External Governing Documents

National-party documents can be obtained from the Democratic National Committee.Minnesota DFL Party documents include

the Constitution & Bylaws, the operating guidelines for the Minnesota DFL Pary;
the official Call for the DFL Party precinct caucuses, conventions, and other Party meetings;
the party Platform; and
an Action Agenda.

These can be found at the DFL Party website. SD66 is contained within Minnesota’s 4th Congressional District and Ramsey County, and therefore subject to the Constitutions of their DFL Party units.

Senate District 66 Documents

This version is designed to be read online. If you want to print a copy, the Microsoft® Word version will save paper.

Outline

CONSTITUTION
OF THE
Senate District 66 DEMOCRATIC-FARMER-LABOR PARTY

Article I.

Section 1. Name. The name of this organization is the Senate District 66 Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.

Section 2. Membership. Membership in this Party is open to all residents of Senate District 66 who support the principles of the DFL Party in Minnesota. No member of any other political party may vote within the DFL Party.

Section 3. Eligibility for Party Office. Pursuant to the principles of affirmative action as stated in the DFL State Constitution, Bylaws and Call, persons who meet the membership requirements of Article I, Section 2, are eligible for election to any Party office.

Article II. Subordination

This Constitution is subordinate to the Constitution and Bylaws of the State DFL Party.

Article III. Unit Convention

Section 1. Notice. Written notice of the date, time and place of a convention shall be mailed or presented to all delegates and alternates to any convention at least ten days before the date of the convention.

Section 2. Membership. The Unit Convention shall be composed of precinct delegates, upgraded alternates, and Distinguished Party Leader Delegates (as defined in the State DFL Constitution) who reside within the Unit. A majority of the delegates and upgraded alternates registered at the convention shall constitute a quorum.

Section 3. Business of the Unit Convention. The convention shall:

Elect party officers.
Elect State Convention delegates and alternates.
Elect State Central Committee members and alternates.
Endorse candidates for the State Senate.
Separate into House Districts and endorse for State House of Representatives.
Adopt Resolutions.
Amend this Constitution, and
Conduct any other party business that properly comes before it.

Article IV. Central Committee

Section 1. Central Committee. The Central Committee shall be the governing body of the unit between conventions. The Central Committee shall consist of the unit’s Executive Committee members, precinct chairs elected at each precinct caucus every even-numbered year, and each resident member of a Congressional District Central Committee, and State Central Committee.

Section 2. Central Committee Meetings. The Central Committee shall meet at least two times per year. Meetings may be called by the unit Chair, by one-eighth of the membership of the Central Committee, or by a majority of the Executive Committee. The quorum for Central Committee meetings is 20% of its members.

Section 3. Dismissal for Cause. The Central Committee may dismiss a member for cause on grounds of clear malfeasance or nonfeasance in office. The rules and procedures that must be followed for a dismissal are detailed in Article III Section 17 of the State DFL Constitution.

Section 4. Filling Vacancies. A vacancy occurs for the following reasons: resignation, death, change of residence to a jurisdiction other than the one from which the member was elected, or dismissed for cause. The Central Committee, by a majority vote of the quorum at a properly called meeting, may declare a vacancy. If a notice of intent to elect is included in the meeting notice, the vacancy may be filled at the same meeting it was declared. Only those vacancies specified in the meeting notice may be filled at that meeting. Vacancies shall be filled within 120 days of their occurrence.

Section 5. Endorsements. In the absence of any direction to the contrary by the Senate District Convention, the Central Committee may endorse candidates between conventions. Every endorsement ballot shall be a test of a quorum.

Article V. Executive Committee and Officers

Section 1. Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall be the governing body between Central Committee meetings and shall consist of the Party Officers elected by the unit Convention. Each member of the Congressional District Executive Committee and State Executive Committee residing in the unit shall also be a member of the unit Executive Committee. The quorum for Executive Committee meetings is 20% of its members.

Section 2. Officers and Their Duties.

CHAIR: It shall be the duty of the Chair to convene the Convention (following the procedures described in the Call) and preside at meetings of the Central Committee and Executive Committee. The Chair shall attend meetings of the State and Congressional District Central Committees. The Chair shall also perform all other duties incident to the office.
VICE CHAIR: The Vice Chair shall preside at Central and Executive Committee meetings, and convene the Convention, in the absence of the Chair. It shall be a further duty to assist the Chair in the discharge of the Chair’s duties, and to attend meetings of the State and Congressional District Central Committees. The Vice Chair shall not be of the same gender as the chair.
SECRETARY: It shall be the duty of the Secretary to preserve the minutes and attendance records of all proceedings of the Executive and Central Committees. The Secretary shall, at the direction of the Chair, notify members of the Executive and Central Committees of meetings of this organization. The Secretary shall perform all other duties usually incident to the office of Secretary.
TREASURER: The Treasurer shall have charge of the funds of this organization, and shall make no disbursement thereof without authority or ratification by the Executive Committee or Chair. The Treasurer shall perform all other duties usually incident to the office of Treasurer.
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION OFFICER: The Affirmative Action Officer shall be responsible for outreach to underrepresented groups within the unit, and shall perform all other duties usually incident to the office of Affirmative Action Officer.
DIRECTORS: The Directors shall perform those functions assigned to them from time to time by the Executive Committee or the Central Committee. There shall be 12 directors elected with gender balance of the Directors as required by the State DFL Constitution.

Section 3. Committees. The Executive Committee shall establish committees as it determines to be appropriate to execute the business of the Executive Committee and the organization, and shall designate members to chair and serve on those committees.

Section 4. Terms of Office. The term of any party officer begins at the adjournment of the convention or meeting at which they were elected. They shall serve in their role until a duly qualified successor has elected.

Article VI. General Rules

Section 1. Disposition of Party Records. Upon leaving office, Party officers shall turn over all Party records, books and properties to their successor.

Section 2. Notice of Executive and Central Committee Meetings. Notice of Executive and Central Committee meetings, specifying time and place, including specifically a notice of intent to elect, shall be mailed or presented to all members of the committee not less than 10 days in advance of the meeting, except that 72 hours in advance of the meeting is adequate notice if given by telephone, personal delivery, express mail, or any other method with guaranteed arrival. Notice may be sent by electronic communication, such as email or fax, to members who have consented to electronic notice. A proposed agenda shall be prepared by the unit Chair prior to the meetings of the Executive and Central Committees and shall be included in all notices.

Electronic communication may be used to conduct business of the central or executive committee within the limits established by the state constitution or call.

Section 3. Endorsements. Endorsement of a candidate for public office requires a sixty percent (60%) affirmative vote of those delegates present and voting (excluding blanks and abstentions) at the convention or Central Committee meeting making the endorsement, and every ballot shall be a test of quorum. No convention or Central Committee representing a geographical area less than the area competent to elect the public official may endorse a candidate for that office. No one may vote on an endorsement unless he/she is a resident of the area in which the election will occur. An endorsement given before the primary is valid after the primary only if the candidate’s name appears on the general election ballot.

Section 5. Bylaws and Their Amendment. Bylaws concerning matters not expressly governed by nor in conflict with this Constitution may be adopted or amended by a majority vote of the Convention. Bylaws may also be adopted or amended by the Central Committee, provided such adoptions or amendments receive a sixty percent (60%) affirmative vote. A copy of any proposed change in the Bylaws shall be included in the meeting notice.

Section 6. Parliamentary Authority. Parliamentary matters not governed by this Constitution and its Bylaws, nor by the rules of the body in question, nor by the Official Call, nor by the Constitution and Bylaws of the State DFL, shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order, newly revised.

Section 7. Amendments and Supersedes. This Constitution may be amended by a majority vote of the delegates at any Convention and will supersede all previous Constitutions and Bylaws of the unit. Amendments will take effect upon adjournment of the Convention at which it was adopted.

The following supplemental information is not part of the Constitution.

Status of this document

This Constitution was adopted March 31, 2012, by the Senate District 66 Convention.

Revised April 2, 2016, updating the title of the Vice Chair.

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