I. COMMITTEE NAME

"IDEA" or "IDEA PAC".

II. PURPOSE

IDEA is a political action committee that is dedicated to promoting democracy in all levels of our government. Democracy requires active well-informed citizens. IDEA will work to educate and empower citizens to become involved in our political system.

IDEA: Independence, Democracy, Empowerment and Accountability

IDEA insists that our representatives vote according to the wish of their constituents, and that our government will provide the quality public education and the free flow of information that are requirements of true democracy.

IDEA will also work on issues where our government is not responsive to the wishes of large sections of our population.

IDEA will produce and promote educational materials for individuals and schools, and will provide speakers for classrooms and events.

IDEA will work with groups that advocate electoral reform, fair voting systems, the creation of new political parties and independent campaigns, public finance of political campaigns, and the abolition of "corporate personhood".

IDEA will work in cooperation with many groups while we focus on Proportional Representation, which we believe to be the most democratic voting system, and one which no other group is presently promoting fully.

III. COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION

IDEA shall be organized as a political action committee under the California Political Reform Act of 1974, as amended (ID# 1299239), to support and oppose ballot propositions and candidates for elective office.
The committee shall be composed of no fewer than five members. Committee members shall be contributors to IDEA in an annual amount to be determined by the committee. The contribution may be waived or reduced by the committee in individual cases.
New members shall be approved by a two-thirds vote of the committee. Any member may be removed by a majority vote of the committee.
The officers of the committee shall be: chair, vice chair, secretary, treasurer and assistant treasurer, and shall be elected separately by the members of the committee using election methods approved by the committee.
1. The chair may convene and shall preside over all meetings, and shall carry out any other duties voted upon by the committee.
2. The vice chair shall act in the absence or disability of the chair and carry out any other duties voted by the committee.
3. The secretary shall keep a record of all proceedings, time and date of meeting attendance, quorum, and minutes of discussion and votes.
4. The treasurer shall be responsible for the preparation of a budget to be adopted by the committee.
  
  The treasurer shall keep or cause to be kept all accounts of property and business transactions of the committee. The books of account shall be at all times open to inspection by any committee member.
  
  The treasurer shall file or cause to be filed all legally mandated reports with the appropriate public agencies.
The committee shall meet in person at least once per calendar year.
Meetings may be called by the chair or by any three members of the committee.
Reasonable notice of meetings shall be provided to all committee members. Notice may be waived by unanimous consent of all committee members.
Unless otherwise stated, all votes during meetings of the committee shall be carried by the majority of those casting a vote. Abstentions shall be counted as present but not voting. The chair, or the vice chair in the absence of the chair, may conduct a vote by teleconference or email; such votes shall be subject to the normal requirements of meetings, including notice and quorum.
Committee members who are candidates for office, or who are agents of such candidates, shall recuse themselves from any decisions directly relating to those candidates.
A quorum for all meetings of the committee shall be a majority of the current membership, but not less than four, unless previously determined otherwise by a two-thirds vote of the committee.

Committee members who are not present and who have not substantially participated in at least two of the previous four regular meetings of the committee shall not be included in the membership count for purposes of determining a quorum.
The first item of the agenda of each committee shall be approval of the agenda for that meeting.
Except as otherwise specified in these bylaws, Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised (10th Edition) shall govern all conduct of the committee's business.

The committee may by a two-thirds vote adopt alternative election methods, including single transferable vote (STV) and Condorcet methods.

IV. COMMITTEE AUTHORITY

The committee shall have the power to:
1. design and promulgate a program of activities deemed as desirable, necessary and lawful in order to carry out the purpose of IDEA;
2. solicit and disburse funds to candidates seeking election to public offices in the State of California;
3. solicit and disburse funds to ballot proposition campaigns consistent with the purpose of IDEA;
4. engage in issue advocacy consistent with the purpose of IDEA, as set forth in these bylaws; and
5. carry out other activities designed to advance the purpose set forth in these bylaws.
The committee shall vote upon all major policies and procedures governing funding, solicitations and disbursements to candidates and ballot proposition campaigns, and methods for recommending endorsing, not endorsing, or opposing candidates and ballot measures.
The committee may appoint permanent and temporary subcommittees to carry out various activities.
Committee appointees shall not be compensated for performing their duties except for reimbursement of authorized expenses in carrying out these duties.

V. COMMITTEE RESPONSIBILITIES

The committee shall designate the appropriate committee member or delegate with responsibility for signing checks, drafts, loans, notes and other documents on behalf of the committee.
There shall be no commitment of funds in excess of $200.00 without specific committee action.
The committee shall cause to be established appropriate banking accounts for depositing all contributions and shall have a system of documenting deposits and expenditures.
The committee shall have its fiscal records appropriately reviewed no fewer than once every three years. Copies of such reviews shall be distributed to each committee member.
The committee shall submit necessary reports on activities as required by the State of California.

VI. FINANCING

The funds to support IDEA shall be based upon voluntary and solicited contributions allowed under California State law.
The committee may develop and adopt programs of solicitation of funds as deemed necessary and proper.
No contributor shall have any rights, to, or vested interest in, the funds held by IDEA by reason of his/her contribution thereto.

VII. LIABILITY

Committee members shall be liable only for their individual gross negligence or misconduct in the administration of the committee's monies, fraud, or willful breach of trust embodied in the purpose.
No committee member shall be held liable for any action taken or omitted in good faith, nor for acts of any agent of the committee, nor for any act or omission of any other committee member, nor for anything done or omitted in the administration of the committee prior to the date of becoming a member, and the committee is authorized to provide indemnification for any member of the committee from liability on any claims or proceedings instituted against him or her and arising out of acts described in this subsection, and to hold such persons harmless from any expenses connected the defense, settlement, or payment of monetary judgments on such claims or proceedings.
By vote of the committee, legal counsel may be employed for the committee, and these costs shall be a proper charge against the committee's assets.
Written financial reports of income and expenditures shall be available to the committee at each regularly called meeting.

VIII. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

If any of these provisions is so construed by a court or agency of the State of California to be invalid, the committee shall amend these by laws, in conformity with the requirements of California state laws and regulations, to preserve the sponsored existence of IDEA.
The committee may vote to amend these by laws by a two-thirds vote.