Rhode Island Democratic Socialists of America bylaws

ARTICLE I — Name and Jurisdiction

Section A — Name

The name of this organization shall be Rhode Island Democratic Socialists of America (henceforth “Rhode Island DSA”), a local affiliate (henceforth “Chapter” or “the Chapter”) of Democratic Socialists of America (henceforth “DSA” or “DSA National”).

Section B — Jurisdiction

The jurisdiction of Rhode Island DSA shall consist of the state of Rhode Island

ARTICLE II — Organizational Philosophy

Section A — Political Goals

Providence DSA establishes the following as its primary political goals:

Openly educate and advocate for democratic socialism in our geographic area
Actively engage in progressive movements and struggles in the Greater Providence area which are consistent with our values and vision for a democratic and humane society free from oppression and exploitation
Strive to create a working class political movement that embodies the working class in all its diversity, which means fighting for inclusion and equal standing for all marginalized groups as well as for structural reforms to our society that empower workers against the owning classes
Fight for a sustainable relationship between human society and our natural environment
Seek to demilitarize US foreign policy as well as radically democratize our government.
Work to enable the transformation from capitalism to socialism and human liberation from all oppressive social structures

Section B — Organizational objectives

Providence DSA establishes the following as its organizational objectives:

Providing a means by which members and supporters of DSA can participate in the life of our organization
Support other DSA Locals and organizing committees in New England, surrounding areas, and the country to the greatest extent possible
Participate in the national campaigns and projects of national DSA
Build organizational infrastructure to bring a wide diversity of working class people together on political, social, cultural, intellectual and artistic bases.

Section C — Spirit of the Providence DSA

DSA as an organization is proud of our diversity, commitment to democracy, and the pluralism which is at the heart of our organization. We are united by a rejection of capitalism, authoritarianism and oppression in all its forms, and a commitment to the democratic revolutionary practice required to transform our social system into one of freedom and equality.

We hold critical and independent thought to be essential for a democratic movement. Disagreement between members is not only expected but desirable, and we seek to foster constructive and comradely dialogue across these differences in a way that includes and respects each person.

ARTICLE III — Membership

Section A — Membership Rights

The membership as a corporate body is the sovereign authority in Rhode Island DSA, the bylaws express its will and it elects as delegates the officers. Each member has the right to attend and participate in official Rhode Island DSA meetings and public events. Each member has the right to speak in meetings, within the bounds, to be determined by the membership and enforced by moderators, of equitable, inclusive, and democratic discussion. Each member has the right to propose action items and amendments to the bylaws, and to vote on such decisions, provided the member is an Eligible Voter as defined in Section C.

Section B — Membership Location

Membership is extended to any DSA member who is current on dues to the national office, or has requested a hardship waiver, and resides in the geographic area served by the Chapter. A member of DSA residing outside the geographical area served by the Chapter may be granted membership on two conditions: that they agree to and do participate regularly in the activities of the chapter; and that they are not a voting member of another DSA chapter. A majority vote of Eligible Voters is required to grant such extraterritorial membership.

Section C — Eligible Voters

“Eligible Voters” include anyone who is within the membership location as defined by Section B, has not been removed from membership by the Chapter or marked “lapsed” on dues by National DSA, and meets the following requirement:

Effective December 2023, members shall remain Eligible Voters if they have participated in at least 2 Rhode Island DSA activities within the past 365 days. Qualifying activities are: attending one of the Chapter’s monthly general body meetings, attending one of the Chapter’s working group or committee meetings, volunteering for a working group or committee, volunteering at an event organized by the Chapter, attending an educational event, attending a new member orientation, and attending strike support organized by the Chapter. The Membership Coordinators along with all working group and committee chairs are responsible for guaranteeing that attendance is recorded. Membership Coordinators are also expected to communicate participation requirements to membership and inform members when their voting status is in jeopardy.

Section D — Membership Removal

A member may be removed from membership by submitting a letter of resignation, or for the following reasons:

Non-payment of dues (unless a hardship waiver has been requested);
Harassing another member or having a documented history of violence or harassment;
Advocating illegal violence or terrorism;
Disrupting meetings;
Deliberate or persistent violations of any part of the Code of Conduct;
Substantial disagreement with the Chapter’s Core Principles;
Being employed by a law enforcement agency.

If a member is to be removed from membership for any reason other than their resignation, the member shall be notified by the Executive Committee after a majority of the Executive Committee votes to move to remove the member. The member shall have the right to defend themselves in front of the membership during a special meeting, and shall only be removed following a ⅔ vote of Eligible Voters present at the defense.

Section E – Core Principles

Rhode Island DSA welcomes as members all who are in general agreement with our Core Principles:

Socialism. We believe that capitalism, and its repressive political institutions, must be replaced by a government and an economy that are run democratically by the working class.
Class Struggle. Workers and bosses have conflicting interests. The working class needs its own organizations to fight back against the capitalist class.
Unity of the Working Class. Socialists organize to unite workers across divides of race, gender, and nationality, and we fight oppression wherever it is found.

Section F – Code of Conduct

Rhode Island DSA members will:

Refrain from any harassment, intimidation, or abuse of other members.
Uphold a culture of open and respectful debate: avoid personal insults and accusations, respect the right of all members to state their political opinions freely, and express one’s own views honestly.
Respect the democratic processes of the Chapter and refrain from disrupting meetings.
Report concerns about other members’ conduct to a Harassment and Grievance Officer rather than taking matters into one’s own hands.
Refrain from using the grievance process to rid the Chapter of people with whom one has personal conflicts or political disagreements.
Disclose any personal or financial conflicts of interest that may affect official DSA business.
Respect confidential information, and avoid using any membership or financial data to harm Rhode Island DSA or its members.
Refrain from creating any social media accounts, websites, or publications in Rhode Island DSA’s name without the Chapter’s permission.

ARTICLE IV — DUES AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Annual dues shall be paid to the DSA National office.

Members may also choose to contribute funds directly to the Providence DSA.

ARTICLE V — BRANCHES

Providence DSA may establish branches on geographical or other bases as circumstances warrant.

ARTICLE VI — MEETINGS

Section A — Frequency and access

Official general body meetings of the Rhode Island DSA shall be held on a monthly basis, and are open to both members and non-members of the organization. Particular non-members may be excluded under exceptional circumstances, to be decided by the membership. Other events and non-decision-making meetings may be held more frequently. Official meetings should be held in locations that are as accessible to all members as possible, including wheelchair access. If a member cannot attend an official meeting in person, they may request to be linked in over the phone or using audio/visual programs. In such cases, the Executive Committee must make good-faith efforts to accommodate the request. In meetings where proposals are up for vote, Eligible Voters may also vote by proxy if they inform the moderator in advance.

Section B — Notice, agenda and moderation

The Executive Committee must give 14 days’ notice for official meetings to all Rhode Island DSA members through email, Rhode Island DSA’s current web page, and applicable social media outlets. The Executive Committee must also determine and distribute an agenda for an official meeting to all Rhode Island DSA members with at least 5 days notice. The Executive Committee is responsible for moderating official meetings or delegating such moderation, and ensuring an equitable, open and inclusive discussion. Any member may propose items for discussion, which may be added to the agenda by a majority vote of Eligible Voters in attendance.

Section C — Quorum

A quorum is 75% (rounding down) of the average attendance of Eligible Voters (online and in person) at the previous 3 general body meetings.

Section D — Voting Process

Only Eligible Voters shall have the right to vote on motions and proposals. Non-members may be invited to speak on proposed votes. Unless otherwise specified in the bylaws, votes are decided by majority rule and the following process shall apply:

i) Introducing Proposals

Proposals shall be debated and voted upon at official general body meetings, and may be introduced by any Eligible Voter. A proposal shall be added to the meeting agenda if it is submitted at least five days in advance (i.e., in time to be distributed with the agenda). Eligible Voters in attendance shall vote whether to take up each proposal for debate.

ii) Debate

If there are multiple proposals introduced at one meeting, the Executive Committee shall specify the order of debate on the agenda beforehand. Eligible Voters attending the meeting shall vote to approve or revise the order of debate.

During debate, any Eligible Voter may request a vote to extend debate time, close debate and move to a vote, or table a proposal. A proposal may be tabled indefinitely or added to the next meeting’s agenda.

iii.) Amendment

With the agreement of its author(s), a proposal may be amended prior to being reintroduced at a subsequent meeting, as long as the new version is submitted five days in advance. An amendment may also be voted on during a general meeting, with or without the authors’ approval, if it is introduced as a separate proposal in the manner described in (i), or if it is introduced by a vote from the floor.

iv.) Final Vote

If there is a quorum, votes taken during general body meetings shall be immediately binding. With or without quorum, the Eligible Voters at a general body meeting may also choose, by majority vote, to put proposals to an online vote of all Eligible Voters in the Chapter. Online voting must remain open for at least 72 hours.

ARTICLE VII — EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Section A — Officers

The Executive Committee shall consist of the following elected officers:

· 3 Co-Chairs

· 2 Membership Coordinators

· Communications Coordinator

· Treasurer

· Social Media Coordinator

· Secretary

· One chair for each of the Chapter’s official working groups and committees.

In addition, when there are at least 5 rank-and-file union members in a given union local who belong to Rhode Island DSA, they may nominate a representative from among themselves to serve on the Executive Committee. The representative must be approved by a Chapter vote as described in Section J.

Section B — Officer Roles

The Co-Chairs are responsible for ensuring that announcements for upcoming meetings are made to DSA members with sufficient advance notice, preparing meeting agendas, facilitating meetings, and other organizational tasks. Working with and informing the Executive Committee, they serve as Providence DSA spokespeople and liaisons to YDSA chapters and outside organizations. They organize the Executive Committee as a leadership body between official meetings.

The Membership Coordinators are responsible for managing and updating the Local’s email list, verifying members’ status with the national office, welcoming and orienting new members, and developing and implementing a program of membership recruitment.

The Communications Coordinator is responsible for facilitating communication with the media as well as chapter members. They work with the rest of the Executive Committee to draft press releases. They handle internal communications between the Executive Committee and the general body through a weekly email newsletter to members, and check the chapter’s email inbox regularly.

The Secretary shall take notes at general body meetings and Executive Committee meetings. The Secretary shall maintain the organization’s calendar and update the website.

The Treasurer is responsible for establishing a Local bank account, and for the proper accounting of funds collected and disbursed, including providing regular (no greater than every three months) updates on fund balances and expenditures to the membership. At the request of both Co-Chairs, the Treasurer must deliver a full report on Local finances within two weeks of notification.

The social media coordinator is responsible for maintaining an active social media presence for the Local in pursuance to its stated objectives.

Section C — Ad Hoc Leadership Roles

Chapter members may be appointed by the Co-Chairs to ad hoc leadership positions, or to ad hoc committees, on an as-needed basis. These are not Executive Committee members or official Chapter committees and have none of the privileges associated with such roles.

Section D — Amending Officer Roles and Responsibilities

Changes/additions to Local officers (i.e. Secretary, etc.) may be made by amending the bylaws.

Section E — Diversity in Executive Committee

Members electing the Executive Committee shall consider intersectional parity as important criteria during nomination and election of committee members.

Section F — Expenditures

Expenditures of Chapter funds must be consistent with Rhode Island DSA’s stated goals and objectives. Expenditures of $50 to $500 must be approved by a majority vote of the Executive Committee and must be reported to the membership at the next official Chapter meeting. Expenditures greater than $500 must be brought to a general body meeting for a vote. Executive Committee members shall be permitted to spend amounts of less than $50 in the support of routine Chapter activities (e.g. refreshments for a meeting) without seeking prior approval; these expenditures must be reported to the Executive Committee and that body has the right to restrict or regulate members’ future spending if deemed excessive or inappropriate (by a majority vote).

Section G — Branch Organization Leadership

Branches under the Local shall elect chairpersons by their branch membership, consistent with the membership criteria and election procedures described in this document. Those elected branch chairpersons shall be members of the Executive Committee, ex officio.

Section H — Term of Service

The term of service on the Executive Committee shall be twelve (12) months.

Section J — Election Procedure

Executive Committee candidates are nominated by Chapter members and must present themselves for questions at a meeting open to membership. In cases of contested races, elections will be conducted by secret ballot (single transferable vote) sent to all Eligible Voters via email, with voting open for 7 days. Where a candidate runs unopposed, simple acclamation by Eligible Voters at the meeting suffices.

Section K — Recall Procedure

Executive Committee members remain accountable to the Local membership throughout their terms. Any member may, on grounds of nonfeasance or malfeasance, call for a recall election of any Executive Committee member(s) at an official meeting with a quorum. If a total of five or more members join in calling for such a recall election, challengers may be nominated for the contested seat(s). If one or more challengers are nominated for a seat, an election will immediately follow according to the procedure described above. If no challengers are nominated, the incumbent retains his or her position by default.

Section L — Chapter Statements

Members of the Executive Committee are entitled to advocate for their individual views within and without Providence DSA. However, when making statements through DSA media channels, the Executive Committee should strive to broadly reflect the positions of the national organization and the priorities voted on by the Providence chapter. If there is conflict among the general membership regarding what the political positions of the chapter ought to be, the Executive Committee shall help facilitate debate and democratic deliberation, and ultimately determine the chapter’s stance through a majority vote of the general membership.

Whenever feasible, the Executive Committee shall allow membership to review public statements and editorials at least 24 hours before publication.

ARTICLE VIII — Amendment

These bylaws may be amended or replaced with the approval of a two-thirds majority of the Eligible Voters at a general body meeting following the process described in Article VI.

ARTICLE IX. — Subgroups within Rhode Island DSA

Section A — Caucuses

Caucuses are affinity groups for members with shared identities, interests, or political views. Any dues-paying member may form a caucus without the approval of the Executive Committee or a vote by the Chapter. Caucuses cannot host public events as Rhode Island DSA or promote themselves using the Chapter’s name. They may propose ideas for DSA-sponsored events to the Executive Committee.

Section B — Committees

Committees (with the Executive Committee as the highest body) carry out general functions of the chapter, including political education, electoral work, and labor organizing. Creation of a committee must be approved by a majority vote of the Executive Committee. Effective December 2023, each committee must have a chair who is elected to the Executive Committee by the Chapter (Article VII), with nominations open to the general membership.

Section C — Working Groups

Working groups engage in outward-facing political organizing around specific issues (such as Medicare for All). A working group can only be created by a proposal approved by a majority vote at a general meeting (Article VI) or Chapter convention (Article XI), and must be renewed by a vote every year.. Prior to a vote, the potential members of the working group must submit a plan to the general membership that outlines the campaign(s) they intend to pursue. A working group must have at least five members. Effective December 2023, a chair of each working group must be elected by the Chapter to serve on the Executive Committee (Article VII).

Section D — Responsibilities of Working Groups and Committees

Working groups and committees must pursue the objectives of the Chapter as determined by the Chapter platform and the proposals approved by the general membership. Within a month of its formation, each working group or committee must present a plan stating its objectives for the long term (2 years), the medium term (one year), and the immediate stage. The plan should explicitly state how the group will work toward the broader goals outlined in the Chapter platform. The plan must be approved by a majority vote at a general body meeting (Article VI) or Chapter convention (Article XI). If the plan is rejected, a revised plan must be presented at the subsequent general body meeting. If the working group or committee does not produce an acceptable plan on this timeline, the general body may dissolve the group by majority vote.

ARTICLE X. — Chapter Political Endorsements

Preamble: Grounding Principles for the Endorsement Process

Rhode Island DSA will only provide financial or volunteer support (such as canvasses, phone banks, and social media) to candidates endorsed by a vote of the general membership.
An individual member may suggest a candidate for endorsement. However, if the person bringing forth the petition for endorsement is not willing to donate at least 5 hours a week for several months to get a candidate elected, they should not bring forth an endorsement petition to the Chapter.
If the Chapter endorses candidates, but fails to do the necessary work to get them elected, it devalues our endorsement and weakens our political power.
Likewise, we have expectations of endorsed candidates. They must pledge not to take corporate, commercial real estate, fossil fuel, or police union donations. They must use their office to draw attention to issues affecting the multiracial working class. They must commit to universal programs that benefit everyone, paid for by taxing the rich.
Endorsed candidates must openly identify as socialists and be active, dues-paying members of Rhode Island DSA. Candidates and elected officials are expected to attend DSA meetings, maintain communication with the chapter, and frequently consult Rhode Island DSA on political and legislative decisions.
DSA-endorsed politicians are expected to play an oppositional role in the political system. They should not support establishment Democrats for the purpose of gaining the favor of Party leadership. Unacceptable activity would include, for example, voting for conservative leadership in order to receive a seat on a committee.
Rhode Island DSA expects endorsed politicians to maintain a voting record that is consistent with the Chapter platform.
If a DSA-endorsed candidate is elected, Rhode Island DSA expects to play an ongoing role in the candidate’s fight to organize a working-class majority and demand socialism in our country.
As a best practice, we hope to revise these bylaws regularly (either annually, or preceding an election cycle), and the revision process will be time- and date-stamped.
Any candidate endorsed by the Chapter is expected to cross-endorse all other DSA-endorsed candidates in Rhode Island.

Section A — Definitions

Electoral Committee member: An Eligible Voter who attends 50% of Electoral Committee meetings over the three months preceding a vote

Eligible Voter: See Article III, Section C

Section B — Starting the Endorsement Process

At any point, a potential candidate can submit a request for the chapter to endorse the candidate. This will include a brief written statement explaining why they want to be a Rhode Island DSA-endorsed candidate. This person will also fill out an endorsement questionnaire.

Before sending the questionnaire to the potential candidate, the Electoral Committee and the Executive Committee will review and amend it to reflect current chapter priorities. The questionnaire will be approved by a majority vote of Eligible Voters (according to the process in Article VI).

An Eligible Voter may also suggest a candidate for endorsement. This nomination must be seconded by another Eligible Voter. If the suggested candidate accepts the nomination, they will be required to fill out the endorsement questionnaire and proceed with the process as a self-nominated candidate would.
The candidate will submit the endorsement request and questionnaire to the Political Electoral Committee, which will vote on whether the candidate can move to the next step of the process: an endorsement vote from the general body.

Section C — Potential Endorsement and Moving to a Vote

The Electoral Committee will decide on endorsement by assessing whether the candidate meets the minimum requirements stated in the Preamble of Article X, and whether the candidate’s campaign is consistent with the electoral strategy voted on by the Chapter.
If the candidate’s endorsement is approved by a 2/3rds vote of the Electoral Committee, the statement and endorsement questionnaire will be made public to the entire chapter for at least two weeks. After that period, Eligible Voters will be able to vote on the endorsement at the next general body meeting (according to the process in Article VI). It will also be made known that their endorsement was approved by the Electoral Committee.
If the candidate’s endorsement is not approved by the Electoral Committee, the candidate can have the Executive Committee share their statement and questionnaire with the general body, and allow them two weeks to review it. After which, at the next general body meeting, Eligible Voters can vote as to whether this candidate will receive endorsement. It will also be made known that this candidate was not endorsed by the Electoral Committee and the rationale for this decision must be presented. In either situation, the candidate must be present at the general body meeting and will be required to answer questions from members.
At the next general body meeting, after the information session, the Electoral Committee may move to endorse the candidate.
In order for an endorsement to be approved, these conditions must be met:

No less than 10% of all Eligible Voters must vote.
A ⅔ majority of Eligible Voters who vote endorse the candidate.

Section D — Rescinding an Endorsement

By majority vote, Eligible Voters may censure a politician or rescind an endorsement. A censure is a public statement of disapproval of an action. Rescinding endorsement means Rhode Island DSA withdraws its support from the politician.
It is the responsibility of Rhode Island DSA’s membership to uphold the democratic decisions of the chapter and ensure our organization does not support politicians who fail to meet our minimum requirements as specified in the Preamble of Article X. If a politician has violated these bylaws, members are encouraged to call for a vote to rescind endorsement. Members may also issue censures or rescind endorsements when politicians violate other chapter resolutions, or for any reason the membership sees fit.

Voting Process

If a politician has taken an action that violates a democratic decision of the Chapter, the Executive Committee may draft a censure through its prerogative to write chapter statements (Article VII, Section L). However, the statement of censure must be emailed to all Eligible Voters for a majority vote via an electronic ballot that remains open for at least 72 hours.
A motion to rescind endorsement must be brought to a vote by the standard process described in Article VI. Censures may also be introduced in this manner.

Section E — Resource Allocation

If a candidate is endorsed, the chapter will:

Organize canvasses, phonebanks, and other volunteer actions as needed
Promote the candidate on social media, in statements, and in other literature
Permit the candidate to use the ProvDSA name, logo and other images on their literature

All candidates who are endorsed must discuss ways in which they will work directly with the Providence DSA chapter, including the number of volunteer hours they expect to need.
Providence DSA has finite financial, volunteer, and other resources. Before deciding who will receive an endorsement, the Political Electoral Committee, in conjunction with the Executive Committee, will evaluate the chapter’s capacity to engage in multiple campaigns.

Section F — Voting Guide

The Electoral Committee may choose to create a voting guide to be circulated to members at least two weeks before mail-in voting is to start.
This guide will include DSA-endorsed candidates first and foremost, but may also contain information on ballot measures, as well as negative endorsements of a few bad Democrats — especially those who should not be supported even when a Republican might win the election. The guide will not issue blanket recommendations of Democrats or progressives with the justification that they are preferable to their opponents, or otherwise circumvent the democratic endorsement process mandated by these bylaws.
A draft of the voting guide will be approved by the Electoral Committee and the Executive Committee, then opened to review by the general membership for a period of at least one week, after which time the Executive Committee will prepare a final draft to bring to a vote at a general meeting by the process in Article VI.

ARTICLE XI. — Chapter Platform

At each convention, Rhode Island DSA shall vote to approve a chapter platform. The platform expresses the official views of the Chapter and guides the Chapter’s public messaging, committees, and working groups. Politicians endorsed by Rhode Island DSA are expected to maintain a voting record consistent with the platform. Chapter members are not required to agree with the platform and may advocate to change it.