North Carolina Association of Educators Political Action Committee Guidelines

Transcription

1 North Carolina Association of Educators Political Action Committee Guidelines Adopted - June 19, 1981 Revised , 1985, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2014 I. Name - North Carolina Association of Educators Political Action Committee (NCAE-PAC) The political action arm for the North Carolina Association of Educators will be known as the North Carolina Association of Educators Political Action Committee (NCAE- PAC). II. Authority A. The Government Relations Commission (GRC) is created by the NCAE Board of Directors. 1. The NCAE Board of Directors approves the appointments to the NCAE GRC. 2. The NCAE GRC is the governing body of the NCAE-PAC. B. It is the responsibility of the GRC to: 1. direct its program of activities toward creating for NCAE the political influence necessary to achieve the goals of the Association, in particular, its legislative goals; 2. review the records and/or qualifications of and promote the campaign of those who are committed to the support of public education and endorse candidates as prescribed in these guidelines; 3. establish and administer, as prescribed under state and federal statutes, a political action fund; 4. plan, authorize, and direct an annual every member voluntary solicitation drive; 5. distribute the state funds for the endorsed candidates and campaigns; 6. provide programs of political education and campaign involvement for the members of NCAE. III. Organization The GRC shall be composed of: A. One representative from each of the fifteen NCAE districts/clusters. 1. Each District/Cluster Advisory Council will recommend at least four names. 2. Both major parties shall be represented among the district/cluster recommendations. Page 1

2 3. At least one name shall be an ethnic minority. 4. Terms of appointment for a district/cluster representation shall be for 3 years. 5. The district/cluster representative may stand for reappointment for an additional three-year term if recommended by the District/Cluster Advisory Council and appointed by the NCAE President. B. The President of NCAE shall serve as Chair. C. The presidents or designees of the Divisions shall serve as members of the GRC. The Retired School Personnel Division shall be represented by two individuals: 1. the president or designee, and 2. an additional representative selected by the NCRSP Administrative Council. D. Two members elected by and from the NCAE Board of Directors shall serve. These members will be elected to one-year terms and may be eligible for reelection for up to two additional one-year terms. E. The Vice President shall serve as Vice Chair. In the absence of a Vice President, the President's designee shall serve as Vice Chair. F. GRC s membership shall have, as a minimum, 25% representation of Democrats and 25% representation of Republicans. G. The NCAE Executive Director or designee shall serve as the non-voting secretary and/or treasurer for the GRC and shall: 1. keep accurate minutes of meetings; 2. keep accurate financial records and file all reports required; 3. co-sign all checks from NCAE-PAC account; 4. provide the political records and data as needed and called for by the GRC; 5. direct staff resources of NCAE to facilitate and carry out the program of NCAE-PAC. H. The GRC shall have a minimum of 25% representation by ethnic minorities. Each gender shall comprise at least 25% of membership. I. GRC members will make decisions on a non-partisan basis. Any member who publicly supports or works for a candidate running in opposition to an endorsed candidate shall resign. J. GRC Meetings 1. GRC shall meet upon the call of the Chair or at the request of a majority of the members of GRC. 2. A quorum shall consist of a majority of the members. 3. No member shall miss more than two consecutive meetings. IV. Funding A. The GRC shall plan and direct various fundraising events and activities. 1. All NCAE-PAC funds garnered through payroll deduction and other fundraising activities, unless specified elsewhere in these Guidelines, shall be distributed as follows: a. Local PAC: 1/3 b. NCAE-PAC: 1/3 c. NEA-PAC: 1/3 Page 2

3 2. All funds solicited as contributions for political activities at NCAE s Convention and Representative Assembly shall be designated to NCAE- PAC. B. Collections shall be handled according to state and federal PAC statutes and regulations. 1. Fund drives and transmission of funds shall be conducted within the time requirement of legal regulations. 2. All PAC funds shall be deposited into a separate bank account. State law prohibits the commingling of membership and political contribution monies. C. NEA-PAC funds will be forwarded to NEA in a timely manner that meets federal and state guidelines. Guidelines are available through the Government Relations Department or the Business Office. D. Local PAC funds will be disbursed under the following process: 1. The GRC will: a. retain the local's funds by separate line item for each local unit; b. assume all legal responsibilities for handling and reporting transactions, and appropriate tax returns; c. disburse, by check, funds as directed by the local affiliate president or designee. Designee name must be submitted by the local affiliate president to the NCAE Government Relations Department annually. 2. The GRC shall not expend local funds below 80%. Any money transferred from local accounts will be reimbursed annually. E. If a local unit has not accessed its local PAC account for fund disbursements within a two-year beginning December 31 of every odd-numbered year, the funds in the respective local line item shall transfer to the state account. F. NCAE-PAC s contributions to endorsed candidates shall be determined by the Chair based on the procedures for candidate support specified in the Operating Procedures of these guidelines. The distribution of funds and any in-kind contributions shall be made without regard to the candidate s political affiliation. V. Endorsement Criteria The GRC shall consider the following criteria when screening and evaluating candidates. A. The candidate's record of performance in support of the NCAE program as an incumbent, as well as other opportunities to aid improvement of public education. B. The accessibility afforded NCAE members and the Association staff by the candidate, if an incumbent. C. The stated and demonstrated commitment of the candidate to the goals of the NCAE; D. The ability of the candidate to succeed in the campaign for the office sought; E. The intent of the candidate to involve the Association and its members or advisors and workers in the campaign and, if elected, to seek the advice of the Association as the representative of education in North Carolina. Page 3

4 VI. Endorsement Procedures A. President of the United States 1. The NCAE President or his or her designee represents NCAE as a member of the NEA-PAC Council. 2. The NEA-PAC guidelines for presidential endorsement will be implemented and GRC will concur or not concur with the NEA-PAC recommendation per the national policy. 3. In the event NEA-PAC takes no action in either the presidential nomination/delegate selection process or the general election, GRC may interview, screen and evaluate presidential candidates in accordance with the NEA legislative program and the candidates' commitment to NCAE members as delegates to the national political conventions. GRC may recommend endorsement to the local presidents for ratification. B. Statewide Elections 1. GRC shall initiate a procedure for endorsement for any statewide office they believe will further the interest of the NCAE membership and public education. These offices may include, but not be limited to Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Treasurer, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction. 2. GRC shall screen and evaluate all viable candidates and reach its decision in ample time to affect the campaign. 3. A majority vote of GRC is required to recommend a candidate for the endorsement of NCAE-PAC. 4. The endorsement for the offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, U.S. Senate, and Superintendent of Public Instruction shall be recommended by the GRC, and shall be sent to the NCAE Board of Directors for final approval by a majority vote. 5. GRC shall become involved in issues such as bond referenda and constitutional amendments at the request of the NCAE Board of Directors. 6. By majority vote, the GRC may recommend a judicial candidate for endorsement. C. U.S. House of Representatives 1. GRC and NEA-PAC will endorse only those candidates when there is concurrence. 2. Candidates shall be screened and evaluated based on their performance and response to the NEA legislative program. 3. The interviewing committee may waive interviewing candidates provided that the incumbent has: a. been previously endorsed; b. interviewed on the current NEA legislative program; and c. holds at least an 80% voting record as published by NEA in the most recent Congressional session. 4. The responsibility for screening and evaluation shall be delegated to a committee composed of local area president appointees in the congressional district. 5. Concurrence of endorsement recommendations for the office of the U.S. Page 4

5 House of Representatives shall be reached through the following procedures: a. A local area president or designee shall submit the recommendation to the GRC for concurrence. b. Following concurrence at the state level, the candidate recommendation shall be submitted to NEA PAC Council for concurrence. D. North Carolina House of Representatives and Senate 1. The GRC and the NCAE locals within North Carolina House and Senate district committees shall endorse only those candidates where there is concurrence. 2. Local presidents or their designees in a given House or Senate District will form the interviewing committee. 3. New House and Senate candidates shall be screened and evaluated based on their performance and response to the NCAE legislative questionnaire. 4. Incumbent candidates shall be screened and evaluated based on their recorded voting records in the General Assembly. 6. In the event locals cannot reach consensus on the recommendation of a candidate, the committee shall state their positions and recommendations, and refer the endorsement to the GRC for action. This does not preclude a local committee from recommending more than one candidate for the same seat. 7. The GRC will consider concurrence of a recommended candidate's endorsement when it has in its possession at the time of its meeting a completed endorsement form. 8. No candidate shall receive state funds or in-kind service without concurrence of the GRC. 9. The GRC may endorse an incumbent if a local North Carolina House or Senate District Committee does not initiate any effort to endorse. The endorsement will be based on the incumbent's voting record and support of the NCAE legislative program in the North Carolina General Assembly. The local unit president(s) in the district shall be notified. 10. A local affiliate may not endorse a candidate without concurrence by the NCAE GRC. The NCAE GRC may not endorse a candidate when the local affiliate has refused to endorse a candidate after having completed the appropriate process. VII. Local PAC Committees A. Local Government Relations committees will file local guidelines with the NCAE Government Relations Office. B. Local Government Relations committees will comply with state guidelines. C. Local PAC funds are for use in local school board and county commissioner races. If a local elects to use local funds for a state legislative race, they may do so only if a candidate has been properly endorsed by NCAE and if the combined local and NCAE contribution does not exceed the maximum contribution allowed by law. Page 5

6 VIII. Retired School Personnel The North Carolina Retired School Personnel will be designated as a local for purposes of maintaining PAC funds with the following procedures in place: A. The PAC monies will be placed in an NCRSP account as a result of direct solicitation of members of the division. Direct solicitation of RSP members will result in the distribution of proceeds as follows: 1/3 to NCRSP, 1/3 to NCAE, and 1/3 to NEA. B. The NCRSP PAC funds will be disbursed to eligible candidates upon the request of the President and Executive Director of the NCRSP in conjunction with the NCAE Government Relations department and in accordance with the NCAE-PAC Guidelines. C. No funds will be disbursed to candidates who have not been endorsed by the NCAE Government Relations Commission. D. The amount contributed to a candidate by NCAE and by NCRSP must not exceed the maximum amount allowable by law for an election cycle. IX. Operating Procedures of GRC Procedures for Candidate Selection and Support The selection of candidates to receive support shall be based on the following criteria: A. Key legislative committee chairmanship; B. Key legislative committee membership; C. Legislative seniority; D. Leadership on key legislative bills; E. Political potential; F. Voting record on NCAE supported bills; G. Degree of need for help: H. Marginality of race; I. Needs of the campaign; J. The importance to NCAE members of a particular candidate or race. Page 6