University of Colorado Student Union

Legislative Council

October 11, 2007                                                                                                                       67LCB14

 

Sponsored by:                                                 Veronica Lingo           Journalism School Senator

                                                                        Boyce Postma             Legislative Council President

                                                                        Daniel Ramos              Representative at Large

 

Authored by:                                                   Veronica Lingo                       Journalism School Senator

 

A Bill to Address the Use of Paper Proxies

Bill History

 

As the 67th session progresses, the UCSU Legislative Council has grown increasingly dependent on the use of a certain type of paper proxy which “allocates” her/his vote to another member, thereby awarding the recipient the power of two or more votes on any issue. Such use of this method has led to: 1.) a significant decrease in the use of paper proxies which specify the absent member’s vote directly to the Legislative Council President, and 2.) a corresponding decrease in the use of actual students-at-large as substitutes for the absent member. Because members of the Council need to be fostering an open, democratic environment, the use of such allocated proxies should be restricted to situations that are absolutely unavoidable.

Bill Summary

 

WHEREAS, the UCSU Legislative Council has an active interest in maintaining a professional, democratic environment,

 

WHEREAS, both the Legislative Council and students-at-large would benefit from more opportunities for varied participation in Council proceedings,

 

WHEREAS, the UCSU Legislative Council Bylaws have not specified the types of paper proxies members may and may not use,

THEREFORE BE IT ENACTED by the Legislative Council of the University of Colorado Student Union, THAT,

 

SECTION 1:  This bill shall insert a clause into Article X; A; 2; b; ii of the UCSU Legislative Council Bylaws, after the clause, “The Legislative Council President will count physical proxies as present and paper proxies as not present”, which says. “Paper proxies shall take the form of a written notification to the Legislative Council President which either: a.) specifies how the member in question shall vote when expected motions arise on issues to be debated during the Legislative Council meeting, or b.) directs the Legislative Council President to allocate the vote of the member in question to a specified individual currently sitting upon the Council. A Legislative Council member may not receive more than one allocated vote during the Legislative Council meeting. A Legislative Council member who has received a vote proxy may not assign his vote, and therefore the aforementioned proxy vote in addition, to a third member of the Legislative Council, and so on. Paper proxies must be submitted to the Legislative Council President three hours prior to the meeting.”

 

SECTION 2:  This bill shall be enacted upon being passed by a majority, present, of the Legislative Council and upon receiving the signature of two of the Tri-Executives or the elapse of six days from presentment without veto.

Vote Count:

10/11/07                                                          Passed                                                 10-09-0

10/18/07                                                          Failed                                                  7-9-1               

 

 

                                                                                                                                               

Boyce Postma                                                                                      Sarah Martinez-Davine

Legislative Council President                                                      UCSU Tri-Executive

 

____________________________________                             ____________________________________

Hadley Brown                                                                                      Charles Gilford

UCSU Tri-Executive                                                                           UCSU Tri-Executive