State Reports

Florida†

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The Green Party of Florida is celebrating! Cara Jennings was re-elected to the City Commission of Lake Worth, and Suzanne Mulvehill, a Green-endorsed candidate, joined her after winning a run-off election. Another member was elected who often votes with Jennings, though she is Independent. On a commission of five persons, the Greens now have a majority. Jennings said that in her second term she could put more progressive and radical programs into play. ìI understand better how the system works now,î she said. Jennings hopes to pass an ordinance a month, with ordinances relating to energy and environmental issues. Cara had widespread support from Greens throughout Florida, including financial support from the Green Party of Florida.†

Another Green, Ellen Brodsky, ran an impressive campaign against great odds, garnering 19 percent of the vote. She was vying for the position of Supervisor of Elections. Perhaps she will run again. Five other Green candidates in Florida are discussed in a separate article in Elections.

Florida Greens are experimenting with edible landscapes, resulting in beautiful, colorful yards, which provide delicious foods. Organic tomatoes, eggplant, onions, and cucumbers are among the harvest. The GPF co-chair is considering a business in rain barrels. Florida Greens are living their values!

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Cara Jennings

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Texas

Bienvenidos a 2009: Happy 10th Anniversary to the Green Party of Texas!

We hope you all plan a celebration this year to honor your managing to survive the last ten years as a Green in Texas and in gratitude to your volunteer efforts and that of our elected leadershipís, that have maintained the structural organization.

We are proud of our sisters and brothers who ran for electoral offices across the country in 2008, and to those who won, we look forward to the changes you will bring. As the 2009 election season ramps up, we hope to hear from Texas Greens who want to run for city council, school board, and other nonpartisan seats like your local water board.

Also 2009 is the next session of our Texas Legislature. With the help of a few state representatives, a bill to end the ëprimary screen-outí provision of the Ballot Access Election Code has been filed. Contact your state rep and let her/him know you support removing the primary screen-outóthis provision means that you canít vote in a primary AND sign a non-primary party or independent candidate ballot access petition. If we can remove this, ballot access in 2010 might be within reach.

The GPTX State Executive Committee (SEC) held a statewide Face to Face meeting over the weekend of January 23-25 in Tromball, outside of Houston. The agenda called for reevaluating the GPTX long-term strategic plan and establishing short-range strategy. For further details e-mail: SEC-contact@txgreens.org or call (210) 471-1791. If you can’t afford the call, use our toll free number and we’ll call you back: (888) 94-GPTEX (888-944-7839).

You bring Green values to Texas, keep living it!

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Maine

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In addition to several state campaigns getting more than 25 percent of the vote (see article in Elections) the Maine Greens are also pleased 2009 will mark the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Maine Green Independent Party. The party will mark this occasion with a special dinner during the annual convention, as well as a policy conference with the theme ìProgram for Maine,î to be held in October 2009. Organizers are recruiting experts on various topics to produce policy statements and participate in workshops at the conference. The party intends to position itself in the front of the pack on policy matters in the state, particularly in the areas of infrastructure, decentralization of decision-making, tax reform, and the creation of green jobs in the state.

In a statement to party members, activists, and community leaders throughout the state, Lynne Williams, state party chair, recently announced she would be running for the Green party nomination for governor in 2010. Williams is an attorney who has represented community groups throughout Maine in various struggles, including the fight against Plum Creek in the Moosehead Region, the opposition to LNG plants on Passamaquoddy Bay, lawsuits to force the state of Maine to protect threatened Canada lynx, opposition to inappropriately-sited wind plantation developments, and resistance to water mining by Nestle/Poland Springs.