[These minutes were approved by the executive committee in the meeting of 22 May 2024.]

Adelante Progressive Caucus

Executive Committee

Minutes of regular meeting, 27 March 2024

Attendance

Present

Cricket Courtney (CD-2 Chair)
Colton Dean (Chair)
Dan Fay (Treasurer)
Patricia French (Past Chair)
Jay Levine
Roger McNew
Nicole Maestas Olonovich (Political Director)
Scotti Romberg (Vice-Chair)
Michael Sperberg-McQueen (Secretary)
Carol Trujillo-Fay (CD-1 Chair)
Jane Yee

Call to order

In the (temporary) absence of the chair, the vice-chair called the meeting to order at 6:36 pm and confirmed that a quorum of the executive committee was present.

Reports of officers and committee chairs

Vice-Chair’s report

The vice-chair reported that she has been working on issues relating to Resolution 2023-07, Adelante’s transparency resolution. A letter to state chair Jessica Velasquez has been drafted.

Secretary’s report

The secretary reported that he is in arrears on minutes of meetings, and apologized.

He noted that he had given Adelante’s report at the State Central Committee meeting on 23 March. Other EC members reported having had inquiries about what happened and asked for more details. (See below.)

There was discussion.

Treasurer’s report

The treasurer reported a balance in the account of $4846.64; he is working on a report for the Secretary of State.

CD 1 chair’s rport

The CD-1 chair recalled that she has submitted a proposal for a social-media presence on Instagram for the caucus, and that she was working on arrangements for a national figure to address the April members meeting: Cenk Uygur, founder of The Young Turks, who is no longer running for president.

There was discussion of the April meeting; the political director recommended that we devote the bulk of the meeting to CU’s remarks and discussion afterwards, but noted that we have six candidates who have asked to speak to the caucus and seek our support and suggested we begin the meeting by hearing from them.

JL volunteered to help manage the Zoom meeting in order to avoid trouble from Zoom bombers.

CD 2 chair’s rport

The CD-2 chair reported that her recent work has focused on the state convention and the SCC meeting.

Report from SCC meeting

The secretary summarized the content of the slides of the talk. (The text is reproduced at the bottom of these minutes.) When the report reached the middle of the second slide, reporting that the challenge to Resolution 2023-07 has not yet been resolved, the state chair interrupted the report and ruled the speaker out of order, saying that the matter was still being adjudicated and should not be discussed publicly. The secretary responded that he was saying nothing about the merits of the case, reporting only on procedural issues. On the next slide, pointing out that such delays make it easy for anyone to block SCC action on anything, the chair again interrupted and ruled the report out of order.

The vice-chair reported that a letter protesting the interruption of our report has been drafted; also, yesterday we were notified that the Judicial Council has now ruled on the challenge to Resolution 2023-07.

There was discussion.

RESOLVED: to ask the secretary to draft a report on the events of the SCC meeting, to be approved by the chair and vice-chair, for possible distribution in a newsletter. (Motion by NMO, seconded by CD, passed without disent.)

Letter of protest

The draft letter of protest was reviewed and revised. There was consensus to send the letter to the officers of DPNM; views were divided on whether to send it to the executive director.

Status of Resolution 2023-07

PF reviewed the background of the resolution on transparency and the history of efforts to block it in various ways.

The Judicial Council has now ruled in favor of the challenger, ruling further that the amended resolution cannot be re-balloted because in the Judicial Council’s view the process by which the amendments were adopted violated DPNM Rules.

We discussed whether to appeal the Judicial Council’s decision to the SCC, or take the loss and move on. One advantage of letting the decision stand is that the Judicial Council’s instructions not to communicate with various parties about the case are no longer applicable once a final decision is reached. If we do not appeal, then we can speak in public about the case. On the other hand, some find it difficult to accept the idea of not appealing a decision as badly reasoned as the ruling by the Judicial Council in this matter.

There was some sentiment for moving forward not by attempting to resurrect Resolution 2023-07 but by introducing different resolutions addressing basic principles of transparency and openness in the work of DPNM committees.

RESOLVED: that the caucus should not appeal to the State Central Committee to overturn the Judicial Council decision on Resolution 2023-07, and that the caucus should instead move forward with other resolutions (motion NMO, second CD and PF, passed without dissent).

Proposal for an Instagram handle

CTF presented her proposal that Adelante set up an Instagram handle. The goal, she said, would be two to three posts a week.

RESOLVED: to adopt CTF’s proposal for an Instagram handle, and adopt as policy that any member of the Executive Committee be able to post.

Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 9:02 pm.

Attachment: Slides from Adelante report to SCC, 23 March 2024

1 Since last September

Routine caucus business:

regular meetings

political discussions, education

outreach

preparation for legislative session, legislative work

Chair Patty French stepped down; Colton Dean succeeded her.

Regular elections for vice-chair (Scotti Romberg), CD chairs

(Carol Trujillo-Fay, Carol Courtney).

2 Working for transparency within DPNM

Biggest challenge: defend SCC’s right to make decisions.

Last year: drafted Resolution 2023-07.

Voted on, October 2023.

Results never announced: vote challenged.

Challenge now with Judicial Council (since November 2023).

Three chairs in succession; contradictory instructions.

Unnecessary and harmful confidentiality.

3 Want to kill a resolution?

Resolutions 2023-07 and -08 show a simple way to block any SCC action on any topic:

File a challenge.

Then, in the Judicial Council, delay, delay, delay.

With luck, your opponents will get tired and quit in disgust.

For what it’s worth … Adelante won’t quit.

4 Up next

more outreach meetings;

prepare for NM legislative session 2025;

elect a strong progressive delegation to national convention;

continue working for transparency, diversity, and democracy in DPNM.