STATE REPORTS
By Various

Alaska

The Green Party of Alaska held steady during 2004 despite ballot access issues and extensive efforts from Democrats to hurt the Greens.

The U.S. Senate race was the focus for media attention, where the Republican and Democratic candidates spent more than $5 million each, record figures. The Democratic U.S. Senate campaign targeted Greens mercilessly with their large corps of paid election workers. Fortunately, Alaska only lost about 120 Greens. Jim Sykes received about one percent of the vote and was included in a number of important candidate debates, both local and statewide. Thanks to Fairbanks Greens, students at UAF invited all U.S. Senate candidates to a debate. Sykes was invited to speak to the Juneau and Anchorage Chambers of Commerce-a first.

Meanwhile, U.S. House candidate Tim Feller received almost 4 percent. In 2004, the legislature changed the law to require a 3 percent threshold vote only in the U.S. Senate race. The Green Party challenged the concept of requiring a vote percentage in a specific race claiming any statewide race should qualify. A ruling is expected soon.

The Greens are working with the legislature to create a fair, reasonable and defensible set of requirements for ballot status: 3 percent of the vote in any statewide race or 1 percent of the voter registration of the number of registered voters who voted in the general election.

The Southcentral Greens hope to persuade the City of Anchorage to upgrade its sewage treatment from primary to secondary before sending it out the pipe into Cook Inlet, and to raise the visibility of "Health Care for All." One of the agenda items at the statewide convention will be whether to move forward with a clean elections petition drive such as in Maine, Massachusetts and Arizona. The 2005 GPAK convention is scheduled for Anchorage on April 30.

The Tanana-Yukon Greens, of the Fairbanks area, had a quiet year, but have recently revamped their webpage and are discussing participation in a series of public events in cooperation with local civil rights, peace and justice organizations.

Contact GPAK at www.alaska.greens.org.

Montana

Organizing a Green party in Montana hasn't been an easy task. Many areas of the state are so conservative that people are actually afraid to organize. According to State Coordinator Scott Proctor, "I've got about four members of the state party up in Kalispell who are literally scared that if they all got together in one place the right-wingers would set it on fire!" Those who think he may be joking should think again: "The conservatives have already burned an abortion clinic, as well as the home of a lesbian couple who were seeking insurance coverage through the University of Montana."

With so much fear left and so little political agenda yet accomplished, the Montana Green Party (MGP) would like to pose the question: "What will the conservatives do with all the people they've scared, once they've gotten whatever it is they want?"

In a recent post-state-of-the-union visit to Montana, MGP Secretary Paul Stephens learned first-hand about the intimidation inherent in Red State politics. As reported in the Billings Gazette on Feb. 4, 2005, Mr. Stephens "stayed home during President Bush's visit here after the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service paid a visit to his house Tuesday." The visit was spawned from comment made by Mr. Stephens in one of the MGP Weekly Bulletins, which are available on line at www.mtgreens.org.

Despite the pressure from the oppositions, the MGP has grown from its original 12 members to over 60 members in three years, with new members joining all the time. MGP is undergoing the process of accreditation and hopes to be the newest accredited member of the GP-US soon.

Contact MGP at www.mtgreens.org.

New York

Ellenville Village Trustee Steve Krulick, the third registered Green elected to municipal office in New York State, is running for re-election in March 2005 for a full two-year term on the Village Board. In winning his first race, for a one-year vacancy, Krulick was the highest vote-getter, with 63 percent of the vote.

Since the Green Party of New York State (GPNYS) lost its ballot line in 2002, Krulick was unable to be endorsed by the state Green party, but accepted endorsement from the local Democratic Party, as well as running on an independent Clean Sweep line.

"Having out-polled all opposition in Ellenville's part of my county district in 2001 and 2003 (while running twice for County Legislator), I strategically decided to run for Village office in early 2004, also taking advantage of having just campaigned," said Krulick. "But I adamantly refused entreaties to change parties, proudly included my Green credentials (including county and state party positions) on my literature and in campaigning, and made sure Green issues and planks were on the platform."

Krulick, as a GPNYS Executive Committee regional representative, is also working on regaining ballot status for the party through the 2006 governor's race. The committee structure of the GPNYS State Committee was revitalized at their January 2005 meeting as a springboard for the 2006 campaigns.

As an intermediate stage to regaining automatic ballot status, the GPNYS brought suit in December 2002 against the New York State Board of Election (NYSBOE) in Federal District Court. With legal representation from the Brennan Center for Justice, the GPNYS won the right to continue to enroll Greens. Recently the GPNYS beat the NYSBOE's appeal of the decision and is awaiting a final order from the District Court to enshrine its rights.

To join GPNYS, check off the "other" box on the current New York State voter registration form and write in "Green."

Contact GPNYS at www.gpnys.org.

Oregon

With the Oregon legislature convened for its biennial session, Pacific Green Party members are gearing up to press for legislative action. The focus for the coming year will be on enabling legislation, introduced at the behest of the PGP, that would allow cities and counties to use instant-runoff voting for local elections in Oregon. The State Elections Division has determined that enabling legislation is necessary, even though Oregon is the only state which has a preference voting provision in its constitution. Greens are also pressing for passage of a bill to end the prohibition on production of industrial hemp in the state.

Former U.S. Senate candidate Harry Lonsdale, in coalition with other Greens, is still fighting the 10-year battle to bring campaign finance reform to Oregon, with ballot initiatives for a constitutional amendment and an enabling statute recently filed with the Secretary of State. Lonsdale feels confident that Oregonians will overwhelmingly support the new initiative measures, qualifying Campaign Finance Reform for the November 2006 ballot and finally ending the corruption of big money in Oregon politics.

Several potential PGP candidates for office have already announced they are beginning their campaigns. Xander Patterson, now serving his third term on the Multnomah County Soil and Water District Board, confirmed he will be running in a spring 2006 election for Multnomah County Commissioner. And George Grosch, serving in his third term as Corvallis City Councilor, has announced he will try for a seat in the Oregon House. The PGP plans to set up a calendar of open offices for candidates and to begin encouraging other potential candidates for upcoming elections.

Participants at the recent business convention discussed ongoing plans for a proactive strategy, setting themselves a "50-50-10" goal: 50,000 registered PGP voters and 50 high-quality local candidates by 2010. As of September 2004 (the last official count) the PGP was regaining lost ground at 13,977 registrants, just 2,260 short of being the third largest political party in Oregon.

Contact PGP at www.pacificgreens.org.

Pennsylvania

After a busy election year with 19 candidates on the ballot, the Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA) is using this time to organize and build momentum. The December meeting of the GPPA provided delegates with the opportunity to assess the positive aspects of 2004 as well as areas of growth in moving ahead. At the January meeting of the GPPA, state delegates elected their new Steering Committee: Marakay Rogers (chairperson), Thom Marti (secretary), Paul Teese (treasurer), and members at large Traci Confer, Guy Anthony, and Patrick St. John. A brainstorming session was held to identify priorities for the various state committees.

The Politics Committee is encouraging Greens to run for 2005 municipal elections as well as beginning the search for the 2006 elections. The Platform Committee is encouraging Pennsylvania locals to vote on two platform proposals. The first proposal states GPPA's support for ending "faith-based initiatives" and "charitable choice" programs, in which public funds are used to support religious organizations that may not adhere to specified guidelines and standards, including anti-discrimination laws. The second proposal states GPPA's support for sexual and gender minority anti-discrimination efforts and includes the entire LGBTIQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer) community. Support of this platform issue is particularly important as all of these groups are denied protection under Pennsylvania's basic civil rights law, the Human Relations Act.

GPPA delegates recently approved a policy that allows eligible campus Greens representation on the GPPA State Committee. Outreach efforts are underway throughout Pennsylvania to encourage the growth of Campus Green parties and to provide internship opportunities for students running for office or working on political campaigns. The GPPA Steering Committee has established a mentoring program, whereby thriving county parties can help struggling or fledgling counties grow.

Contact GPPA at www.greenpartypa.org.

Texas

The Green Party of Texas (GPTX) exploded onto the scene in the year 2000, clearly showing there is a large political constituency looking for a non-corporate alternative. Unfortunately the party sprang up without the underlying organizational structure and leadership skills needed to sustain itself in the long term. When key organizers went back to their jobs, GPTX gradually deflated, to the point where there was absolutely no support for a petition drive in 2004.

GPTX is now rebuilding from scratch-in a sustainable manner. The rebuilding is akin to growth dormant in winter: right under the snow, ready to sprout. There is still a large group of very committed Greens across the entire state with institutional memory. Minimal tools for rebuilding are in place, but they are not being used adequately. There are also initial plans for the ballot petition drive of 2006, which will be an excellent opportunity to firmly establish the Green Party in Texas.

The challenge lies in increased leadership and organizational skills. Greens in Texas are starting to understand the need to project campaigns into the future in order to build the party, even if it means foregoing short-term actions.

Texas Greens have learned that leaders lead; and that leadership is not merely power and authority. Real leadership is doing the homework to propose courses of action, setting an example, and empowering others to take on leadership roles. For the party this will require learning how to project needs, plan campaigns, budget and fundraise effectively (fundraising is not merely writing a letter or organizing an event; it is a planned strategy to nurture diversified income streams).

In Texas there is increased awareness of the importance of the back office and the minutiae of organizing (i.e., databases, communication tools, and attention to detail). Rebuilding that capacity will require some structure in the form of basic manuals (for continuity), training, and allocation of responsibilities within steering committees to make sure key actions get done on schedule.

Contact GPTX at www.txgreens.org.

Utah

The Green Party of Utah (GPUT) experienced a tumultuous 2004 election season. Delegates to the GP-US convention became convinced that the GPUT should not certify David Cobb on the Utah ballot as its presidential candidate and urged certification of Ralph Nader. Weeks of heated debate resulted in a split in the party between Nader and GP-US supporters, and the state liaison, against the majority of GPUT members' wishes, first certified Ralph Nader on the GPUT ballot, and then removed him and certified no one on the Green ballot. This left the Green voters of Utah with no choice of candidates on the Green ticket. A court case against the state elections office for allowing this certification without consent of the membership ensued. The party lost. The ballot for the Greens remained empty.

GPUT members called an emergency convention, recalled officers, and suspended four members as a result of grievances against them for violation of the key values. New officers were elected.

The general election yielded less than the required percentage of votes for the GPUT to maintain ballot status. A petition drive is underway to gather the required 2,000 signatures to become reinstated as a party with the state.

The suspended faction of the party hijacked the GPUT website in December. As of February, the saboteurs still possess that website. The GPUT quickly organized a new website and was able to get all pages working within a matter of days. As a result of the website hijacking, the GPUT has incorporated its nonprofit arm, the Green Party of Utah, Inc., with the mission of supporting the GPUT and protecting its name.

GPUT is rebuilding despite this party split and loss of ballot access and is looking forward to promoting the platform of the party in its outreach efforts.

Contact GPUT at www.gput.org.

Vermont

The Vermont Green Party, (VGP) for the first time as a recognized state party and an accredited affiliate of the Green Party of the United States, ran candidates for local and statewide office in November 2004. The party made a solid showing, given its status as a brand-new party on the state ballot and considering its very limited financial resources.

The most successful candidate was Greg Delanty, who got 37.8 percent of the vote for Chittenden County high bailiff, representing more than 18,00 votes. Delanty ran against an incumbent Democrat-Republican fusion candidate, showing that when given the alternative to vote Green, voters are not wary of bucking the two-party system. Chittenden County is the largest county in the state, representing more than 25 percent of the total population. It is home to Burlington, South Burlington and Colchester, Vermont's three largest municipalities.

James Marc Leas, who ran for attorney general, got 3 percent of the statewide vote, and came in fourth out of six candidates. Leas ran on a very strong anti-war, anti-USA PATRIOT Act position.

Ben Clarke, city councilor in Winooski, ran for state senate in Chittenden County and received nearly 10,000 votes, proving the strength of the Green Party in Burlington, long known as the bastion of progressive politics in Vermont. The six winners of the state senate race were five Democrats and one Republican.

The Vermont Green Party also ran a candidate for the U.S. Senate, and ran three candidates for local justice of the peace offices in two communities.

"Running our first candidates was a very good experience for us. We gained a lot of exposure in the televised debates, learned a lot, and will be able to mount more and better campaigns in 2006 and 2008," said George Plumb, VGP executive director.

"Building another political party is very challenging, considering that the Progressive Party of Vermont is a major party in this state and holds six legislative seats, and where citizens think of Vermont's congressional delegation as perhaps the most progressive in the nation," said Craig Chevrier, VGP chair. "But we are working hard to help people realize that Vermont needs a progressive alternative that is also affiliated with a strong national third party and is based on the Four Pillars of environmentalism, peace, social justice and grassroots democracy-values Vermonters have always held dear."

Vermont has two elected Greens at local levels of government: Clarke in Winooski; and Rob Williams, school board member in Waitsfield.

Contact VGP at www.vermontgreens.org.

Ed. note: this report did not appear in the previous edition of Green Pages, although submitted for that issue, due to an oversight by the editors. The board extends its sincere apologies to Vermont.

Wisconsin

Looking back:
The Wisconsin Green Party (WGP) celebrates these 2004 achievements: Three new chapters, totaling 13; 40 candidates; presidential nominating caucuses in all eight congressional districts; David Cobb spoke to thousands at the Fighting Bob Festival; and Milwaukee hosted the 2004 GP-US Presidential Nominating Convention.

The WGP co-sponsored Lobby Day, organized by Action Wisconsin, opposing a proposed state constitutional ban on civil unions, domestic partnerships, and marriage for same-sex couples.

Greens were among 1,100 participants in the People's Legislature on Jan. 4, 2005 in Madison-a nonpartisan gathering to give the "politically homeless" a voice and to encourage democracy in Wisconsin. Greens will help organize regional People's Legislature meetings.

Looking forward!
The Wisconsin Coordinating Committee held a strategic planning session. The two-year goals are: 1) Increase membership threefold by creating a Green marketing campaign, take leadership in "green" movements and rework our current membership structure. 2) Win two state offices and run an active gubernatorial campaign. 3) Increase income: create a database of donors and large donor programs, and net at least $100 per month from merchandise sales and Internet donations.

Nine local Green candidates will run for office this spring. Three are incumbents on the Madison City Council, and have been outspoken leaders on minimum and living wages, affordable housing, and sustainable development. Madison faces the privatization of its Equal Opportunities Commission and Affirmative Action offices and a lawsuit backed by Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce fighting the minimum wage increase that Greens fought for and won.

Pete Karas, Green Racine Alderman, is strongly considering a run for Wisconsin State Senate in 2006. His leadership abilities and skill at building community consensus might make him Wisconsin's first Green state legislator.

Contact WGP at www.wisconsingreenparty.org.

West Virginia

Members of the Green Party of West Virginia (GPWV) met in Morgantown on Jan. 15 to plan for their first state convention, which will take place in early June. The June convention will be dedicated to organizing the GPWV, establishing bylaws, setting up a coordinating committee, and deciding how to go about running candidates in 2006. The state coordinator, Chad Edwards, reluctantly decided to become the party's interim treasurer, at the behest of the members at the meeting, in order to try to raise funds to cover the event. So far all the money spent on the GPWV has come out of the individual organizers' pockets.

The Morgantown meeting drew some media attention. The Associated Press from Morgantown interviewed the state coordinator and ran an article about GPWV in the Charleston Gazette. Two local TV stations, WTAP out of Parkersburg and WDTV out of Clarksburg, covered the event. The Dominion Post, Morgantown's local paper, sent a reporter to cover the meeting and ran a story about the Green Party the following day.

The WV Greens wish Marty Qually, its former Eastern Panhandle organizer, luck in his move to Pennsylvania. GPWV appreciates all the work Marty has done for the state party. The Pennsylvania Greens are gaining a great member.

Contact GPWV at www.gpwv.org.

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