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Senate fails to overturn veto
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Associated Students of Boise State University President Mark Getecha vetoed two bills Tuesday, March 18, 2008, totaling $38,000.
No LCD for me
Getecha vetoed the larger bill, entitled “New Software for BSU LCD Screens,” because he deemed the project ineffective.
The Senate introduced the LCD bill Feb. 12. It was to give $30,000 to purchase software for the numerous LCD screens across campus.
“Our predecessors didn’t take into consideration the software needed to make this work,” Getecha said. “This legislation was passed with no plan. There was no plan to update it, or to maintain it. I don’t know of any research that was done on our behalf with students to see if they would be in support of this.”
The predecessors he spoke of were Former ASBSU President Joe Holladay, who spent the money two years ago to buy the screens (which never worked) and Former ASBSU President Wyatt Parke, who used an insurance settlement to replace new LCD screens after the useless screens were conveniently “stolen” from the SUB with no forced entry. Those also proved ineffective.
ASBSU would also have to hire a part-time employee to manage the systems. The Senate did not discuss this veto because the second veto was more timely.
Their Broken Spring
Getecha vetoed a bill giving $8,000 to the Spring Break Alternative, which met opposition from the group members of the Volunteer Services Board, who were at the Tuesday meeting and left for Honduras Wednesday. The money was to help pay for airfare to the Central American country.
The Senate failed to overturn the veto with an 8-4-2 vote. The Senate can overturn a veto with a two-thirds majority (it needed nine votes via secret ballot). It remains to be seen if the ASBSU Judiciary will write an opinion on the interpretation of the Code, which was a topic of debate and the source of the veto.
Getecha had numerous problems with the bill. He cited a pair of entries in the ASBSU Code. One limits the Senate from contributing more than 50 percent of funds toward any event or venture by student clubs. There was debate about the validity of the fundraising lines in the collected funds list (see text box), whether or not some of the lines count as fund raising. Some senators said it should all count. Getecha disagreed. The other (Title II, Chapter I, 21-300) notes that the focus of ASBSU should be on clubs and organizations. VSB is not a club. It does a ton of fundraising and volunteer work, but it also receives student fees. There is also a class focused on the trip, but some students in the class won’t go; others will go who are not in the class.
“There is no clear direction on how we should fund something like this,” Getecha said. “We cannot fund an event that [VSB puts] together.”
Some senators disagreed and tried to break the constitution to give the money to the club.
It was made clear that neither Getecha, nor the dissenting senators wanted to deny the quality of the VSB or the experience this trip would give to students (they are helping an orphanage get clean drinking water in Honduras and giving away food, shoes, medical supplies, clothing and other goods not included in the funding list).
“I think what Alternative Spring Break is doing is excellent,” Getecha, who was born in Kenya, said. “Those folks have done an excellent job and raised $15,000 on their own. Getting drinking water and medical supplies is near and dear to me because I have seen that in my home country. But I have to look out for the best intentions of the ASBSU.”
He was worried about setting a precedent for clubs failing in fundraising to use ASBSU as a “bail-out,” a sentiment many of the senators echoed.
Sen. Gabe Murphy said he didn’t see a problem with breaking the rules to help out the group. He said the two commendations the Senate passed unanimously Tuesday to the BSU Cheerleaders and the Mane Line Dancers were against the code as well (commendations are supposed to incur some monetary value, while these two gave nothing but a commendation).
“We are here for students and we want to help students financially,” Murphy said. “If they cannot do it, we should help. That is totally why I am here. By denying those it would be like telling students we can’t help you.”
Many of the ASB members were shocked and confused by the veto, a veto signed the day before they are to leave the country. It was passed March 4. Tuesday was the last possible day for Getecha to veto the bill. Despite the concern, the group members were undeterred in their venture.
“Going into a third world country and seeing the conditions some of the people live in and to help alleviate those problems is invaluable,” Clean Water Club Vice President Robert Turner said. “This is an enormously worthy effort. I wouldn’t consider it a kickback from ASBSU, more like a supplement.”
Turner later addressed the ASB members in the Forum Gallery.
“For the next two weeks, what this senate decides is going to be inconsequential to us,” he said. “Let’s put it out of our minds and just do the work we have been planning to do.”
Some of the senators showed favorable support of the group.
“I don’t think this will set a negative precedent,” Sen. Pro Tempore Terry Hurless aid. “If they were going to Disneyland I would say let’s take a second look, but they are going to help so many people.”
Hurless did not vote Tuesday. His position does allow him to vote when a 2/3 majority is needed.
ASB will have to continue fund raising when it returns from Honduras, to get out of the red. It bought the plane tickets with credit.
“VSB decided to make the decision to take Alternative Spring Break overseas and they knew that that would raise the costs,” Getecha said. “Alternative Spring Break was responsible for incurring the cost.”
Despite the veto, the Senate tried to push back with its checks and balances to get the ASB the money it needed to break even. There was no angst against Getecha. He was praised for keeping an eye on ASBSU.
“I am glad that President Getecha is doing his job and not pencil-whipping legislation,” Sen. Henretty said. “However I do not agree with his opinions. The students went out, were proactive and got these donations. We already supported this once; I think we should support it until the end.”
“I feel like it would be a slap in their face if we did not pass it again,” Sen. Montgomery said.
Sen. Evan Meriwether said he was “on the fence” and Sen. Larson was “extremely torn.”
“They are not going on a vacation,” Larson said. “They are going down there to work twice as hard as they had to do to earn this money.”
He suggested it be sent to the Judiciary. It was not.
Some of the senators were strict with the code.
“It’s not that I am against what they are trying to do,” Sen. Mariah Fowler said. “The amount raised was not given to us in an appropriate manner.”
When the bill was first passed the numbers were different. Getecha, Fowler and many other senators said they felt like the numbers were fudged. Getecha’s research into the matter found some discrepancies. The original bill states that the $8,000 is to be spent on paying half the airfare to Honduras.
This is probably not over. Today’s meeting in the SUB Forum may include more of this debate. There is still time to ask the Judiciary for an opinion on the interpretation of the Code.
Job Shadowing
Lilly Polacios, a representative of the Bilingual Education Student Organization, asked the Senate if its members would be willing to be “job shadowed” by middle school students next month. Each volunteer would be assigned two children, who would go to class with them. This project was done a few years ago with highs school students, and Polacios said 7-of-10 of those students now attend Boise State
BESO also asked the Senate for financial assistance to provide a free lunch.
“[It's for] English language learners who don’t think college is possible,” Polacios said.
OGEE turns down chocolate vaginas
Holly Hayman a representative of the Organization for Gender Equality in Education spoke to the Senate Tuesday in response to a bill passed two weeks ago that would have spent $300 to purchase 100 chocolate vaginas.
Hayman and OGEE turned the offer down, citing various reasons, including timing.
Although OGEE was excited and please by ASBSU’s recognition, it would not accept the offer for this “sensitive and controversial subject.”
“Maybe now is the wrong time to be handing out chocolate vaginas,” Hayman said. “We just might be limiting women’s contributions to society to their vaginas. You reiterate negative stereotypes we are working to dismantle, rather than support.”
OGEE and the Women’s Center will be celebrating Women’s History Month this April. Hayman said neither really wanted ASBSU to hand out the candy. Events like, “Take back the Night, sponsored by the Women’s Center will tackle gender issues, violence, gender roles, domestic and personal partners, STDs and other issues.
Hayman said the offer would be gladly accepted next spring for V-Day (February).
Alternative Spring Break Funding
$8,000 ASBSU (tentative)
$5,100 Alternative Spring Break Account
$3,125 Letter Writing Campaign and concessions
$3,000 Clean Water Club
$1,250 Concessions
$1,000 Rotary Grant
$1,000 Vice President of Student Affairs
$500 Office of the Provost and VP for Academic Affairs
$300 Boise State Foundation account
Total: $23, 275
Needed: $24,000
DUSTIN LAPRAY
Editor-in-Chief