The Branding Iron received the following letter on Oct. 4, 2023. Any and all emails conducted through the University of Wyoming emailing system are of public record, especially of those who work for our (the students) interest such as the Associated Students of University of Wyoming (ASUW) student government. All of these official emails are also marked as such:
Due to Wyoming law and University of Wyoming policy, the contents of this email correspondence may be considered public record and may be published in compliance with public record requests.
To: The ASUW Legislative Branch, The ASUW Executive Branch, the ASUW Business Office, ASUW Judicial Branch, and the Branding Iron
From: Saber Smith, ASUW President
Re: Veto on Senate Bill #2898
In Article 1, Section 1.01, Sub-section E, Clause b. it outlines that the ASUW President must submit a written explanation.
The high dollar amount ($450,000 total from the facilities endowment and the union student fee) of the legislation merits a 2/3 override of the ASUW Senate instead of a simple majority. A simple amendment to internal working documents, such as, the Rules and Procedures, requires a 2/3 vote; thus, it is more than reasonable that this level of an expenditure should have a higher threshold of approval.
In our upcoming Fall issues survey, we’ve including a crucial question about SB 2898. We took great care in crafting this question, collaborating with a third-party administrator to ensure its neutrality and the ability to generate statistically accurate results. This data is pivotal as it will help the ASUW Senate understand and assess the diverse perspectives of our constituents regarding the proposed office move.
Jessica Petri, the ASUW Vice President and I, committed to reduce internal spending. This money could be spent elsewhere on campus that students can directly benefit from. The original quotes for this office move were much less expensive, and the day of the vote the quote was amended to increase by approximately $30,000. It is important to note that the facilities endowment will stay regardless of if ASUW spends it this fiscal year or not.
The current ASUW Office is a great space relative to other office spaces on campus. The proposed location is less visible to students and is only a net increase of 482 square feet after the construction of the conference room. It is impossible to determine if this will practically increase accessibility for our office. As a 4th year ASUW member, serving in the executive branch for my second year, this space is more than adequate. Although the current space is ADA compliant, accessibility will be remedied, as best as possible, to accommodate any student wishing to engage in our office, and there are tangible steps we can take to create a better space.
When considering the arguments in favor of the bill, one key point stands out: the amendments aim to eliminate any influence of student fee dollars from ASUW. It raises an important question for us: If the office move is deemed unworthy of student fee dollars, why is it justifiable as a facilities expenditure? If this change truly benefits students, shouldn’t we be willing to dip into our reserve funds, built with contributions from student fees? Additionally, it’s worth noting that a significant portion, $200,000 (corrected to $217,541 per ASUW Director of Policy & Analysis Jerry Henderson) to be precise, from the Union fee that students pay will go towards the renovation—a fact that merits careful consideration.
ASUW Senators, I cordially ask that you consider the value of a new space for the set dollar amount. Contemplate if there are spaces that you have seen on campus that need major renovation for accessibly, productivity, and/or engagement for the student body.
May the force be with you,
ASUW President Saber Smith
