ASUW legislation to dissolve Constitution Committee stalled
ASUW is currently considering legislation that would effectively dissolve its Constitution Committee. The legislation, Senate Bill 2573, has been tabled in Steering Committee. It is being sponsored by President Wetzel, Vice President Welsh, Senators Defebaugh, Cloud and Rubino and Executive Bergman.
According to the language in Senate Bill 2573, “The responsibilities of the ASUW Constitution Committee are more effectively addressed through other existing committees and their overview of Judicial Council appointments is redundant and has been rarely used in the past.”
Joel Defebaugh, senator for the College of Law, is a sponsor for Senate Bill 2573 and said that committee restructuring as seen in the legislation is not unprecedented.
“ASUW has gone through committee restructuring in the past and I’d say it is a continuous effort to ensure efficiency and best representation,” Defebaugh said.
The Steering Committee and the legislation is not intended as criticism of how ASUW operated in the past.
“Steering felt that tabling the Bill was the best course of action to allow all ASUW Standing committees time to consider their committee’s purpose and role overall,” Defebaugh said. “None of this restructure is a criticism of past practices or people who have served, but just a chance for growth.”
Keatan Metcalf, senator for the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, said that Senate Bill 2573 is a paltry bill, aimed at deconstructing a worthy committee.
“The Senate Bill 2573 is quite a dispensable bill. This bill essentially eradicates the Constitution Committee of all its duties that are laid out within the By-Laws of ASUW,” he said. “However, I believe that this committee is an indispensable one.”
Metcalf said that the legislation sets dangerous precedent and signals insincerity to student constituents.
“If ASUW were to pass this piece of legislation, we are signaling to our constituents that we believe our governing rules are so changeable that we are disposing of a facet to make sure our changes are deliberate and well planned,” he said. “Retaining this committee would secure our legitimacy as a whole when voting on future legislation.”
Metcalf said that he is opposed to voting in favor of the bill, unless particular amendments are added.
“If there would happen to be an amendment to the bill that would declare the Constitution Committee as a special committee that only assembled when future legislation is going to be voted upon, then I would consider a yes vote on the bill,” he said.
Matt DePastina is a senior majoring in political science. He said that the importance of the Constitution Committee should be considered during deliberations in ASUW.
“This is an important committee pertaining to ASUW operations and this move would ultimately prove negative towards the organization as a whole,” he said. “Suggesting that other, unrelated committees can somehow take on the challenges of editing the working documents of our student government ignores the delegated responsibilities of these senators.”
DePastina said, with regard to the duties of each committee, that specialization among committees allows them to best address issues.
“Special issues require special focus,” he said.
Defabaugh said that he estimates a vote on the bill in the near future.
“I’d expect in a couple weeks to the full Senate for a vote,” he said.
ASUW rescinds funding from advertising in the Branding Iron
DISCLAIMER: The Branding Iron is directly effected by this legislation, so there is potential for bias in the information to come.
On Tuesday ASUW passed legislation that rescinds funds directed towards advertising in the Branding Iron. Senate Bill 2572 modified ASUW Rules and Procedures in order to revise current Students’ Right to Know advertisement policy and terminate monies being directed toward buying advertisements in the university newspaper. The bill, drafted by Senator Defebaugh, was sponsored by Senators Kennedy, Means, Rubino and Westlake.
According to Senate Bill 2572, “In the past years ASUW Student Government has allocated $377.60 for Fiscal Year 2016 and $920.40 in Fiscal Year 2017 to publish Students’ Right to Know in the Branding Iron.”
The legislation also says that it is important for ASUW to be fiscally conscientious.
According to the legislation, “It is important that the ASUW Student Government balance the needs to inform the student body alongside the fiscally responsible spending of student fees.”
Discussion on the floor regarding Senate Bill 2572 revolved around the relevance of the Branding Iron, the modernity of social media advertisements and being a fiscally responsible student government.
President Wetzel said that ASUW has spent roughly $900 annually on advertisement space in the Branding Iron in the past.
Discussion also yielded the sentiment that ASUW is open to deliberations with the Branding Iron regarding issues pertaining to this passed legislation.
Senate Bill 2572 passed unanimously, with 27 senators voting in favor of the legislation.
