After failing to reach a compromise Monday morning, SG President Cassie Alsfeld decided Monday evening to yield to President-Elect Colorado Robertson’s installation date request. Senate Speaker Robertson and SG Vice President-Elect Shannon Bates will be sworn in April 21, and their inauguration ceremony will follow April 25. Alsfeld initially wanted Robertson to be sworn in April 23 because she said she needs more time to finish writing memorandums and end-of-the-year documents. “How realistic is it for us to get out four days early with a bunch of decisions still needing to be made?” Alsfeld said Monday morning. Alsfeld later told Robertson in an e-mail she will “give the go-ahead” for Robertson’s installation. But Alsfeld does not have the power to decide when Robertson will be installed, and Robertson said he did not intend to surrender to Alsfeld’s wish for more time in office. Robertson said both candidates vying to serve as the new Senate Speaker agreed Monday morning to put Robertson’s installation on the agenda for April 21, regardless of Alsfeld’s plans for a delayed installation. Sen. Drew Prestridge, chair of the Governmental Relations Committee, and Ben Clark, Senate Speaker Pro Tem, said they plan to ask University Court Chief Justice Mark Hill to administer the Oath of Office to Robertson and Bates on April 21. Though Prestridge said he understands Alsfeld’s request for extended time in office, he agrees with Robertson’s plans to avoid calling a special Senate session two days before dead week begins. “[Alsfeld] really doesn’t have a say in the whole matter, so I don’t know why she’s fighting it,” Prestridge said. Alsfeld originally rejected Robertson’s compromise to honor her commitments by signing her memorandums. “If we need to write any additional memos or need to finance any additional things, [Robertson] will have to do that for us or with us,” Alsfeld stated in her e-mail sent Monday evening. Alsfeld said she has a busy schedule this week, and she needed two more days in office. Her e-mail states she “will be ready enough to be out by Monday” after discussing the issue with SG Chief of Staff Em LeBlanc, SG Vice President Josh King and other members of her staff. Alsfeld said the confusion about Robertson’s installation date is not her fault, and Robertson should have approached her in advance. “I don’t think the burden should have fallen on my administration to get this right,” Robertson said. Some documents Alsfeld plans to finish include a transportation memorandum, a disability services memorandum, an “Ole Miss rivalry trophy purchase agreement” and an End-of-the-Year Report. Meanwhile, seven election complaints were filed Monday afternoon contesting Robertson and Bates’ eligibility to serve as the 2008-2009 SG president and vice president. But because Jeffrey Noel, mass communication freshman, filed the complaints with SG Elections Commissioner Jacob Gower at 4 p.m. Monday, they are invalid according to the SG Election Code. Gower, SG Election Board chair, said because Noel did not file the complaints in time they were dismissed. Complaints must be filed with the University clerk of court within two class days of the end of the election. Gower said if Noel filed the complaints according to the rules they could have led to Robertson-Bates’ disqualification, depending on the Boards’ ruling. Noel’s complaints claimed $101.49 of unaccounted expenditures, which would mean Robertson and Bates spent more than their allowed $866.50 runoff election budget.
—-Contact Natalie Messina at [email protected]