General Body Meeting

Agenda

All times are approximate, and Chair may change the order of items as appropriate

Meeting Minutes

Chair: Anthony L.

Notetaker:  Tiffany S.

• Call to order 7:07

• • Gordon motions to adopt the agenda, Erika seconds, no opposition, the agenda is adopted at 7:10
  • Angel motions to adopt March’s meeting minutes, Minnie seconds, no opposition. The March meeting minutes are adopted at 7:12
  • Land acknowledgment
• Guest Presenter: Christian Gerlach of Sierra Club, on the proposed Avi Kwa Ame National Monument
  • Presentation
  • Actions to take:
    • Sign our petition to make Avi Kwa Ame a National Monument http://sc.org/AviKwaAme
    • Write a Letter to the editor to support the Avi Kwa Ame monument designation http://bit.ly/akasclte
    • Join us for Earth Day: https://bit.ly/nvbioblitz
    • Join a meeting with Bureau of Land Management Personnel
    • Follow us on Social Media: OWA_NV
• Treasurer’s Report
  • Email lasvegasdsa@gmail.com for details

• Housing Justice Priority Update

1. • Collecting stories about predatory landlords and bad housing situations
     • Tenant Incident Report Form https://airtable.com/shrlEr60bcsIgs8p9
   • Holding canvasses every other week, next canvass: https://lvdsa.org/events/eviction-defense-canvass-2022-04-16/
   • Next campaign meeting: https://lvdsa.org/events/housing-justice-campaign-meeting-2022-04-12/

• Electoral Priority Update

• • Holding voter guide research sessions every Wednesday at 6pm
  • Doing research on all the incumbents and challengers so we can make recommendations in our voter guide
  • Please share any info you may have on people we should or should not recommend
  • Tell us what criteria you hope we use when deciding who we recommend: https://forms.gle/EkQJAi79G5Mjna7b7
  • Only looking at races in Clark County and statewide seats
• Mutual & Community Aid Priority Update
  • Community Aid is chugging along, served 30 people at Hendershare and 35 at Sunday Solidarity this month
  • Looking for socks, shoes, clothing, hats, tents
  • Our budget allows us to make us regular purchases of hygiene items so we don’t need those donations
  • Be sure to sign in when you arrive at Sunday Solidarity
  • Next Sunday Solidarity: https://lvdsa.org/events/sunday-solidarity/
  • Next Community Aid meeting: https://lvdsa.org/events/community-aid-meeting-2022-04-20/

• Resolution to Amend Internal Mutual Aid

• • Minnie motions to adopt the Resolution to Amend Internal Mutual Aid, Aimee seconds
    • Minnie speaking in favor: Helping comrades is important but the way the internal aid portion of the priority is structured is not the way to do it. There is danger of creating harm by overpromising and under delivering when we do not have the capacity to manage internal mutual aid requests.
    • Passes with 31 in favor, 0 opposed, 14 abstain
•  Bylaw Amendment Resolution
  • Bylaw amendments must be passed at two consecutive meetings when they are presented outside of local convention. This bylaw amendment passed for the first time at the March general body meeting. This is the second vote on this resolution, and if it passes, the bylaw amendments will be adopted
  • Bylaw amendment passes with 34 in favor, 0 opposed, 11 abstain

• Steering Committee Response to NPC Decision to Decharter the BDS and Palestine Solidarity Working Group

• • Since our open letter to the National Political Committee in November, the BDS WG has rightfully continued to demand more from Rep. Jamaal Bowman and the National Political Committee (NPC) in regards to the liberation of Palestinian people. You can read what we understand to be an accurate summary of events in the DSA Observer, which aligns with statements that we have heard from BDS organizers and leaders.
  • On March 18th, the NPC announced that it would be de-chartering the BDS WG, assigning the task of organizing for Palestinian liberation under the International Committee, and suspending members of the BDS WG group from active leadership positions in other national working groups for one year. This action was apparently done in retaliation for BDS WG’s public criticism of the NPC, and an effort to continue stifling dissent from the BDS WG. We are not only disgusted by this decision, but also believe that the NPC does not have the authority to de-charter, revoke the charter of, or otherwise dissolve this working group. The BDS WG was democratically established at the national convention, DSA’s highest democratic body in the organization, and all working groups are ostensibly “autonomous groups.”
  • After hearing from Palestinian organizers from the BDS Working Group and consulting with Nevadans for Palestinian Human Rights, on March 21st the Steering Committee voted unanimously to sign on to this letter titled “For an Internationalist DSA”, notify the chapter, and release a statement from the chapter social media accounts about the decision.
  • On March 24th, the NPC announced that it had voted unanimously to rescind the decision to de-charter the BDS and Palestine Solidarity Working Group. It is our understanding that the individual or individuals who were suspended continue to be banned from national leadership positions.
    While we are pleased that the BDS working group can continue its work, we are frustrated and disappointed in the actions of the majority of NPC members. We want to take this opportunity to answer any questions that you may have, and open the floor for discussion
  • Trinity: In favor of any Palestinian solidarity movements, Palestinians face the same colonization and genocide that Trinity’s people face. Against the NPC’s decision.
  • Tamara: Wants to speak about how this relates to our own community. LVMPD sends officers to learn from Israeli police on crowd control tactics and use them against our community. We have to stand with Palestinians.
  • Tiffany: Wants to remind everyone that they can contact the NPC if they want to make their thoughts known. npc@dsausa.org
  • Minnie: Also wants to remind everyone that members can bring resolutions for a vote in our chapter if there are any actions that members would like to have the body consider.
  • Natasha: It’s not actually clear whether the vote to suspend leadership of the working group actually pass, and the NPC is refusing to address the question of whether they were suspended or not. If you feel passionately about this, please email them and join the forums to make your voice heard. Optin.dsausa.org to join the forums
  • Aaron: How do we as rank and file members expect to keep our NPC electeds accountable? Is there any other mechanism other than email/forums?
    • Anthony: The pressure campaign against the NPC thankfully was able to create a positive outcome with the reversal of the decision. There is some evidence that there was response to the outcry. National convention occurs every two years to elect the NPC. Next one is in 2023. Some people have started a call for a special convention. It is difficult to get the amount of people to sign on to a call for convention. Has to be signed on to by chapters representing 2/3s of the membership.
    • What we can do is continue to focus on our local as well as make it clear when we disagree with the NPC and stick to our values and beliefs.
  • Larry: We just passed a resolution saying we don’t have the resources for internal mutual aid, what effect does Las Vegas DSA have over international issues
    • Tiffany: We have a DSA member who is a member of Congress and has the power to affect these things and is making decisions that go against our values and platform as an organization. The national organization’s decisions are affecting the local coalition that we have built and we have to make it clear we don’t stand with national’s decisions so we can keep those relationships intact
    • Gordon: It’s a matter of integrity. We have to stand by Palestinians.
    • Anthony: This happened because DSA members were having meetings with these elected officials and shifting their policy positions so we do have influence on some matters. And LVDSA has significant sway on a national level, we are well respected and we punch above our weight

• Upcoming Events – https://lvdsa.org/events 

• • Iron workers who are organizing their workplace and trying to unionize. They are holding a rally tomorrow at 10am 5450 E Tropical Pkwy, North Las Vegas, NV 89031
  • Women, Race & Class Book Club
  • Red Deal Reading Group
  • Member Engagement Working Group Session
  • Organizer Training: Structured Organizing Conversations
  • Springtime Solidarity Potluck
    • Bring some food to share or donations to the solidarity fridge

• Open Comment

• • Tiffany: We have merch! New shirt and stickers. You can order off the website to have them shipped to you or purchase some in person at the potluck on the 16th.

• Meeting adjourned at 8:34