Constitution and By-laws of the New Jersey Republican State Committee

Adopted May 22, 1979
Revised May 11, 1983; January 3, 1990; September 4, 1991’ March 11, 1992; and March 22, 1994

PREAMBLE

The New Jersey State Committee of the Republican Party, hereinafter in this Constitution and By-Laws referred to as the State Committee, is composed of members of the Republican Party duly elected to the State Committee from the several counties of the state.

The powers, rights, privileges and duties of the State Committee, and of the Chairman thereof, are provided by law; and the State Committee is authorized by law to adopt a constitution and by-laws for its proper government.

The State Committee is the sole Republican organization with state-wide representation which is given official standing by law. It is authorized to choose the members of the National Committee of the Republican Party from New Jersey, and it shares with Republican county and municipal committees the common authority to receive and disburse moneys for the purpose of maintaining Party organization, for publicizing the policies and candidates of the Republican Party nominated at the primary election.

The State Committee is, therefore, by virtue of law, the sole official body endowed with sufficient authority to guide the destiny of the Republican Party in the State, and to correlate and coordinate all Republican activity and influence throughout New Jersey with that of the Republican Party nationally.

The State Committee and its Chairman regard these powers, rights, privileges and duties as indices of their joint responsibility in promoting the policies of the Republican Party. The candidacies of the Republican nominees and, through Party and candidates, sound government for the people. In this spirit, and in the hope that the aims of the Republican Party will be supported by all who are entitled to vote, this Constitution and By-Laws is adopted.

ARTICLE I
NAME

The name of this organization is the New Jersey Republican State Committee.

ARTICLE II
MEMBERSHIP

The State Committee shall be composed of one male and one female registered Republican from each of the 21 counties of New Jersey elected at the primary election in the year in which the Governor is to be elected. Each duly elected member shall take office upon their election following the said primary, and hold office for four (4) years. At the annual meeting following the primary election in odd numbered years beginning with 1995 and each two (2) years thereafter, the members of the State Committee shall elect some suitable persona as its Chairman to hold office for two (2) years.

The members of the State Committee shall possess, and shall collectively and individually enjoy, execute and discharge their respective powers, rights, privileges and all resolutions adopted in conformity therewith.

ARTILE III
OFFICERS

The members of the State Committee shall elect as their officers a Chairman (hereinafter referred to as the State Chairman), a Vice-Chairman, of the opposite sex, a Secretary and a Treasurer. All officers shall be elected for a term of two (2) years at the meeting held on the second Thursday following the primary election in odd numbered years beginning with 1995 and each two (2) years thereafter.

The State Committee shall select a National Committeewoman and a National Committeeman as provided by law and the rules of the Republican National Convention.

All of the officers except the Chairman and the National Committeewoman and National Committeeman and such other deputy and assistant officers as the Chairman may appoint from time to time with the approval of the State Committee shall be elected members of the State Committee from their respective counties.

In the event of a vacancy in any office due to death, resignation or for any reason whatsoever, an election to fill such a vacancy shall be held within thirty (30) days. In the event of a vacancy in the office of the State Chairman, then during the limiting thirty (30) day period, the Vice-Chairman shall be Chairman. In the event the vacancies in the offices of State Chairman and Vice-Chairman, the Secretary shall be State Chairman. The Treasurer shall be next in line of succession.

ARTICLE IV
OFFICERS’ POWERS AND DUTIES

The State Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the State Committee. In addition to all the powers, rights, privileges and duties conferred or imposed by law, the State Chairman shall have the right to vote. If there is a conflict on the vote, Title 19 shall supersede. The State Chairman shall exercise and discharge all powers, rights, privileges and duties conferred by this Constitution and By-Laws and all resolutions adopted in conformity therewith.

The State Chairman shall appoint a Counsel to the State Committee, who shall be an Attorney-at-Law of New Jersey.

The Vice-Chairman shall preside at all meetings in the absence of the State Chairman and shall exercise all the powers of the State Chairman during the vacancy in the office or during the inability to serve the State Chairman.

The State Chairman shall be a voting member of all committees, whenever provision shall be made for such committees in the Constitution and By-Laws, and shall have a role thereon as all members thereof. The Vice-Chairman shall be a voting member of all committees whenever provision shall be made for such committees in the Constitution and By-Laws, and shall have a role thereon as all members thereof.

The Secretary shall perform such duties as the State Chairman shall assign.

The Treasurer shall possess all powers and discharge all duties which may be conferred or imposed by the Constitution and By-Laws, the laws of the State of New Jersey and resolutions of the State Committee. The Treasurer shall also be a member of the Finance Committee by virtue of his office. No officer of the State Committee may serve in a dual capacity in any state-wide campaign committee.

ARTICLE V
MEETINGS AND VOTING

Meetings of the State Committee shall be held on the Tuesday following the election of its members, and at such other times and places during each year, at the call of the State Chairman, on at least five (5) days written notice to each State Committee members. There shall be a minimum of four (4) State Committee meetings during each year. By resolution, the State Committee may direct the time and place of additional meetings.

Fifteen (15) members may by petition in writing by registered mail to the Chairman call a special meeting at any time providing five (5) days notice is given to the members by mail.

Fifteen (15) members of the State Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Only those members present a duly constituted meeting shall be entitled to vote on any question, motion or resolution, and a majority of members present, by their vote, shall be sufficient to pass any motion or resolution, except a resolution to alter, amend, or revise the Constitution and By-Laws of the State Committee.

The State Committee shall fix the fiscal year and may from time to time alter the fiscal year as the necessity may arise.

The following persons, by virtue of their offices, may be invited upon invitation of the State Committee and participate in discussions, but shall not have the right to vote: The Governor and the United States Senators from New Jersey when such offices are held by Republicans; a Republican Congressman from New Jersey to be selected by all the Republican Congressman from New Jersey; the members of Republican National Committee from New Jersey; Republican County Chairmen; The Chairman from the state Vice-Chairmen’s Association; the elected Republican leaders of the Senate and General Assembly of New Jersey; the President of the New Jersey Federation of Republican Women, Inc.; the Chairman of the Finance Committee; the Chairman of the Black Republicans; the Chairman of the Republican Hispanic Assembly; the Chairman of the Republican Heritage Groups; Chairman of the College Republicans; Chairman of the Teen-Age Republicans; Chairman of the Senior Republicans; State Chairman of the Republican Lawyers Association of New Jersey; Chairman of the New Jersey Republican Asian Assembly.

ARTICLE VI
COMMITTEES

The standing committees of the State Committee shall be an Executive Committee, a Finance Committee, and a Budget Committee. From time to time, the State Chairman may appoint special committees and their chairmen. Except for the Legislative Steering Committee, the Chairman may remove the chairmen and members of all committees with the approval of the State Committee. The Counsel of the State Committee shall be a voting ex-officio member of all committees wherein Counsel shall be a non-voting member. Upon the death, resignation or expiration of the term of the Chairman, the terms of office of all committee chairmen and members shall terminate.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers of the State Committee, the members of the Republican National Committee from New Jersey; the Chairman of the Finance Committee; the President of the New Jersey Federation of Republican Women, Inc.; the Chairman of the County Chairman’s Organization; the President of the Young Republicans of New Jersey, Inc; the Chairmen of the New Jersey Black Republican Council, the Republican Hispanic Assembly, the Republican Heritage Groups, the College Republicans; the Teen-Age Republicans and the Senior Republicans; State Chairman of the Republicans Lawyers Association of New Jersey; Chairman of the New Jersey Republican Asian Assembly. The New Jersey chairmen of the aforementioned groups have voting membership on the Executive Committee of the Republican State Committee. Also, members of the Executive Committee shall include the elected Republican Leader of each House of the New Jersey Legislature, ten members of the State Committee (other than the officers) to be appointed by State Chairman. Serving ex-officio on this committee shall be the Republican Governor, the elected United States Senators and the senior Republican Congressman. All of the aforementioned members of the Executive Committee shall be voting members.

The State Chairman shall be Chairman of the Executive Committee.

The Chairman of the State Committee shall have the right to remove any member of the Executive Committee, with the consent of the State Committee, appointed by the Chairman. If the member or members of the State Committee are removed, the member or members must be replaced on the Executive Committee by the Chairman.

The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the execution of the policy of the State Committee, with relation to the political organization and management of the Republican Party with the State and shall guide and coordinate political activities and campaigns throughout the State except in legislative campaigns which shall be coordinated through the Legislative Steering Committee.

The Executive Committee shall be responsible for all personnel of the State Committee or any of its committees, both paid and unpaid, other than the selection of the employees of the Finance Committee, and the Executive Committee shall fix the compensation of said personnel. Salaried staff members or individual officials belonging to the Republican State Committee, and the Finance Committee or any other official body of the State Committee shall not be personally liable in any way for debts incurred by the Finance Committee, or any other official body of the State Committee.

The Executive Committee shall report to the State Committee at each of its meetings relative to its instructions from the State Committee and the duties for which it is responsible.

Eight (8) members of the Executive Committee of which four (4) must be members of the State Committee exclusive of the officers of the State Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

FINANCE COMMITTEE

The Chairman of the Finance Committee shall be appointed by the State Committee Chairman, with the approval of the State Committee. The Finance Committee Chairman shall serve for a term concurrent with that of the State Committee Chairman, or at the pleasure of the State Chairman.

The members of the Finance Committee shall be appointed by the Finance Chairman, with the approval of the State Committee, and shall hold office during the tenure of the Finance Chairman.

The Finance Committee shall establish collection policy and be responsible and have full authority for the collection of all funds for the use of the State Committee. Funds, collected for the use of the State Committee by agencies other than the Finance Committee, shall be the responsibility of the State Committee.

The Finance Committee shall report to the State Committee, at each of the State Committee meetings, as to the duties for which it is responsible and to receive any instructions from the State Committee.

BUDGET COMMITTEE

The Budge Committee shall consist of seven members, five (5) of whom shall be members of the State Committee, appointed by the State Chairman with the approval of the State Committee. The Chairman of the Finance Committee and the Treasurer of the State Committee shall also be members.

The Budge Committee shall prepare the budgets of the State Committee, and any of its sub-committees, for the submission to the Finance Committee at least fifteen (15) days prior to its submission for adoption by the State Committee.

In the event it is determined by the Budget Committee or the State Chairman that expenditures will exceed the adopted budget by twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) or more, such increase shall require the approval of the State Committee, after submission to the Budget and Finance Committees for their comments.

ARTICLE VII
AMENDMENTS

This Constitution and By-Laws may be amended, altered, revised or repealed by a resolution or resolutions adopted by a majority of the membership of the State Committee. A copy of a proposed resolution or resolutions shall be mailed to each member of the State Committee at least fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting at which time such resolution or resolutions shall be introduced for discussion and amendment thereof. At a subsequent meeting not sooner than thirty (30) days thereafter, introduction, discussion and amendment thereof such resolution or resolutions shall be voted upon.