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US Greens Unite

© Pamela Gordon

Greens across the United States have decided that it is time to unite and become one national Green body. There have been an enormous amount of discussions among the greens that led up to the unanimous vote taken in July 28-29 in Santa Barbara, Calif. The organization called Association of State Green Parties (ASGP) has begun reforming itself and had changed it’s name to the Green Party of the United States (USGP). This vote and move has been with the work of the older “national” Green body, the Greens/Green Party USA (G/GPUSA).

This formation of one body, USGP, is a big step for the US Greens to become a recognized, coherent, national party. The Greens have needed this for a long time. To simplify the problems before this unity, ASGP was state based and each state had only 2 voting members. G/GPUSA was individual or local based and voting was based on people paying dues. This new body, Green Party of the United States, will have a combination of both voting methods, and no dues will be collected in order to participate. The only need is to have a active Green base.

Not only was a new national green body formed, but the was also a filing with the FEC for national recognition. What this means is an application was sent to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for recognition as a national political body. Currently there are only 6 political parties with this status. There are several benefits to having FEC status, one of which is receiving Federal money for running campaigns. For a more detailed report on the FEC filing read What Do the Greens Want From the FEC? on Slate. USGP sent in the 312 page application to the FEC on August 10 and expect an answer in early October. The FEC has 60 days to respond.

I have seen an advance article that will appear in the next issue of European Federation of Green Parties (EFGP) newsletter, written by John Rensenbrink, who was at the event. He writes, “When it was done and the fact of unanimity was there for all to see, there was a thrilling scene of shouting and cheering and hugging and some crying (for joy). We had come a long way, baby! since our beginnings in 1984.”

What was also decided at this joyous event? Well, a plan for building the Greens was formed, as well as plans for creating an office in Washington, DC. A new national magazine called Green Horizon was announced as well. And the young green attendees announced the formation of the Campus Greens, which had their founding convention the following weekend in Chicago, IL.

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