the Party. Dehn said that having the Committee take positions on controversial issues could interfere with proper functioning and selection of the Committee. O'Brien said that the Committee should only make statements when there is a consensus. 10. HEADQUARTERS REPORT: Dunbar reported that the office had two new employees, presented a new chart of accounts that will have separate account and deparment codes, and suggested that we should increase the subscription price if the LP News is published monthly. In reply to questions from Walter, he reported that the intern situation is "dismal", and that he is making some improvements to the first floor. In reply to a question from Walter, Thies and Redpath commented on the possibility of purchasing a headquarters building. In reply to a question from Gingell, Dunbar described what was known about the failure of the LP News to be delivered to the Northwest. He estimated, based on the amount of postage used, that the printer failed to send out approximately 1000 copies. He will be trying to figure out more precisely who didn't get it, and will send them an apology and give them a three month extension on their dues. In reply to a question from Steve Fielder, Dunbar stated that Chris Fielder had been hired to do some of the more difficult bookkeeping work, and that it might be necessary to have her do a little more in the future, but that the regular work is being done by the office staff and he has hired a CPA to do the monthly closings. In response to a question from Allard, Dunbar said that he thought backorders of pamphlets were being handled properly. Fielder moved that Resolution 253 be amended by inserting "except payroll accounts" before "will require two signatures". He explained that an outside payroll service was being used, but there is insufficient time for an officer to sign the checks. The motion passed on a voice vote. In reply to questions from Dehn, Dunbar described the use of an outside service for list rental. The service is provided with a 36-month contributor list, updated every four months; they make tapes when necessary. 10A. JUDICIAL COMMITTEE RULES: Givot moved to approve the Judicial Committee Rules [Attachment C]; the motion passed without objection. [The meeting was recessed for lunch at 11:55am, and called back to order by Dave Walter at 12:26pm.] 11. MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE REPORT (part 1): Allard submitted a written report [Attachment D] and an updated report [Attachment P]. She said that it was necessary that we "service" our members and treat them like customers. Allard moved: "A membership packet (contents to be determined by the Membership Committee) will be sent out by the LP national office to all new and renewing members. This packet will be sent to the members within 2 weeks of receiving their dues in the national office. Individuals who are active on the pledge program will receive a membership packet every January 15. This membership packet program will begin January 1, 1990." There was a discussion of how difficult it would be for the office to implement such a program, and whether membership cards need to be included every year. Ahmad moved to amend Allard's motion by changing "2 weeks" to "one month"; the motion to amend passed. Dehn moved to amend the motion by inserting "life members and" before "individuals who are active on the pledge program", and to change "every January 15" to "annually"; the motion to amend passed. The main motion passed on a voice vote. Allard moved that "Membership cards will be sent to every new/renewing member. The card will be included in the membership packet." Dasbach moved to substitute "Membership cards will be sent once to each member or upon request.". The motion to substitute passed and the substitute language was adopted. Allard moved to amend Resolution 65 by changing "20 percent" to "50 percent", and by deleting the second sentence. The motion passed. Allard moved to amend Resolution 65 by inserting "and LP News subscribers" after the second occurence of "national membership", and by adding the sentence "For those memberships sent into the National LP office by individuals or state parties without the signed oath, those members will be considered LP News subscribers until the oath is signed."; the motion passed. Allard moved "to add a new membership category: second member at same address. When a basic membership of $15 is paid, the second member at the same address pays $10 for a basic membership and the household only receives 1 LP News". Gingell moved to postpone discussion of membership categories and prices to tomorrow for 30 minutes; the motion to postpone passed. 12. OUTREACH COMMITTEE REPORT: Black submitted a written report [Attachment E]. She reported that there will be a spring edition of Liberty Today, and that the LP presence at the Washington "Pro-choice" rally led to calls. She asked for clarification of the division of responsibility between the Outreach and Membership committees, and for LNC discussion of "special projects". There was general agreement that membership prospecting mailings, to lists other than our own, should be the concern of the Outreach Committee. Walter said that the Membership Committee should concentrate on membership policies and services. Alexander remarked that the Finance Committee traditionally helps with prospecting mailings. There was a general discussion of "special projects", such as protests and lobbying, as opposed to electoral activity. Comments included: projects should not be "negative", such projects are good activities for parties that have trouble getting ballot status, they are good for media relations, and they should be things that can be successful without requiring all states to participate. Black said that materials were available for Volunteer Day, lots of people like the idea of a project on the 4th of July, states seem to be able to handle April 15th protests by themselves, and she is looking into possibilities for Bill of Rights Day. There was discussion specifically of the census project. Ernsberger said it would involve a letter to the membership, material for people to use in protest, and a mailing to the state parties soliciting purchase of those materials; the project is expected to break even financially, with material sales covering the cost of the printing and mailings. There was disagreement about whether this is an issue of concern to the general public. Nathan said that it is an issue that we are out in front on. Dasbach moved to "do it"; the motion passed on a voice vote. 12A. ADVERTISING DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE REPORT: Nolan submitted a written report [Attachment Q] and presented the new series of print advertisements. These have a cleaned up logo and a consistent theme: "Defenders of Liberty". He recommended that we distribute them to the state parties and track which ones are cited by prospects; he also suggested that the same theme be used for a bumper sticker. He also discussed targeting mailings by "life-style cluster", and use of radio commentaries, and presented the results of his survey of state chairs regarding TV spots. There was a discussion of the financing for production of the TV spots. Nolan said that the $5300 that the ADC has available would probably be enough to produce two spots, but that the LNC should appropriate a little money to give him slack if necessary. He plans to do fundraising for additional production once the first ones are made available. Several members said we should concentrate on TV, with repetition, and not divert resources to radio or print. Nolan said that our marketing problem is different from that of the Republicans and Democrats, and that we need to have some print ads. Various topics for ads were suggested, including the LP in general, social security, taxes, drugs, education, and women and guns. Nolan asked for a show of hands on the question of what should be produced first. A slight majority favored a general ad; among specific topics, taxes was the favorite. Various people suggested use of a professional for buying time, and testing the ads before giving them to the state parties. 13. MEDIA RELATIONS COMMITTEE REPORT: Johnson submitted a written report [Attachment F]. He said there was a need for more "experts" to whom the media can be referred. Givot suggested trying to get TV talk shows to have 3-way panels. 13A. GUN ADVERTISEMENT: Black moved to suspend the rules to allow John Vernon to present a print ad proposal from the LP of California; there was no objection. Vernon presented the ad [Attachment R], which would be placed in a gun-oriented publication, and suggested that the national LP might want to share the expense; no action was taken. 14. INTERNAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE REPORT: Segal submitted a written report [Attachment G]. She said that there are uncataloged videotapes from Jim Turney that could be useful for internal education, and that she is still looking for somebody to run a speakers' bureau. Givot moved to repeal Resolution 151 (requiring speeches to be approved by the APRC); the motion passed. 15. AFFILIATE PARTIES COMMITTEE REPORT: Gingell submitted a written progress report [Attachment H] and additional material [Attachment S]. She reported on her surveying of state chairs, and mentioned that she had run into problems in using Marshall Fritz's system for teleconferencing. Gingell reported on the search for a Field Coordinator, and asked for comments on the five applications that were received. There was a discussion of the purpose of this position. Dehn said this should be resolved before approving the budget item. Several people said that the job was vague; it was suggested that part time or temporary helpers might be hired as specific problems are identified. Gingell said that there are 8 states which already have specific needs for help, and 13 others who are interested in some way. Dasbach said that a cheerleading-type of field person would not help state parties stay active; the parties need help with getting members, having things to do, and with organization and skills. Ahmad suggested evaluating the results achieved by the half-time coordinator we had this year. Thies pointed out that Resolution 63 calls for a Field Coordinator and specifies what kind of help should be given state parties. Givot moved to repeal Resolution 63; the motion passed. 15A. AFFILIATE CAMPAIGN SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT: Dasbach submitted a written report [Attachment T]. In reply to a question from Walter, he reported that he was working on identifying potential winning races in Idaho, Utah, New Hampshire, and possibly Texas. 15B. BUDGET COMMITTEE REPORT (part 1): Fielder moved to amend the 1989 budget by increasing the following expense items: Office Rent and Utilities by $4000 to $24000 Clipping Service by $500 to $2000 Postage and Shipping by $2000 to $14000 LP News Expense by $1500 to $37500 800 Line by $1200 to $4500 In reply to a question from Dasbach, Fielder explained that there was sufficient underspending in other categories and various extra revenue to cover these expenses, even though the budget would be in deficit. The motion passed. Fielder presented a review of the revenue categories contained in the proposed budget for 1990 [Attachment I], to let the Committee know "how much money we're going to have". [The meeting recessed for the day at 6:13pm, and was called back to order by Dave Walter at 9:14am Sunday.] 15C. MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE REPORT (part 2): Allard reported that after discussing the question of membership categories with various people she was withdrawing the proposals contained in her written report, and instead moved to amend Resolution 89 to replace "basic" with "contributing", to delete the clause about instant members, and to add "individuals who sign the oath but have not sent money shall be called 'members', and also to repeal Resolution 195. She explained that under this plan the "contributing" category would be the lowest category that would be counted as dues, and that there would be no effect on convention delegate eligibility or allocations. There was a discussion of various advantages and disadvantages of this plan. It brings the terminology into line with the bylaws and avoids insulting people by telling them they have "expired". Dues revenue might decrease, we will have to change the wording in renewal notices, and the meaning of membership trend graphs might be affected. There was some discussion of how to handle members who have not responded in a long time. At the request of Alexander, the question was divided into two parts; both parts passed. 15D. ADVERTISING/PUBLICATIONS REVIEW COMMITTEE REPORT: Ahmad moved to take up this subject out of order; there was no objection. He reported that the APRC had considered three items since the last meeting, and requested that $200 be budgeted to cover phone costs for this committee in 1990. 15E. BUDGET COMMITTEE REPORT (part 2): Discussion of the revenue side of the 1990 budget continued. Givot moved to eliminate the percentage-based service fees for SFACs and to charge them the actual cost of providing services. He objected that the BAC had to pay more for use of the list than would an outside user. Black stated that taking a percentage of the revenue was contrary to the purpose of having SFACs. Several members pointed out that there are additional costs associated with SFAC revenue beyond just providing the list: processing incoming mail, preparing reports, and the effect on general fundraising mailings to the same list. Givot's motion passed by a vote of 11:4. Givot moved to increase the minimum dues to $20 as of 1 July 1990. Allard objected that an increase would conflict with her approach of trying to increase member satisfaction at this time. Givot cited increased costs, and specifically the switch to a monthly LP News, as justification for an increase. Ahmad moved to postpone consideration of a dues increase until after discussion of the LP News expense. Discussion of the LP News began with various members pointing out advantages of a monthly publication. In general it was felt that this would be of benefit to ordinary members, although it was reported that this was not considered a high priority by some state chairs, and that other projects such as TV might be more important. Fielder pointed out that we had no bid for bimonthly publication. Walter moved to accept the figure of $66000 contained in the proposed budget. Gingell moved to amend the amount to $60000, the amount of the bid for monthly 8-page issues, and suggested that we could decide later in the year to increase it. The motion to amend and the motion to adopt this figure passed. Discussion of a dues increase resumed, and Gingell moved to refer the matter of raising dues to the Membership Committee and Finance Committee to jointly report. The motion to refer passed. Walter moved to add $1000 to the Torch Club revenue. Alexander moved to postpose consideration of revenue adjustments until after all changes to the expense side; the motion to postpone passed without objection. Ahmad moved to add an expense item of $200 for the APRC; there was no objection. In reply to a question from Givot, Walter explained that the "State Conventions" item was intended to pay for national officers' attendance at state conventions. Givot moved to delete this item and to add a new item of $5000 for testing TV ads. On a motion by Ahmad the question was divided. Arguments in favor of the state convention expense were that the national LP should be represented, and that the previous chair had been able to pay for this because of his business. Arguments against were that officers could pay for it themselves or the states could afford it, that the states are more interested in "nuts and bolts" help than attendance by officers, that there are LNC members in all parts of the country who could serve as representatives, and that this would be similar to the franking privilege of Congress. The motion to delete the item passed. Discussion of TV ad testing included issues of the importance and cost-effectiveness of testing, when and where to test, whether the proposed amount would be sufficient, and whether budgeting for this was appropriate since the ADC is a SFAC. Alexander moved to reduce the amount to $3800; the motion to reduce failed, and the motion to budget $5000 passed. Black moved to increase the Outreach Projects item by $2000 to cover expenses of the census project; the motion passed. Walter moved to accept the proposed budget of $55000 for the Affiliate Parties Committee, with the Committee and Coordinator portions combined into a single line of $43500. Gingell explained that how the money would be split was not yet decided. Ahmad moved to reduce this line to by $3200 to $40300. Dehn objected to the existence of a single line of this magnitude, and said we should either allocate the money for a Field Coordinator or not. The motion to reduce the amount failed on a vote of 6:6. [The meeting recessed at 11:55am, and was called back to order by Dave Walter at 12:05pm.] Gingell moved to divide the $55000 Affiliate Parties total as follows: $5000 for Affiliate Parties Committee, $34000 for Affiliate Parties Coordinators, $4000 for Affiliate Parties Special Projects, $12000 for Campaign '90; the motion passed. Redpath moved to add a line for Interest Income of $2000 gross, $700 cost, and $1300 net; the motion passed. Alexander moved to increase the Membership Renewals line by $1000 and the Torch Club line by $1000; the motion passed. Walter moved to call all pending questions; the proposed budget as amended [Attachment AA] was adopted. Walter moved to authorize lending the ADC up to $2000 from the surplus account for the purpose of finishing production of the initial TV ads; the motion passed. 16. CONVENTIONS: LEI, Inc. submitted a written report [Attachment J]. Givot said that if we had any special requirements for the 1991 convention we would have to decide by the next meeting, said that we should decide soon on a site for the 1993 convention, and announced that he was resigning as chair of the committee. Thies moved that we consider bids for the 1993 convention at the summer 1990 meeting. Walter suggested waiting until after the 1990 elections to see what areas are interested; Givot said sooner was better than later. The motion passed. 16A. APPOINTMENT OF CONVENTION OVERSIGHT CHAIR: Walter announced that he was appointing Neale as committee chair. 16B. RESOLUTION ON THE MIDDLE EAST: Ahmad moved that this item be considered; there was no objection. Ahmad moved that the following resolution be adopted: The Libertarian National Committee calls for an end to the "Special Relationship with Israel" on the grounds that no nation should be exempt from our Platform call for an end to foreign aid, nor should any nation be exempt from any standard of human rights which are applied to other nations. Segal objected that the problem is one of general interventionism, rather than something special about Israel, and suggested that state parties might resent LNC action when a similar proposal for the platform had been turned down by the convention. Neale said that the case was indeed special, and likened it to the relationship between Russia and Cuba. Ahmad said that the Indian Rights plank had been handled in a similar way and then was approved by the next convention. The motion passed. 17. FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORT: Alexander submitted a written report [Attachment K]. There were no questions. 18. BUDGET: (see items 15B and 15E) 18A. FUTURE MEETINGS: After informal discussion, the following dates and places were approved without objection: 28-29 April 1990, in Austin 11-12 August 1990, in San Francisco 8-9 December 1990, in New York City Spring 1991, in Atlanta 18B. BALLOT ACCESS COMMITTEE REPORT (see item 18E) 18C. RESOLUTION ON THE MIDDLE EAST (see item 16B) 18D. AUDIT REPORT: Fielder moved that this report be considered out of order; there was no objection. Thies reviewed his written report [Attachment U]. Thies moved to amend Resolution 2 to read "The Treasurer shall see to it that those who handle receipts and disbursements be bonded." Givot moved to table this until we know the cost of bonding; the motion to table passed. Thies moved to amend Resolution 26 by substituting "a statement of revenues and expenditures" for "a statement of receipts and expenditures", substituting "a statement of overdue accounts payable and debt outstanding other than National Committee-authorized mortgages or leases if any" for "a statement of outstanding liabilities", and substituting "summary pages of Federal Elections Commission reports and income tax returns" for "federal financial reports". The motion passed. Thies moved to amend Resolution 26 by inserting "to the National Committee" between "provide" and "a balance sheet", by inserting "on a monthly basis, no later than the end of the month following the month to which these statements pertain," before "and copies of summary pages", and by substituting "no later than the end of the month during which these reports were filed" for "at all future National Committee meetings". The motion passed. Thies moved to amend Resolution 55 by inserting "and income tax returns" between "Federal Election Commission reports" and "as required by law". The motion passed. Thies moved to delete Resolution 134. The motion passed. Thies moved to delete part (1) of Resolution 234. The motion passed. Thies moved to delete part (4) of Resolution 234 and to add to Resolution 26 "If the Party has overdue accounts payable or has debt outstanding other than National Committee-authorized mortgages or leases, then the Treasurer shall specifically comment on debt reduction efforts in monthly financial reports". The motion passed. Thies moved to delete Resolution 245 and to add to Resolution 26 "The revenue and expenditure statement shall contain monthly, monthly percent-of-budget, year-to-date, and year-to-date percent-of-budget figures for each account". The motion passed. Thies moved to delete Resolution 314. The motion passed. Thies moved to delete "Treasurer and" from Resolution 216. The motion was tabled without objection. 18E. BALLOT ACCESS COMMITTEE REPORT: Givot submitted a written report [Attachment V]. He said that in 1989 only 17.5% of the money raised went to petitioning, and that he plans to depend on pledges, solicited from people who have previously given to BAC. He reviewed the ballot status situation, saying that there are 35 states to worry about for 1992, 10 of which can be worked on now. In North Carolina, 51-92 is trying to work out legal obstacles to their funding a drive; there has been a miscommunication with the Kansas party and he is waiting for them to put a proposal in writing; and 51-92 is going to be working on finishing Nevada. In reply to questions from Redpath and Walter, Givot reported that Kathleen Richman had been working as a tele-fundraiser for Paul Jacob, but that commission records had been inadequate and had led to confusion about the amount she was owed. Givot also reported that he will be reporting to contributors on BAC activities through articles in the LP News rather than separate mailings, and will offer a $5 refund to anyone who subscribed to the BAC newsletter. In reply to a question from Ernsberger, there was a short discussion of whether monthly pledges are being handled by the BAC or by the office. In reply to a question from Johnson, Givot said that the 10 states that can be worked on are Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Alaska, Arizona, Nevada, Wyoming, Alabama, and Ohio. 19. REGIONAL REPORTS: Allard (Region 1) and Johnson (Region 8) submitted written reports [Attachments W and X] and also made oral comments. O'Brien (Region 2), Kirkland (Region 6), Crickenberger (Region 4), Givot (Region 7) gave oral reports. Thies (Region 5) submitted a written report after the meeting [Attachment BB]. 20. LP NEWS REPORT: Dehn reported that Karl Hess says that a monthly schedule won't work unless we can get a second class permit, and that Hess suggested we print a single-copy price on the front. O'Brien moved to set the price at $1.50. Alexander moved to amend the motion to make it $2.50. After some discussion, the motions were withdrawn amidst general agreement that the Executive Committee could deal with this if necessary. Dehn also reported that Hess wanted the LNC to consider the idea of setting aside a page for paid statements. It was observed that people can already buy advertising space, and no action was taken. 22. MANAGEMENT AND AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT: Redpath reported that he was exploring options for medical insurance for the staff; various members suggested possible vendors. Redpath moved to delete Resolution 138 (Computer Committee), on the basis that the MAC can handle this function. The motion passed. Redpath moved to delete all but section (g) of Resolution 336 (Mailing List Committee). The motion passed. 24. COMPUTER COMMITTEE REPORT: A written report from John Famularo [Attachment Y] was circulated. 27. LEGAL ACTION COMMITTEE REPORT: Bill Hall submitted a written report [Attachment L] but was not present at the meeting. Walter reported on a problem caused by someone continuously calling our 800 number, and said that we will take legal action if it continues. Dehn said that if such a thing happens again, the affiliate parties should be warned, because the same person apparently attacked the Oregon 800 number. Walter reported that Bill Hall had resigned as chair of the committee; several possible replacements were mentioned. 30. PROGRAM COMMITTEE REPORT: Givot reported that the committee had not been active, but that there were three topics on which drafts of planks should be prepared. In reply to his question, members indicated whether they wanted or did not want to see planks on these topics. Opinion was divided on "Abortion", overwhelmingly in support of "Guns", and there was no interest either way on "Terms of Elected Officials". 31. RESOLUTION ON CHINESE STUDENTS: O'Brien moved the following resolution: A Resolution Reaffirming the Libertarian Party Endorsement of HR 2712 and Urging Congress to Override the Presidential Veto Whereas, the Libertarian Party deplores the brutal massacre of Chinese students and others by the Chinese government and is outraged by the ongoing persecution throughout China of intellectuals, workers, students, and other critics of government oppression, and Whereas, the Libertarian Party is aware that Chinese nationals resident in the United States will in all likelihood face severe reprisals if they are forced to return to their country of origin, and Whereas, recognizing this fact the Libertarian Party at its Convention in September endorsed HR 2712 (introduced by Hon. Nancy Pelosi) which would waive the requirement on J-I visas that requires Chinese students to return to China for two years after completing their studies in the United States, and Whereas, despite its nearly unanimous approval by both houses of Congress, President George Bush has vetoed HR 2712 -- thereby revealing a deplorable lack of compassion and indifference towards the suppression of individual rights, Therefore be it resolved by the National Committee that the Libertarian Party reaffirms our endorsement of HR 2712 and condemns the veto by President George Bush; we call on all members of Congress to join together to override it as soon as that body reconvenes in January, 1990, and Be it further resolved that we commend the Hon. Nancy Pelosi for her efforts on behalf of the Chinese students. The motion passed. 32. RESOLUTION CLEANUP: Givot moved to delete Resolutions 5, 29, 36, 46, 57, 69, 70, 124, 151, 157, 163, 173, 174, 177, 195, 198, 222, 223, 234, 246, 270, 270B, 290, 298, 300, 304, 314, 318, 322, 327, 332, 340, and 341. Givot then moved to postpone this to the next meeting and place it on the agenda after officer reports and before committee reports. The motion to postpone passed. The meeting adjourned at 3:11pm. Respectfully submitted, Joseph W. Dehn III Secretary Attachments: [attachments distributed with the agenda packet] A. Records of the 1989 National Convention B. Report on Mail Ballot of 22 September 1989 C. Judicial Committee Rules D. Membership Committee Report E. Outreach Committee Report F. Media Relations Committee Report G. Internal Education Committee Report H. Affiliate Parties Committee Report I. Proposed 1990 Budget J. Liberty Triumphant Status Report K. Finance Committee Report L. Legal Action Committee Report [attachments distributed at the meeting] M. Convention Report Corrections (CompuServe message from Dehn) N. Charts of Membership and Income O. Treasurer's Report for October 1989 P. Membership Committee Updated Report Q. Advertising Development Committee Report R. Proposed Gun Ad S. Affiliate Parties Committee -- Additional Material T. Affiliate Campaign Subcommittee Report U. Auditor's Report V. Ballot Access Committee Report W. Region 1 Report X. Region 8 Report Y. Computer Committee Report [attachments not previously distributed] Z. Records of the 1989 National Convention, as corrected AA. Adopted 1990 Budget BB. Region 5 Report