Libertarian Party National Platform Committee Update

It's been a little while since my last update, and simultaneously quite a bit has happened and not much has happened.

• Caryn Ann Harlos was elected permanent chair of the committee.
• Mimi Robson is in the middle of being elected secretary (the email ballot hasn't ended yet, but IIRC there's been one NOTA vote and a whole bunch of votes for her).
• The chair is in the process of moving the committee from old and busted Yahoo! Groups to a better email list which will have a public reflector.
• An email ballot is in process on a motion from the chair that "that all electronic and in-person meetings of the Committee will be open to all state and national Party members and may be recorded and broadcast through a streaming service." It looks set to pass.
• An email ballot is in process on a motion by myself to strike the final sentence of plank 3.4, Trade and Migration: "We support the removal of governmental impediments to free trade. Political freedom and escape from tyranny demand that individuals not be unreasonably constrained by government in the crossing of political boundaries. Economic freedom demands the unrestricted movement of human as well as financial capital across national borders. However, we support control over the entry into our country of foreign nationals who pose a credible threat to security, health or property."

There's also an email ballot on a physical meeting, and an announcement of an electronic meeting set for March 6, 6-8pm Mountain Time (I'll post details for those who want to watch it when it gets closer).

And there's a rules controversy over whether a member of the committee who is both his state's representative and first national alternate can squat on an entitlement to two votes and cast the one he finds most advantageous (Robert's says no). That will get hashed out.

There's quite a bit of talk on the abortion plank. I don't see it going anywhere, and I certainly don't see any change away from a pro-choice position (I will not support such a change).

Note that I didn't mention how the email ballot is going on the Trade and Migration amendment. I haven't counted lately, but I'm under the impression that it's failing. Not on its merits for the most part, but because several members of the committee have announced that they won't vote for any motions until and unless their asses are cradled in hotel conference room chairs. Oddly, several of them have both made supported motions by email ballot when serving on previous platform committees. Suffice it to say that it's more about a personality-centered factional divide on the committee than about anything ideological.

OK, I think I covered everything. Questions welcome.