M11-023
To: SPEEA
Council Delegates
From: SPEEA
Governing Documents Committee
Subject: PRE-SUBMITTED NEW BUSINESS: Approve
Proposed Revision of SPEEA By-Laws Section 14.2 – Processing (Referendums and
Constitutional Amendments)
Section 14.2 of the SPEEA By-Laws requires Pro/Con
statements accompany referendums to the membership.
The proposed By-Laws amendment from the SPEEA Governing
Documents committee was published in the April 1, 2011 Newsletter and in the
May Spotlite magazine.
The following revisions to the proposed change are in
response to the comments received:
·
14.2
revised to increase Rebuttal statements from 75 words to 150 words
·
14.2
revised so that the statements for motions from the Executive Board cannot be
waived
·
Motion
to Council revised to list and clarify changes
The over-riding purpose of this change is to make
processing the statements more efficient by providing an opportunity to include
Rebuttal statements, thereby removing the need to:
·
Form
a Council Officer review committee;
·
Verify
“Truth” of statements;
·
Delete
words/phrases which can not be validated; and
·
Coordinate
those deletions with both committees.
Motion
It is moved that: THE SPEEA
COUNCIL approves THE PROPOSED AMENDENT TO SECTION 14.2 OF THE SPEEA BY-LAWS.
A summary of the effect of the changes to Section 14.2
follows:
|
Current SPEEA
By-Laws Section 14.2: |
Proposed SPEEA
By-Laws Section 14.2: |
|
“PRO” and “CON”
Statements |
“FOR” and “AGAINST” Statements |
|
Waiving of PRO/CON
Statements: - Executive Board
or Membership initiated statements cannot be waived - Council
originated PRO/CON statements can be waived - If waived, all
statements are removed |
Waiving of
FOR/AGAINST statements: - No change - No change - No change |
|
Two committees
appointed to compile statements: - Committee members
are Council Representatives - Council Chair
appoints - Appointed during
Council meeting |
Two committees
appointed to compile statements: - Committee members
are SPEEA Members - Council Officers
appoints - Appoint two
members to both committees within 5 days - Each committee
can select up to four other members, members names are listed |
|
Committees draft
PRO/CON statements |
Committees draft
FOR/AGAINST statements - Committees have 5
days to prepare FOR and AGAINST statements - 250 word maximum |
|
PRO and CON
statements provided to Council Officers |
FOR and AGAINST
statements provided to both committees |
|
3 Council Officers
form Review Committee Review Committee: |
Committees have 3
days to prepare a REBUTTAL statement - 150 word maximum
REBUTTAL Statements |
|
Council Officers
include statements in referendum package |
No change |
Added text shown underlined. Deleted text struckthrough.)
14.2. Processing
Each referendum
submitted for the vote of the membership shall be accompanied by "Pro"
and "Con" statements compiled by interested Council Representatives
unless, by specific action, a majority of Council Representatives voting
removes the requirement of including "Pro" and "Con"
statements with a particular referendum. If this requirement for
"Pro" and "Con" statements is removed, each such referendum
must have the following note appearing with it: "The Council waived Pro/Con statements for this Referendum."
1) The
complete text of the referendum;
2) Written
statements of no more than 250 words in length advocating the members’ approval
of the referendum and advocating the members’ rejection of the referendum;
3) Written
statement of no more than 150 words in length rebutting the statement
advocating approval and the statement advocating rejection of the referendum;
4) A
listing of the names of the committee members composing the written statements;
and
5) If
the referendum was initiated by a resolution of the Executive Board, SPEEA
Council, or Regional Council, the total number of votes cast for and against
the resolution
The Council
Representative compilers shall be appointed by the SPEEA Council Officers
are required within 5 days after the receipt of the initiating document to
appoint a committee to prepare the statement advocating approval of the
referendum, and a committee to prepare the statement advocating rejection of
the referendum. Chairman at the Council meeting at which the Council authorizes
the referendum or at the first Council meeting subsequent to authorization of
the referendum by other than the Council. If the authorized referendum is not
to be sent to the membership until a later date, the compilers may be appointed
at a subsequent Council meeting provided that meeting is not less than two
months prior to mailing of the referendum.
1) The
SPEEA Council Officers shall appoint the initial two members of each committee.
In making these committee appointments, the officers shall consider Council
Representatives, sponsors of the referendum, and other interested groups known
to support or oppose the referendum issue.
2) The
initial two members may select up to four additional members, and the committee
shall elect a chairperson.
3) Each
committee will be allowed 5 days after selection of the initial two members to
prepare the written statements advocating approval or rejection of the
referendum.
4) The
SPEEA Council Officers will gather the written advocating statements and make
them available to both committees.
5) Each
committee will be allowed 3 days after receiving the written advocating
statements to prepare written statements rebutting the statement advocating
approval or the statement advocating rejection of the referendum.
6) The
SPEEA Council Officers will gather all written statements for inclusion into
the referendum package.
Referendum
initiated by a resolution of the SPEEA Council or Regional Council may have the
requirements for written statements removed by a vote of the initiating Council
as long as the following conditions are met:
1) The
referendum issue does not initiate a recall from office, affiliation, merger,
or borrowing against fixed assets.
2) The
vote must remove all requirements for written statements.
The
SPEEA Council Officers are responsible for gathering the votes cast totals for
any referendum resolution for inclusion into the referendum package.
A minimum of
three Council Officers, acting as a Review Committee, shall be responsible for
verifying the truth of these statements and have the authority to request
back-up data from the author(s) and to delete any portions (as little as one
word) of the statement(s) which cannot be
validated. A copy of the quoted text bearing an original signature of the
author shall accompany all statements attributed to other than the authors.
A maximum of
two representatives for both the Pro and the Con positions will be permitted to
attend the Review Committee meeting, to explain/question both statements, to
make minor word changes to overcome objections, and to provide any needed
back-up data. All Review Committee meetings shall be conducted according to
Robert’s Rules of Order (most recent revision).
"Pro"
and "Con" representatives shall be permitted at least two full
work-days to provide any back-up data required by the Review Committee, but not
available at that meeting. The Review Committee shall specify to whom, at what
time, and at what location such back-up data will be delivered for verification
of the statements.
Each
"Pro" and "Con" statement published shall have the
following note: "Per SPEEA By-Laws,
this statement has been reviewed by the SPEEA Review Committee, which is
composed of Council Officers."
If deletions
are made to any "Pro" or "Con" statement, the following
shall be added to the note specified above: "Portions
of the original statement have been deleted by the Review Committee due to lack
of verification."
The maintenance of the SPEEA Constitution is the responsibility of the
SPEEA governing documents committee. The
committee shall obtain a current copy from the certified electronic copy for
markup. The committee will prepare the
document revision and a non-incorporated revision sheet describing the sections
revised and the description of the revision and the authorizing authority.
The committee Chairman or designee will certify the revised document
prior to distribution. The SPEEA
Constitution will include the endorsements (signatures) of the Committee
Chairman and the SPEEA Secretary.
CURRENT
TEXT
14.2. Processing
Each referendum
submitted for the vote of the membership shall be accompanied by
"Pro" and "Con" statements compiled by interested Council
Representatives unless, by specific action, a majority of Council
Representatives voting removes the requirement of including "Pro" and
"Con" statements with a particular referendum. If this requirement
for "Pro" and "Con" statements is removed, each such
referendum must have the following note appearing with it: "The Council waived Pro/Con statements for this Referendum."
The Council
Representative compilers shall be appointed by the SPEEA Council Chairman at
the Council meeting at which the Council authorizes the referendum or at the
first Council meeting subsequent to authorization of the referendum by other
than the Council. If the authorized referendum is not to be sent to the
membership until a later date, the compilers may be appointed at a subsequent
Council meeting provided that meeting is not less than two months prior to
mailing of the referendum.
A minimum of
three Council Officers, acting as a Review Committee, shall be responsible for
verifying the truth of these statements and have the authority to request
back-up data from the author(s) and to delete any portions (as little as one
word) of the statement(s) which cannot be
validated. A copy of the quoted text bearing an original signature of the
author shall accompany all statements attributed to other than the authors.
A maximum of two
representatives for both the Pro and the Con positions will be permitted to
attend the Review Committee meeting, to explain/question both statements, to
make minor word changes to overcome objections, and to provide any needed
back-up data. All Review Committee meetings shall be conducted according to
Robert’s Rules of Order (most recent revision).
"Pro"
and "Con" representatives shall be permitted at least two full
work-days to provide any back-up data required by the Review Committee, but not
available at that meeting. The Review Committee shall specify to whom, at what
time, and at what location such back-up data will be delivered for verification
of the statements.
Each
"Pro" and "Con" statement published shall have the
following note: "Per SPEEA By-Laws,
this statement has been reviewed by the SPEEA Review Committee, which is
composed of Council Officers."
If deletions are
made to any "Pro" or "Con" statement, the following shall
be added to the note specified above: "Portions
of the original statement have been deleted by the Review Committee due to lack
of verification."
The maintenance of the SPEEA Constitution is the responsibility of the
SPEEA governing documents committee. The
committee shall obtain a current copy from the certified electronic copy for
markup. The committee will prepare the
document revision and a non-incorporated revision sheet describing the sections
revised and the description of the revision and the authorizing authority.
The committee Chairman or designee will certify the revised document
prior to distribution. The SPEEA
Constitution will include the endorsements (signatures) of the Committee
Chairman and the SPEEA Secretary.
PROPOSED TEXT
14.2. Processing
Each referendum
submitted for the vote of the membership shall be accompanied by
1) The
complete text of the referendum;
2) Written
statements of no more than 250 words in length advocating the members’ approval
of the referendum and advocating the members’ rejection of the referendum;
3) Written
statement of no more than 150 words in length rebutting the statement
advocating approval and the statement advocating rejection of the referendum;
4) A
listing of the names of the committee members composing the written statements;
and
5) If
the referendum was initiated by a resolution of the Executive Board, SPEEA
Council, or Regional Council, the total number of votes cast for and against
the resolution
The SPEEA Council
Officers are required within 5 days after the receipt of the initiating
document to appoint a committee to prepare the statement advocating approval of
the referendum, and a committee to prepare the statement advocating rejection
of the referendum.
1) The
SPEEA Council Officers shall appoint the initial two members of each committee.
In making these committee appointments, the officers shall consider Council
Representatives, sponsors of the referendum, and other interested groups known
to support or oppose the referendum issue.
2) The
initial two members may select up to four additional members, and the committee
shall elect a chairperson.
3) Each
committee will be allowed 5 days after selection of the initial two members to
prepare the written statements advocating approval or rejection of the
referendum.
4) The
SPEEA Council Officers will gather the written advocating statements and make
them available to both committees.
5) Each
committee will be allowed 3 days after receiving the written advocating
statements to prepare written statements rebutting the statement advocating
approval or the statement advocating rejection of the referendum.
6) The
SPEEA Council Officers will gather all written statements for inclusion into
the referendum package.
Referendum initiated by a resolution of the
SPEEA Council or Regional Council may have the requirements for written
statements removed by a vote of the Council as long as the following conditions
are met
1) The
referendum issue does not initiate a recall from office, affiliation, merger,
or borrowing against fixed assets.
2) The
vote must remove all requirements for written statements.
The
SPEEA Council Officers are responsible for gathering the votes cast totals for
any referendum resolution for inclusion into the referendum package.