AZ Democratic Party Bylaws

Approved June 14, 1980<= span lang=3DEN style=3D'font-family:Verdana;color:#333333;mso-ansi-language:EN'= >
Last Amended February 23, 2002

PREAMBLE

These bylaws cover the operation and organization of the Arizona Democratic Party, a party organization establi= shed pursuant to ARS Title 16, Sections $16-821 – 828; such sections shal= l be considered Appendix 1 of these bylaws.

ARTICLE I

ORGANIZATION

SECTION 1. State Committee. There shall be a State Committee, with membership as provid= ed by law and in Article II of these bylaws, which shall have duties and responsibilities as provided by law and these bylaws. The State Committee = shall be the governing body of the Arizona Democratic Party and shall have autho= rity over all actions of the Executive Committee, Executive Board, and other committees of the Arizona Democratic Party.

SECTION 2. Exec= utive Committee. There shall be an Executive Committee, with membership as provided by law and in Article IV of these bylaws, which shall have duties= and responsibilities as provided by law and these bylaws, subject to direction= by the State Committee.

SECTION 3. Exec= utive Board. There shall be an Executive Board, with membership consisting o= f the elected State Committee Officers as provided in Article III of these bylaw= s, which shall have duties and responsibilities as provided by these bylaws, subject to direction of the State Committee.

ARTICLE II

STATE COMMITTEE

SECTION 1. Memb= ership. Unless otherwise prescribed by law, membership of the State Committee shall consist of the chairperson of each county committee of the Democratic Part= y of Arizona, plus one (1) member of the county committee for every three (3) members of the county committee elected pursuant to statute. Only precinct committeepersons elected at the preceding primary election shall be eligib= le for membership on the State Committee at the statutory organizational meet= ing. Elections to the State Committee shall be held at the biennial meeting of = each county committee through the process of open nomination and election. In t= he case of Maricopa and Pima Counties, these members shall be elected at an o= pen nomination and election process at the biennial district meetings as provi= ded in the respective County bylaws. No slate identification shall be allowed = on any ballots or balloting at these elections. Following the statutory organizational meeting, vacancies may be filled by any precinct committeep= erson pursuant to statutory procedure.

SECTION 2. Orga= nizational Meeting. The State Committee shall hold a biennial organizational meet= ing in Phoenix no earlier than ten (10) days after the last county meeting of = the party and in no event later than the fourth (4th) Saturday in January foll= owing a general election.

SECTION 3. Duti= es of the State Committeepersons. The duties of the Committeepersons shall include but not be limited to:
a) Canvass and campaign only on behalf of Democratic candidates.
b) Assist in registration programs and in turning out a maximum Democratic vote.
c)Support the permanent State Party organization as well as their County a= nd District Party committees.
d)Encourage financial support of the State Democratic Party, their County Committees and their districts.

SECTION 4. Remo= val from office of State Committeepersons. A Committeeperson will be deeme= d to have resigned if
a)he or she fails without reasonable explanation to attend in person or by proxy three (3) consecutive meetings of the State Committee; or
b)if in the opinion of two-thirds (2/3) of the total membership of the Sta= te Committeepersons of his or her county, as expressed by a vote at a regular= or specially called meeting, the State Committeeperson has refused or neglect= ed their duties; or
c)if the Committeeperson has publicly supported an opposition candidate in= a partisan election.

The County Chair will notify the Committeeperson that because of his or her actions they are deemed to have resigned. If the County Chair is satisfied with the Committeeperson’s explanation as to their actions as aforesaid, then reinstatement may be ma= de, with the concurrence of the respective County Committee as expressed by a = vote of the majority attending a regular or specially called meeting. The State Chair shall be notified of the steps in the aforesaid actions before any s= hall become final. If a Committeeperson wishes to appeal his or her removal, the State Executive Committee shall act as final board of arbitrators. The decision reached by the Executive Committee shall be final.

SECTION 5. Vaca= ncies. A vacancy in the State Committee shall occur if a member dies, resigns, fa= ils to maintain Democratic registration, is removed by cause, or otherwise cea= ses to be a member of his or her county committee. In addition, in counties wi= th populations of less than five hundred thousand (500,000) persons, a vacancy shall exist in the state committee when a member moves from the county from which elected. In counties with populations of five hundred thousand (500,= 000) or more persons, a vacancy shall exist in the state committee when a member moves from the legislative district from which elected. Within fifteen (15) days of the occurrence of a vacancy in the office of State Committeeperson= , in counties with populations less than five hundred thousand (500,000) person= s, such vacancy shall be filled by appointment made by the State Chair with t= he advice and consent of the County Chair of the county in which the vacancy occurred, and shall be filled by a person who resides in the same district= in which the vacancy occurred. In counties with populations of five hundred thousand (500,000) or more persons, such vacancy shall be filled by appoin= tment made by the State Chair with the advice and consent of the County Chair of= the county in which the vacancy occurred and the District Chair of the distric= t in which the vacancy occurred, and shall be filled by a person who resides in= the same district in which the vacancy occurred.

ARTICLE III

STATE COMMITTEE OFFICERS

SECTION 1. Offi= cers. The statutory officers, Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer, shall be elected = at each biennial organizational meeting. At this meeting, the State Committee shall also elect from its membership a First Vice-Chair of a different gen= der and county of residence as the Chair, a Senior Vice-Chair of the same gend= er and different county of residence as the Chair, three (3) Vice-Chairwomen, three (3) Vice-Chairmen, an Educational Coordinator, and an Affirmative Ac= tion Moderator. The National Committee Members are Party officers but shall be elected as described in Article IX, Section 2. No more than two (2) of the= four (4) Vice-Chairmen or two (2) of the four (4) Vice-Chairwomen shall be elec= ted from the same county. The First Vice-Chair and Senior Vice-Chair shall be = the highest-ranking vice-chairs of their gender. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall be appointed by the State Chair; all other officers shall be elected.

SECTION 2. Elec= tion of Officers.
a)All nominations for State Committee officers shall be made from the floo= r of the convention or meeting and no slate identification shall be allowed on = any ballots or balloting at these elections. Any duly elected or appointed Sta= te Committeeperson may be eligible for any elective office but no person shal= l be submitted as a candidate without the consent of such person having first b= een obtained. In all cases where there is more than one (1) candidate for offi= ce, voting shall be done by individual ballot. No county shall bind itself to = the unit rule. An automatic recount is required if the number of votes cast is greater than the number of committeepersons present in person or represent= ed by proxy or if the ballot shall result in the election of an officer not just= the elimination of a candidate and there is a margin of less than six (6) votes between the elected officer and the next candidate. To be elected, a person must receive votes on a majority of ballots cast. In the event a second or subsequent ballot is necessary, the name of the candidate with the lowest = vote total from the preceding ballot will be excluded. The same procedure shall= be followed until a nominee shall have received votes on a majority of ballots cast.
b)Officers of the State Committee shall be elected in the following order: State Chair; First Vice-Chair; Senior Vice-Chair; Vice-Chairwomen; Vice Chairmen; Secretary; Treasurer; Educational Coordinator; and Affirmative A= ction Moderator.

SECTION 3. Duti= es of Officers. In addition to their duties as State Committeepersons, the d= uties of the Party Officers shall include but not be limited to:
a)The State Chair shall direct the affairs of the Party. He or she shall preside over all meetings of the State Committee, the Executive Committee,= the Executive Board and Party Conventions or meetings as may be held. He or she shall appoint such committees as required by these bylaws or deemed necess= ary by the Chair to carry out the programs and policies of the Party. He or she shall direct the central office of the party and other offices that it may establish. The Chair shall submit a proposal for approval for an annual bu= dget to the Executive Committee.
b)The First Vice-Chair shall assist the Chair in the performance of his or= her duties and in the absence of the Chair shall act in his or her stead. The = First Vice-Chair shall be a member of the Democratic National Committee accordin= g to its rules and shall attend meetings of that committee along with the State Chair.
c)All Vice-Chairpersons shall serve as liaisons to geographic regions of t= he state and caucuses, and perform such duties as are assigned to them by the State Chair.
d)The Secretary shall keep records of all meetings of the State Committee,= the Executive Board, and the Executive Committee; a roll of members of the Sta= te Committee; a copy of formal reports of its officers, committees, and sub-committees; and a copy of all resolutions adopted by the State Committ= ee; and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the State Chair.=
e)The Treasurer shall be the custodian of all funds and securities of the Arizona Democratic Party; maintain adequate records pertaining to the fina= nces of this organization and file all required federal and state reports; be responsible for the financial affairs of the Arizona Democratic Party; pre= pare an annual report for each fiscal year within forty-five (45) days of its closure for distribution at the next State Committee meeting; serve as a m= ember of any committee pertaining to finance or that receives or disburses funds= ; and at least once a month, to the extent that funds are available and expendit= ures are authorized by law, pay outstanding bills which are those bills that ha= ve been duly incurred within the current budget as permitted by these bylaws.= The Treasurer shall disburse funds in accordance with the direction of the Executive Board and where the legality of an expenditure is questioned by = the Treasurer, the opinion of legal counsel is final.
f)The Educational Coordinator shall assist with and direct the implementat= ion of the Party Platform and program for bilingual education and have such ot= her duties as assigned by the State Chair.
g)The Affirmative Action Moderator shall assist with and direct the implementation of the Party Affirmative Action Program as outlined in Arti= cle VIII of these bylaws and have such other duties as assigned by the State C= hair.
h)The State Committee-elected National Committeeman and State Committee-el= ected National Committeewoman shall have duties as described in Article X, Secti= on 3, and have such other duties as assigned by the State Chair.
i)The Sergeant-At-Arms shall maintain order at all meetings of the State C= ommittee and of the Executive Committee and shall keep an inventory of equipment th= at belongs to the State Party and shall report on this inventory at least once each year.

SECTION 4. State Committee Staff. The Chair shall appoint such staff, including counsel= , as may be helpful to carry on the duties of the organization. No such appoint= ment shall extend beyond the term of the Chair.

SECTION 5. Remo= val of State Committee Officers. Any regular officer of the State Committee s= hall be removed from office by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the total number of t= he State Committee.

SECTION 6. Vaca= ncies. Vacancies among the officers shall be filled by an election of the State Committee at an open meeting called with at least twenty-one (21) days wri= tten notice mailed by the State Democratic Office or State Chair. The postmark = will signify compliance with the twenty-one (21) day notice requirement. If the Chair vacates his or her position and is replaced by a person of the oppos= ite gender, the Senior Vice-Chair shall become the First Vice-Chair of the Par= ty with all attendant duties including membership on the Democratic National Committee, and the First Vice-Chair shall become the Senior Vice-Chair. A vacancy in the office of Chair may be filled by any State Committee member residing in any county, and no Vice-Chair will be disqualified by virtue of residency.

SECTION 7. Expe= nses of Officers. The officers may be reimbursed for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in the performance of their duties as set forth in the annual bud= get.

SECTION 8. Annu= al Budget. The budget, approved by the Executive Committee, shall represe= nt the expenditure authority of the Party, subject to amendment, and be in ef= fect for the year starting on the first month after approval. Any expense in ex= cess of the amount budgeted shall be subject to approval of the Executive Commi= ttee. A financial report shall be furnished at least quarterly by the Treasurer.= No contracts for capital expenditures, employment, consultants or contracts in excess of $10,000 signed by the Chair or on behalf of the Party shall exte= nd beyond the term of the Chair without approval of the Executive Committee.<= o:p>

ARTICLE IV

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE<= /h3>
SECTION 1. Memb= ership. Unless otherwise specified by law, the membership of the Executive Committ= ee shall consist of the County Chairperson and the first and second County Vice-Chairpersons from each county; the State Committee-elected National Committeemen, the State Committee-elected National Committeewomen; three (= 3) members-at-large from each Congressional District; the President or a representative of the President of the Young Democrats of Arizona; the President or representative of the President of the Arizona Federation of Democratic Women’s Clubs; and the other State Officers as listed in = Article III of these bylaws. The Chair of the State Committee shall serve as Chair= of the Executive Committee.

SECTION 2. At-L= arge Members. The three (3) members-at-large from each Congressional Distri= ct must be chosen by the State Chair after consultation with the County Chair= s; these appointments shall be made within the month following the biennial meeting.

SECTION 3. Exec= utive Committee Duties. The Executive Committee shall approve the budget and amendments to the budget, approve specific contracts extending beyond the Chair’s term, act as the final board of arbitrators for State Committeepersons seeking reinstatement after removal, and perform such dut= ies as assigned by the State Chair.

SECTION 4. Meet= ings. The Executive Committee shall meet at least quarterly.

ARTICLE V

EXECUTIVE BOARD

SECTION 1. Memb= ership. The membership of the Executive Board shall consist of the elected officer= s of the State Committee: State Chair, First Vice-Chair, Senior Vice-Chair, Vice-Chairwomen, Vice-Chairmen, Secretary, Treasurer, Educational Coordina= tor, and Affirmative Action Moderator, the State Committee-elected National Committeemen and the State Committee-elected National Committeewomen. The = Chair shall serve as the Chair of the Executive Board.

SECTION 2. Exec= utive Board Duties. The Executive Board shall act on behalf of the State Committee between State Committee meetings and perform other such duties as assigned by the State Chair.

SECTION 3. Meet= ings.
a)The Executive Board shall meet at least quarterly.
b)The Executive Board can meet within 48 hours on the call of the Chair. Members may participate in person or electronically.

ARTICLE VI

OTHER COMMITTEES

SECTION 1. Stan= ding Committees. Standing Committees of the State Committee shall be the Fi= nance Committee, Coordinated Campaign Committee, Affirmative Action Committee, a= nd Credentials Committee. The determination of the personnel, size, and other details of the composition shall be the duties of the State Chair, except = the Coordinated Campaign Committee, the composition of which shall also be determined in conjunction with the Democratic National Committee.
a)It shall be the duty of the Finance Committee to assist the State Chair = in raising funds for the State Party.
b)It shall be a duty of the Coordinated Campaign Committee to raise funds = to support the activities of the State Party’s Coordinated Campaign.
c)It shall be the duty of the Affirmative Action Committee to undertake the responsibilities stated in Article IX, Section 1 of these bylaws.
d)It shall be the duty of the Credentials Committee to approve the credent= ials of all State or Executive Committee members at meetings of these committee= s and to review and approve all proxies in accordance with Article VIII, Section= 6 of these bylaws. All challenges of members or proxies shall be referred to the Credentials Committee for resolution. The Credentials Committee shall over= see all vote counts. In the event that a ballot is required, the Credentials Committee shall count the ballots, determine the intent of the voter and resolve any conflicts regarding the validity of any ballot cast.

SECTION 2. Spec= ial Committees. Special Committees of the State Committee shall be the Byl= aws Committee, Resolutions Committee, Delegate Selection Committee, Platform Committee, Communications Committee, and other such committees as may be appointed by the State Chair or as may be directed by the State Committee.= The determination of the personnel, size, and other details of the composition shall be the duties of the State Chair.
a) It shall be the duty of the Bylaws Committee to keep the bylaws of the = Party consistent with the aims and policies of the Party and to propose changes = in the bylaws. The Bylaws Committee shall report to the State Committee and s= hall recommend approval, rejection, or amendment of all bylaw amendments.
b)It shall be the duty of the Resolutions Committee to review all resoluti= ons proposed to the State Committee in accordance with these bylaws. The Resolutions Committee shall report to the State Committee and shall recomm= end approval, rejection, or amendment of all resolutions. The Resolutions Comm= ittee shall establish and publish the procedures for the proposition of resoluti= ons that are consistent with these bylaws.
c)It shall be the duty of the Delegate Selection Committee to ensure that = the rules for delegate selection for conventions and meetings are kept consist= ent pursuant to Article X of these bylaws and to undertake selection of delega= tes in accordance with those rules.
d)It shall be the duty of the Platform Committee, which shall be chaired b= y the Educational Coordinator, to draft a platform that shall be submitted to the Executive Committee for additions and changes prior to its submission to t= he State Committee, and such endorsed document shall be available one (1) mon= th prior to the meeting of the State Committee at which it is to be considere= d for approval.
e)It shall be the duty of the Communications Committee to help create media awareness of the activities of the Party and to assist in any communicatio= ns and voter outreach programs of the Party.

SECTION 3. Comm= ittee Statements. No committee shall be authorized to issue any statement on behalf of either the State Committee or the Executive Committee or as comi= ng from the Party, and any statement of report issued by any committee in its= own behalf shall be confined within the scope of its duties.=

SECTION 4. Fund= s. All funds for committees are under the internal control of the Party and f= all within the duties of the Treasurer.

ARTICLE VII

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS

SECTION 1. Endo= rsements. The State Committee shall endorse persons to be candidates for Presidential Electors of the Party. Each such Elector shall be required to pledge as a condition of his or her selection that he or she will vote for the Preside= ntial and Vice Presidential nominee of the National Democratic Convention of the Democratic Party.

ARTICLE VIII

MEETINGS

SECTION 1. Meet= ings. The State Committee and the Executive Committee shall meet on the call of = the Chair or in accordance with any resolution adopted by it. The Chair shall = call a meeting within twenty (20) days of the date designated by any petition f= iled with the Secretary and signed by ten (10) percent of the total membership = of the body whose meeting is sought, as long as such petition is signed by me= mbers of at least three (3) counties. The State Committee shall meet at least on= ce each quarter.

SECTION 2. Writ= ten Notice. Proper notice shall be given of the date, time, and place by m= ail to each member at his or her address as shown on the records of the State Committee by first class mail at least ten (10) days prior to a meeting or= by bulk mail at least seventeen (17) days before the meeting.

SECTION 3. Quor= um. A quorum of members of the body that is meeting shall consist of at least = forty (40) percent of the membership, provided that notice has been given in accordance with Section 2 of this Article. Proxies will be counted as memb= ers present. A quorum shall be present for all voting.

SECTION 4. Voti= ng. Voting within the State Committee, the Executive Committee or any of their sub-committees shall be on an individual basis and may be actual roll call vote, by county, by division of the body in commonly accepted manner, or by voice vote, as may be appropriate. No slate or title identification shall = be made on any ballot or in balloting.

SECTION 5. Deba= te. Reports of committees, communications to the members of the meeting, resolutions presented and all motions save such as are know to parliamenta= ry practice as “undebatable” may be debated, unless by a two-thir= ds (2/3) vote, the meeting body decides to dispose of them without debate. No delegates or members shall speak longer than five (5) minutes at one time, except as provided in the order of the day or by a vote of the majority of members present.

SECTION 6. Proxy Attendance. Members of the State or Executive Committees meeting pursu= ant to these bylaws may vote by proxy, in which event the following regulations apply:
a)Each Proxy shall be given to a precinct committeeperson residing in the County where the member resides, except any member residing in a Legislati= ve District lying wholly within a single county shall give his or her proxy to another qualified precinct committeeperson residing within such district. =
b)Each proxy shall be attested by a notary or by two witnesses.
c)Each proxy shall state a specific meeting for which it is given and shal= l be valid only for that meeting.
d)Each proxy shall be dated as of the date it is given and shall be valid = only if executed within twenty days.
e)There shall be no limit to the number of proxies an individual can hold unless the State or Executive Committee meeting is held in the county of residence of a committeeperson, then that committeeperson shall carry no m= ore than three (3) proxies.
f)Proxy voting in the matter of delegate selection for the national conven= tion or any meeting covered by separate rules such as delegate Selection will be covered by those rules.
g)Proxy Attendance: Any member who has been present at a State or Executiv= e Committee meeting held pursuant to these bylaws, may, upon leaving the meeting, give his/her proxy in accordance with subsection a); however, if no other quali= fied precinct committeeperson of the county where the member resides will be pr= esent after the departure of the member, the member may give his/her proxy to the State Chair to be voted in accordance with written instructions the member shall put on the proxy form, or, in the absence of such written instructio= ns, to be voted at the discretion of the State Chair.
h)All proxies must be voted in accordance with written instructions the me= mber includes on the proxy form. Failure to do so will invalidate the proxy. i)Proxy voting is not permitted at any other committee meeting pursuant to these bylaws.

SECTION 7. Agen= da. The Chair shall prepare the agenda for each meeting; such agenda must prov= ide adequate opportunity each meeting for any member of that body to present n= ew business.

SECTION 8. Orde= r of Agenda. At any meeting of the State Committee or one of its subcommitt= ees, the order of the agenda shall be opening ceremony, reading of previous meeting’s minutes, treasurer’s report, credentials report, nomination and voting for officers, delegates, etc., officers’ repor= ts, old business and then any other business that shall be before the body in = an order determined by the Chair.

SECTION 9. Open Meetings. All meetings of the State Committee and its subcommittees sh= all be open meetings.

SECTION 10. Parl= iamentary Procedure.
a)The State Chairman may appoint a Parliamentarian who shall serve without= a vote by reason of such office. Should the Parliamentarian be absent at any meeting at which his/her services are required, the State Chairman may app= oint another to act for any such meeting.
b)All meetings of the Party shall be conducted under Robert’s Rules = of Order, Newly Revised.

SECTION 11. Prop= osed Resolutions. A member proposing a resolution shall, whenever possible, submit in writing a copy of the proposed resolution thirty (30) days prior= to the meeting, for the purpose of permitting a copy of the proposed resoluti= on to be mailed to all members along with the call to the meeting. Nothing in th= is section shall be construed as to limit the ability of any member to submit= a resolution less than thirty (30) days prior to a meeting. Any member submi= tting a resolution less than thirty (30) days prior to a meeting, shall provide sufficient copies of said resolution to be distributed to every member pre= sent.

ARTICLE IX

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
SECTION 1. Comm= ittee. The State Committee shall establish a permanent Affirmative Action Committ= ee under the direction of the Affirmative Action Moderator and the State Chai= r. This Committee will be charged with, but not limited to, the following responsibilities:
a)Prepare a program and budget aimed at insuring that there is no discrimination in representation in the State Committee based on race, col= or, national origin, sex, age, physical handicap, religion, philosophical persuasion, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Specifically, this pro= gram should stress methods to bring underrepresented groups into the Party organization as Precinct Committeepersons and State Committeepersons.
b)Set goals and timetables for achieving participatory representation of t= he groups.
c)Make a quarterly progress report to the State Committee.

SECTION 2. Memb= ership. The Affirmative Action Committee shall consist of at least ten (10) members representative of the makeup of the Democrats of the State of Arizona. The Committee members shall be appointed by the State Chair. The Affirmative A= ction Committee shall elect from its members an Assistant Moderator, a Secretary= and such other officers as they deem necessary.

SECTION 3. Meet= ings. The Moderator shall call at least one (1) meeting, but not limited to one = (1), each quarter.

SECTION 4. Targ= eting Under-Represented Groups. To determine whether various groups are under-represented, the latest U.S. Census or an equivalent recognized demographic study (that indicates a profile of Democratic voters) shall be= used wherever possible. Any group, according to race, color, sex, national orig= in, or age that has a percentage of the State Committee less than their percen= tage of the State of Arizona by more than five (5) percent, shall be considered= as a group that is under-represented and shall receive the focus of attention o= f the Affirmative Action Committee first.

SECTION 5. Coun= ty Committees. Each County shall have an Affirmative Action Committee and= a program with time schedules.

ARTICLE X

NATIONAL COMMITTEE
SECTION 1. Memb= ership. According to the rules of the Democratic National Committee, the State Cha= ir and the First Vice-Chair along with the National Committeemen and Committeewomen shall be the Arizona members of the Democratic National Committee.

SECTION 2. Nati= onal Committeemen and National Committeewomen. The State Committee shall el= ect by a majority vote the number of National Committee Members authorized by = the Democratic National Committee, all of whom are qualified Democratic electo= rs and who have been elected as precinct committeepersons, to represent the s= tate of Arizona on the National Committee for a term of four (4) years. These elected National Committee Members shall be divided equally between male a= nd female members as closely as is possible. Should a vacancy occur in the Ar= izona membership, the State Committee shall elect one (1) of its members to fill= the unexpired term. The normal election for the National Committee Members sha= ll be held at the first State Committee meeting in the year of the National Convention to select a presidential nominee.

SECTION 3. Meet= ings. The members in Section 1 of this Article shall attend such meetings as are called by the National Committee, whenever possible.

ARTICLE XI

DELEGATE SELECTION
SECTION 1. Rule= s. There shall be rules for delegate selection for conventions and meetings o= f the National Committee, which are in accordance with the guidelines set by the Democratic National Committee. These rules shall be an Appendix to these b= ylaws and may be enacted, changed or modified separately from these bylaws, but = must comply with these bylaws.

ARTICLE XII

BYLAWS

SECTION 1. Effe= ctive Date. These bylaws shall go into effect immediately upon their adoptio= n and shall continue in force for present and future membership subject to amend= ment or termination in accordance with the provisions of this Article.

SECTION 2. Amen= dments. These bylaws may be amended by a vote of not less than two-thirds (2/3) of= the members of the State Committee present, in person or proxy, at a regular o= r specially called meeting of the State Committee. Any proposed change must be present= ed in writing accompanied by a statement explaining the purpose to be achieved a= nd reasons supporting the change. There will be sufficient copies to distribu= te to members present. For all meetings except the biennial organizational meeti= ng, amendments in writing must be received in the State Headquarters or by the Secretary at least thirty (30) days prior to its consideration at the meet= ing. The proposed amendments will be mailed with the call of the meeting. Motio= ns to amend these bylaws may be made at the statutory organizational meeting onl= y if accompanied by sufficient copies to be simultaneously distributed to membe= rs present. No proposal to amend or terminate these bylaws shall be considere= d by the State Committee unless it has been submitted in compliance with the provision of this article.

SECTION 3. Coun= ty and District Bylaws. Each County and District Committee shall have bylaws = and such bylaws shall not be contrary to these bylaws.

Approved June 14, 1980
Amended December 5, 1981
Amended November 16, 1985
Amended May 24, 1987
Amended January 26, 1991
Amended May 8, 1999
Amended July 17, 1999
Amended February 23, 2002