Constitution of the House District 27B Republican Party of the State of Minnesota
Preamble
The Republican Party of Minnesota House District 27B Basic Political Organizational Unit (BPOU) welcomes the participation of all citizens of Minnesota House District 27B and other areas as defined by the Republican Party of Minnesota as the responsibility of the Republican Party of House District 27B (BPOU area) who are concerned with the implementation of honest, just, efficient, responsive, and constitutionally limited government. The party believes in the equality of all, as stated in the Declaration of Independence. Therefore, it is the party committed to equal representation and opportunity for all and preservation of the rights of each individual. It is the purpose of this constitution to ensure that the party provides for full participation with equal opportunity for all citizens of this BPOU area regardless of race, sex, religion, or economic status.
Article I-Name
The name of this organization shall be the Republican Party of House District 27B BPOU of the State of Minnesota, hereinafter referred to in this document as "HD27B."
Article II-Purpose
Section 1: The purpose and objectives of HD27B shall be the maintenance and advancement of good government according to the Constitution and laws of the United States and the State of Minnesota through the promotion within the geographical area of HD27B of the purposes and objectives of the National Republican Party and the Republican Party of Minnesota.
Section 2: The purposes and duties of HD27B shall include those imposed by law and custom upon official party committees. In addition, HD27B shall:
A) Organize or cause to be organized each precinct in the geographical area of HD27B;
B) Encourage the formation of auxiliary Republican groups, and cooperate with and coordinate their activities within the geographical area of HD27B;
C) Assist in conducting campaigns for the adoption of laws, and for the election of qualified Republican candidates for public office; and
D) Administer the affairs of the Party within the geographical area of HD27B.
Article III-Membership
Section 1: The membership of HD27B shall be composed of all citizens eligible to vote with a residential address within the geographical area of HD27B who wish to be affiliated with the Republican Party who support the principles and objectives of the Republican Party, except for those residing in an area organized as a county based BPOU.
Section 2: Only those elected as delegates or alternates during the official caucuses are eligible to be elected or appointed as officers within the HD27B organization, or to represent HD27B at the congressional and state conventions. Adopted March 26, 2022, Amended March 4, 2023
Article IV-Management and Structure
Section 1: The management of HD27B shall rest with the HD27B Executive Committee, subject to the direction of the State Central Committee, the State Executive Committee, the Sixth Congressional District Committee, the HD27B Convention, the State Party Constitution, House District 27B Constitution and applicable state statutes of Minnesota.
Section 2: Membership—The HD27B Executive Committee shall be composed of the HD27B Chair, Deputy Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and one (1) Regional Leader from each of the following regions:
Region 1: St. Francis (P1 & P2) & Bethel
Region 2: Livonia Township (P1, P2, &P3), Zimmerman (P1 & P2), Blue Hill Township, Princeton City (P2) & Baldwin Township
in addition to all elected Republican legislators and Republican state constitutional officers living within the boundaries of the BPOU area. Any State Central Committee Delegates who are not elected or appointed to any of the above offices shall be non-voting members of the Executive Committee.
Section 3: Duties: The duties of the Executive Committee shall be as follows:
A) The HD27B Chair shall conduct HD27B Executive Committee meetings. The Deputy Chair shall conduct meetings in the Chair's absence. Together, they shall appoint committees and coordinate the activities of the Regional Leaders. They are also ex-officio members of all HD27B committees.
B) Elected Republican Legislators and State Constitutional Officers shall be encouraged to attend Executive Committee meetings. Since their attendance at these meetings is not required, their position shall not be included in the quorum count unless they are present.
C) The Secretary shall keep minutes of meetings, be responsible for written correspondence with the members of the Executive Committee, delegates and alternates to HD27B conventions and other correspondence that may be necessary.
D) The Treasurer shall be responsible for all Party funds, keep financial records, disburse funds as authorized by the Executive Committee, prepare and submit all reports to the state as required by law and help submit the annual budget.
E) Regional Leaders shall manage the affairs at the precinct level within their Region.
Section 4: Finances: The HD27B financial records shall be maintained in an orderly fashion by the HD27B Treasurer.
A) All records shall be reviewed, at a minimum, quarterly by the Executive Committee.
B) At least every odd year the Executive Committee shall designate the financial institution to be used as a depository for Party funds after the Convention.
C) All financial institution signature cards shall be signed by the Chair, and the Treasurer. The signature cards may additionally be signed by the Deputy Chair or Secretary.
D) All disbursements shall be by check and shall require two (2) signatures, one of which must come from either the Chair or Deputy chair and one of which must come from either the treasurer or the secretary.
E) All funds coming to the HD27B from any source shall be deposited in the account(s).
Article V- HD27B Elections
Section 1: The HD27B Executive Committee shall be elected to a two-year term by the delegates to the odd-year HD27B Convention. All Executive Committee members must be elected delegates from precincts within the geographical area of house district 27B. Convention elected Executive Committee members are:
A) The Chair, Deputy Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be elected at large.
B) Regional Leaders shall be elected by a caucus of their respective precincts.
Section 2: Officers of each precinct consist of a Chair, a Deputy Chair and a Secretary, elected to a two year term at the even-numbered year General Caucus, in compliance with State Statute(s). In the event a precinct fails to elect any officer at this caucus, the HD27B Executive Committee may appoint individuals to fill the vacancy in that precinct.
A) Precinct Officers. It shall be the responsibility of precinct officers to:
1 Conduct biennial precinct caucuses in their respective precincts.
2 Support campaign efforts of endorsed Republican Party candidates within their precincts.
3 Respond to guidance from HD27B officers.
4 Recruit and direct precinct workers.
5 Attend training sessions conducted by the State and District party organizations.
6 Complete voter surveys.
7 Participate in authorized fund drives.
8 Lead “Get out the Vote” efforts in the precinct.
9 Accomplish such other tasks as the HD27B leadership may desire.
Article VI-Meetings
Section 1: Requirements:
A) Regular Committee Meetings: The Executive Committee may establish a calendar of regular meetings. When regular meeting dates are changed from the established calendar, a minimum of 10-day notice must be given to the members of the Committee.
B) Special Committee Meetings: The Executive Committee shall meet at the call of the Chair, at the request of any three (3) members of the Committee, or at the request of 25% of the delegates. Three (3) days notice shall be provided to members of the Committee.
C) Quorums: A quorum shall be 50% +1 of HD27B convention elected members of this Committee for the purpose of transacting business.
D) Meetings shall be done in person. In the event of circumstances rendering an in-person meeting infeasible, the Executive Committee may convene the meeting remotely. Remote meetings will require a quorum of 66% +1 to conduct business. Remote meetings will require the same notice period as in-person meetings.”
Section 2: "Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised" shall govern the proceedings of all meetings of the Executive Committee.
Article VII- HD27B Conventions
Section 1: HD27B Conventions shall be held each year during the period and for the purpose designated by the Official Call issued by the HD27B Executive Committee, the State Executive Committee, the State Central Committee, or the Sixth Congressional District Committee. The time and place of these conventions is to be determined by the HD27B Executive Committee. Special HD27B Conventions shall be held at the call of the aforementioned groups, or at the discretion of the majority of the HD27B executive Committee, provided that a minimum of ten (10) day notice be sent to each delegate and alternate.
Section 2: If events warrant a Special Election to public office, an emergency Endorsing Convention may be held at the call of the State Executive Committee, HD27B Chair and Deputy Chair, or at the discretion of the majority of the HD27B Executive Committee. A notice of not less than five (5) days shall be given to delegates and alternates. They shall be held for the sole purpose of endorsing a candidate for office.
Section 3: At all HD27B Conventions, the first (1st) order of business shall be the credentials report. The convention shall then proceed to the seating of the delegates, as outlined in Article VII, Section three (3). A precinct shall be entitled to one (1) vote for each delegate/alternate present and seated provided that all delegates represent the same ratio of Republican votes Ratio differences between the precincts that exist following redistricting cause variances in the value of each delegate’s or alternate’s vote. Therefore, the value or each vote will be calculated as follows:
30:1 .5 vote 60:1 1 vote 90:1 1.5 vote
Section 4: The HD27B Convention shall be composed of delegates and alternates selected at Republican Party Precinct Caucus within the geographical area of house district 27B. The ratio to allocate delegates shall be uniform throughout HD27B for any caucus after the adoption of this constitution. The credentials committee shall seat all duly elected and accredited delegates of each precinct who are present. In the event no delegates are present from a precinct, the credentials committee shall seat all accredited alternates from that precinct, indicating which delegates they replace. Vacancies shall be f illed according to the following procedures:
A) The precincts shall caucus after acceptance of the first credentials committee report. If the precinct chair is not present, the seated delegates shall elect a chair, and then proceed to fill the vacancies.
B) Vacancies shall be filled by the alternates in the order in which they were ranked by the Precinct Caucus. If not ranked, then by vote of the seated delegates. If a tie vote arises, the chair shall appoint, by coin toss, one of the alternates who participated in the tie. Alternates shall be elected to fill vacancies individually to replace specific delegates. The alternate so elected may subsequently vote in the election to fill the next vacancy.
C) If a delegate should arrive late, the delegate shall assume the seat of the delegate's alternate. A delegate may be seated at any time, provided that registration has not closed.
D) If a precinct has any vacancies which can't be filled by an alternate from the same precinct, the vacancy will remain.
Section 5: Delegates and alternates to the Republican State and Congressional District Conventions shall be elected in accordance with the laws of the State of Minnesota, as well as the State Republican Constitution, and shall continue as such until their successors are elected. Congressional District and State Delegates and Alternates shall be elected at large at the HD27B Convention. Alternates shall be ranked for seating purposes at these conventions.
Section 6: A motion to endorse will be in order at any HD27B Convention in the years when these elections occur. This motion must be carried by a majority vote.
A) The HD27B Convention may endorse a candidate for office of State Representative within House district 27B. B) Endorsement in the HD27B convention shall be by sixty percent (60%) of the delegates at the convention
C) The last credentials report prior to each ballot shall govern the voting strength.
Article VIII - Vacancies and Removals
Section 1: Vacancies in precinct offices may be filled by appointment of the Executive Committee or, if so directed, by a caucus of Republicans in the affected precinct. Should vacancies occur in the Executive Committee, replacements may be appointed by the Executive Committee.
Section 2: An officer of the Executive Committee may be removed from office by a two-thirds (2/3) vote at any meeting of the seated committee members provided that the officer in question be furnished with a minimum of fourteen (14) day notice of the charges that may warrant removal. Further, the officer in question shall be entitled to respond to these charges in person or in writing prior to the vote to remove.
Section 3: If a member of the Executive Committee is absent without cause from more than four (4) Consecutive meetings, this person shall be automatically removed from the Executive Committee. Notice of removal shall be sent to the former member by the Chair.
Section 4: It is the duty of all Executive Committee members to support Republican endorsed candidates through the determination of the election. Should any member of this body actively and publicly campaign against a Republican endorsed candidate, that member may be removed from the Executive Committee in accordance with the provisions of Article VIII, Section 2.
Section 5: Any elected member of the Executive Committee except State Central Delegates who announce their candidacy for Federal or State elected public office shall be placed on immediate leave of absence and if they receive endorsement or win the Primary Election, they shall resign their position on the Executive Committee.
Article IX - Dissolution
In the event the State Legislative lines are redrawn, the Executive Committee shall have the power to dissolve HD27B by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote.
Article X- Amendments
This Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the delegates present at any HD27B Convention, provided that the proposed amendments be first referred to a duly appointed Constitution Committee, and that the Official Convention Call states that amendments are to be considered.
Adopted March 26, 2022
Amended March 4, 2023