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BYLAWS OF THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF MISSISSIPPI
BYLAW I: PURPOSE AND SCOPE
These bylaws shall govern the association known as the "Libertarian Party of Mississippi" hereinafter referred to as the "Party"
BYLAW II: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Members of the Party shall be those who have paid the required dues and signed the following membership 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".
Section 2. The amount of yearly dues required may not be changed except by act of the yearly State Convention of the Party.
Section 3. Membership may be revoked for cause by a five-eighths vote of all Party Officers sitting as a Judicial Committee or by a three-fifths majority of the Delegates at the yearly State Convention. The action of the Judicial committee may be appealed to the next yearly State Convention. Membership may be reinstated by a simple majority at the yearly State Convention. This Section applies to members of the Executive committee only after they have been removed from office under Article IV (d) of the Party Constitution.
Section 4. The Secretary/Treasurer must provide a copy of the membership list to each Party Office. With the approval of the Executive committee, the membership list may be provided to other groups such as the National LP, a Libertarian candidate or a campaign committee.
BYLAW III : PARTY OFFICERS
Section 1. State Party Officers are: Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary/Treasurer and one District Representative for each of the five Congressional Districts. All State party Officers shall be elected at the yearly State Convention and serve until the next yearly State convention. County and Campus Officers are covered under Bylaw IV below.
Section 2. All actions of the State, County, and Campus party officers must be consistent with the Statement of Principles, the membership pledge and the Constitution and Bylaws of the party. No Party Officer shall endorse a non-Libertarian candidate for public office who is opposed by a Libertarian candidate.
Section 3. If office of Chairman becomes vacant then the order of succession as Acting Chairman is: First: Vice-Chairman; Second: Secretary/Treasurer; Third: District 1 Representative; followed by the remaining District Representatives in numerical order (2-5).
Section 4. The State Executive committee, consisting of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Secretary/Treasurer, hereinafter referred to as the Execom, are authorized to act in the name of the Party in all matters subject to the following rules:
| (a) | A simple majority (two of the three) is sufficient authority for the Execom to act in all matters |
| (b) | If a vacancy occurs in the Execom, then the Chairman or Acting Chairman may act for the Execom on his own authority until the vacancy by appointment of an Acting Officer as soon as reasonably possible or by election at a special State Convention. |
| (c) | The Execom may conduct business by telecommunications, by mail or by meetings. |
| (d) | Execom meetings may be called by any member of the Execom |
| (e) | Reasonable notice of Execom meetings should be given to all Party Officers |
| (f) | Execom meetings are open to all Members of the Party |
| (g) | Minutes of Execom meetings and any votes taken by mail or telecommunications must be published in the next issue of the Party newsletter at least in summary form. |
| (h) | If an action, appointment or proposed action of the Execom is objected to by three party Officers or by one-tenth of the Party membership then the matter must be submitted to a mail ballot of the entire Party membership or else deferred to the next yearly State convention. |
| (i) | The Execom may, at its sole discretion, refuse to accept all applications for candidacy for any state or local office. |
Section 1. The Execom shall promote and authorize county and campus Libertarian organizations to be affiliated with the party.
Section 2. Affiliate organization officers may be appointed by the Execom until the affiliate organization has five Party Members after which the affiliate should elect its officers.
Section 3. The Execom may revoke affiliate status for cause.
Section 4. No person, group or organization in Mississippi may use the name "Libertarian Party of Mississippi" or any confusingly similar designation except as authorized by the Party.
BYLAW V : CONVENTION RULES OF PARTY STATE CONVENTIONS
Section 1. OFFICIAL NOTICE - The Execom shall set the time, place, and schedule of events for the yearly State Convention to be held in the month of January each year beginning in 1996. At least thirty days advance notice must be provided to the Party Members concerning these arrangements. In addition public notice must be given as required by the state election code. All party conventions are open to the public since our ultimate purpose is to elect Party candidates to public office.
Section 2 : CONVENTION OFFICERS - The incumbent Chairman and Secretary/Treasurer of the party shall preside as chairman and secretary respectively of the yearly State Convention.
Section 3 : CONVENTION DELEGATES - All party Members who have paid their dues and signed the membership pledge in accordance with Bylaw II shall be duly registered as voting Delegates except as provided in Section 4. Each Delegate shall have one vote and must be present on the floor when the vote is taken except that written and signed proxies are allowed when voting on amendments to the Party Constitution.
Section 4 : SENIORITY RULES
| (a) | A Party Member's date of membership shall be the earliest date on which the Member has ever paid membership dues to the Party and/or signed the Party's membership pledge. |
| (b) | No Party member shall be a Delegate to any Party convention until sixty days have elapsed after his date of membership. |
| (c) | No Party Member shall be nominated as a Party Officer, or Delegate to the National Convention or candidate for public office until sixty days have elapsed after his date of membership. |
| (d) | The application of this section may be suspended at any Party convention provided that the suspension is submitted as the first order of business and is favored by three-fifths of the Delegates. If this section is suspended, then those Party Members affected must be duly registered as Delegates as the second order of business. |
Section 6 : VOTING PROCEDURE - On all matters not requiring a greater number, a simple majority of Delegates present and voting shall be required for the passage of any matter.
Section 7 : SPEECHES AND DEBATE - Each Delegate shall be limited to five minutes on any one issue unless otherwise specified by the Chairman or determined by majority vote.
Section 8 : ORDER OF BUSINESS
| - | Call to Order - promptly at the time given by advance notice |
| 1. | Delegate registration - a motion to suspend the seniority rules (Section 4_ may be submitted. Afterwards the registration of Delegates will be closed. |
| 2. | Chairman's report (required) |
| 3. | Secretary/Treasurer's report (required) |
| 4. | Reports by other Party Officers (by request) |
| 5. | Reports by other Delegates (by request) |
| 6. | Nomination and election of all Party Officers (required) - the newly elected Party Officers take office effective with the adjournment of the Convention. |
| 7. | Nomination and election of Delegates to the National LP convention (if so moved) |
| 8. | Nomination of candidates for public office (if so moved) |
| 9. | Other business (by request) |
| - | Adjourn |
Section 1. These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of the yearly State Convention of the Party.
__________________
Convention Chairman
__________________
Convention Secretary
Revised April 1, 2000
Suite 200-145
Jackson, Mississippi 39211-1832