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Proposed Amendment to the ConstitutionAt its February 2010 meeting, the MLA Executive Council proposed a constitutional amendment to change the threshold for membership ratification votes on resolutions. Because the council considers resolutions to be statements from the membership to the broader public regarding issues of critical importance to the MLA, the low level of participation in ratification votes in recent years has been of particular concern. If resolutions commit the association to a certain viewpoint on an issue, council members believe that the votes of a significant number of members should be required for ratification. The level of support that the amendment calls for is one in ten members. The amendment also addresses the logistical issues raised by the change in the approval threshold. The council forwarded the proposed amendment to the Committee on Amendments to the Constitution. The committee completed its work on the amendment and will forward it to the Delegate Assembly, which will vote on the amendment at its regular meeting on 8 January 2011. So that members may be fully informed of such matters, the MLA constitution (art. 13.B) requires that all amendments to be brought before the Delegate Assembly be “published in an appropriate publication of the association at least ninety days before the meeting at which they are to be voted on.” This Web page provides the required notice. If approved by the assembly, the amendment will be submitted to the membership of the association in 2011 for ratification. The amendment calls for revisions in article 11.C.7. The present and the proposed versions of this article appear below. Both the current language that is subject to change and the proposed new language appear in boldface. Amendment (to article 11.C: Organizing Committee) Present constitution 7. A majority vote of the assembly shall be required for approval of a resolution. Each resolution so approved must be reviewed by the Executive Council. The council will then, in a timely manner, either forward to the membership the resolution as approved or with nonsubstantive modifications or determine, in accordance with the provisions of article 7.B.3, that it is unable to forward the resolution to the membership. All resolutions forwarded to the membership must be ratified by a majority of the association’s membership voting in a mail ballot. Proposed revision 7. A majority vote of the assembly shall be required for approval of a resolution. Each resolution so approved must be reviewed by the Executive Council. The council will then, in a timely manner, either forward to the membership the resolution as approved or with nonsubstantive modifications or determine, in accordance with the provisions of article 7.B.3, that it is unable to forward the resolution to the membership. All resolutions forwarded to the membership must be ratified by a majority vote, provided that the number of those voting in favor of ratification is equal to at least 10% of the association’s membership. When the council forwards a resolution to the membership, it shall establish all relevant dates for the ratification process, including those for the distribution and return of ballots and for the determination of voting eligibility.
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