Article I. Name
The name of this organization shall be the Republican Liberty Caucus – Wisconsin (RLC-WI), hereinafter referred to as the “Charter.” The organization seeks recognition as a Chartered State Chapter of the national Republican Liberty Caucus, hereinafter referred to as “Caucus.”
Article II. Purpose
The Charter is a political action organization dedicated to promoting the ideals of individual rights, limited government and free enterprise within the Republican Party of the United States of America by:
A. Promoting these ideals among Party officials and its various organizations, as well as among the general public;
B. Identifying and supporting candidates sympathetic with and actively supportive of these ideals and who advance legislation or work to repeal legislation in accordance with these ideals;
C. Developing Charter and Caucus membership among Party registrants, officials, officeholders and voters.
Article III. Article III: Membership
Section 1: There shall be three categories of membership: Regular, Associate, and Honorary.
A. Regular membership shall be limited to individuals who affiliate with the Republican Party, who have paid current minimum dues and who support the purposes of the Caucus, as defined by the Statement of Principles. Regular members are qualified to serve in any official capacity in the Caucus (assuming they also meet any other specific qualifications for the position), to act as delegates at any Convention and to enjoy all the privileges extended in these Bylaws. If a question of eligibility for Regular membership is raised with the Board, the Board shall hear evidence presented by the Secretary and make a final determination by a simple majority vote.
B. Associate membership shall be open to individuals, no matter their political affiliation, who have affirmatively indicated their support for the purposes of the Charter and have paid current dues. Associate members shall receive such rights and privileges as the Board of Directors may specify, but may not hold RLC office nor serve as convention delegates.
C. Honorary membership may be extended to any person designated by the Board of Directors of the Charter. Honorary members shall enjoy such rights, privileges or honors (with the exception of voting privileges) as may be explicitly conferred thereby, either individually or as a group.
Section 2: The Caucus shall set the minimum annual dues requirement for Regular or Associate membership in the Charter, which shall not exceed sixty dollars. All current Caucus members shall be considered full members of the Charter and its Chapters. Dues shall be current until the anniversary date of the member’s previous dues payment.
Section 3: Dues payments received by the Charter shall be shared with the Caucus in a fixed amount specified by the Caucus, not to exceed twenty-five dollars, and disbursed to the Caucus on an agreed schedule, at least quarterly and at least thirty days before a Caucus Convention. Dues payments received by the Caucus shall be shared in the same fixed amount and disbursed to the Charter on the same agreed schedule, after reconciliation of transfer balances by the national Treasurer. The Charter may offer premium or incentive membership rates or fees for services, which shall be subject to the same fixed dues sharing amounts as Regular membership. No Regular membership shall be offered for a period in excess of two years.
Section 4: The Charter may waive its portion of dues for any special circumstance or condition approved by the Charter Board, but shall pay the fixed share amount of dues to the Caucus, either from the exceptional membership dues payment or from general revenues. Either entity may offer periodic or introductory dues payments smaller than the Regular minimum dues, but shall disburse the same shared portion before any other allocation of receipts.
Section 5: Contributions received by the Charter from contributors who are not Regular Members shall first be applied toward minimum annual dues and shared in the same fashion as other dues receipts, unless the contributor explicitly declines such membership. All other contributions or donations may be expended as specified by the Charter Board, but shall not be donated to any electoral campaign.
Section 6: Any membership may be suspended or revoked by a majority vote of the full Charter Board of Directors for just cause, which may include malfeasance in office, misappropriation of funds, or misrepresenting the positions of the Caucus. Any member suspended or revoked by a State charter organization shall have the right to appeal to the National Board of Directors within 90 days, and the National Board of Directors shall render a decision within 90 days of appeal.
Article IV. Board of Directors
Section 1: The Board of Directors of the Charter, hereinafter “Board”, shall consist of the at least four Officers of the Charter and an additional four At-Large members. Board members shall be Regular members of the Charter, elected for two-year terms by delegates at a Regular Convention of the Charter or designated as temporary Chartering Officers in a Charter Application. Any member of the Board may be removed for just cause (as detailed in Article III, Section 6) and vacancies may be filled by a majority vote of all Board members.
Section 2: The Board shall ensure the effective implementation of these Bylaws, adopt an annual or quarterly budget, provide for effective communications among members, the Caucus and the general public, and make arrangements for Regular and Special Conventions of the Charter.
Section 3: The Board shall have full power and authority to govern all the affairs of the Charter between conventions and shall have the sole, ultimate, final and exclusive control over all property, assets, liabilities and other resources of the Charter. Officers shall take all reasonable precautions to preserve the security of Charter funds and the confidentiality of member lists. The Board shall have the authority to hire, fire, contract, and take such legal actions as will effect the will of the Board.
Section 4: The Board shall conduct its meetings in conformance with the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, in the absence of standard or special rules it may adopt that conform with these Bylaws and Rules. The Board may conduct meetings or ballots by telephone, email, or any other means it deems appropriate. Regular meetings of the Board shall occur at least quarterly, with at least one week’s notice. A special meeting of the Board shall occur immediately following any Convention. Other special, emergency, or informal meetings of the Board may be called at the written request of any three members, on three day’s notice to all Board members. Any Regular member may
attend or obtain the minutes of any Board meeting, unless two-thirds of the Board members agree to a closed session, at which the Board may deliberate, but not adopt, exceptional motions.
Section 5: In any dispute between the Caucus and this Charter, the decision of the Caucus Board of Directors shall be final. The Caucus may review and require compliance, suspend or revoke this Charter, or any portion of these Bylaws, by a two-thirds vote of all members of the National Board.
Article V. Officers
Section 1: The Officers of the Charter shall consist of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer, who shall all be voting members of Board and subject to the provisions of the preceding Article. At the first Regular Convention of the Charter, candidates for Officer shall have been Regular members of the Charter for at least one year prior to their nomination. After the first Regular Convention, candidates for Chairman and Vice-Chairman shall have been Regular members for at least two years and members of the Board of Directors for at least six months prior to their nomination.
Section 2: Elected Officers shall assume office upon approval of the Charter, or at the close of the Convention at which they are elected. Any Officer may be dismissed for misconduct or malfeasance upon thirty days notice to the Officer and a majority vote of all members of the Board. Any Officer vacancy may be filled by a majority vote of all members of the Board. New Officers must qualify under the provisions of the previous Section and shall assume office immediately upon election by the Board. If Officer vacancies occur between Board meetings, the seceding officer listed in the preceding section, followed by At-Large Board members, shall serve as the acting Officer until the next meeting of the Board.
Section 3: The Officers shall perform such duties as are prescribed in these Bylaws.
A. The Chairman shall be the primary spokesman of the Charter; shall execute the resolutions of the Board of Directors; shall preside at meetings of the Board and official sessions of any Convention, unless absent or replaced by an Acting Chairman, and shall ensure the administration of all provisions of these Bylaws. The Chairman may appoint any Regular members as special project or liaison directors of such standing or special executive committees or projects as he deems appropriate for the performance of these duties, but such appointments carry with them no voting rights on the Board.
B. The Vice-Chairman shall assume the duties and obligations of Chairman in his absence, assist the Chairman in his duties and serve as Director of the Local Chartering and Convention Committees.
C. The Secretary shall record and distribute the minutes of all Board meetings and Conventions, certify Delegates, conduct such ballots as the Board may direct, and act as Parliamentarian for all official business of the Charter. The Secretary shall serve as Director of the Communications and Public Relations Committee.
D. The Treasurer shall be the custodian of all Charter funds, shall propose annual and quarterly budgets, safeguard the financial resources of the Charter and make such periodic reports of finances as the Board may require. The Treasurer shall receive and disburse dues sharing payments in cooperation with the Treasurer of the Caucus. Upon Chartering, the Treasurer shall obtain a unique Tax Identification Number for the Charter and open a bank account which shall include the Chairman, and such other Officers as are deemed appropriate, as account signatories. The Treasurer shall serve as Director of the Finance and Fundraising Committee.
E. The Caucus Regional Director, elected by the officers of this Charter and other Chartered state officers in this National Region, shall be an ex-officio Alternate of this Charter Board with full privileges, except the power to vote.
Article VI. Conventions
Section 1: The Board shall call and hold a Regular Convention in at least every even-numbered year, at such place and time as the Board shall designate, for the purpose of adopting revisions to these Bylaws and Rules, electing members of the Board, adopting public policy statements, and conducting such other business as it deems appropriate.
Section 2: All members of the Charter shall be notified of the Regular Convention at least sixty days prior to the designated date of the Convention. Such notice shall include the location, calendar of events, official business to be conducted and such other information as would facilitate and encourage attendance by Charter members.
Section 3: Charter Convention(s) All Regular members certified by the Treasurer as having paid current dues at least thirty days prior to the Convention shall be qualified to be voting Delegates for all official business conducted during the Convention. No Delegate shall be required to pay any fee for participation in official business, but may be required to register and pay for such events or services the Board deems beneficial to the Charter and attractive to the member.
Section 4: Caucus Convention The Republican Liberty Caucus – Wisconsin shall be entitled to be represented at the national RLC convention by a number of delegates based on the number of Regular Members who reside in Wisconsin.
A. 90 days prior to the national convention, the Caucus Secretary shall determine the number of delegates assigned to the Republican Liberty Caucus – Wisconsin by dividing the total number of Regular Members in Wisconsin by 4, rounding up. The Charter shall also be entitled to any number of alternate delegates who may serve in place of absent delegates.
B. These Delegates and Alternate Delegates shall be nominated by a Charter Nominating Committee, approved by the Charter Board, and then certified as Delegates by the Charter Chair. In addition, the chair of the Charter or his or her designee may serve as an ex officio Delegate; these ex officio Delegates shall not be counted against the number of delegates to which the Charter is entitled. Any Regular member certified by the Treasurer as having paid current dues at least thirty days prior to the Convention shall be qualified to be appointed as Delegates or Alternate Delegates.
C. At the National RLC Convention the Charter shall vote its full delegate strength, even if fewer than the full number of delegates to which that state is entitled are present at the convention. The full strength for each Charter includes both the number of Delegates which it is authorized to elect based on its state membership and also any ex officio Delegates who are members of that Charter.
Section 5: A quorum for Regular Convention business shall be a majority of the certified Delegates who have registered as being in attendance with the Secretary, or such Credentials Committee as the Secretary shall designate. The Convention shall be governed by the latest version of Robert’s Rules of Order which are consistent with these Bylaws and Rules, unless a two-thirds majority of the registered Delegates adopt special rules for the duration of the Convention. There shall be no absentee or proxy voting on any official business.
Section 6: In the event of an emergency, the Board may, by a two-thirds vote, postpone a Regular Convention for no more than ninety days and shall notify members by the best means available.
Section 7: The Board may call a Special Convention at any time by a majority vote. Special Conventions may only conduct such official business as may be explicitly authorized by a two-thirds vote of the Board. If such official business is authorized, the preceding sections of this Bylaw relating to notice, Delegate status and proceedings shall apply to official sessions of the Special Convention. Special Conventions may include such events and services as the Board deems beneficial to the Charter and attractive to the members.
Article VII. Statements of Position
Section 1: Statements of Position may be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the certified and registered Delegates at any Regular Convention, or the official sessions of any Special Convention which may be authorized by the Board under these Bylaws.
Section 2: Statements proposed by a majority vote of the Board or in a Petition signed by no less than twenty-five Regular members at least forty-five days prior to the Convention date may be submitted to the Delegates for adoption.
Section 3: All proposed Statements shall conform to the Caucus Statement of Principles and Positions, as well as the Charter Statement of Purpose in these Bylaws. Prior to Convention consideration, copies of the proposed Statements shall be submitted in writing to the national Caucus Board at least ten days prior to the Convention for review, advice and consent.
Section 4: Notice of all proposed Statements shall be distributed to Regular members with the notice of Convention.
Article VIII. Local Chapters
Section 1: The Board shall encourage and certify the chartering of such local, county and regional chapters within the state which qualify under the provisions of these Bylaws and Rules. The Board may certify qualified State Chapters by a majority vote at a regular meeting.
Section 2: The Board may set such minimum criteria for local Chapter Bylaws and require such verification of Regular membership as it deems appropriate for certification.
Section 3: In any dispute between the Charter and any certified Chapter, the decision of the Charter Board of Directors shall be final. Any Chapter certification may suspended or revoked upon a two-thirds vote of the Charter Board, after 30-days notice to the principle officer of the Chapter.
Article IX. Amendment
Section 1: These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the certified and registered Delegates at any Regular Convention, or the official sessions of any Special Convention which may be authorized by the Board under these Bylaws. Amendments proposed by a majority vote of the Board or in a Petition signed by no less than twenty-five Regular members no less than forty-five days prior to a Convention may be submitted to the Delegates for consideration. Notice of proposed amendments shall be distributed to all Regular members with the notice of Convention.
Section 2: Amendments shall go into effect immediately, unless otherwise stated in the proposed Amendment.
Section 3: Charter Rules may be amended by a majority of the certified and registered Delegates, or by a two-thirds vote of the Charter Board, after at least thirty days notice.
Charter Rules
Rule 1. Standing Committees
A. The Membership Committee, under the direction of the Chairman, shall promote new memberships, encourage membership renewal, and ensure the maintenance of an accurate membership database. The Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer shall serve as members of the Membership Committee;
B. The Candidate Review Committee, under the direction of the Chairman, shall obtain, review and distribute information on candidates and recommend candidates for endorsement by the Board;
C. The Local Chapter Committee, under the direction of the Vice-Chairman or Secretary, shall promote, assist and process Petitions for local, county and regional chapters;
D. The Convention Committee, under the direction of the Vice-Chairman, shall plan, arrange, promote and conduct all Regular and Special Conventions of the Charter. The Secretary and Treasurer shall serve on the Committee to facilitate Delegate certification;
E. The Communications and Public Relations Committee, under the direction of the Secretary, shall supervise, maintain, facilitate and conduct communications among the members, the Board, the media and the general public;
F. The Finance and Fund Raising Committee, under the direction of the Treasurer, shall arrange, facilitate and solicit financial contributions to the Charter.
Rule 2. Operational Managers
Operational managers nominated by the Chairman and appointed by the Board shall include:
A. The Webmaster, who shall be responsible for the operation, maintenance and content of the Charter Internet services, as a member of the Communications and Public Relations Committee;
B. The Newsletter Editor, who shall be responsible for the preparation, production and distribution of printed or electronically published news of the Charter, as a member of the Communications and Public Relations Committee;
C. The Media Relations Director, who shall be responsible for the preparation, production and distribution of news releases and position statements of the Charter on public issues.
Rule 3. Dues Sharing
Charter membership dues may be collected by either the national Caucus or by the Charter, provided that:
A. Caucus and State Treasurers shall reconcile their records of sharing amounts and arrange for the transfer of any balance amounts due.
B. The amount collected by the Charter for Regular Membership shall not be less than the current share amount established by the Caucus, which shall be transferred to the Caucus as the dues share for that member;
C. The standard dues collected for Regular membership shall be $45 for both Caucus and Charter, of which $15 shall be transferred to the other entity as the dues share for that member.
D. Either entity may collect smaller periodic dues payments toward membership, but shall allocate the first receipts to dues sharing with the other entity;
E. Charter receipts of membership dues from outside this state shall be transmitted to the Caucus for allocation to the member’s resident state.
F. The Caucus or Charter my offer such premium membership rates or services as may be designated by their Boards, subject to the same fixed dues sharing amounts as Regular membership;
G. Honorary memberships may be offered by either the Caucus or Charter organizations, but if they grant any of the rights of Regular members, the granting entity shall pay the other entity the dues share for that member;
H. Contributions or donations made by non-members shall be subject to dues sharing unless the contributor or donor explicitly declines Regular Membership privileges;
I. All contact and payment information received by either entity shall be communicated to the other entity, at least as often as shared funds are disbursed under the Bylaws;
J. Membership shall expire upon the Anniversary date of the last payment made by an Regular member.
Rule 4. Candidate Endorsements
Any candidate endorsement by the Charter shall comply with the following:
A. The endorsement of a candidate for federal office may be proposed by a majority vote of the Board of either the Caucus or the Charter where a candidate is to be elected. No proposal for endorsement shall be official or made public until it has been confirmed by a majority vote of the other Board.
B. No candidate contesting an election against any Republican Party nominee may be proposed for endorsement by the Charter;
C. The Charter Board may endorse candidates for any state legislative seat or state cabinet-level positions, but endorsements of candidates for Governor shall require the same Caucus confirmation as candidates for federal offices;
D. A primary candidate for President of the United States may not be endorsed by the Charter or the Caucus except in compliance with the Caucus Bylaw provisions;
E. Endorsement preference shall be granted to any candidate who has signed the “Liberty Compact” of the Caucus or who has been rated as “libertarian” in the “Liberty Index” of the Caucus;
F. Endorsements may be withdrawn for good and sufficient reasons upon the majority vote of both the proposing and confirming Boards;
Rule 5. Public Policy Statements
The Boards of the Caucus or this Charter may adopt and issue public policy statements which do not conflict with the official RLC Statement of Principles and Positions specified in these Bylaws:
A. Public positions related to federal legislation may by recommended by this Charter to the Caucus Board for approval, on at least three days notice;
B. Public positions related to state legislation may be adopted by a majority vote of the Charter Board, but shall not conflict with any prior policy position adopted by the Caucus;
C. No resources of the Charter shall be used to promote any commercial enterprise without the advance contractual approval of the Board.
Rule 6. Political Action Committees
The Charter Board may establish a separate, segregated state political action committee, hereinafter “PAC”, under the applicable state statutes, for the purpose of contributing to state or local candidates for public office, provided:
A. The PAC shall be designated with the proper state authorities as an affiliated member committee of the Charter, but not the Charter itself;
B. The Board of Directors of such PAC shall include at least a majority of the Officers of the Charter;
C. The PAC shall be constituted with such bylaws and rules as are consistent with the provisions of these Charter Bylaws and Rules, shall open a separate PAC banking account solely from voluntary donations, and otherwise ensure that the Charter is not legally liable for the operations, reporting, or receipts of the PAC;
D. The PAC shall not contribute to any candidate who has not received a public endorsement by the Charter in compliance with the applicable Rules;
E. The PAC shall not contribute to any federal candidate and shall forward any donations designated for federal candidates to the authorized Caucus PAC;
F. All PAC donations and contributions, as well as all contact information obtained by the PAC, shall be disclosed promptly to the Caucus and the Caucus PAC.
Rule 7. Electronic Voting
Votes of the Board may be taken by electronic ballot via either eMail or eGroup tabulations conducted by the Secretary under the following rules:
A. Electronic ballots shall be issued to all Board members on any resolution submitted by at least three Board members to the Secretary;
B. The Secretary shall issue an electronic ballot within two days and shall receive and tabulate all ballots received within seven days of issue;
C. If any Officer or At-Large Board member fails to cast a ballot, the Secretary shall record them as absent and substitute the ballots of Alternate members in the chronological sequence in which they were received;
D. The Secretary shall inform members of ballots cast and provide members who have not cast a ballot with a two day reminder of the ballot deadline;
E. In the event that fewer than five ballots are cast prior to the deadline, the resolution will fail for lack of a quorum.
F. The results of the balloting shall be reported to Board members immediately after the deadline and recorded in the minutes of the next Board meeting.
Bylaws and Rules Adopted by a quorum of RLC-WI charter members on April 25, 2015. Submitted to RLC-National for approval on May 3, 2015. Pending Caucus approval, they will be submitted for approval at a Regular Convention of the Charter at a future date to be determined, but within the next year.
© 2015 Republican Liberty Caucus – Wisconsin and Republican Liberty Caucus
