Watchdog Indiana PAC

Watchdog Indiana
Political Action Committee
(WINPAC)

NOTE: The Watchdog Indiana Political Action Committee (WINPAC) was disbanded on January 1, 2017.

WINPAC is currently organized as an online community where the Founder provides E-mail and Website Updates on selected matters related to the state and local tax burden of Hoosier working families. Individual Hoosiers are urged to contact their state legislators to support Taxpayer Friendly points of view. Individual Hoosiers are also urged to support Taxpayer Friendly state legislators and candidates. The Founder has the option to activate and deactivate the Constitution and Bylaws listed below. Additional WINPAC information can be found on the Indiana Election Division's website at Indiana Campaign Finance.

Constitution

I. Name and Object

Watchdog Indiana is a non-profit, non-connected, and non-party political action committee that provides information to those informed, concerned, and conscientious citizens of Indiana who want to help control their local and state government growth in public revenues, spending, and long-term debt assumption.

II. Qualification of Voting Members

A. Each person who has made a contribution of five dollars ($5.00) or more to WINPAC within the past twelve months is a Voting Member. All contributions must be accepted, recorded, and acknowledged by the Treasurer before the contributor becomes a Voting Member.

B. A Voting Member can be removed from membership only by vote of seventy-five percent or more of the Voting Members present at a WINPAC meeting. The votes for removal must be cast at a single WINPAC meeting after previous notice of intent to remove was approved at the preceding meeting.

C. A removed Voting Member can only be reinstated by vote of seventy-five percent or more of the Voting Members present at a WINPAC meeting after previous notice of intent to reinstate was approved at the preceding meeting.

D. Each Voting Member can keep his/her membership current by submitting to the WINPAC Treasurer a contribution of at least five dollars ($5) within twelve months after the date of the last contribution of five dollars ($5) or more was acknowledged.

III. Election and Duties of Officers

A. Chairman

1. Jessica R. Smith will be the designated Chairman until the organizational meeting (see IV.A.) is held.

2. A Chairman, who must be a Voting Member, will be chosen at the organizational meeting by a majority vote of those Voting Members present and voting.

3. A Chairman whose Voting Membership lapses can no longer serve as Chairman. A replacement Chairman must be chosen from among the Voting Members by a majority vote of those Voting Members present and voting at a meeting called by the Treasurer within 15 days of when the Chairman's Voting Membership lapses.

4. A Chairman will serve until another Voting Member is chosen Chairman by a majority vote of all Voting Members present and voting at a WINPAC meeting. Previous notice of intent to elect a new Chairman must be approved at the preceding WINPAC meeting.

5. Should a Chairman give his/her written resignation, the Treasurer will select another Voting Member to act as Chairman until a new Chairman is elected by a majority vote of all Voting Members present and voting at a meeting called by the Treasurer within 15 days of when the Chairman resigns.

6. Duties
a. To preside at WINPAC meetings and maintain order.
b. To be informed on communications.
c. To give signature when necessary.
d. To be ex officio of all committees and sections.
e. To perform such other duties as are necessary and approved.

B. Treasurer

1. Aaron J. Smith will be the designated Treasurer until the organizational meeting (see III.A.2.) is held.

2. A Treasurer, who must be a Voting Member, will be chosen at the organizational meeting by a majority vote of those Voting Members present and voting.

3. A Treasurer whose Voting Membership lapses can no longer serve as Treasurer. A replacement Treasurer must be chosen from among the Voting Members by a majority vote of those Voting Members present and voting at a meeting called by the Chairman within 15 days of when the Treasurer's Voting Membership lapses.

4. A Treasurer will serve until another Voting Member is chosen Treasurer by a majority vote of all Voting Members present and voting at a WINPAC meeting. Previous notice of intent to elect a new Treasurer must be approved at the preceding WINPAC meeting.

5. Should a Treasurer give his/her written resignation, the Chairman will select another Voting Member to act as Treasurer until a new Treasurer is elected by a majority vote of all Voting Members present and voting at a meeting called by the Chairman within 15 days of when the Treasurer resigns.

6. Duties
a. To receive and bank all moneys due the organization.
b. To keep bookkeeping records of such funds according to the requirements of the Indiana Election Division.
c. To pay all clearly authorized bills by check when receipts for expenditures are attached.
d. To sign all checks.
e. To disburse all moneys as the organization may direct.
f. To give a statement of finances as often as required.
g. To give a complete financial report for the prior calendar year by noon on the third Wednesday of each January.
h. To maintain an updated list of all Voting Members and to present this list at each WINPAC meeting.
i. To be ex officio of all committees and sections.
j. To serve as webmaster for the Watchdog Indiana website (www.finplaneducation.net).

IV. Meetings

A. The organizational meeting of the Voting Members will be called by the Chairman within 30 days after notification from the Treasurer that the threshold of fifteen Voting Members has been reached. All Voting Members must receive notice at least three (3) days prior to the organizational meeting. The Bylaws go in effect when the organizational meeting is called to order.

B. After the organizational meeting is held, at least one meeting must be held In January of each year after the third Wednesday.

C. If the next meeting date is not determined by vote at the prior meeting, a meeting can be called as needed by agreement of the Chairman and Treasurer.

D. All Voting Members must receive notice at least three (3) days prior to each WINPAC meeting.

E. If the Chairman is absent from a WINPAC meeting, the Voting Members present will decide who shall preside at the meeting by a majority vote of all voting.

F. Meeting minutes must be kept according to Robert's Rules of Order.

G. There will be no proxy votes.

V. Amendments

A. Constitutional amendments require prior meeting approval, previous notice, and a vote of seventy-five percent or more of the members present at a WINPAC meeting.

B. Bylaws amendments require a vote of two-thirds or more of those members present and voting at a WINPAC meeting.

Bylaws

NOTE: These Bylaws go in effect when the organizational meeting is called to order (see IV.A.).

I. Governing Rules - The rules contained in Robert's Rules of Order shall govern WINPAC in all cases to which they are applicable, and in which they are not inconsistent with the WINPAC Constitution and these Bylaws.

2. Financial

a. The Chairman must arrange for an outside review or audit of the Treasurer's records between October I5 and November I5 of each year. The annual report with the results of this review or audit must be submitted to the Chairman no later than December 1.

b. Each WINPAC contribution and expenditure must be reported by the Treasurer at the next meeting.

c. No WINPAC contribution can be refunded unless the refund is approved at a WINPAC meeting by a majority vote of those Voting Members present and voting.

d. The only financial account approved for WINPAC contributions and expenditures is a single FDIC-protected checking account.

e. Each WINPAC contribution must be deposited in the WINPAC checking account.

f. Each WINPAC expenditure must be made by a check signed by both the Chairman and the Treasurer.

g. If WINPAC is disbanded, all assets will be disbursed to each current Voting Member as determined by vote at the final WINPAC meeting.

3. Disbandment - WINPAC can be disbanded by vote at a WINPAC meeting with previous notice or by failure to choose a Chairman and/or Treasurer at two consecutive WINPAC meetings.

4. Chapters

a. WINPAC chapters (e.g. Watchdog Lebanon) can be approved to coordinate projects of local interest by a majority vote of those Voting Members present and voting at a WINPAC meeting.

b. A WINPAC chapter can also be disbanded by a majority vote of those Voting Members present and voting at a WINPAC meeting, if previous notice of intent to disband the chapter is approved at the preceding WINPAC meeting (exception: see 4.c. below).

c. Each WINPAC chapter must have a Chapter Chairman who is a Voting Member. A chapter without a Voting Member as Chapter Chairman will be disbanded after thirty days written notice from the WINPAC Chairman and Treasurer.

d. Other than the Chapter Chairman, persons involved in chapter activities do not have to be WINPAC members.

e. Chapters may not have a treasury, bank account, or otherwise maintain any funds. The source of all chapter contributions must be clearly identified and forwarded directly to the WINPAC Treasurer. If funds are received directly from a Chapter Chairman, and the Chapter Chairman requests it, the WINPAC Treasurer will segregate a chapter's contributions for sole use by the chapter. As with any WINPAC expenditure, chapter expenditures must be made by a check signed by both the WINPAC Chairman and the Treasurer.

5. Projects - Each WINPAC project, including both statewide and chapter projects, must be approved by a majority of the members voting at a WINPAC meeting. Projects can likewise be ended by a majority vote.

8. Political Activity Restriction

a. Any political activity undertaken will involve elections and political party conventions related to the State of Indiana and its political subdivisions.

b. No political activity will be undertaken for elections and political party conventions related to the President of the United States and members of Congress.

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This page was last updated on 01/20/17.