CCC roadblocks final approval for BGALA

The CCC voted 3-2 to approve the bylaws, but a two-thirds majority is needed to pass an item in the the body. ASUA's constitution states that any measure passed in the Senate must be passed by the CCC before it becomes effective.

Voting against the bylaws were Sens. Chadd Garcia and Lauren Sliger, two of the three senators on the CCC. Three senators and the two ASUA vice presidents comprise the CCC legislative body.

Garcia and Sliger voted against BGALA's bylaws when they were approved 5-2 by the Senate April 9. Seven other program and service bylaws were approved unanimously at the same meeting.

At the Senate's April 16 meeting, Sliger asked the Senate to reconsider the 5-2 vote, saying BGALA functioned as a club and organization and should not have program and service status.

The Senate, however, stuck with its previous decision, voting 5-3 to retain BGALA as a program and service. Sen. David Kramer, Sliger and Garcia voted against the BGALA bylaws.

Sliger said she was against approving BGALA's bylaws because she wants to change the funding status of the program, giving it the option of applying for status as an ASUA club. She said she has no personal vendetta against members of the association.

Programs and services receive line-item funding from the ASUA budget, while clubs and organizations have to apply for funding on a case-by-case basis through ASUA's Appropriations Board. BGALA was given a $5,261.50 budget this year.

Because an item that fails in the CCC can start over again in the Senate, the Senate decided last night to vote again on ASUA's programs and services bylaws at its April 30 meeting. A CCC meeting will be held afterward to vote on the measure if it passes the Senate.

At last night's Senate meeting, Senate Chairman Gilbert Davidson and Sens. Kim Montanaro, Ryan Anderson and J.J. Rico said the senators who sit on the CCC should represent the Senate and vote as the Senate votes.

"We voted for the past two weeks a certain way as a legislative body," Montanaro said to Sliger and Garcia. "It's not fair for you two to pursue your own personal agenda."

Garcia defended the decision to vote against what the Senate had approved.

"CCC is not an extension of the Senate. It's a checks and balance," Garcia said.

Garcia said he originally made a motion at the CCC meeting to approve the programs and services bylaws with the exception of BGALA's, but withdrew the motion because there was no support for it.

If programs and services bylaws are not approved by May 1, the incoming Senate would have the responsibility of creating them.

After the Senate debated how to resolve the situation, Sliger said she would immediately relinquish her position on CCC because she does not want next year's Senate to have the responsibility of passing the bylaws.

"I'm not going to win in the CCC and I'm not going to win in the Senate, so there is no sense pursuing it," she said.

Anderson will take Sliger's place on the CCC next week.

Seven BGALA members attended the Senate meeting last night.

Jason Cianciotto, co-director of the organization, said he heard that the bylaws were not approved when ASUA adviser Jim Drnek called him after the CCC meeting.

Cianciotto said he attended the Senate meeting because he thought BGALA might be discussed again.

"They (Garcia and Sliger) are alone in their beliefs and have done everything they can to try to push their agenda through," Cianciotto said.

"It questions their desire to represent the students."

Next week's meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. The location will be posted on the Senate agenda, which will be made available Tuesday afternoon.