Amending the GPCA Platform

Any Green Party of California (GPCA) supporter may propose revisions to the GPCA platform planks, or submit new planks.  If you want to propose to alter, add to, or delete parts of the current GPCA Platform, please copy and paste the specific plank to your word processing program and save it preferably as a Rich Text File (RTF).  After ensuring the original is formatted correctly, please indicate any new text by underlining it, and use strike-out text for text you want deleted.

The draft plank is to be submitted to Platform Committee Co-Coordinators at squehee@ucla.edu. If you don't have RTF, please send the file as .doc or .wpd or .htm document.  Courier New is the preferred font. The draft plank shall be submitted in the standard format for GPCA proposals as it applies to platform proposals below:

PROPOSAL FORMAT

GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA PROPOSAL (Dates of original posting and other drafts, if applicable): DRAFT number and its date.
 
SPONSOR: PLATFORM  STANDING GROUP.
 
PRESENTERS/CONTACTS: Name, E mail, Phone number.  You are expected to defend your proposal as the proposer and comments will be routed to you to answer.  If you do not want to be in charge of the revised or new plank, please indicate that.
 
SUBJECT: State the plank title and in which section it is to be placed in the GPCA platform.  The involved Ten Key Green Values then need to be stated.
 
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Make a one paragraph statement on why the material is necessary.  If the plank is new, so state, and state the importance to GPCA and California, and if applicable also to the United States.  If the material is to replace an entire plank, please state why. If the material is to be inserted into an existing plank, the new material is to be underlined within a copy of the existing plank. Please strike out previous words that are unwanted.  If a new plank has overlap with existing GPCA planks, please state the planks that overlap.
 
PROPOSAL: (no longer than 2 single-spaced pages in general. Write as generally as possible using lay terms defining any abbreviations at first use).
 
“The GPCA supports:”
1.  Summary Header.  Rationale related to California and then to the U.S.(if applicable); any important actions.
2.  Summary Header.  Rationale related to California and then to the U.S. (If applicable); any important actions.
(a)  Content: The content should relate predominantly to California, with the national ramifications also clearly stated.           
(b) Format: 
1. Each statement should be numbered in drafts for ease of discussion. These numbers will be replaced by bullets in the final published plank.  Specific items within numbered items may be denoted by a, b, ...etc. for ease of referral.  These letters will be deleted in the final version of the plank. 
2. Statements are to have a summary header suitable for inclusion in the Plank Summary booklet.  
3. Make the summary header and short statements summarize the “big picture” that is relevant to California, and secondarily to the nation.  Provide illustrative and action examples if they enhance your point.
(c) Definitions: Define any unusual or controversial terms here.
 
 
COMMITTEEE PROCESS    
             
A Co-Coordinator will post the initial draft on the Platform listserve gpca_ptf@greens.org for comment after an initial majority vote to accept the plank for initial posting by the voting members of the Platform Committee. There are a maximum of 8 voting members allotted by GPCA, and gender balance needs to be preserved.  If there are insufficient voting members, the Platform Co-coordinators will decide whether the plank is posted for initial listserve comment. The voting members/Co-Coordinators may recommend changes to the presenter before posting can occur. There is typically a 2-week comment period. All listserve members can comment. Platform listserve members are encouraged to post the draft planks on other listserves for comment also.  However, they should report/forward comments to the Platform Listserve.
 
Some changes to enhance clarity may then be made by to-and-fro between the Plank Contact and the corresponding Co-Coordinator based on the first set of comments. This typically takes 2 weeks. The same voting procedure as above will then indicate by majority vote whether the second draft of the Plank should again be posted.  This process repeats until a consensus is reached on the listserve.
 
The plank is then accepted/rejected for General Assembly comment at a face-to-face Platform Committee Meeting at a Plenary for which notice is provided on the listserve and typically the plenary program. 
                                                                                        

TIMETABLE: The below timetable is typical:

Week 0:  
Plenary 1: General Plenary votes on platform plank up for voting in the Plenary Agenda
- Next planks given final discussion at Plenary Platform Committee workshop: discussion led by plank point person or alternate.
- Next planks chosen for development; subcommittee named to develop the plank depending on what is proposed (revision of an existing plank, or development of a new plank)
 
Week 1:  General Assembly approved plank finalized for publication on GPCA web-site  
 
Week1_2: Planks voted on at Plenary Platform Committee workshop finalized for sending out to counties. This might include a planks not approved by the General Assembly too.
 
Week 1_8: Planks chosen for development at Plenary platform committee workshop at Plenary 1 are developed with subcommittee depending on if new or a revision.
 
Week 9: Draft of new planks sent for comment to Platform Committee; deadline for comments on Friday of Week 10.
 
Week 11: Revision of new planks issued on Monday for comment at Plenary 2.
 
Week 12: Plenary 2: General Plenary votes on platform plank up for voting
- Next planks given final discussion at Plenary platform committee workshop: discussion led by plank point person/alternate.
- Next planks chosen for development; subcommittee named to develop the plank depending on what is proposed (revision of existing plank, or development of new plank
 

Notes:

1. Other GPCA Committees may submit potential Platform planks to the Platform Committee for processing.
2.  Any GPCA member can propose a plank as long as he/she takes the responsibility for it during the validation process.  The full draft can be submitted by E-mail, by the post, by fax, or at a duly constituted Platform Committee workshop at a Plenary under the Agenda heading “New Planks.”
3. Intending members of the Platform Committee need to apply to the current Co-Coordinators with a statement that indicates why membership as a voting member of the GPCA Platform Committee is desired.  This might recount Green Party activities, work on platform planks, and goals for the platform’s future.  Intending voting members must have attended at least two consecutive Platform Committee meetings associated with General Assemblies.