2008 Woodie Awards
Constitutional conflicts found
Debate over funding request leads to discovery of contradiction between
Ryan Hunter
Issue date: 4/23/08 Section: News
Editor's note: In last weeks story titled "Contingency fund controversy," some parties felt that it had questioned the credibility and motivation of ASISU Vice President Bryan Wheat and the Bengal Dancer's. This was neither the writer's, nor the Bengal editorial staff's intention. The Bengal Dancer's did nothing wrong in making the Contingency Fund request, nor did Bryan Wheat intentionally violate the ASISU Constitution, as he was operating within the bounds of the ASISU Senate Rulebook. The Bengal apologizes for this misunderstanding and any problems it may have caused the parties involved.
The Bengal newspaper was accused last week of misrepresenting the ASISU Senate approval of $4,921 to fund the Bengal Dancer's purchase of championship rings. Following the printing of the April 16 story "Contingency fund controversy," discrepancies in the story were brought to the attention of the Bengal editorial staff, which led to the discovery of contradictions between the ASISU Senate Rulebook and the ASISU Constitution.
It was found that the Bengal editorial staff had accidentally attributed a section of the Constitution as being a part of the ASISU Bylaws. This led an anonymous individual to attach a copy of the Senate Rulebook to the door of the Bengal production office, with a section highlighted that contradicted the section of the Constitution cited in last week's story.
Article IV, sec. 2, line 2D of the ASISU Constitution states that the ASISU Vice President is allowed "to be a voting member of the Senate only in the event a Senate vote results in a tie," while Article I, sec. C of the ASISU Senate Rulebook states that the "President of the Senate (the ASISU Vice President) shall vote only in the event of a tie and to make or break a two-thirds (2/3) vote."
The section from the Constitution was cited to show that ASISU Vice President Bryan Wheat had voted in violation of the Constitution to make the two-thirds majority needed to approve the Bengal Dancer's Contingency Fund request, however it was pointed out that he was clearly acting within the bounds of the Senate Rulebook.
The Bengal newspaper was accused last week of misrepresenting the ASISU Senate approval of $4,921 to fund the Bengal Dancer's purchase of championship rings. Following the printing of the April 16 story "Contingency fund controversy," discrepancies in the story were brought to the attention of the Bengal editorial staff, which led to the discovery of contradictions between the ASISU Senate Rulebook and the ASISU Constitution.
It was found that the Bengal editorial staff had accidentally attributed a section of the Constitution as being a part of the ASISU Bylaws. This led an anonymous individual to attach a copy of the Senate Rulebook to the door of the Bengal production office, with a section highlighted that contradicted the section of the Constitution cited in last week's story.
Article IV, sec. 2, line 2D of the ASISU Constitution states that the ASISU Vice President is allowed "to be a voting member of the Senate only in the event a Senate vote results in a tie," while Article I, sec. C of the ASISU Senate Rulebook states that the "President of the Senate (the ASISU Vice President) shall vote only in the event of a tie and to make or break a two-thirds (2/3) vote."
The section from the Constitution was cited to show that ASISU Vice President Bryan Wheat had voted in violation of the Constitution to make the two-thirds majority needed to approve the Bengal Dancer's Contingency Fund request, however it was pointed out that he was clearly acting within the bounds of the Senate Rulebook.
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