The undergraduate student government postponed a vote Tuesday on proposed bylaw changes that would alter the language of the conflict of interest policy for student government officials.
The changes would specify that conflicts of interest only come from an ongoing contractual or financial obligation, or a financial interest in a decision made as an elected official. They also would eliminate parts of the Undergraduate Students Association Council bylaws that say councilmembers should avoid the perception of the conflict of interest.
At the start of the USAC meeting, President Avinoam Baral struck the bylaw amendment vote from the agenda because he expected the meeting to last longer than usual, and thought it would be better to discuss it at a later date. The meeting lasted until about 9 p.m.
More than 10 students, including members of Students for Justice in Palestine at UCLA and Jewish Voice for Peace, said during the meeting’s public comment period that they oppose the conflict of interest bylaw changes.
Jacob Manheim, a fourth-year geology student and the Jewish Voice for Peace president, read a letter he said Baral emailed to pro-Israel philanthropist Adam Milstein asking for funding to support his campaign for USAC in 2013. Some students have expressed concerns that they think Milstein is Islamophobic. Manheim said the email demonstrated why the USAC bylaws regarding conflict of interest should not be narrowed.
Safwan Ibrahim, a fourth-year comparative literature student and Students for Justice in Palestine at UCLA board member, said he thinks that specifying conflicts of interest would weaken the bylaws, and that councilmembers should keep them broad so they can be interpreted differently in each case.
Baral proposed the bylaw changes after a spring USAC Judicial Board case in which board members reviewed bylaws after two former councilmembers were accused of engaging in conflicts of interest for voting on a divestment resolution. The resolution called for the University of California to divest from American companies that profit from alleged human rights violations by Israel in Palestinian territories.
Prior to voting on the resolution, former councilmembers Sunny Singh and Lauren Rogers took trips to Israel paid for by the Anti-Defamation League and Project Interchange, respectively.
After the case, the Judicial Board said in its opinion that councilmembers should consider revising the bylaws to make them more clear. Baral said he drafted the bylaw change because of the Judicial Board’s suggestions.
Later in the meeting, USAC voted to create a position for a new communications director, which will aim to promote USAC. The position will be filled in winter quarter.
Baral said he is not sure if he will bring the bylaw change proposal to the council next week or at the start of winter quarter.
Compiled by Katie Shepherd, Bruin senior staff, and Norma Reyes, Bruin contributor. Contributing reports by Amanda Schallert, Bruin senior staff.