Senate fails to pass recycling referendum
Wednesday’s ASPSU senate meeting adjourned amidst a barrage of shouting and disagreement after a motion to approve the referendum process for the “PSU Recycles!” program failed.
Two abstentions caused a less-than-majority vote on the measure.
Facilities’ recycling coordinator, Alisa Kane, approached the senate last week about placing a question on the ASPSU ballot, asking students to support a 33 cent raise in student fees per term to help fund student jobs for the program.
She was referred to the Evaluation and Constitutional Review Committee (E&CR), however they have not yet discussed the recycling referendum.
Kane’s only option was for the senate to approve placing the referendum on the ballot, which would exempt Kane from needing to collect 3,000 signatures by Thursday.
Despite overwhelming senate support, the motion to accept the recycling referendum for the March ballot failed. Approval by two-thirds of the senate, 17 votes, was required, but due to two abstentions, only 15 votes were tabulated.
The senators who voted to support the referendum were outraged with the outcome.
Sen. Kara MacKillop stormed out, stating, “The senate fucked up.”
Sen. Pollyanne Birge said, “I feel like this decision is completely undemocratic and it disempowers the students to sound off on how they want their student fees spent.”
Kane was disappointed not only by the outcome of the vote, but also by the entire process.
“There are some inherent tensions in the student senate,” Kane said. “No one seems to know what’s going on and it’s hurt the recycling program very badly.”
In other business, university affairs director, Kelvin Nicholson, asked the senate to approve the elections committee bylaws.
The bylaws are needed for the election orientations, held this Thursday and Friday, for anyone who wishes to be in the election.
The senate approved the bylaws nine to zero, with four abstentions.
In other news, former ASPSU Vice President Dune Zhu made his final address to the senate, after his resignation last Friday.
He thanked the senate for always respecting his authority and wished them luck for the remainder of the term.
Sen. Cassidy Blackburn said he was sad to see Zhu leave, and added, “You did a damn good job.”
The senators applauded this comment, although ASPSU President Kristin Wallace, who was in attendance, did not.
