By-Laws

CAPITOL CORRESPONDENTS ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA
BYLAWS, DUTIES AND REGULATIONS

ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of the Association shall be the “Capitol Correspondents Association of California,” hereafter referred to as the “Association.”

 

ARTICLE II: PURPOSES AND AUTHORITY
The Association is created by a Joint Resolution of the California State Senate and Assembly for the purpose of establishing rules for the accreditation, conduct, and privileges of employees and authorized representatives of bona fide news organizations in pursuit of their duties reporting on the proceedings of the California State Legislature, state agencies, and the official duties of appointed and elected state officials and employees.

ARTICLE III: OFFICERS
The affairs of the Association shall be conducted by a seven-member Board of Directors consisting of a President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer and four directors. Officers and directors shall be elected during the first month of each odd-numbered year to two-year terms. Mid-term vacancies may be filled by appointment by the remaining officers and directors, or by the membership at large if the remaining board members fail to agree on replacement board members. A good-faith effort shall be made by the Board of Directors to assure that print, broadcast and other recognized media categories shall be represented on the Board, but no mandatory quotas shall be imposed.

ARTICLE IV: DUTIES OF OFFICERS
The President shall preside over Association meetings and activities and represent the Association before the public and state agencies, with authority to delegate as appropriate to other officers, directors or Association members. The Vice President shall perform all duties delegated by the President and assume all powers and responsibilities of the President in his or her absence. The Secretary-Treasurer shall maintain an Association membership roster and all other Association records, including minutes of meetings, and provide for their review and approval. The Secretary-Treasurer shall also maintain necessary bank accounts and records of all receipts and expenditures, and provide reports at each biennial general membership meeting.

ARTICLE V: MEMBERSHIP
Individuals who apply for media credentials through the Association and who meet membership qualifications will be recommended to the Legislature and Governor’s Office for receipt of news media credentials. Active members shall be defined as individuals who receive news media accreditation through the Association and who regularly maintain offices near the Capitol or regularly cover state government activities in the Capitol region. Persons who are issued credentials but then are not regularly present in the Capitol area reporting on state government activities shall not be considered active members for purposes of establishing quorums at Association meetings. But they shall not have their credentials revoked except for good cause.

ARTICLE VI: MEETINGS AND ELECTIONS
The Association shall hold a general membership meeting during the first month of each odd-numbered year to elect officers and directors and to conduct other Association business. Other general membership meetings may be convened at the discretion of the Board of Directors or upon written petitions signed by at least 15 percent of the Association’s active members. Officers and Directors may be recalled from office for misconduct by majority vote of the active members. Recall elections may also be called either by majority vote of the Board of Directors or by petitions signed by 25 percent of the active members. A quorum of one-third of active members shall be required to conduct any business or election. At the discretion of the Board of Directors, Association members may be allowed to give written proxies to other members to vote on their behalf. Members shall be given at least seven days notice of the time and agenda of any general membership meeting. Formal notice shall not be required for Board of Directors meetings, but a good faith effort shall be made to notify all members, and Board meetings shall be open to all members.

ARTICLE VII: BYLAWS
Additions or amendments to Association bylaws shall be enacted only by majority vote of the general membership. Copies of amendments proposed by the Board of Directors shall be made available to all members along with meeting notices. Amendments from other Association members shall be entertained at any general membership meeting without advance circulation.

ARTICLE VIII: MEMBERSHIP ROSTERS
The Association shall maintain a current roster of accredited Capitol correspondents and their business titles, addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses. The Board may make information available to legitimate news sources. Upon request, any member may have any or all of his or her information removed from all rosters except those submitted for credentialing to the Legislature and Governor’s Office. The Board shall also have authority to publish, or cooperate in the publication, of media rosters.

ARTICLE IX: DUES
The Board of Directors may impose, with the approval of the general membership, dues in amounts necessary to perform necessary functions of the Association.

ARTICLE X: PROFESSIONALISM
The Association shall support the highest of journalistic standards, such as the Code of Ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists and all other appropriate efforts to enhance the professional reputation and standards of its membership. However, the Association shall have no authority to enforce any specific codes for professional standards, ethics or dress or decorum.

ARTICLE XI: ELIGIBILITY FOR MEMBERSHIP
An applicant for membership in the Association must be employed as a reporter, photographer or in a related function by a print, broadcast or other news organization which regularly reports on state government news in the Capitol area. Applicants for membership must list all full- and part-time employers on their applications. At least half of an applicant’s earned income shall come from media jobs. The board of directors may require applicants to provide additional information to determine their eligibility for membership in the association. Applicants must meet conditions for press accreditation set forth in Section 32 of the Temporary Joint Rules of the California Senate and Assembly. Those conditions prohibit the credentialing of any applicant employed by or receiving any compensation, directly or indirectly, from any lobbyist or lobbying association, any state office holder or candidate for state office. The Association shall provide copies of relevant sections of the Joint Rules to individuals seeking membership, and it shall provide to the Joint Rules Committee and the Governor’s Office recommendations as to which applicants meet or fail to meet the Joint Rules criteria for press credentials. Applicants recommended for denial shall be informed in writing their right to appeal to the Joint Rules Committee and Governor’s Office, which shall have final authority of issuance of press credentials.

ARTICLE XII: REMOVAL FROM MEMBERSHIP
Membership in the Association automatically is terminated when a member leaves the employment of a news organization which covers state news and is not employed by another organization covering state news. Accredited members may have their membership and credentials revoked either for their own actions, such as accepting part-time work with a lobbyist or candidate, or for the action of their employers. For example, if an independent publication is acquired by a lobbying firm or trade association which lobbies on behalf a specific interest, reporters for that publication are no longer eligible for Association membership. Members may be terminated for willful misrepresentation of their qualifications on their applications for membership.

ARTICLE XIII: MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS AND DUTIES

Section 1: News Media Credentials
The Association shall facilitate the issuance of news media credentials giving members access to restricted areas adjoining the Senate and Assembly floors, the Capitol News Conference Room and reserved news media tables in some Capitol hearing rooms.

Section 2: Reserved Seats
The Association shall recommend to the Legislature and Governor’s Office the assignments of reserved news media seats and desks for specific news organization in the Senate and Assembly chambers and the Capitol News Conference Room.

Section 3: Other Access
The Association shall represent the interests of its members in organizing news pools and other media facilities for campaign appearances and other similar news events.

Section 4: Advocacy
The Association shall advocate on behalf of its members on issues such as press access, freedom of information, open meetings and fair distribution of public information.

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