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By-laws of the Libertarian Party of Louisiana

adopted in convention April 4th, 2009, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Article I: Name

The name of the party shall be “Libertarian Party of Louisiana,” hereinafter referred to as the “Party.”

Article 2: Period of Duration

The duration of the Party shall be perpetual in accordance with the By-laws of the national Libertarian Party and Louisiana law.

Article 3: Status

The Party shall establish itself as the first and only affiliate party in the State of Louisiana to the national Libertarian Party, and shall take the means set forth in the Libertarian Party's By-laws to obtain and maintain that position.

Article 4: Purposes

The purposes for which the Party is organized are to implement and give voice in the State of Louisiana to the principles embodied in the Statement of Principles of the national Libertarian Party by:

  1. Functioning as a libertarian political entity separate and distinct from all other political parties or movements.
  2. Moving public policy in a libertarian direction by building a political party that elects Libertarians to public office.
  3. Making the libertarian viewpoint heard throughout the State of Louisiana on the various issues concerning our State.
  4. Joining libertarians together in a united political front of action and information in the State of Louisiana.
  5. Holding conventions of Party members in the State of Louisiana in order to select delegates to participate in the national Libertarian Party conventions in accordance with the By-laws of the national Libertarian Party. Achieving and maintaining legal status as a political party in the State of Louisiana.

Article 5: Statement of Principles and Platform

The Platform of the Party shall be composed of two sections, organized as follows:

  1. Individual planks
    1. outlining general principles of the party geared either around state powers, state perspective, or state issues.
    2. at least one of which includes language which affirms the Statement of Principles and Platform of the national Libertarian Party.
  2. Individual planks
    1. outlining specific implementation of party general principles on certain issues
    2. which specify the current problem, the principle applied, specific policy solutions, and reasoning, rationale, and/or supporting material with empirical examples where possible.

Article 6: Membership

  1. Registered Party members shall be those residents of the State of Louisiana who are registered to vote as members of the Libertarian Party.
  2. If anyone contends that he should be a registered Libertarian voter, but that his local Registrar of Voters refuses to allow him to register Libertarian, then the State Central Committee may elect to give him the privileges of a Registered member.
  3. The State Central Committee may offer life memberships, and must honor all prior and future life memberships.
  4. The State Central Committee may create other levels of membership and shall determine the contribution or dues levels for such memberships.
  5. Membership Dues shall be as follows:
    1. One Hundred Twenty Dollars ($120) per year, or
    2. 12 hours of volunteer service for official party projects, as requested by the State Central Committee or Parish Executive Committees, or
    3. any combination (in whole hours) of hours and money.
  6. Dues shall be paid on an equal monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis. ($10 or 1 hour per month, $30 or 3 hours per quarter, or $120 or 12 hours per year)
  7. Only Registered Party members who have paid their annual membership dues in full shall
    1. be entitled to admission to the business session of the annual state convention free of further charges or fees;
    2. be presumed as registered for such convention upon payment of their annual dues;
    3. be entitled to vote on all official matters; and
    4. be eligible to seek, be elected to, and hold any executive office of the Party.
  8. Associate members of the Party shall be persons not registered to vote in Louisiana as members of the Libertarian Party who:
    1. Are members in good standing of the Libertarian Party of the United States and reside in Louisiana; or
    2. Have expressed their support for the Libertarian Party of Louisiana and asked to be enrolled as an associate member of the Libertarian Party of Louisiana.
  9. Associate members of the Party are entitled to receive all public informational mailings of the Party and attend all conventions upon payment of registration fees, and public meetings of the Party, but they shall not be entitled to vote on official matters.

Article 7: Officers

  1. The executive officers of the Party shall be a:
    1. Chairman who shall:
      1. be the chief executive officer of the Party with full authority to direct its business and affairs, including hiring and discharging of Party volunteers and paid personnel, subject to express State Central Committee policies and directives issued in the exercise of the State Central Committee's plenary control and management of Party affairs, properties, and funds;
      2. act as liaison to the national Libertarian Party. shall preside at all conventions and meetings of the State Central Committee. may participate as a non-voting member of all committees of any convention; and
      3. perform such duties as are prescribed in these By-laws and the Special Rules of the Party; and a
    2. Vice-Chairman who shall:
      1. be the chief assistant to the Chairman, performing such duties as the Chairman shall prescribe, and holding such executive powers as the Chairman shall delegate;
      2. perform the duties of the Chairman in the event the Chairman is, for any reason, unable to perform the duties of his office;
      3. see that Metropolitan Regions organize and hold a Regional convention or caucus in accordance with the provisions of these By-laws and the Special Rules of the Party for the purpose of electing members to serve on the State Central Committee and convention committees; and
      4. perform such other duties as are prescribed in these By-laws and the Special Rules of the Party; and a
    3. Secretary who shall:
      1. be the recording officer of the Party;
      2. attend all meetings of the State Central Committee, and all Party conventions, and shall act as secretary thereof, being responsible for keeping and maintaining such written records as are necessary;
      3. make annual reports to the State Central Committee containing all information required by the Committee;
      4. be responsible for the arrangements of clerical services during the conventions and State Central Committee meetings as are necessary for the Party throughout the year; and
      5. perform such other duties as are prescribed in these By-laws and the Special Rules of the Party and those assigned by the Chair and/or the State Central Committee; and a
    4. Treasurer who shall:
      1. be the chief financial officer of the Party;
      2. receive all monies paid to the Party, and shall deposit the same in such bank or banks as shall be designated by the State Central Committee, and shall disburse said monies upon order and under the supervision of the Chair and the State Central Committee;
      3. perform all duties required of his office by applicable law;
      4. be responsible for oversight of all financial functions of the Party, including, but not limited to receipts, disbursements, internal and external reporting;
      5. make an annual financial report to the State Central Committee, prepared according to the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States of America; and
      6. perform such other duties as are prescribed in these By-laws and the Special Rules of the Party and those assigned by the Chair and/or the State Central Committee.
  2. All of these officers shall be elected at a Regular Convention of the Party by registered delegates to such Convention, shall take office immediately upon the close of the Convention, and shall serve thereafter until the final adjournment of the next Regular Convention.
  3. The officers shall be full voting members of the State Central Committee.
  4. No offices may be combined and no Party member shall hold more than one office at a time excepting that the Secretary may exercise the duties of either the Vice-Chairman or Treasurer as needed by the party should one of those two officers not have been chosen at a regular convention, and until such time as one can be selected by the State Central Committee.

Article 8: State Central Committee

  1. The State Central Committee shall be composed of the following: The executive officers of the Party;
    1. One member from each Metropolitan Region in the state, being the primary organizational district of the Party, as defined by the State Central Committee. It shall be their responsibility to:
      1. oversee the Parish Executive Councils and
      2. regularly ensure that Parish Registrars are properly allowing voters to register as Libertarian; and
    2. Five members to be elected at large from among the delegates at a Regular Convention who shall serve as:
      1. Communications Officer who shall
        1. attend all meetings of the State Central Committee,
        2. serve as the Chairman of the Media Relations Committee and be responsible for all if its obligations, and
        3. report to the National Party on State activities from time to time as such information is requested;
      2. Finance Officer who shall
        1. attend all meetings of the State Central Committee,
        2. serve as Chairman of the Finance Committee and be responsible for all if its obligations;
      3. Membership Officer who shall
        1. attend all meetings of the State Central Committee,
        2. serve as Chairman of the Registration Committee and be responsible for all if its obligations;
      4. Elections Officer who shall
        1. attend all meetings of the State Central Committee,
        2. serve as Chairman of the Elections Committee and be responsible for all of its obligations; and
      5. Economic Development Officer who shall
        1. attend all meetings of the State Central Committee,
        2. serve as Chairman of the Economic Development Committee and be responsible for all of its obligations.
  2. The members of the State Central Committee shall take office beginning immediately upon the close of the Convention and shall serve thereafter until final adjournment of the next Regular Convention.
  3. The State Central Committee shall have the control and management of all affairs, properties, and funds of the Party consistent with these By-Laws.
  4. The State Central Committee shall meet in the manner, times, and places prescribed in the Special Rules.
  5. Any officer may resign at any time by giving written notice of such resignation to the State Central Committee, or to the Chairman or the Secretary of the Party. Unless otherwise specified in such written notice, such resignation shall take effect upon receipt thereof by the State Central Committee or by such officer, and the acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.
  6. Vacancies which may occur in the State Central Committee, for any reason, shall be filled as follows:
    1. In the case that the office of Chairman is vacated, the Vice-Chairman shall assume the duties.
    2. In the case that the offices of Vice-Chairman, Secretary or Treasurer is vacated the Chairman shall appoint, with the approval of the State Central Committee, a successor to serve the remainder of the term of that office.
    3. In the case that a member elected from a Metropolitan Region vacates his position the State Central Committee shall appoint a member from the same Metropolitan Region, where such a member is available and is willing to serve, to fill the post for the remainder of the term of that post.
    4. In the case that an At-Large position is vacant, the Chairman with the approval of the State Central Committee may appoint such member to carry out the duties as Chairman of the respective Supporting Committee as he deems fit.
    5. Any official appointed by the State Central Committee may be removed by the State Central Committee with or without cause.

Article 9: Supporting Committees

  1. There is hereby created a Media Relations Committee. It is the responsibility of this committee to
    1. maintain the Party's various websites;
    2. prepare press releases;
    3. respond to all press inquiries to the Party;
    4. report all Party events to the Press for placement on local community events calendars;
    5. contact all new members and inquiries to the Party with introductory materials and to asses their level of interest, directing them to the proper resources in the Party to assist them;
    6. create and produce audio/visual outreach and educational media; and
    7. train and assist candidates with public speaking engagements.
  2. There is hereby created a Finance Committee. It is the responsibility of this committee to
    1. set Party funding goals;
    2. plan and budget for Party expenses;
    3. provide oversight of all Party fund raising activities;
      4. report the analysis of costs and benefits associated with various proposed policies, projects, and campaigns; and
    4. work with the Elections Committee assisting candidates with respect to issues of campaign finance laws, rules, and regulations.
  3. There is hereby created a Registration Committee. It is the responsibility of this committee to
    1. conduct voter registration drives;
    2. oversee get-out-the-vote efforts;
    3. maintain a current database of all Registered and Associate Party members and National Party members in the State;
    4. maintain records of dues payments and volunteer commitment fulfillments; and
    5. credential all registered delegates to Regular and Special Conventions.
  4. There is hereby created an Elections Committee. It is the responsibility of this committee to
    1. maintain a current and accurate elections calendar;
    2. maintain a current and accurate State and Local Offices database;
    3. assist candidates with meeting legal requirements and educating them on how to run an effective campaign;
    4. work with the Finance Committee assisting candidates with respect to issues of campaign finance laws, rules, and regulations;
    5. provide analysis of campaign issues and effectiveness, of opposition candidates, and post election analysis of results;
    6. secure and/or conduct demographic analysis and voter patterns for campaigns; and
    7. secure and/or conduct scientific voter preference surveys for campaign analysis.
  5. There is hereby created an Economic Development Committee. It is the responsibility of this committee to
    1. assist members with securing information and directing them to the proper resources with respect to business and entrepreneurial development in their communities;
    2. assess and report on entrepreneurial activities around the state that are consistent and friendly to the Libertarian Platform;
    3. work with the Media Relations Committee in promoting Libertarian economic policies through small business development and activities in the State.
  6. There is hereby created a Strategic Planning Subcommittee. It is the responsibility of this committee to prepare Action Plans with assigned responsibilities and firm dates of action and completion designed to carry out the Purposes of the Party as outlined in Article 4 of these By-Laws. They shall be composed of:
    1. The Party Vice-Chairman, who shall serve as chairman of this subcommittee and preside at all of its meetings
    2. The At Large State Central Committee Members who serve as Chairmen of the various other Supporting Committees

    7. Article 10: Parish Executive Committees

    The Party shall be organized on the Parish level as follows:

    1. A Parish Executive Committee composed of one member elected from each unincorporated Ward and one member from each incorporated District in the Parish.
    2. The Parish Executive Committee shall elect from among themselves a:
      1. Chairman who shall
        1. attend and preside over all Committee meetings;
        2. organize and oversee all Party activities within their Parish; and
        3. communicate their activities and progress to the State Central Committee Representative responsible for their Parish at least once per quarter; and a
      2. Secretary who shall
        1. attend all Committee meetings;
        2. keep the minutes and records of the Committee;
        3. provide such information or reports as required by the Chairman of the Committee; and
        4. perform such other duties as requested by the Chairman of the Committee; and a
      3. Treasurer who shall
        1. be responsible for the receipt, deposit, withdrawal, and disbursement of Committee funds, dues, fees, and/or donations;
        2. who shall perform all such other duties as required of him by law and these By-laws, the Special Rules of the Party, the Chairman of the Committee, and the State Central Committee; and
        3. shall report as requested on financial matters of his Parish to the Party Finance Committee; and a
      4. Membership Coordinator who shall
        1. organize and oversee voter registration drives;
        2. maintain a current database of all Registered and Associate Party members and National Party members within his Parish;
        3. maintain a current and accurate database of dues payments and volunteer commitment fulfillments;
        4. organize and oversee any volunteer efforts of the Party conducted within his Parish; and a
      5. Liaison Coordinator who shall
        1. organize and oversee volunteers, one for each elected office within their parish, to act as liaison to that office;
        2. create, maintain, and make available to all Party members, a comprehensive collection of information on each such office, including such information as the State Central Committee may from time to time request; and
        3. report as requested such liaison activities and office information to the Party Elections Committee; and a
      6. Campus Coordinator who shall
        1. organize and oversee outreach to schools within their Parish;
        2. where allowed, establish affiliate student organizations for educational and mentoring purposes;
        3. maintain a list of campus affiliate organizations and their membership; and
        4. report as requested all Campus activities within their Parish to the Party Registration Committee.
    3. If state and or parish registration has not reached sufficient number to require a state run election, than the committee shall be chosen by caucus where at least five Registered party members, who are registered to vote in that parish, shall be in attendance without respect to wards or districts.
    4. The Parish Executive Committee shall
      1. be responsible for voter registration and national membership within their parish;
      2. be responsible for all fundraising activities of the Party within their parish;
      3. be responsible for assisting any and all candidates running as Libertarian for any elected offices within their parish;
      4. be the governing body for all other party matters delegated to them by the State Central Committee; and
      5. decide their own rules governing their proceedings and for discipline of their members subject to agreement of the State Central Committee and not in conflict with these By-laws and the Special Rules of the Party.
    5. In Parishes where there is insufficient registration to select anyone to the Parish Executive Committee, then the Regional Representative responsible for that Parish, or his designee, shall see that the duties outlined above are upheld and carried out, until such time as a Committee can be chosen.

    Article 11: Finance and Accounting

    1. The fiscal term of the Party shall begin on the first day following the adjournment of each Regular Convention.
    2. The State Central Committee shall cause an efficient double entry system of accounts to be installed and maintained in accordance with the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States of America.
    3. All disbursements exceeding $5, shall be made solely by cheque or be documented with notice of payment made/received issued by the payment processor if done by electronic transfer, and receipts on all items purchased shall be kept for the records.
    4. The State Central Committee shall have the power to designate the depository of all funds of the Party, and the Treasurer shall deposit and withdraw funds from said depository upon order of the State Central Committee.

    Article 12: Conventions & Caucuses

    1. The Party shall hold a Regular Convention once every four years at a time and place to be selected by the State Central Committee in accordance with State Law governing the elections of State Central Committees of major parties.
    2. If the National Convention be scheduled such that the next regular State Convention will not be held until afterwards due to State Law, then a Special Convention of the Party shall be held for the sole purpose of selecting delegates to such National Convention without regard to the restrictions in section 4 of this article concerning proximity to the Regular Convention, but that the provision with respect to due notice shall be upheld.
    3. All Regular Conventions and all Special Conventions, may be attended by any person who is a member of the Party, who has paid his membership dues, and who registers for such Convention. Any State Law to the contrary notwithstanding, all such persons shall be considered as delegates to said Convention, and shall be eligible for any office.
    4. A Special Convention may be called by three-fourths of the State Central Committee or by one-third of the members of the Party. Special Conventions may not be held within the sixty days prior to the Regular Convention. A notice of sixty days must be given to all members of the Party prior to any Special Convention.
    5. There shall be a Convention Planning Committee, a By-laws and Rules Committee and a Platform Committee for each Regular Convention which shall
      1. each consist of one member from each Metropolitan Region where possible;
      2. each elect a Chairman from among its members as set forth in the Special Rules of the Party; and
      3. meet at such times, places, and frequency as directed in the Special Rules of the Party.
    6. Metropolitan Regions shall hold their conventions or caucuses according to the Special Rules of the Party.
      1. At each convention or caucus they shall elect, as set forth in these By-laws and the Special Rules of the Party, a Regional Representative to sit on the State Central Committee.
      2. There shall be a Convention Planning Committee, a By-laws and Rules Committee, and a Platform Committee for each Metro Region caucus or convention which shall be composed of representatives selected at each Parish caucus or convention within that region for that purpose. From among themselves they shall select:
        1. a chairman for each committee and
        2. a representative to sit on each of the several State Convention Committees which are authorized by these By-laws or which may be created by the State Central Committee or by a previous convention.
      3. The autonomy of the Metropolitan Region organizations shall not be abridged by the State Central Committee or other committees of the Party except as provided herein.
      4. Only one Regional Convention or Caucus held once every four years shall be recognized for the purpose of electing any member or members to serve in available positions on the State Central Committee, or any other Committee of the Party.
    7. Parishes shall hold caucuses or conventions according to the Special Rules of the Party where they shall elect as set forth in these By-laws and the Special Rules of the Party:
      1. members to the Parish Executive Committee and
      2. one representative and one alternate to the regional caucus to serve on the various regional convention committees.
    8. Except as provided herein, procedure at the Conventions of the Party shall be in accordance with the Special Rules of the Party and any Rules adopted by a majority of the delegates at such Convention.
    9. The State Central Committee shall have supervision and management of all Conventions.
    10. The officers of each Convention shall be the officers of the Party.

    Article 13: Parliamentary Authority

    Robert's Rules of Order shall be the parliamentary authority for all matters of procedure not specifically covered by these By-laws or Special Rules of the Party.

    Article 14: Amendment

    1. Article 5, Section a, Subsection ii, and this section, of these By-laws shall not be amended by a vote of less than seven-eighths of the registered delegates at any Regular Convention.
    2. Otherwise these By-laws may be amended by a two-thirds vote at any Regular Convention, or by a majority of all Party members by means of a mail ballot or at a Special Convention.
    3. The Special Rules may be amended by a majority vote at any convention.

    Article 15: Judicial Matters

    1. Disciplinary action against any Party members shall be provided in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order except as provided herein.
    2. Officers and other State Central Committee members may be removed for cause by a two-thirds majority vote of all members of the State Central Committee.
      1. The charges against any offending officer must be fully stated in the call for any State Central Committee meeting at which any removal action is planned.
      2. This call along with the charges must be issued 21 days preceding the meeting.
    3. Officers and State Central Committee members may also be removed by a Special Convention of all Party members by a two-thirds majority vote of convention delegates voting to carry out the removal. Any vacated office shall thereupon be filled by an election held at that Convention. Such officers shall complete the term of the office vacated.

      4. Article 16: Promulgation of By-laws

      The State Central Committee shall promulgate these By-laws in accordance with applicable law. A copy of these By-laws and the Special Rules shall be provided to each member of the State Central Committee, each member of Supporting Committees and each Chair of the Parish Executive Committees within 90 days of adoption.