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RCF seeks injunction over budget cuts
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by Andriy Pazuniak
Monday, January 23, 2006
The University of Wisconsin Roman Catholic Foundation requested an injunction Friday against Student Services Finance Committee members from sitting on Student Council when it debates the foundation's budget.
The Student Judiciary, however, did not make a ruling on the matter, since it does not have jurisdiction over the type of complaint UWRCF filed.
"UWRCF requested a 'preliminary relief,' which the Student Judiciary can only grant or deny if a current case is pending in the Student Judiciary," Student Judiciary Chief Justice Nick Fox said.
As it currently stands, Fox said SSFC members will be able to debate the UWRCF budget with the rest of the Student Council in its upcoming Feb. 1 meeting.
In their motion, UWRCF said they wanted to prevent SSFC members from sitting on the Student Council to ensure they receive a "fair hearing."
Associated Students of Madison Chair Eric Varney said he "understood" the complaint, but added that the Student Council and SSFC are two separate bodies and believed individual members who sit on both will treat them as such.
"It all depends on how individual members act," Varney said.
SSFC had previously cut more than $58,000 from the foundation's proposed budget before the Student Judiciary reversed the budget decision, claiming many SSFC members were in violation of viewpoint-neutrality laws.
As part of the decision, UWRCF was given an opportunity to once again present its budget to the Student Council, which hopes to make a final ruling at its next meeting.
The meeting may finally bring to an end a budget-decision controversy that began last November, when SSFC made the initial cuts.
In a separate ruling, the Student Judiciary denied Lorenzo Edwards' request for an appeal to a previous judiciary decision finding him guilty of viewpoint-neutrality violations.
Edwards was found guilty of non-malicious viewpoint-neutrality violations last December for his involvement in SSFC's minimal-funding the budget for the Collegians for a Constructive Tomorrow.
Fox said the decision to deny Edwards' appeal simply came down to a matter of timing.
Edwards filed for an appeal on the grounds that CFACT did not file its complaint in the necessary timeframe.
However, Fox said the Student Judiciary determined that CFACT did file its complaint by the required deadline.
