On Feb. 25, the A.S. Council rejected a proposed students vote on another ballot measure to change the structure of the A.S. elected body.
The proposal would have given voting powers to college chairs and to A.S. executives, eliminating the voting powers of college senators.
The existing structure of Associated Students’ legislative body, which includes four senators from each college, is unjustified, according to Revelle College Senior Senator Ted McCombs, who submitted the legislation.
“The main problem [with the system] is that the senate is a vestigial branch that doesn’t need to be there,” McCombs said. “There is no justification for a legislative branch, because Associated Students has such limited jurisdiction.”
Currently, senators have voting privileges, while the council chairs and the A.S. Executive Board do not.
However, the referendum encountered opposition from the council, failing by a vote of 7-9-7. The vote was held by open roll call, allowing councilmembers to cast a vote between the time of the formal Feb. 23 meeting and 4 p.m. on Feb. 25.
Thurgood Marshall College Junior Senator Kate Pillon said that her opposition to the referendum stemmed from the differences in responsibilities between senators and executives, which includes the vice presidents and commissioners.
“Four years ago, the executives voted to take away their own vote,” Pillon said. “They do a job for the A.S. Council rather than represent a constituency. The way we have the system right now makes sure that we have an absolute representation of everyone on campus.”
Commissioner of Student Advocacy Denis Shmidt, an appointed executive, said that the proposed changes would effectively give each councilmember a clear job description, but felt that his own position should not have a vote.
The results of the roll call vote, which also included funding to allow A.S. President Jenn Pae to retain a lawyer to review a new Food Co-op lease agreement, only served to prove the ineffectiveness of the current structure, according to McCombs.
“There are some people who did not show up to the meeting or stay for the whole meeting, and they are not doing their jobs,” McCombs said. “The $1,000 allocation for a lawyer failed, not because people were opposed to it, but because no one showed up.”
In order to be approved, the mandated funds allocation required the approval of 18 senators. Though no senator opposed the allocation, it ultimately failed by a vote of 13-0-10.
Of the 10 senators who did not cast votes, six senators were not present at the Feb. 23 meeting, two attended the start of the meeting but left before the poll was called, and two were present but chose to abstain.
Members of the council have also said they were concerned about levels of attendance at the regular council meetings, which take place every Wednesday.
John Muir College Junior Senator Neil Spears said that the especially low attendance at the meeting on Feb. 23 posed difficulties for the senators that were present.
“No one was able to go to the bathroom because if they did, we would not have quorum,” Spears said. “The power of the A.S. Council was held hostage by [John Muir College Senior Senator] Arman Depanian’s shuttle, and that’s not Arman’s fault.””
Depanian relies on the campus shuttle for transportation, but could not leave the meeting due to the low attendance, creating pressure on the council to complete business while the shuttles were still in operation.
Council bylaws require that more than half of the 24 senators on the council be present at the meeting to conduct official business.
Pillon, who also serves as the senate chair, said she understands that senators will not have perfect attendance, but said she believes all senators should vote in an open roll call.
“I’m not going to hold it against senators for not making meetings,” Pillon said. “We all have other commitments. But the reason for an open roll call is to get input from senators who can’t make the meeting. It is irresponsible for people to not vote when they are given a chance.”
Though council attendance dropped to its operational minimum last week, Pillon said that the senate has been able to stay productive.
In its meeting on March 2, the A.S. internal committee voted to reject another referendum submitted by Pae that proposed a different change to the structure of Associated Students. Due to ballot deadlines, no more referenda will be submitted before the spring quarter elections. A final role call vote on the measure will be open through March 4.
