LNC Re-Removal of Pubs Review Cmte: Background

At its Dec 8-9 meeting in Charleston, the LNC disbanded the LP Advertising and Publications Review Committee for the second time in the last three years. In place of the APRC, Executive Director Shane Cory created an informal committee to review language before it is published. Dan Karlan, former APRC Chairman, reportedly led the effort to disband the APRC. Bob Barr, M Carling, Admiral Colley, Pat Dixon, Dan Karlan, Scott Lieberman, Hardy Macia, Emily Salvette, Aaron Starr, and Bob Sullentrup voted to eliminate the APRC. Wes Benedict, Angela Keaton, Jim Lark, and Chuck Moulton voted to keep it.

The 2004-08-14 LNC minutes show that the reason the LP Program disappeared from lp.org around that time was because of a

determination by the Advertising/Publications Review Committee that sections of the Libertarian Party Program were in variance with the Libertarian Party Platform. [...] Accordingly, the APRC chair and national chair directed staff to stop distributing the LP Program and remove it from the website.

There was no official word of how the Program was at variance with the old Platform, and it seemed little different than the campaign positions of recent LP presidential nominees. The LNC reacted by abolishing the APRC at the same meeting, apparently to try to prevent the old Platform from being used as a bludgeon against such reasonable political efforts.

The APRC was reinstated at the 2005-08-06 LNC meeting on a motion by Jim Lark. The motion carried 9-5, without a roll call. The minutes include a copy of the guidelines approved for the APRC, which as amended were:

1. The LNC shall appoint an Advertising & Publication Review Committee (APRC), and shall appoint the chair of the committee. The APRC, which shall consist of three members of the LNC, shall review the contents of advertising, publications, and other materials produced or distributed to the Party, to ensure that they are consistent with the Statement of Principles and the Party Platform.
2. Copies of periodicals published by the Party (including LP News and Liberty Pledge News), in-house fundraising letters, prospecting letters, and news releases shall be provided to committee for review immediately upon publication and/or distribution. The committee chair shall report to the Chair, any items which, in the opinion of the committee, were inappropriate.
3. The committee shall review advertising material, literature, inquiry response packets, membership packets, renewal letters, and any similar material to be distributed to members or the public (other than those listed above) after approval by the Chair and prior to printing, distribution or use. The national headquarters shall provide copies of proposed material to all members of the committee. All material must be approved by two-thirds of the committee before printing, distribution or use. The decision of the committee may be overruled by a majority vote of the LNC, or by a majority vote by mail (or e-mail) ballot of the entire LNC.
4. The committee shall also review materials authorized for use in Party educational programs, or which are otherwise to be promoted by the Party. The committee may authorize such use or promotion, subject to those appropriate conditions or disclaimers needed to maintain consistency with the Statement of Principles and the Party Platform.
5. The chair of the committee shall report the committee’s decision to the national headquarters and to the Chair, as quickly as possible. If the material is not approved, the chair of the committee shall specify which items are considered inconsistent with the Statement of Principles and/or Platform, and is encouraged to suggest acceptable alternatives. Failure of the committee to object within 3 days of receipt of original document and/or 1 day of subsequent modifications shall be considered approved.