September 7, 2006                                                                                                                 65LCB4

 

Sponsored by:                                      Preston Johnson                      Law School Senator

Joe Martinez                             Legislative Council President

 

Authored by:                                        Joe Martinez                             Legislative Council President

 

A Bill to Amend the Legislative Council Bylaws

Bill History

In previous years UCSU permitted student groups to place initiatives before the students during the fall or spring elections.  These initiatives allowed student groups to pass a student fee that would be allocated directly to that group, without involvement of any organ of UCSU proper.  This funding method was held unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in Southworth v. Regents of the University of Wisconsin, because this funding method did not adequately protect minority viewpoints access to student funds.  The Legislative Council enacted 62LCB5, which provided that the Student Organizations Committee would fund hear funding requests from groups who are no longer able to receive funding through the initiative process.

 

In redrafting the SOC’s governing documents it became apparent that the documents, as revised, would conflict with the Legislative Council bylaws.  Further, the “new” SOC as envisioned would cease to function as a commission and would operate in a manner more appropriately characterized as a joint board.  This legislation would simply delete the SOC as a UCSU commission and clear the way for new legislation that would implement the intent and purpose of 62LCB5.

Bill Summary

This bill would amend the UCSU Legislative Council Bylaws to delete the Student Organization Commission.

THEREFORE BE IT ENACTED

 

Section 1:  Article VII, Section C, Subsection 3 shall be deleted from the UCSU Legislative Council Bylaws.

 

Section 2: The Student Organization Commission shall cease to exist as a UCSU Commission.

 

Section 3: All funds currently held in accounts that are controlled by the Student Organization Commission shall be maintained in their current SOFO account(s) until further direction.

 

Section 4: This bill shall take effect upon passage of 2/3 of the entire Legislative Council.

 

 

 

 

 

Vote Count

9/7/06                                                  Passed            Rules Committee                                         

9/14/06                                                Passed 2nd Reading                                         14-0-0

 

It is my interpretation of Article V of the UCSU Constitution that the Legislative Council may, from time to time, amend or otherwise revise its bylaws without obligation to present the enacting legislation to the Tri-Executives for their consideration.  Without waiver or alteration of this principle, I believe it is necessary to present this bill to the Tri-Executives for their consideration because I understand sections 2 & 3 of this bill to affect changes upon the SOC and to provide direction to SOFO that fall outside the Legislative Council’s unitary authority to alter its bylaws.

 

 

                                                                                   

Joe Martinez                            

Legislative Council President

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                           

Andrew Aitchison                                                                     Charles Johnson

Tri-Executive                                                                            Tri-Executive                                                                                                                       

Ashley Nakagawa       

Tri-Executive