*Reminder: State dues must be paid on or before February 13th to vote at State Convention*
Greetings Members!
Here is your February 2024 Newsletter. On behalf of the Board and the Executive Committee, we’d like to wish you a Happy New Year, and we hope that with your help, we can carve out a little more liberty for our neighbors this year.
State Convention
A big topic of discussion right now is how to become a delegate at the state and national conventions.
At the 2023 convention we passed a seasoning requirement, which says that you must be a state dues-paying member at least 60 days in advance of convention in order to be a voting member at state convention. This by-law was passed to combat the possibility of either of the two old parties being able to sabotage our national delegate roster in a manner that favors their party.
The deadline is February 13th this year, and since this is a new requirement, we in the board are trying to interpret, adjust, and set up the systems needed to make this transition as smooth as possible. Be sure to remind everyone in your local affiliates of the upcoming deadline, so everyone has a chance to participate. Unlike previous conventions, dues will NOT be accepted at the door on the day of opening business.
State dues are $25 a year, following the regular calendar year, and can be paid at the LPTN Donate Page. In the comments section, please indicate the payment is for dues, so that the funds are ear-marked accordingly.
[For more information on the new requirements, refer to Articles IV and VI of the LPTN By-Laws]
State Convention this year is April 13-14th at the Kingsport Marriott Meadowview Conference Center in Kingsport, TN. The business and workshop portions of the weekend are free to attend (again, must be a dues payer to be eligible to vote); however. there will also be a Gala, and possibly some other special events, available for an extra charge.
Our guest speakers this year will be Jeff Deist and Diego Rivera. Deist is the former President of the Mises Institute, and was a staffer for Congressman Ron Paul. Rivera is a US Army Ranger veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, a former Regional Director at Young Americans for Liberty, and currently works as Director of Field Operations for Bring Our Troops Home.
Convention registration and gala tickets will be available in the coming weeks, but be sure to keep an eye on the LPTN Convention Page for updated information.
National Convention
Want to be a Delegate or Alternate at the National Convention in Washington, DC (May 23-26th)? You need to be nominated and voted in at the state convention. To be nominated, speak with your region coordinator. Can’t make it to the state convention? You can still be nominated during the absentee nominations; however, keep in mind that not being present may hurt your chances of becoming a Delegate, but you would still be on our Alternates list in case anyone can’t make the trip to DC.
For more information about the national convention, and to reserve your packages, gala tickets, or hotel, visit LNC2024.com.
Defend the Guard and Day on the Hill
As some of you have seen by now, LPTN has teamed up with Bring Our Troops Home and The Tenth Amendment Center to work on the single-issue coalition, the Defend the Guard Project. For those who may not be familiar, Defend the Guard seeks to pass legislation that would prevent the federal government from sending our Tennessee National Guard into active combat zones without a Congressional declaration of war.
Recently, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti issued an opinion saying that the bill is “constitutionally suspect under the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution”. We disagree. The collaboration of LTPN with The Tenth Amendment Center and Bring Our Troops Home issued this scathing response.
Despite this opinion, a crew of a half dozen dedicated LPTN members took to the hill at the end of January to make sure these bills get introduced. In their lobbying efforts, they met with many representatives, including Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, and successfully acquired enough co-sponsors to get both the House Bill (HB 1609) and accompanying Senate Bill (SB 2750) filed by the deadline. These will now be heading to committee for their consideration.
CALL TO ACTION: We need your help! Please email your state senators and representatives to encourage them to support these bills. Opponents of the bill are spreading fear and misinformation about what exactly this bill does and doesn’t do. Our next step is to run an Educational Campaign to inform our representatives of the exact purpose and scope of the proposed law. Attached is an info-graphic you can send with your message, or use as talking points in your politely worded emails. We would appreciate your participation in helping move the effort forward.
While on the hill, our volunteers also took the opportunity to speak out AGAINST HB1640, which is a “Red Flag” or “Order of Protection” law, aiming to disarm those accused of being mentally ill. On the surface this may seem like “common sense gun reform”, however like many well-intentioned laws, this is another proposed law with the potential to do more harm than help.
Final Thoughts
Background work is continuing on the ballot access lawsuit against the State of Tennessee. We are still looking to recoup some of the legal fees involved with this process. If you feel strongly that TN ballots should be required to fairly represent all parties, including our own, you can help us by contributing at the LPTN Donate Page (be sure to put ‘Ballot Access’ in the comment box, so the funds are correctly earmarked).
As you can see, LPTN leadership and volunteers have been hard at work, and we have a great running start in 2024! Thank you all for all your efforts, and we hope you are planning to see us in Kingsport in April!
In Liberty,
Keith McQuarrie
Secretary
Libertarian Party of Tennessee
