Green Party of the United States
Advisory Opinion Request (AOR)
Submitted to the FEC August 09, 2001

Executive Summary:

To attain recognition as a National Committee of a political party, the Federal Election Commission has established the following qualifications: 

(1) The Party must have a sufficient number of party-designated federal candidates on the ballot in a sufficient number of states and the party's ballot access efforts must extend beyond the Presidential race to races for the U.S. Congress. See Advisory Opinion 1988-45 and Advisory Opinion 1980-131;

(2) The Committee must conduct activities, such as voter registration drives, on an ongoing basis - rather than with respect to a particular election. See Advisory Opinion 1992-30; 

(3) The Committee must publicize, on a national basis, issues of importance to the party and its adherents. See, e.g., Advisory Opinion 1992-44; and 

(4) The Party must satisfy other criteria, which may include the holding of a national convention, the establishment of national headquarters, and the establishment of state party committees. See, e.g., Advisory Opinion 1992-30.

The sections that follow will address each of these criteria. Each section refers to accompanying, supporting attachments which have been appended to this Advisory Opinion Request and are identified as Exhibits.


I. The History of the Association of State Green Parties (ASGP)
and the Evolution of the Green Party of the United States


The Association of State Green Parties (ASGP) was created in November of 1996 at a gathering held at Glen-Ora Farm in Middleburg, Virginia. The meeting, hosted by the Green Party of Connecticut and the Green Party of Maine, was held to form an Association which would evolve into the national Green Party in the United States. The foundation for the formation of the Association was the State Green Parties which had actively participated in the Ralph Nader/Winona LaDuke 1996 presidential campaign effort. Participants at the Middleburg meeting included individuals from thirty states which had been active in that effort.
At the conclusion of that gathering, a formal decision by the participants was made to form the "Association of State Green Parties" and nine State Party representatives (which had been granted the authority to do so by their State Party) formally joined the Association on behalf of their respective states at the conclusion of the gathering. The mission of the Association, as determined by its members, was (1) to assist in the development of State Green Parties and (2) to create a legally structured national Green Party.
At the original meeting, a provisional set of Bylaws to govern the internal operation of the organization were drafted and adopted by the attendees. Under those Bylaws, the Association's voting membership consisted of two elected representatives to the Association from each member State. That body, the "Coordinating Committee" was empowered with the main decisionmaking authority for the Association. The Coordinating Committee, in turn, authorized the annual election of a five member Steering Committee, which consisted of a Treasurer, Secretary, and three Co-Chairpersons. A set of the current Bylaws are attached to this Advisory Opinion Request [See Exhibit One]. Later, standing committees were also formed to address ongoing and important issues. Those standing committees, with their convenors, are:




1. The Transition Committee (Rick Lass, Green Party of New Mexico);
2. The Media Committee (Nancy Allen, Maine Green Independent Party and Scott McClarty, D.C. Statehood Green Party);
3. The Bylaws Committee (Tom Sevigny, Green Party of Connecticut);
4. The Diversity Committee (Amy Mondloch, Green Party of Wisconsin);
5. The Finance/Fundraising Committee (Robbie Franklin, Green Party of Texas);
6. The International Committee (Anne Goeke, Pennsylvania Green Party and John Rensenbrink, Maine Green Independent Party);
7. The Platform Committee (Steven Schmidt, Green Party of Florida);
8. The Accreditation Committee (Tony Affigne, Green Party of Rhode Island);
9. The Communications Committee (Karin Norton, Green Party of Connecticut and Nathalie Paravicini, Green Party of Texas).

Membership on each Committee is open to Green Party members in all states.


State Party membership in the Association of State Green Parties has risen from the original membership of nine State Parties to a membership of thirty-three State Parties. Each member State Party originally affiliated itself with the Association. Upon the evolution of the Association into the Green Party of the United States, those State Parties filed new affiliation agreements with the Party. Those Affiliation Agreements are appended to this Advisory Opinion Request [See Exhibit Two]. Due to the necessity of adopting new affiliation agreements via regular meetings of the State Green Party governing councils, and the recent evolution of the Association into the Green Party of the United States, six of the thirty-three State Parties have yet to file affiliation agreements with the Green Party of the United States.
State Green Party organizations currently affiliated with the Green Party of the United States are:

Arizona Green Party
Green Party of California
Green Party of Colorado
Green Party of Connecticut
D.C. Statehood Green Party 
Green Party of Delaware
Green Party of Florida
Georgia Green Party
Green Party of Hawai'i
Idaho Greens
Illinois Green Party
Iowa Green Party
Green Party of Kansas
Maine Green Independent Party
Maryland Green Party
Green Party of Michigan
Green Party of Minnesota
Green Party of New Jersey
Green Party of New Mexico
Green Party of New York State
Green Party of Ohio
Pacific Green Party of Oregon
Green Party of Pennsylvania
Green Party of Rhode Island
Green Party of Tennessee
Green Party of Texas
Green Party of Virginia
Wisconsin Green Party

In addition, the Accreditation Committee of the Green Party of the United States is currently working with parties in five additional states, at various stages of party development and accreditation review. Those five state parties are located in:

Alaska
Missouri (The Missouri Progressive Party)
Montana
Nebraska
Washington


Beginning in the 1997 electoral cycle, State Party members of the Association of State Green Parties (ASGP) began nominating candidates for federal, state, and local offices.
Following the Middleburg gathering, the Coordinating Committee of the Association of State Green Parties began its evolution into the Green Party of the United States by holding meetings in the following locations on the following dates:

April 5-6, 1997 Portland, Oregon (hosted by the Pacific Green Party of Oregon)
October 4-5, 1997 Topsham, Maine (hosted by the Maine Green Party)
April 25-26, 1998 Santa Fe, New Mexico (hosted by the New Mexico Green Party)
June 5-6, 1999 Moodus, Connecticut (hosted by the Green Party of Connecticut)
June 23, 2000 Denver, Colorado (hosted by the Green Party of Colorado)
December 9-10, 2000 Hiawasee, Georgia (hosted by the Green Party of Georgia)
July 28-29, 2001 Santa Barbara, California (hosted by the Green Party of California)

A "Short History of the Association of State Green Parties" which summarizes the development of the Association of State Green Parties through these annual meetings of the Coordinating Committee, is appended to this Advisory Opinion Request [See Exhibit Three].

In 2000, the Association of State Green Parties (ASGP) hosted a Presidential Nominating Convention in Denver, Colorado to formally nominate Ralph Nader and Winona LaDuke as the Green Party's official presidential and vice presidential candidates. At that convention, both candidates formally accepted the nomination of the Party. Following the nomination of the ASGP's candidate for President and Vice President, and continuing until the general election in November of 2000, member State Parties of the Association campaigned for the nominated presidential and vice presidential candidates. During that campaign, member State Green Parties accelerated their voter registration drives and actively campaigned for other Green Party candidates running for federal, state, and local offices.
In December of 2000, the Coordinating Committee of the Association of State Green Parties resolved to prepare this application to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for formal recognition of the Coordinating Committee as the National Committee of the Green Party of the United States. In July of 2001, at its annual meeting in Santa Barbara, California, the Coordinating Committee resolved to submit this application to the FEC.


II. Green Party Federal Candidates for Office Nominated by State Green Parties


To attain National Committee recognition, the organization must have a sufficient number of party-designated federal candidates on the ballot in a sufficient number of states and the party's ballot access efforts must extend beyond the Presidential race to races for the U.S. Congress. See Advisory Opinion 1988-45 and Advisory Opinion 1980-131.

In June, 2000, the Association of State Green Parties formally nominated Ralph Nader for President and Winona LaDuke for Vice President. Forty-four State Green Parties obtained ballot access for the candidates, either by successfully placing the candidates onto the ballot with the designation "Green Party" or by successfully nominating the candidates under State law which legally prohibited any party designation from being placed on the ballot.
Those State Parties which obtained ballot status for the Green Party's presidential and vice-presidential candidates, or a list of electors pledged to those candidates, were: 

Green Party of Alaska
Arizona Green Party
Green Party of Arkansas
Green Party of California
Green Party of Colorado
Green Party of Connecticut
D.C. Statehood Green Party
Green Party of Delaware
Green Party of Florida
Hawai'i Green Party
Iowa Green Party
Green Party of Kansas
Maine Green Independent Party
Maryland Green Party
Massachusetts Green Party
Green Party of Michigan
Green Party of Minnesota
Green Party of Nevada
Green Party of New Jersey
Green Party of New Mexico
Green Party of New York State
Green Party of Ohio
Pacific Green Party of Oregon
Green Party of Pennsylvania
Green Party of Rhode Island
Green Party of Tennessee
Green Party of Texas
Green Party of Utah
Green Party of Virginia
Green Party of Washington
Wisconsin Green Party



Green Party organizers in several additional States which lacked a formal State Party in early 2000, were successful in organizing to place the Green Party's nominees onto the State ballot. Many of those organizers then succeeded in establishing a formal State Party structure as an outgrowth of the presidential campaign. Those Green Party organizers successfully placed the candidates on the ballot in: 

Missouri
Louisiana
New Hampshire
Vermont
Kentucky
Montana
North Dakota
Illinois
Mississippi
Alabama
Nebraska
West Virginia



The Green Party candidate for President, Ralph Nader, filed campaign finance reports as the Association of State Green Party's nominee, and received matching primary election funds from the federal government in the amount of $723,306.73. His campaign raised over $7,536,934.57 in campaign donations from 77,545 individuals and he campaigned in all fifty states during the election cycle.

Since the formation of the Association of State Green Parties, member State Parties have run many candidates for federal, state, and local offices. A listing of state and local candidates nominated by State Green Parties is attached to this Advisory Opinion Request to show that the Green Party has worked to achieve ballot access for a wide range of candidates running for a variety of different municipal and state level offices. See Exhibit Four. This listing, however, is not intended to imply that all of these candidates have indicated support for this filing.

Since the formation of the Association of State Green Parties, the Green Party has run the following candidates for federal office. Most of these candidates for federal office have met or exceeded the requirements for candidacies established by federal regulations. Affidavits of the candidates meeting or exceeding those requirements are appended as Exhibits to this Advisory Opinion Request [See Exhibit Five].
The listing of federal candidates below begins with the most recent federal election cycle:


2001 Election Cycle

California

(1) Donna Warren
U.S. Congress, District 32, California
Special Election
Received 3.5%

Pennsylvania

(2) Alanna Hartzok
U.S. Congress, District 9, Pennsylvania 
Special Election
Received 4%



2000 Election Cycle


Alaska

(3) Anna Young
U.S. Congress, Alaska 
Received 7.94% (17,927 votes)


Arizona

(4) Vince Hansen 
U.S. Senate, Arizona 
Received 7.8% (108,554 votes)

(5) Michael Green
U.S. Congress, District 5, Arizona 
Received 3.1% (9,010 votes)


California

(6) Ken Adams 
U.S. Congress, District 5, California 
Received 2.9% (6,195 votes)

(7) Medea Benjamin
U.S. Senate, California 
Received 3.1% (326,828 votes) 

(8) Craig Coffin
U.S. Congress, District 17, California 
Received 4% (8,215 votes) 

(9) Justin Moscoso
U.S. Congress, District 6, California 
Received 4.6% (13,248 votes)

(10) Krista Lieberg Wong
U.S. Congress, District 31, California 
Received 9.1% (10,294 votes)


Colorado

(11) Ron Forthofer
U.S. Congress, District 2, Colorado 
Received 4.4% (12,365 votes) 


Connecticut

(12) Audrey Cole 
U.S. Congress, District 6, Connecticut 
Received 3% (7,207 votes) 


Georgia

(13) Jeff Gates
U.S. Senate, Georgia 
Received .9% (21,247 votes)


Kentucky

(14) Ken Sain
U.S. Congress, District 4, Kentucky 
Received 1.6% (3,675 votes) 






Michigan

(15) Matthew Abel
U.S. Senate, Michigan 
Received .9% (37,334 votes) 

(16) Bonnie Bucqueroux 
U.S. Congress, District 8, Michigan 
Received 1.2% (3,484 votes) 

(17) Alan Gamble 
U.S. Congress, District 4, Michigan 
Received 1.4% (3,790 votes) 

(18) Marilyn MacDermaid 
U.S. Congress, District 11, Michigan 
Received 1.4% (4,191 votes)

(19) Tom Ness 
U.S. Congress, District 12, Michigan 
Received 1.7% (4,127 votes) 


Nevada

(20) Kathy Rusco
U.S. Senate, Nevada 
Received 1.7% (10,284 votes) 

(21) Charles Laws
U.S. Congress, Nevada 
Received 1.6% (5,546 votes)


New Jersey

(22) Aaron M. Kromash
U.S. Congress, District 3, New Jersey 
Received 1.92% (2,377 votes) 

(23) Carl Mayer
U.S. Congress, District 12, New Jersey 
Received 1.94% (5,691 votes) 

(24) Jerry Coleman
U.S. Congress, District 7, New Jersey 
Received 2.75% (6,433 votes) 

(25) Joseph Fortunato
U.S. Congress, District 8, New Jersey 
Received 2.2% (4,230 votes) 

(26) Bruce Afran
U.S. Senate, New Jersey 
Received 1.08% (31,465 votes)

(27) Stuart Chaifetz
U.S. Congress, District 4, New Jersey 
Received 1.42% (3,442 votes)

(28) Robert Gabrielsky
U.S. Congress, District 2, New Jersey 
Received 1.4% (3,248 votes)

(29) Earl Gray
U.S. Congress, District 6, New Jersey 
Received 1.98% (4,021 votes)

(30) Michael King
U.S. Congress, District 5, New Jersey 
Received 1.99% (5,093 votes)

(31) Claudette Meliere
U.S. Congress, District 13, New Jersey
Received 1.76% (2,437 votes)

(32) Catherine Parrish
U.S. Congress, District 1, New Jersey
Received 1.43% (2,984 votes)

(33) Lewis Pell
U.S. Congress, District 9, New Jersey
Received 2,076 votes

(34) John Piekarski
U.S. Congress, District 11, New Jersey
Received 1.07% (5,130 votes)


New Mexico

(35) Dan Kerlinsky 
U.S. Congress, District 1, New Mexico 
Received 7% (13,656 votes) 


New York

(36) Mark Jacobs
U.S. Congress, District 19, New York 
Received 1% (3,084 votes) 

(37) Mark Dunau
U.S. Senate, New York 
Received 1% (40,991 votes) 

(38) Howie Hawkins
U.S. Congress, New York 
Received 2% (3,478 votes) 



(39) Ronnie Dugger
U.S. Senate Primary Election, New York
Received 31.66% (360 votes)

(40) Al Lewis
U.S. Senate Primary election, New York
Received 29.73% (338 votes)

(41) Joseph Dubovy
U.S. Congress, District 19 Primary Election, New York
Received 44% (22 votes)

(42) Paul Gilman
U.S. Congress, District 7, New York
Received 2% (1,943 votes)

(43) Eve Hawkins
U.S. Congress, District 28, New York
Received 1% (2,123 votes)

(44) Dean Loren
U.S. Congress, District 15, New York
Received 2% (1,997 votes)

(45) Sandy Stevens
U.S. Congress, District 14, New York
Received 3% (5,193 votes)

(46) Dan Wentzel
U.S. Congress, District 8
Received 3% (4,675 votes)


Oregon

(47) Tre Arrow 
U.S. Congress, District 3, Oregon 
Received 6.02% (13,690 votes) 


Pennsylvania

(48) William Belitskus
U.S. Congress, District 5, Pennsylvania
Received 8.04% (13,857 votes)


Tennessee

(49) Tom Burrell 
U.S. Senate, Tennessee 
Received 1.3% (25,756 votes) 




Texas

(50) Doug Sandage
U.S. Senate, Texas 
Received 1.46% (91,329 votes) 


Washington

(51) Joe Szwaja
U.S. Congress, District 7, Washington 
Received 19.62% (52,142 votes) 


Washington, D.C.

(52) Martin Thomas
U.S. Congress, Shadow Representative, Washington D.C. 
Received 13% (20,960 votes) 




1998 Election Cycle


Alaska

(53) Jeffrey Gottlieb
U.S. Senate, Alaska 
Received 3% (5,842 votes)

(54) John Grames
U.S. Congress, District 1, Alaska 
Received 2.4% (4,761 votes)


California

(55) Phill Courtney
U.S. Congress, California 
Received 3.7% (5,508 votes)

(56) Cynthia Allaire
U.S. Congress, District 41, California 
Received 2.8% (3,597 votes)

(57) Robin Barrett
U.S. Congress, District 38, California 
Received 2% (3,612 votes)

(58) Krista Lieberg-Wong
U.S. Congress, District 31, California 
Received 5% (4,377 votes)


(59) Maria Armoudian
U.S. Congress, District 26, California 
Received 5.8% (4,858 votes)

(60) Ken Adams
U.S. Congress, District 5, California 
Received .04% (70 votes)


New Jersey

(61) Nick Mellis
U.S. Congress, District 6, New Jersey 
Received .7% (1,039 votes)

(62) Carl J. Mayer
U.S. Congress, District 6, New Jersey 
Received .9% (1,264 votes)

(63) Madelyn R. Hoffman
U.S. Congress, District 5, New Jersey 
Received .8% (1,416 votes)


New Mexico

(64) Carol Miller 
U.S. Congress, District 3, New Mexico 
Received 4% 

(65) Bob Anderson 
U.S. Congress, District 1, New Mexico 
Received 11% 
(Special and General election in 1998)



New York

(66) Yvonne Rothenberg
U.S. Congress, District 25, New York 
Received 30.7% (50,622 votes)


Oregon

(67) Karyn Moskowitz 
U.S. Senator, Oregon 
Received 1.97% (22,024 votes) 

(68) Michael Donnelly 
U.S. Congress, District 5, Oregon 
Received 1.60% (3,637 votes) 



Pennsylvania

(69) William Belitskus
U.S. Congress, District 5, Pennsylvania 
Received 15% (17,556 votes)


Washington, D.C.

(70) Mike Livingston
U.S. Congress, Shadow Representative, D.C. 
Received 8% (9,191 votes)




1997 Election Cycle

New Mexico

(71) Carol Miller 
U.S. Congress, District 3, New Mexico 
Special Election
Received 17% 



1996 Election Cycle

Alaska

(72) John Grames
U.S. Congress, District 1, Alaska 
Received 1.9% (4,513 votes)

(73) Jed Whittaker
U.S. Senate, Alaska 
Received 12.5% (29,037 votes)


Maine

(74) John Rensenbrink 
U.S. Senate, Maine 
Received 4% (22,372 votes) 

Massachusetts

(75) A. Charles Laws
U.S. Congress, District 10, Massachusetts 
Received 3.7% (10,892 votes) 





New Mexico

(76) Jack Uhlrich
U.S. Congress, District 1, New Mexico 
Received 4% (7,561 votes)


Oregon

(77) Lou Gold 
U.S. Senate, Oregon 
Received .61% (7,225 votes) 

(78) Gary Kutcher 
U.S. Senate, Oregon 
Received 1.04% (14,193 votes) 

(79) Joe Keating 
U.S. Congress, District 3, Oregon 
Received 3.74% (9,273 votes) 

(80) Allan Opus 
U.S. Congress, District 4, Oregon 
Received .49% (1,311 votes) 


Rhode Island

(81) Graham Schwass
U.S. Congress, District 1, Rhode Island 
Received.8% (1,129 votes)


In addition to the candidates run for federal office by the Green Party, the Party has been very aggressive in nominating candidates for municipal level offices across the United States. A complete history of Green Party Candidates in the United States, for all levels of state and local office from 1986 to the present, is included as an attachment to this Advisory Opinion Request [See Exhibit Four]. That list contains over eight hundred and thirty (830) Green Party candidates which have run for elected office in the United States during that time period. As noted above, this listing is not intended to imply that all of these candidates have necessarily indicated support for this filing.



III. The ASGP and the Green Party of the United States:
Registering Green Party Voters and Publicizing Issues of Importance
to Green Party Candidates and the Public



Another component of attaining National Committee recognition is the requirement that the Committee conduct activities, such as voter registration drives, on an ongoing basis - rather than with respect to a particular election. See Advisory Opinion 1992-30. The Committee must also publicize, on a national basis, issues of importance to the party and its adherents. See, e.g., Advisory Opinion 1992-44.


(A) The Platform for the Association of State Green Parties (ASGP) - Publicizing Issues of Importance to a National Audience


The Platform of the Association of State Green Parties (ASGP) was developed by the Platform Committee of the Association in consultation with individual State Parties and active Green Party members. At the June 2000 National Nominating Convention in Denver, the Platform was adopted in totality as the official Platform document of the Green Party of the United States. The Platform development process for the 2000 Green Party Platform involved the following stages, which occurred after the Association adopted the Platform as a "working document":

-- From late 1998 to late 1999, the Association's Platform Committee invited platform issue submissions from local Green Party organizations, State Green Party organizations and individual Green Party members. These were then sorted and organized by topic by the Platform Committee, and distributed in March of 2000 to all State Parties and interested individual Green Party members. The State Party organizations then distributed the proposed revisions within their State Parties and a sixty day local discussion and comment period began.

-- By May 31, 2000, the State Party organizations had forwarded their State Party's responses and votes on the proposed Platform submissions to the Platform Committee. The responses and votes were then sorted and compiled by the Committee, which distributed an amended set of revisions.

-- From June 1 to June 22 of 2000, the Platform Committee reviewed input from the local and State Green Parties and individual Greens and drafted proposed recommendations to be discussed and adopted at the Association's National Nominating Convention.

-- On June 22, 2000, the Platform Committee met prior to the National Nominating Convention in Denver, Colorado to discuss the recommended revisions and proposed several "key areas" to be highlighted by the Green Party Platform. The final Platform Committee proposal was then distributed to the Association's Coordinating Committee at the Convention.

-- On June 23, 2000, the Coordinating Committee met to discuss and vote on placing the Platform Committee's recommendations on Saturday's agenda.

-- On June 24, 2000, the Platform Committee and Coordinating Committee's recommendations went to the floor of the Nominating Convention under the Rules adopted for the Convention. Key areas proposed for discussion and debate, followed by majority vote, included the Green key values, democracy and political reform, economic justice, health care, human rights, the environment, and the Blue-Green Agenda. The Coordinating Committee then adopted the Green Party Platform which currently serves as the Platform for the Green Party of the United States.


The Platform was thus used as the foundation for the Green Party's 2000 Presidential Campaign to inform and educate the public concerning issues ranging from open and fair government, to global warming and instating civic authority over corporations. As part of the education and information efforts, a complete copy of the Platform was posted at http://www.gp.org on the Internet. 
The Platform was uploaded to the web to guarantee its accessibility to Green Party members and the general public. The Platform was uploaded to enable visitors to search the Platform with specific key words. Since its posting, the webpage has been visited several thousand times. A complete copy of the Platform is appended to this Advisory Opinion Request [See Exhibit Six].


(B) Taking Positions: the Association's Role in Publicizing and Promoting Issues of Public Importance


From its formation in 1996, the Association of State Green Parties (ASGP) has taken stances on a variety of public issues. Drawing both from the Green Party Platform and from the participation and discussion by members of the Association's Coordinating Committee, the Association has issued position statements on many issues of national public importance. This list serves to highlight some of the more important issue stances taken by the Association, which were subsequently adopted by the Green Party of the United States at the July gathering of the Coordinating Committee. This list is not a complete listing, but a selection of some of the more important policy positions taken by the Association over the past several years. It should be noted that several of the position statements issued below were in the form of press releases drafted by the Steering Committee and Media Committee of the Association.

The selected resolutions and press releases listed below are included as an exhibit to this Advisory Opinion Request [See Exhibit Seven].

1. Support for the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (October, 1997);

2. Support for the Joint NGO Statement on the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (October, 1997);

3. Support as one of the Green Parties of the World for the Kyoto Climate Change Treaty (December, 1997);

4. Opposition to the transportation of nuclear waste to Sierra Blanca, Texas (April 26, 1998);

5. Support for the medical use of marijuana (August 16, 1998);

6. Support for HR 2789, known as the "McKinney Leach Bill" to provide transition funding for logging dependent communities (October, 1998);

7. Opposition to the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (December 1, 1998);

8. Support for the European Federation of Green Parties' Statement on Kosovo (March 22, 1999);

9. Statements of ASGP Member Parties Concerning the War in Yugoslavia (May 12, 1999);

10. Endorsement of April 14-17, 2000 events dealing with the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space (March, 1999);

11. Endorsement of a Statement on the U.S. Military Attack on Iraq (1999);

12. Greens Challenge Gay Support for Gore & Democrats (May 10, 2000);

13. Endorsement of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee's Boycott of Mt. Olive Pickles (July, 2000);

14. Debate Commission Spoiling Democratic Election by Shutting Out Nader (July 31, 2000);

15. Ralph Nader, Al Gore Compared on Issues of Racial and Social Justice (August 31, 2000);

16. Statement of the ASGP on Voter Disenfranchisement in the 2000 Election (November, 2000);

17. The Green Party Condemns the U.S.'s Role in the Breakdown of the Global Warming Conference (December 1, 2000);

18. Bush Maintains and Expands the Clinton Administration's Worst Military Policies (February 26, 2001);

19. Endorsement of the Global Greens Action Proposal (March, 2001);

20. Greens Blast President Bush's Reversal on Steps to Stop Global Warming, Calling it a Sell-Out to Oil and Coal Lobbies (March 16, 2001);

21. Greens Cautious About McCain-Feingold Reforms (April 3, 2001);

22. Greens Endorse Mass Rally for Palestinian Refugee Rights (April 6, 2001);

23. Endorsement of the Global Boycott of Exxon-Mobil, Texaco, and Chevron Corporations (April, 2001);

24. Greens Salute Protesters at the FTAA Summit in Quebec (April 27, 2001);

25. Greens Blast Bush Administration Conflict of Interest on Energy Policy (May 4, 2001);

26. Greens Oppose Bush's National Missile Defense Scheme, Demand a Halt to the Militarization of Space (May 15, 2001).


Public positions taken by the Association, and subsequently adopted by the Green Party of the United States, were distributed to a nationwide fax and e-mail list, and distributed via e-mail and hardcopy by State Parties to their members and to the public. The Green Party of the United States maintains a national press office in Washington, D.C. which distributes media releases and other materials directly to national media outlets.


(C) Voter Registration Drives


Since its inception in 1996, the Association of State Green Parties has actively encouraged State voter registration drives and has co-sponsored several drives with member State Green Parties. At least three State Green Parties have obtained official State Party status through successful voter registration drives. The California Green Party attained and has maintained its ballot status through retaining registrants numbering over 1% of the voting population in the State. The Delaware Green Party attained party status in 2000 exclusively through attaining the number of registrants necessary to obtain "major party" status in that State. The Green Party of Colorado also achieved party status in 1998 after registering 1000 members.
The increase in Green Party registrants in States with active State Green Parties, which are members of the Green Party of the United States, attests to the commitment of the Green Party to voter registration drives. Examples of that growth in voter registration for several State Green Parties is reflected below:

1. Green Party of California (increased 45%)
1996 - 95,090 registrants
2000 - 138,695 registrants

2. Green Party of Nevada (increased 15,577%)
1996 - 9 registrants
2000 - 1,411 registrants

3. Green Party of New Mexico (increased 729%)
1996 - 1,407 registrants
2000 - 11,674 registrants

4. Green Party of Colorado (increased 722%)
1996 - 501 registrants
2000 - 4,121 registrants


Nationally, voter registration numbers have steadily increased for the Green Party. In October, 1994, there were 89,566 voters nationwide registered as Green Party voters. In October, 1998, 118,537 voters were registered as Green Party voters. In November of 2000, 195,866 voters had become Green Party registered voters. Because of the efforts of State Green Parties, and the efforts of Green Party candidates to register new voters into the Party, Green Party voter registrants in various states continue to steadily increase.




(D) Green Pages: The Publication of the Green Party of the United States


Since its inception in 1996, the Association of State Green Parties (ASGP) has published a newspaper which has been circulated - via memberships - to individual Green Party members, and to the general public via member State Green Parties. This publication has now become the official newspaper of the Green Party of the United States.
Green Pages serves as both a collection of State Green Party news from around the nation, as well as an educational and informational tool for members of the general public to be introduced to the Green Party. As such, each volume of Green Pages carries contact information for State Green Parties, contact information for the Steering Committee of the Green Party of the United States, and general educational information about the Green Party's activities across the United States.
Green Pages also serves as a mechanism to track Green Party candidates across the Country and to report electoral successes and spotlight individual candidates who have been successful in different races. Green Pages has been published in the following editions:

Spring, 1997
Fall, 1997
Spring, 1998
Spring, 1999
Special WTO Issue/1999
Winter, 1999
Earth Day, 2000
Winter/Spring, 2001

A copy of the most recent edition of Green Pages is included as an attachment to this Advisory Opinion Request [See Exhibit Eight].

The Green Pages publication is supplemented by regular communication amongst members of the Coordinating Committee. Members of State Parties affiliated with the Green Party of the United States maintain regular contact with each other through e-mail communications, and votes on policy and administrative proposals are taken regularly via electronic communication. A weekly news circulator - the ASGP News Circulator - is distributed to all State Parties every Monday morning. That publication contains news and stories about the work of Green Parties in the United States and around the globe.



E. The Internet Webpage for the Green Party of the United States

From its inception, the Association has maintained an internet webpage accessible to the general public. The webpage serves as a focal informational point for individuals and Greens seeking information about the structure and meetings of the Green Party of the United States, and about international and national Green Party news. The webpage is located at http://www.gp.org. 
The webpage serves as one of the primary vehicles for education and networking among members of the various State Green Parties, the Green Party of the United States, and the general public. Items accessible on the webpage include, but are not limited to:

-An Online Edition of GreenPages - the official publication of the Green Party of the United States;
-A Comprehensive State Party Contact list, which provides contact information for members of the general public interested in joining the Green Party;
-Recent press releases of the Green Party of the United States;
-Links to the websites of progressive organizations working on similar issues;
-Links to Green Parties in other countries; and
-Organizing tools for members of State Green Parties.

The webpage receives an average of one hundred and seventy (170) visitors per day, and contains a link to the Platform for the Green Party of the United States.
IV. Assisting Governing Bodies of Member State Parties to Obtain Recognition by the Federal Election Commission as State Committees


As part of its original mission - to assist the development of State Green Parties - the Association of State Green Parties (ASGP) has assisted several State Parties with gaining recognition as State Committees of the Association. The following State Parties have since successfully gained recognition as State Committees of the Association. With the evolution of the Association into the Green Party of the United States, these State Committees have begun notifying the FEC of their affiliation with the Green Party of the United States.

(1) Green Party of New Mexico
Recognition of the Green Council of the Green Party of New Mexico as a State Committee
Advisory Opinion 1997-29 (Issued February 12, 1998)

(2) Green Party of Maine
Recognition of the Maine Green Party Council as a State Committee
Advisory Opinion 1998-23 (November 16, 1998)

(3) Hawai'i Green Party
Recognition of the Hawaii Green Party Coordinating Committee as a State Committee
Advisory Opinion 1998-27 (January 29, 1999)

(4) Green Party of New York State
Recognition of the Green Party of New York State as a State Committee
Original Advisory Opinion 1996-43 
- Supplementary Letter to Advisory Opinion notifying the FEC of the affiliation of the Green Party of New York State with the Association of State Green Parties
- Note: The original AOR was submitted without the assistance of ASGP legal counsel

(5) Pacific Green Party of Oregon
Recognition of the State Committee of the Pacific Green Party of Oregon
Advisory Opinion 2000-39 (December 18, 2000)
-Note: The original AOR was submitted without the assistance of ASGP legal counsel

(6) Maryland Green Party
Recognition of the State Committee of the Maryland Green Party
Advisory Opinion 2001-6 (May 7, 2001)
-Note: The original AOR was submitted without the assistance of ASGP legal counsel


Although not formally affiliated as State Party members of the Green Party of the United States, the governing bodies of the Green Parties of Washington State and Kentucky have been recognized as State Committees by the Federal Election Commission. These State Committee AOR's were submitted without the assistance of the Association. As reference, those Advisory Opinions are listed below:

(1) Green Party of Washington State
Recognition of the State Committee of the Green Party of Washington State 
Advisory Opinion 2000-35 (December 1, 2000)

(2) Green Party of Kentucky
Recognition of the State Committee of the Green Party of Kentucky
Advisory Opinion 2001-2 (February 15, 2001)


As reference and for the convenience of the reviewers of this Advisory Opinion Request, each of these Advisory Opinions are attached to this submission [See Exhibit Nine].

Through its legal advisors, the Green Party of the United States will continue to assist State Green Parties with the attainment of recognition as State Committees. In addition to providing direct assistance for the submission of several of the Advisory Opinion Requests listed above, the Association has provided assistance to the Green Party of California and other State Parties, in making determinations concerning eligibility for State Committee status. As part of its continuing role in assisting State Parties to develop structures consistent with ballot qualified Parties, the Green Party of the United States has pledged to continue to emphasize this development as part of its work.

The following State Party members of the ASGP currently possess ballot status within their State as either a major or minor party. Legal counsel for the Green Party of the United States continues to assist State Green Parties with complying with legal requirements to achieve - and maintain - recognized party status within their state ballot access statutory framework.

Green Party of California
Green Party of Colorado
Green party of Connecticut
D.C. Statehood Green Party
Green Party of Delaware
Green Party of Florida
Hawai'i Green Party
Iowa Green Party
Maine Green Independent Party
Massachusetts Green Party
Green Party of Michigan
Green Party of Minnesota
Green Party of New Mexico
Green Party of New York State
Pacific Green Party of Oregon
Pennsylvania Green Party
Green Party of Rhode Island
Green Party of Texas
Green Party of Utah
Wisconsin Green Party


V. Holding a National Presidential Nominating Convention and Establishing a National Green Party Office


A. The Association's National Nominating Convention

From June 24-25, 2000, the Association of State Green Parties (ASGP) hosted a National Nominating Convention to nominate the Association's candidates for President and Vice-President. The event was held at the Renaissance Hotel in Denver, Colorado, and was attended by four hundred and sixty registrants from forty states and fourteen countries. Among the international Green Parties sending observers were the Green Party of Brazil, Green Ecologist Party of Mexico, the Green Alternative Party of Peru, the French Green Party, the Green Party of Canada, and the Green Party of the Ukraine. Several elected members of the European Parliament also attended the event.
The National Nominating Convention was hosted by the Association to select the Association's nominee for President from individuals which had previously announced their intention to seek the Association's nomination for that office. Those candidates included Ralph Nader, Stephen Gaskin, and Jello Biafra. At the conclusion of the Nominating Convention, votes were cast by the State Green Parties present at the event for one or more of the nominees. Ralph Nader and his selection for the office of Vice-President, Winona LaDuke, were the overwhelming selection of delegates to the Convention. A copy of the Information Guide for the Green Party National Nominating Convention 2000 is included as an exhibit to this Advisory Opinion Request [See Exhibit Ten].
In preparation for the nomination of candidates, the Association convened a Presidential Exploratory Committee, which drafted, distributed, and coordinated the collection and analysis of questionnaires sent to all individuals suggested as candidates by member State Parties of the Association. The questionnaire was distributed to each candidate who sought the Association's nomination. That search resulted in the selection of Ralph Nader, Stephen Gaskin, and Jello Biafra as the final round candidates for the Association's Nominating Convention.
Immediately prior to the Nominating Convention - in April of 2000 - the Association formally opened a national Convention office to provide administrative support for the Presidential Nominating Convention. That office, located in Boulder, Colorado, was staffed by several Colorado Green Party members and focused exclusively on ensuring that registrations, travel arrangements, media credentialing, and accommodations were properly handled in preparation for the National Nominating Convention.
Both prior to - and during the Convention - the Association distributed a series of media releases highlighting the important events occurring at the Convention. Selected releases have been appended to this Advisory Opinion Request [See Exhibit Eleven].


B. Establishing National Green Party Offices in Colorado and Washington, D.C.


After the close of the National Nominating Convention, the Association maintained its Convention office until the end of July, 2000, after which correspondence for the Association was directed to the Washington, D.C. Greens who volunteered to handle communications for the Association. Beginning in April of 2001, an office was opened in Boulder, Colorado to handle the administrative and technical support work necessary for the functioning of the Association and its subsequent evolution into the Green Party of the United States.
Business plans for the Green Party of the United States project sufficient revenue to enable the Green Party of the United States to open a more formal office which would be regularly staffed by administrative personnel. 



VI. Conclusion


Based on the information submitted in this Advisory Opinion Request and the supporting Exhibits to this Request, the Coordinating Committee of the Green Party of the United States respectfully requests that it be recognized as the National Committee of the Green Party of the United States.

Email: info@greenpartyus.org
Office: PO Box 57065 Washington, D.C. 20037  Toll-Free: 866-41GREEN