An attempt to expand the ranks of the Undergraduate Student Government in the 1994 elections failed in last night’s meeting.
The legislation would have increased the number of senators from 25 to 29, adding senators to West Halls, South Halls, Centre Halls and the fraternity district. It fell two votes short of the necessary two-thirds vote.
East Halls senator Larry Santucci said it would be redistributing unequal representation.
“Common sense would dictate in any reapportionment senators would be added to every district,” Santucci said. “For my taste this legislation would create too big of an inequality. The system we have now is fair.”
West Halls senator Andy Ovies said the increase was necessary to assure diversity in representation and added the extra senator would be a security measure.
“What if I had to attend another meeting tonight?” Ovies asked. “Then West Halls would have no representation for that meeting. I think it is a bit much to have only one person representing an entire area.”
Fraternity senator Mike King accused both sides of just playing with numbers.
“It’s gerrymandering no matter how you look at it,” King said. “The question is, which type of gerry mandering would best benefit the students.”
The legislation originally was proposed to change this year’s election codes, but the Academic Assembly tabled the legislation on Monday. The legislation had to sit for one week putting it past the deadline for this year’s elections codes, said USG Senate President Mike Gillespie.
In other business, the USG Senate passed an executive order requiring USG President Rob Kampia to attend the remaining USG Senate meetings during his president’s report.
Kampia also endorsed the order.
“It is a good compromise, but I caution senate in going about things this way,” Kampia said. “We had a communication problem, obviously, but I don’t think the best way to solve it is filling out orders for me to follow.”
But the order was a slap on the wrists for Kampia’s continued belligerence, King said.
“I think the order is way too lenient,” King said. “He continues to act up and thumb his nose at us when we confront him with it. Then when he’s in trouble he wants to work with us.”
King added the legislation was ineffective.
“This is a joke,” King said. “He is supposed to be here anyway.”
East Halls senator Bob Torres said he believed the legislation was a necessary measure.
“We are required to do something about his negligence,” Torres said. “This is the best thing we can do between impeaching him and doing nothing.”