Proponents of converting the undergraduate student government to
a senate system are pushing for one last chance to pass the
controversial plan this year.
Current USAC General Representative Brian Neesby, the author of
the proposal, said he is working to gather a few hundred more
signatures in order to hold a special election on the senate
proposal during ninth week.
The senate proposal, first introduced by Neesby in winter 2005,
would reorganize student government to include a body of 20
senators, as well as non-voting executives and commissioners,
instead of the current 13-member council.
UCLA is the only University of California campus whose
undergraduate student government does not have a legislative
senate.
The Undergraduate Students Association Council voted the
proposal down in January, but since then Neesby has been
circulating a petition in support of the creation of a senate.
He needs 3,722 signatures ““ or 15 percent of the
undergraduate student body ““ to be verified by the Election
Board to send the proposal to a special election, which would
require a two-thirds majority of voting students to pass a new
constitution.
Neesby said he is currently about 400 signatures short but
expects to collect the rest within the next few days. He added that
he has gathered many of the signatures simply by visiting
classrooms, but wants to keep the proposal separate from the
current election so as not to politicize the issue.
“We don’t want to create sides, and I think
that’s why there hasn’t been much discussion on it
(during the elections),” he said.
Election Board Vice Chairwoman Allie Weinstein said Neesby has
already submitted some signatures, and that the Election Board is
in the process of counting and verifying them, but she declined to
comment on the number.
Neesby attempted a similar special election effort last spring,
but the number of signatures fell short of the required 15 percent
because some names were illegible or students did not use their
legal names.
Weinstein said if enough signatures are verified this time, the
Election Board must hold the special election within 15 days of
their submission, as required by the Undergraduate Students
Association constitution.
Neesby said collecting signatures during election season has
been difficult because many senate supporters are busy working on
campaigns.
“It’s just my staff because so many people are out
campaigning,” he said.
Current USAC President Jenny Wood expressed concern that the
proposal would appear in a special election instead of a general
election ballot because voter turnout is usually lower in special
elections.
The last special election, held in December 2000 to elect a new
external vice president, had 2,893 voters, compared to 4,631 voters
in the following spring’s general election.
“To have a special election when we know that a lower
number of students are going to vote is irresponsible,” she
said. “If I were trying to change the structure of student
government, I would want to make sure it was on the general
election because that’s when the most students
vote.”
Debate over the senate proposal this year has fallen along slate
lines, with Bruins United councilmembers in favor of the proposal
and Student Power! and independent councilmembers opposed.
Wood, a member of Student Power!, said she thought Bruins United
members were trying to use the historically low voter turnout in
special elections to their advantage because it would require fewer
total votes to reach the two-thirds threshold.
“They’re trying to maneuver around rules and
regulations,” she said.
But Neesby said he wants the entire campus to be involved with
the senate proposal.
“I don’t think this is a Bruins United issue,
it’s a student-wide issue,” he said. “(I want to)
get students to see that everyone would benefit.”
Wood also raised logistical concerns over the possibility of a
special election, particularly the timing.
“Students by ninth week are ready to leave,” she
said. “They aren’t thinking about the future of UCLA.
It doesn’t really give them time to educate themselves and
get information on the issues.”
Weinstein said despite the time constraints, the Election Board
will comply with the wishes of the student body.
“Our feelings don’t really have any bearing
here,” she said. “If the student body gets enough
signatures, if that’s what they want, then we’ll put on
the election.”
Neesby, who is graduating, said even if the senate does not pass
this year, he hopes that next year’s council will continue
the campaign.