Bylaws

Article I: Name

The name of this organization shall be the New York Republican Liberty Caucus, hereinafter referred to as the “NYRLC”. The organization seeks recognition as a State Chapter of the national Republican Liberty Caucus, hereinafter referred to as “RLC”. These Bylaws and Standing Rules were adopted in Convention on the day of July 27, 2021, and recognition of the NYRLC was granted by the RLC Board of Directors on August 8, 2021.

Article II: Purpose

The NYRLC is a political action organization dedicated to promoting the ideals of the U.S.  Constitution, individual rights, limited government, and free enterprise within the Republican Party of the United States of America (“Party”) by:

Promoting the aforementioned ideals among Party officials and its various organizations;

  1. Identifying and supporting candidates sympathetic with the aforementioned ideals; and
  2. Promoting NYRLC and RLC membership among Party registrants, officials, officeholders, and voters.

Article III: Membership

Section 1: There shall be four categories of membership: Regular, Student, Associate, and Honorary.

  1. Regular membership shall be limited to individuals who live or work in New York State; are affiliated with the Republican Party (as determined by the NYRLC Secretary); have paid current minimum dues, and support the purposes of the NYRLC. Regular members are qualified to serve in any official capacity in the NYRLC, to act as delegates at any Convention, and to enjoy all the privileges extended in these Bylaws.
  2. Student membership shall be limited to individuals who are currently enrolled as a student in an educational institution in New York State, and shall confer the same privileges and follow the same eligibility requirements as Regular membership above.
  3. Associate membership shall be open to individuals who do not qualify for Regular membership or student membership, no matter their political affiliation, who have affirmatively indicated their support for the purposes of the NYRLC as determined by the Secretary. Associate members shall receive such services and privileges as the Board of Directors may specify.
  4. Honorary membership may be extended to any person designated by the Board of Directors of the NYRLC. Honorary members shall enjoy such rights, privileges, or honors as may be explicitly conferred thereby, either individually or as a group.

Section 2: The Board of Directors shall set the minimum annual dues requirement for Regular and Associate membership in the NYRLC. Dues shall be current until the anniversary date of each respective member’s previous dues payment.

Section 3: Dues payments received by the NYRLC shall be shared with the national RLC in a fixed amount, not to exceed twenty-five dollars, as determined by the Board of Directors and disbursed to the RLC on an agreed schedule, at least quarterly and at least thirty days before a RLC Convention. Dues payments received by the RLC shall be shared in the same fixed amount and disbursed to the NYRLC on the same agreed schedule. The NYRLC may offer premium membership rates or services, which shall be subject to the same fixed dues sharing amounts as Regular membership. No Regular membership shall be offered for a period in excess of two years.

Section 4: The NYRLC may waive its portion of dues for any special circumstance or condition approved by the Board of Directors, but shall pay the fixed shared amount of dues to the RLC, either from the exceptional membership dues payment or from general revenues. Either entity may offer periodic payments smaller than the Regular minimum dues but shall disburse the shared portion before any other allocation of receipts.

Section 5: Contributions received by the NYRLC from contributors who are not Regular Members shall first be applied toward minimum annual dues and shared in the same fashion as other dues receipts unless the contributor explicitly declines such membership. All other contributions or donations may be expended as specified by the NYRLC, but shall not be donated to any electoral campaign.

Section 6: Any membership may be suspended or revoked by a majority vote of the Board of Directors of the RLC or the NYRLC Board of Directors for just cause, which may include malfeasance in office, misappropriation of funds, misrepresenting the positions of the RLC, or conduct which reflects poorly on the RLC as determined by the NYRLC Board of Directors. Any member suspended or revoked by the NYRLC organization shall have the right to appeal to the National Board of Directors within 90 days, and the National Board of Directors shall render a decision within 90 days of the appeal.

Article IV: Board of Directors

Section 1: The Board of Directors of the NYRLC, hereinafter “Board”, shall consist of the Officers of the NYRLC. There shall be an additional 15 At-Large members. Board members shall be Regular members of the NYRLC, elected for two-year terms by delegates at a Regular Convention of the NYRLC. The Chairman may appoint Alternate members of the Board to serve whenever regular members are absent from any meeting or fail to participate in any electronic ballot. Any member of the Board may be removed for just cause, as defined in Article III, Section 6, and vacancies may be filled with a nomination by the Chairman supported by a majority vote of all Board members.

  1.  Members of the Board defined under this article before the first even-numbered year Convention of the NYRLC as defined in Article VI will serve the lesser of 2 years or until the first Convention as defined in Article VI.

Section 2: The Board shall ensure the effective implementation of these Bylaws; adopt an annual or quarterly budget; provide for effective communications among members, the NYRLC, and the general public; and make arrangements for Regular and Special Conventions of the NYRLC.

Section 3: The Board shall have full power and authority to govern all the affairs of the NYRLC between conventions and shall have the sole, ultimate, final, and exclusive control over all property, assets, liabilities, and other resources of the NYRLC. The Board shall have the authority to hire, fire, contract, and take such legal actions as will affect the will of the Board.

Section 4: The Board shall conduct its meetings in conformance with the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, in the absence of standard or special rules it may adopt that conform with these Bylaws and Rules. The Board may conduct meetings or ballots by telephone, email, or any other means it deems appropriate, including synchronous or asynchronous electronic communication platforms.

  1. Regular meetings of the Board shall occur at least quarterly, with at least one week’s notice. A special meeting of the Board shall occur immediately following any Convention.
  2. Other special, emergency, or informal meetings of the Board may be called at the written request of any three members, on three days’ notice to all Board members.
  3. Any Regular member may attend or obtain the minutes of any Board meeting, unless two-thirds of the Board members agree to a closed session, at which the Board may deliberate, but not adopt, exceptional motions.

Section 5: In any dispute between the RLC and NYRLC, the decision of the RLC Board of Directors shall be final.

Article V: Officers

Section 1: The Officers of the NYRLC shall consist of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer, who shall all be voting members of the Board and subject to the provisions of the preceding Article. Candidates for Vice Chairman, Treasurer, and Secretary shall have been Regular members of the NYRLC for at least one year prior to their nomination. Candidates for Chairman shall have been Regular members for at least two years and members of the Board of Directors for at least six months prior to their Nomination.

  1.  Officers of the NYRLC defined under this article before the first even-numbered year Convention of the NYRLC as defined in Article VI will serve the lesser of two years or until the first Convention as defined in Article VI.
  2. Officers of the NYRLC need not satisfy the length of membership requirements under this article until the NYRLC has been in existence for at least two years.

Section 2: Elected Officers shall assume office at the close of the Convention at which they are elected. Any Officer may be dismissed for misconduct or malfeasance upon thirty days notice to the Officer and a two-thirds vote of all members of the Board. Any Officer vacancy may be filled by a nomination of the Chairman with a majority vote of all members of the Board. New Officers must qualify under the provisions of the previous Section and shall assume office immediately upon election by the Board. If Officer vacancies occur between Board meetings, the seceding officer listed in the preceding section, followed by At-Large Board members, shall serve as the acting Officer until the next meeting of the Board.

Section 3: The Officers shall perform such duties as are prescribed in these Bylaws.

  1. The Chairman shall be the primary spokesman of the NYRLC; shall execute the resolutions of the Board of Directors; shall preside at meetings of the Board and official sessions of any Convention, unless absent or replaced by an Acting Chairman, and shall ensure the administration of all provisions of these Bylaws. The Chairman shall have a casting vote in the case of a tie for any Board vote and a veto over Board decisions that he deems contrary to the interests of the NYRLC. Such veto may be overridden by a three-fourths vote of the Board. The Chairman may appoint and remove any Regular members as Directors of standing committees.
  2. The Vice-Chairman shall assume the duties and obligations of the Chairman in his absence and assist the Chairman in his duties.
  3. The Secretary shall record and distribute the minutes of all Board meetings and Conventions, certify Delegates, conduct such ballots as the Board may direct, and act as Parliamentarian for all official business of the NYRLC.
  4. The Treasurer shall be the custodian of all NYRLC funds shall propose annual budgets, safeguard the financial resources of the NYRLC and make quarterly reports of finances to the Board of Directors and any additional financial reports as the Board may require. The Treasurer shall receive and disburse dues sharing payments in cooperation with the Treasurer of the RLC.

Article VI: Conventions

Section 1: The Board shall call and hold a Regular Convention in every even-numbered year, at such place and time as the Board shall designate, for the purpose of adopting revisions to these Bylaws and Standing Rules, electing a member of the Board, adopting public policy statements, and conducting such other business as it deems appropriate.

Section 2: All members of the NYRLC shall be notified of the Regular Convention at least sixty days prior to the designated date of the Convention. Such notice shall include the location, calendar of events, official business to be conducted, and such other information as would facilitate and encourage attendance by NYRLC members. At the discretion Board, a Regular Convention may be held virtually.

Section 3: All Regular members certified by the Treasurer as having paid current dues at least thirty days prior to the Convention shall be qualified to be voting Delegates for all official business conducted during the Convention. No Delegate shall be required to pay any fee for participation in official business, but may be required to register and pay for such events or services the Board deems beneficial to the NYRLC and attractive to the Members.

Section 4: A quorum for Regular Convention business shall be a majority of the certified Delegates who have registered as being in attendance with the Secretary, or such Credentials Committee as the Secretary shall designate. The Convention shall be governed by the latest version of Robert’s Rules of Order which are consistent with these Bylaws and Standing Rules unless a majority of the registered Delegates adopt special rules for the duration of the Convention. There shall be no absentee or proxy voting on any official business.

Section 5: In the event of an emergency, the Board may, by a two-thirds vote, postpone a Regular Convention for no more than ninety days and shall notify members by the best means available.

Section 6: The Board may call a Special Convention at any time by a majority vote. Special Conventions may only conduct such official business as may be explicitly authorized by a two-thirds vote of the Board. If such official business is authorized, the preceding sections of this Bylaw relating to notice, Delegate status, and proceedings shall apply to official sessions of the Special Convention except as determined by a majority vote of the Board. Special Conventions may include such events and services as the Board deems beneficial to the NYRLC and attractive to the members.

Article VII: Statements of Positions

Section 1: Statements of Position may be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the certified and registered Delegates at any Regular Convention, or the official sessions of any Special Convention which may be authorized by the Board under these Bylaws.

Section 2: Statements proposed by a majority vote of the Board or in a Petition signed by no less than twenty-five Regular members at least forty-five days prior to the Convention date may be submitted to the Delegates for adoption.

Section 3: All proposed Statements shall conform with the RLC Statement of Positions or state and local applications of the NYRLC Purpose. Prior to Convention consideration, copies of the proposed Statements shall be submitted in writing to the RLC Board at least ten days before the Convention for review, advice, and consent.

Section 4: Notice of all proposed Statements shall be distributed to Regular members with the notice of Convention.

Article VIII: Local Chapters

Section 1: The Board shall encourage and certify local, county, and regional chapters within the state which qualify under the provisions of these Bylaws and Standing Rules. A Local Charter may be granted to any group of five or more Regular members who are residents of the subject area and who have signed a Petition for Charter and submit it in writing to the Board of Directors.  The Board may certify qualified local caucuses by a majority vote at a regular meeting.

Section 2: The Board may set such minimum criteria for local chapter bylaws and require such verification of Regular membership as it deems appropriate for Certification. Local Charters must submit an annual certification due every December 31st with the number of members, officer’s names, phone numbers, and email addresses, the mailing address, banking establishment, domain registration, and social media accounts of the Local Charter and any information needed for continued support for the membership by electronic forms. Local Charters must submit new leadership information within 30 days of any convention of leadership changes in the Local Charter.

Section 3: In any dispute between the NYRLC and any local chapter, the decision of the NYRLC Board of Directors shall be final.

Section 4. Chapters that engage in public outreach or communications shall use standard authorized NYRLC materials, including but not limited to printed and online publications; unless they submit any new materials or representations of NYRLC to the NYRLC Board of Directors for advance approval.

Section 5. The Board may suspend or revoke a Local Charter by a 3/4 vote whenever a Local Charter is shown to be in violation of its own, or the NYRLC Bylaws and Rules. If a Local Charter’s membership is below the five members needed to qualify for charter certification for a consecutive six calendar months, the Local Carter will be considered decertified as a Local Charter until such time as members petition to charter again.

Article IX: Amendment

Section 1: These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the certified and registered Delegates at any Regular Convention, or the official sessions of any Special Convention which may be authorized by the Board under these Bylaws. Amendments proposed by a majority vote of the Board or in a Petition signed by no less than twenty-five Regular members no less than forty-five days prior to a Convention may be submitted to the Delegates for adoption. Notice of proposed amendments shall be distributed to all Regular members with the notice of the Convention.

Section 2: Amendments shall go into effect immediately unless otherwise stated in the proposed Amendment.

Section 3: NYRLC Standing Rules may be amended by a majority of the certified and registered Delegates, or by a two-thirds vote of the Board, after at least thirty days’ notice.

Section 4: The Board may amend the Bylaws or Standing Rules by a majority vote, so long as the amendments contain only formatting, structural, stylistic, or grammatical changes to the Bylaws or Standing Rules and do not change their meaning, substance, or intent.

Standing Rules

Rule 1. Standing Committees

  1. The Activities Committee shall plan, arrange, promote, and conduct all events, including informal meetings and Regular or Special Conventions of the NYRLC.
  2. The Endorsements Committee, under the direction of the Chairman, shall obtain, review, and distribute information on candidates, and recommend candidates for endorsement by the Board.
  3. The Finance Committee, under the direction of the Treasurer, shall arrange, facilitate and solicit financial contributions to the Caucus.
  4. The Membership Committee, under the direction of the Chairman, shall promote new memberships, encourage membership renewal, and ensure the maintenance of an accurate membership database. It shall promote, assist and process all Petitions for local, county, or regional chapters of the NYRLC.
  5. The Policy Committee shall monitor bills and rules under consideration by the New York State Legislature, New York City Council, and relevant state and local regulatory agencies, coordinate with the Publicity Committee to inform members of relevant legislative activity, recommend legislation for endorsement or opposition by the NYRLC, and arrange for qualified members to testify on behalf of the NYRLC when appropriate.
  6. The Publicity Committee, under the direction of the Secretary, shall supervise, maintain, and conduct communications among the members, the media, and the general public. This shall include drafting press releases, policy statements, interview guidelines, and other communiques as appropriate for the NYRLC. This committee shall also oversee the social media presence of the NYRLC, ensuring regular and relevant content in accordance with the purpose of the NYRLC. The Committee Director shall submit communiques to the appropriate officer for review prior to being released in the officer’s name.
  7. The Rules Committee shall review the rules and bylaws prior to the biennial convention and prepare a report of proposed changes if needed. 
  8. All officers and Board members shall serve on, at least, one committee.

Rule 2. Dues Sharing

NYRLC membership dues may be collected by either the RLC or the NYRLC, provided that:

  1. The amount collected for Regular membership shall not be less than $15, which shall be transferred to the other entity as the dues share for that member;
  2. The standard dues collected for Regular membership shall be $45 for both RLC and NYRLC membership, of which $15 shall be transferred to the other entity as the dues share for that member;
  3. Either entity may collect smaller periodic dues payments toward membership, but shall allocate the first receipts to dues sharing with the other entity;
  4. No dues transfer shall be required for members making dues payments to the NYRLC who are residents of unNYRLCed states or territories;
  5. The RLC or NYRLC organizations may offer such premium membership rates or services as may be designated by their Boards, subject to the same fixed dues sharing amounts as Regular membership;
  6. Honorary memberships may be offered by either the RLC or NYRLC organizations, but if they grant any of the rights of Regular members, the granting entity shall pay the other entity the dues share for that member;
  7. Contributions or donations made by non-members shall be subject to dues sharing unless the contributor or donor declines Regular membership privileges;
  8. All contact and payment information received by either entity shall be communicated to the other entity, at least as often as shared funds are disbursed under the Bylaws;
  9. Membership shall expire upon the Anniversary date of the last payment made by a Regular member.

Rule 3. Candidate Endorsements

Any candidate endorsement by the NYRLC shall comply with the following:

  1. The endorsement of a candidate for federal office in New York may be proposed by a majority vote of either the Board of the RLC or the NYRLC Board. No proposal for endorsement shall be official or made public until it has been confirmed by a majority vote of both the RLC Board and the NYRLC Board. No candidate contesting an election against any Republican Party nominee (winner of any applicable Republican Party primary election) may be proposed for endorsement by the RLC;
  2. The NYRLC Board may endorse candidates for any state legislative seat or state cabinet-level positions, and any other state/local offices, but endorsements of candidates for state executive offices shall require the same RLC confirmation as candidates for federal offices;
  3. A primary candidate for President of the United States may not be endorsed by the NYRLC or the RLC in the absence of a majority vote of the RLC Board and each Chartered RLC State’s Board;
  4. Preference shall be granted to any candidate who has signed the “Liberty Compact” of the RLC;
  5. Endorsements may be withdrawn for good and sufficient reasons upon the majority vote of both the proposing and confirming Boards.

Rule 4. Public Policy Statements

The Board of the RLC or NYRLC may adopt and issue public policy statements that do not conflict with the Statements of Positions specified in these Bylaws:

  1. Public positions related to federal legislation may only be adopted by a majority vote of the RLC Board after at least two days notice;
  2. Public positions related to state legislation or administrative rules may only be adopted by a majority vote of the NYRLC Board, but shall not conflict with any prior policy position adopted by the RLC;
  3. No resources of the NYRLC shall be used to promote any commercial enterprise without the advance contractual approval of the Board.

Rule 5. Political Action Committees

The NYRLC Board may establish a political action committee, hereinafter “PAC”, under the applicable state statutes, for the purpose of contributing to state or local candidates for public office, provided:

  1. The PAC shall be designated with the proper state authorities as a membership committee of the NYRLC;
  2. The Board of Directors of such PAC shall include all of the Officers of the Board of the NYRLC;
  3. The PAC shall be constituted with such bylaws and rules as are consistent with NYRLC Bylaws and Standing Rules;
  4. The PAC shall not contribute to any candidate who has not received a public endorsement by the NYRLC in compliance with the applicable Standing Rules;
  5. The PAC shall not contribute to any federal candidate and shall forward any donations designated for federal candidates to the designated RLC PAC;
  6. All PAC donations and contributions, as well as all contact information obtained by the PAC, shall be disclosed promptly to the RLC and the RLC PAC.

Rule 6. Electronic Voting

Votes of the Board may be taken by electronic ballot via either eMail or eGroup tabulations conducted by the Secretary under the following rules:

  1.  Electronic ballots shall be issued to all Board members on any resolution submitted by at least three Board members to the Secretary;
  2. The Secretary shall issue an electronic ballot within two days and shall receive and tabulate all ballots received within seven days of issue;
  3. If any Officer or At-Large Board member fails to cast a ballot, the Secretary shall record them as absent and substitute the ballots of Alternate members in the chronological sequence in which they were received;
  4. The Secretary shall inform members of ballots cast and provide members who have not cast a ballot with a two-day reminder of the ballot deadline;
  5. In the event that fewer than five ballots are cast prior to the deadline, the resolution will fail for lack of a quorum;
  6. The results of the balloting shall be reported to Board members immediately after the deadline and recorded in the minutes of the next Board meeting.

Rule 7. Local Charters

Petitions for a Local Charter shall include the following:

  1. Local Charter Bylaws adopted by two-thirds of the Petition signers which include all the provisions of these Bylaws and Standing Rules related to Charters;
  2. Certification of the election of Local Charter officers;
  3. Such additional documentation as may be specified by the NYRLC Board of Directors.