Representatives of the University of Wisconsin’s student government voted to reinstate two members previously removed for election violations on Wednesday, a decision which drew criticism to both the policy and publicity of the process.
Beth Huang and Niko Magallon, who previously served as Associated Students of Madison vice chair and Nominations Board chair respectively, were sworn in immediately after the vote was completed.
Members of Student Council debated whether to vote on the nominations for two vacant Council seats in the College of Letters and Science, with some representatives characterizing the selection of previous ASM officers as “cronyism.”
Officials also scrutinized the Nomination Board’s process of interviewing applicants and called into question whether the timing for releasing the candidates to be presented in council violated open meetings law.
Rep. Tom Templeton said the votes from the board’s meeting last night, which were six to zero for Huang and five to one in favor of Magallon, should not be considered because he said these figures are skewed as a result of the process.
Several representatives also urged members to hold off on the vote until next week’s meeting, due in part to it being the first official meeting for newly elected officials.
Student Services Finance Committee Chair Sarah Neibart also said because the board made the decision not to release a statement with the two nominees’ names when deliberations ended, it would not be fair to the student body to vote on the appointments.
Other representatives questioned how the nomination of two formerly reformed officials would reflect on the processes of Council as a whole.
“I think it sends the wrong message,” Sam Polstein, a member of Student Council, said. “I don’t think we should be giving members a second chance.”
Nominations Board member Libby Wick-Bander defended the process used by the selection committee, saying members followed the standardized rules in place and the decision should not be affected by how the action could be interpreted.
Wick-Bander also said she selected Huang and Magallon because they were the most skillful candidates through the process and their experience serving on Council would prove crucial when joining in mid-session.
The measure passed with a vote of 15-7-4, with the appointees taking their oath of office after the vote.
With 30 minutes remaining in the meeting, Council members took up the ASM Internal Budget. According to the bylaws, representatives must approve the budget before Nov. 15 or the budget will be recommended to SSFC as it stands.
Members debated the Commencement Speaker Fund, which was reduced from $75,000 to an earmarked sum of $1, for a decision by Council members.
Rep. Leland Pan said the idea of hosting a “world-class speaker” makes a judgment about the value of the commencement ceremony and appeals to the dominant values of the group, excluding underrepresented students on campus.
A motion to consider placing the fund at $50,000 was up for discussion when time for the meeting expired.
The full budget will again be up for further debate in next week’s meeting.
Student Council also approved legislation to create a Student Legal Services Center ad hoc committee that would oversee the creation of the body’s bylaws and standing rules.
