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California Legislative Black Caucus Bylaws

ARTICLE I 

PURPOSE 

Founded in 1967, the purpose of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) is to eliminate disparities and inequities for African Americans. In addition to drafting legislative proposals and policies that will improve the lives and opportunities for African Americans, the CLBC will proactively engage in activities that will guarantee equal access to governmental services, economic empowerment, and educational opportunities.

 

ARTICLE II 

MEMBERSHIP 

Any person elected to the California State Legislature who is of African descent or whose ancestors were presumed to have been enslaved in the Western Hemisphere is eligible to become an active member.

  1. Ex-officio membership may be conferred to any individual who is of African descent or whose ancestors were presumed to have been enslaved in the Western Hemisphere and currently holds a position as statewide elected official or is a current member of the Board of Equalization.
  2. Ex-officio members may attend all meetings and Black Caucus-sponsored events.
  3. Ex-officio members may provide advice or opinions on matters. Ex-officio members shall not have a vote on any matter of business before the Caucus.

 

ARTICLE III 

OFFICERS 

Officers of the California Legislative Black Caucus shall include a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. 

  1. The Chair shall preside over Caucus meetings and act as the official representative and principal spokesperson of the Caucus. The Chair shall also be responsible for preparing and distributing meeting agenda no later than 3 days before a scheduled Caucus meeting. The Chair, along with CLBC staff, in January of each year will attend a training on FPPC compliance requirements.
  2. The Vice Chair shall assist in the discharge of the powers and duties upon assignment by the Chair. In the absence of the Chair, the Vice Chair shall assume the duties of the Chair and preside over Caucus meetings and act as the official representative and spokesperson of the Caucus.
  3. The Secretary shall be responsible for recording the minutes of all official CLBC meetings and for providing each member of the Caucus with a copy upon request. Prior meeting minutes shall be distributed to Caucus members before the next scheduled meeting. The Secretary shall also be responsible for proper retention and maintenance of CLBC records for the purposes of archiving and preserving such records. 
  4. The Treasurer shall be responsible for issuing checks and receipts from the account of the CLBC upon approval by a majority of members present and voting at a duly scheduled meeting. The Treasurer shall maintain all fiscal records and provide an accounting to the membership during each scheduled meeting. The Treasurer, along with CLBC staff, in January of each year will attend a training on FPPC compliance requirements. The Treasurer, in partnership with the Chair, shall ensure that the Caucus remains compliant with all federal, state, and local financial requirements. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the proper retention and preservation such records for archival purposes.

 

ARTICLE IV 

OFFICER ELECTIONS 

Election of Officers for CLBC shall be by a majority vote of members at a duly called meeting.

  1. The CLBC Chair shall appoint a Nominating Committee to nominate and administer the election of officers by June of each even numbered year. All nominations shall be received at a duly scheduled meeting by July of each even numbered year in advance of an election unless a special meeting or emergency meeting is called by the Chair or by a majority of Caucus members. The Nominating Committee members shall consist of at least three Caucus members. Any member of the California Legislative Black Caucus are eligible for nomination to the Committee.
  2. The Chair and Vice Chair of the Caucus must be representatives from the Assembly and the Senate. In the event that Caucus members are from one house, the Nominating Committee shall have the authority to nominate officers accordingly.
  3. The terms of CLBC Officers shall be for two years coinciding with each Legislative session. Elections shall take place in August of each even-numbered year. Newly elected officers will officially take office on the first Monday in December of each even-numbered year. Officers shall use the Interim Recess to develop the legislative agenda, priorities, and the CLBC platform. No member shall serve beyond their two-year term as an Officer except upon two-thirds vote of members present and voting at a duly scheduled meeting.
  4. Any current member may run as a future member of either legislative house provided they have advanced through the Primary Election for the elective office sought.

 

ARTICLE V

OFFICER VACANCIES 

Following a vacancy of any office, a special election shall be held immediately to fill the vacancy. This special election shall be held at a regularly scheduled meeting of the membership. Either the current Chair or a majority of the Caucus members may call a special meeting to elect an officer to fill the vacancy. 

For the purpose of this section, a vacancy exists when the officer no longer serves in the California State Legislature or the officer resigns from that position; or in the case of the Chair, when the Chair fails to call or attend three consecutive meetings of the Caucus in a year, without good cause and/or upon the approval of a majority of the Caucus membership.

 

ARTICLE VI 

MEETINGS 

The CLBC shall convene monthly meetings in person, virtually, or hybrid.  The Chair shall select the date and off site meeting location, in consultation with the Executive Board. The Executive Board shall consist of the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer.

In the absence of the Chair, the Vice Chair shall preside over the meeting. For a duly called meeting to be official and official actions taken there must be a quorum of members present.

  1. For the purpose of conducting the business of the Caucus, there must be at least one member greater than half of the entire membership of the California Legislative Black Caucus to constitute a quorum.
  2. A written agenda setting forth the items to be considered at a meeting shall be delivered to members at least three days prior to the meeting. 
  3. A record of the proceedings of all meetings shall be maintained by the Secretary at the direction of the Chair. 
  4. A report detailing contributions to and expenditures by the Caucus shall be prepared by the Treasurer for distribution to the Caucus at each regular meeting.
  5. Each meeting shall include a period for comments by members on items not listed on the formal agenda. the Chair may initiate an emergency vote via email or text. A majority of the Caucus must cast a vote on the matter before any action is taken on that item. A record of the item and the vote shall be included in the minutes for the next meeting.

 

ARTICLE VII 

VOTING 

Each member has the right to cast one vote on an item. Absentee voting of members shall be allowed subject to notice in writing to the Chair at least 10 minutes before a duly scheduled vote is to take place. An absentee vote shall be cast in writing and limited to specific items included in the latest published agenda. No member may substitute or authorize another member or staff person to exercise their vote by proxy. All Caucus matters requiring a vote shall be passed by a majority of the Caucus unless otherwise specified by these by-laws.

 

ARTICLE VIII

SPONSORSHIPS, ENDORSEMENT AND/OR SUPPORT

Only current members may make recommendations for sponsorships, co-sponsorships, endorsements, support of individuals, events, activities by and/or on behalf of the CLBC. These recommendations shall be considered and approved by the members of the Caucus during a regularly scheduled meeting, unless a special meeting or emergency meeting is called by the Chair or by a majority of the Caucus. 

All endorsements or sponsorships must identify the purpose, targeted event, parties responsible for management of the event, and include a detailed budget describing how the funds will be used prior to a vote for approval. Sponsorship of events must be approved by a majority vote of the Caucus. 

All recommendations for the endorsement of candidates for local, state, and federal elections shall be considered and voted upon by the members of the Caucus during a regularly scheduled meeting, unless a special or emergency meeting is called by the Chair or by a majority of the Caucus. A candidate endorsement must receive a majority vote by the Caucus before an official endorsement is granted and shall follow a procedure to be proposed by the Chair and ratified by majority vote of the Caucus prior to endorsement.

  1. No CLBC Member shall perform any campaign or general fundraising on behalf or in the name of the California Legislative Black Caucus without approval of the Chair or the majority of the Caucus members.

 

ARTICLE IX

CAUCUS ENDORSEMENT

Any member may make recommendations for endorsement of candidates. The Caucus will only consider endorsement of candidates who are of African descent or whose ancestors were presumed to have been enslaved in the Western Hemisphere.

  1. Any current member of the Caucus who is running for re-election of their current office will automatically be endorsed by the Caucus at the first endorsement vote meeting, unless challenged by a current Caucus member.
  2. Any current member of the Caucus who is running for election of a new office, will be discussed and voted on at the first endorsement vote meeting.
  3. All new candidates seeking endorsement of the Caucus shall complete endorsement forms and attend an interview with the endorsement committee.
  4. All recommendations for the endorsement of candidates for local, state and federal elections shall be considered and voted upon by the members of the Caucus during a regularly scheduled meeting, unless a special or emergency meetings is called by the Chair or by a majority of the Caucus.
  5. The endorsement votes shall begin no later than August of the year prior to the election.

 

ARTICLE X

COMMITTEES 


The CLBC Chair shall appoint Committee chairs. Committees shall be made up of at least 3 members. Committee chairs serve at the pleasure of the CLBC Chair. During the Fall Recess committee chairs shall work with CLBC staff to develop the calendar for the upcoming year. It is mandatory for a CLBC member to be a part of a minimum of two standing committees. There shall be two (2) types of Committees: Standing Committees and Ad Hoc Committees. 

(A) Standing Committee is a permanent committee and shall be for annual events and central functions of CLBC. Unless changed by the CLBC Chair, the current standing committees are: Fundraising, Bylaws, Legislative Budget, AALT & Youth Engagement, Legislation, Endorsements, and State of Black California.

  1. The Caucus Chair shall serve as Chair of the Standing Committee on Fundraising
  2. The Caucus Secretary shall serve as Chair of the Standing Committee on Bylaws

(B). Ad Hoc committees are temporary committees created upon necessity by the CLBC Chair. The CLBC Chair shall appoint the Chair of ad hoc committees. Tenure of the Ad Hoc committee ends when the Ad Hoc committee has submitted recommendations that are approved by a majority vote of CLBC members and upon the completion of the project. Upon the automatic sunset of an ad hoc committee as described above, the CLBC Chair may reconstitute that committee with the same membership or different members.

 

ARTICLE XI

BYLAWS REVISIONS 

The bylaws shall be reviewed annually. Updates to the bylaws should be done if needed at that time. Any provision of these bylaws may be amended, added to, repealed, or suspended by a two-thirds vote of the Caucus membership at a duly called meeting.