At the caucus we passed the bylaws that had been on the website for weeks. One feature was to allow for staggered terms for the officers, so as to provide continuity and institutional memory. Another change was to allow filling of an interim appointment for vacancies in the event or resignation or inability to serve, failure to attend e-board meetings, etc. Numerous members worked real hard on them in order to get them out to the caucus before the deadline for distribution.

Ed Coleman, Ozzie and Lauretta Backus, Richard Morantz, Kelly Gerling, Katherine Bailey, Joey Sprague, Kerri Conan and others had worked real hard on them.

We set out some priorities, such as health care and minimum wage. They pretty much came from leadership over the past year.

We had numerous visitors who came by and were introduced to the membership. Gene Rardin was there for the whole meeting. Chris Steineger came during business and returned later to be introduced. Dennis McKinney, the House Minority Leader gave a pretty good talk about his delegation. Nile Dillmore was there. Paul Morrison put in a welcome appearance. Other party officials came by, such as Claude Lee, the 2nd Congressional District chair. It overlapped once again with the Labor Caucus, which disappointed many of us. I once again asked Lalo not to do this to us again (he had given us a room for a meeting not in conflict with Labor last year, but we were so far at the back of the building and so hard to find, it remained a problem).

Many members of the caucus had worked, some fairly anonymously, on their campaigns, by the way, as well as Nancy Boyda's, but she was in Iraq during Washington days.

Clinton always gives stem-winder speeches and there were 1,500 who ponied up $125 apiece to listen the night before.

Caucus elections, besides myself and Cathy (she won the long term) seated:

Treasurer:
Grady Kallenbach (He ran for a House seat in Wichita)
mail to: treasurer@kansasprogressives.org
Membership Committee Chair:
Katherine Hendricks
email to membership@kansasprogressives.org

Rules Committee Chair:
Katherine Bailey
email to rules@kansasprogressives.org

Communications Committee Chair:
Ozzie Backus
email to communications@kansasprogressives.org

Finance Committee Chair:
Jan Schaake
email to finance@kansasprogressives.org

If others would like to contribute additional description of the caucus meeting, please feel free. Diane Wahto, our P&P webmaster, was there.