Student government was swept into a storm of controversy Wednesday night after a removed representative sat on council and advocated for new legislation to retain two previously removed members.

A major topic of contention was whether or not to count former Nominations Board Chair Niko Magallon’s vote or if he could speak as a member of Student Council.

Representatives were split on what Associated Students of Madison Chair Allie Gardner referred to as a “grey area.”

Originally, Gardner ruled for Magallon’s vote to be counted but specified with an asterisk in the records. This issue was further debated once Magallon attempted to ask former Vice Chair Beth Huang a question while she spoke during open forum.

Council members battled back and forth on the issue, in what Representative Dan Posca referred to as a “clusterfuck.”

Chief Justice Kathryn Fifield gave a speech during these comments, stating she had previously refrained from speaking during council as she is not a student representative and is reluctant to speak on controversial items currently under consideration in Student Judiciary.

She said that in light of this “flagrant and open defiance,” this was going to change.

“The time for me to sit quietly and not speak in these meetings is over,” she said. “I really just lack the words. If this is the way things are going to be, ASM is going to collapse.”

Fifield emphasized ASM is composed of three branches, and if council was to disregard the actions of one branch, there was no longer any semblance of a shared governance structure.

She said if this trend continues she saw no reason why Student Judiciary should keep taking complaints.

It was eventually ruled that Magallon’s vote would not be counted when Gardner made the final decision after hearing opinions from members.

Magallon’s sitting on council during last night’s meeting coincided with the introduction of the Retention of Sworn ASM Elected Officials Act co-sponsored by Representative Nneka Akubeze and Diversity Chair Tangela Roberts.

This act states the Student Judiciary is not an enforcement branch of ASM and the standing removal of Magallon and Huang was only a recommendation. The legislation also said the only way to remove both members is through impeachment by a two-thirds vote of ASM.

Akubeze said the legislation was not meant to be disrespectful to any branch of ASM and the end goal was for ASM to return to a properly functioning body.

Huang said she was against this legislation earlier in open forum.

ASM Chair Emeritus Brandon Williams also spoke during open forum to read a letter signed by Adam Johnson, Kurt Gosselin, Carl Fergus, Matthew Manes, Tom Templeton and Michael Romenesko, all former leaders in branches of ASM.

Williams said all individuals disapproved of the two pieces of legislation on the docket, the Process Standardization Committee and Retention of Sworn ASM Officials Act – both of which threaten the authority and independence of at least one autonomous branch of the student government.

Other legislation introduced addressed voter IDs for students, next steps in responding to the Center for Equal Opportunity’s study on diversity and appointing students to the UW Task Force.