STATEMENT: July 10, 2023
FROM: The 2023-2024 Coordinating Committee of Boston DSA (leadership@bostondsa.org)
BOSTON, MA: This morning, Representative Mike Connolly announced his decision to resign his DSA membership on social media. As such, the motions to expel and censure Connolly are now removed from the agenda of the July 23 General Meeting (GM). Boston DSA’s Coordinating Committee (CC) would like to provide clarification on the chapter’s processes:
- The motions to expel and censure Connolly were brought forward by members of the chapter, and not by the chapter’s elected leadership body (the CC).
- The CC brings properly submitted motions to a vote of the larger membership once members submit them.
- The CC as a body neither endorsed nor advocated against the expulsion or censure motions; it did not take a position on either.
- Two individuals on the CC moved the expulsion motion and one individual on the CC moved the censure amendment; the CC is an 11-person body.
- Since Connolly resigned before votes could be held on the motions, we do not know whether a majority (or two-thirds supermajority) of members would have supported expulsion, censure, or neither.We will have a formal debrief of the expulsion and censure motions during a future BDSA general meeting or at a forum open to all BDSA members.
At our upcoming July GM on Sunday, July 23, we will instead discuss items related to the upcoming DSA national convention and UPS Strike Ready campaign.
We will also discuss potential electoral endorsements the chapter might make — and we, the CC, encourage members interested in these endorsement votes to come and participate in those discussions. Additionally, we encourage folks to support our already-endorsed politicians through the Electoral Working Group and the Socialists in Office committees.
In its mission to win a democratic socialist society, Boston DSA engages in many other efforts outside the electoral arena through other working groups. We encourage members to be involved in our ongoing campaigns so we can win a Boston that is governed by working people, provides housing for all, fights racism and sexism, secures LGBTQ+ liberation, pushes back against neo-fascists, and addresses the climate crisis.