Three members of the Student Senate legislative staff resigned at Wednesday’s student Senate meeting, following a request for their resignation.
Senate Speaker Michael Busada called for the staff members’ resignations after a mix-up Nov. 7, when members of the Senate legislative staff submitted an incorrect copy of the election code bill to SG President Allen Richey for his consideration. After realizing its mistake, the legislative staff took inappropriate measures to correct the mistake.
Busada announced to the Senate on Nov. 12 that he had asked three of his staff members, Laura Veazey, Daniel Nunes and Ralph Johnson, to resign.
Legislative assistants Nunes and Johnson both addressed the Senate during the meeting; each said he would resign.
“I think I worked really hard for you guys, and I appreciate your support,” Nunes told the chamber. “I feel that it’s just the time to do it.”
Johnson, who said he was resigning for health reasons, addressed the Senate on keeping the students’ interests at heart.
“Please do your jobs and do them right,” Johnson said. “You shouldn’t be in jeopardy of losing your seat after the second meeting.”
Johnson said he would be back.
“I can’t put into words how much fun I have had here,” Johnson said. “I will miss this job.”
Legislative secretary Laura Veazey did not speak to the chamber, but Busada said he has received her resignation as well.
“Even though these people are terrific individuals, you have to have the best team to accomplish your objectives,” Busada said.
Sen. Heath Hattaway said he did not understand why Busada gave the staff members praise yet still asked for their resignation.
“If the staff did such a good job, I’m curious as to why they were asked to resign,” Hattaway said. “But it’s his perogative to do so.”
Nunes said later that he felt his resignation was the best thing for the students.
“I tried to serve the students the best that I could,” Nunes said. “We know we didn’t do anything wrong, we just didn’t want to drag the students through any more turmoil.”
During the session, the last of the fall semester, the Senate also passed resolutions welcoming Gov.-elect Kathleen Blanco and Lt. Gov.-elect Mitch Landrieu to campus.
“It’s a good gesture toward them,” Busada said. “It’s an olive branch from us to her, to say we’re here and ready to give input.”
The Senate also passed a bill allowing the commissioner of elections to choose where absentee voting will be and also added Middleton Library and Williams Hall to the list of polling places for students in UCFY, Arts and Sciences, Graduate School and School of Education.
The Senate defeated a measure to add the Union to the list of polling places.
Sen. Jeremy Griggs said adding the Union to the list of polling places would disrupt the traditional, vote-by-college polling place.
“Everyone would end up in the computer lab, and you would see a buttload of campaigning on the stairwells,” Griggs said. “It would move campaigning almost all the way to the SG office – that would just add more suspicion to our elections as a whole.”
Hattaway, one of the sponsors of the bill, had hoped the bill would increase voter turnout.
“I believe some senators are afraid of change in the current system, and after two weeks of defeating measures that would give students more chances, it’s becoming more apparent,” Hattaway said. He removed himself from the bill after the Union was removed from the bill. “I didn’t think the bill with the Union taken off of it would help with voter turnout, it’s more of a ‘let’s fix our own rule.'”
Hattaway said this semester has been a cumbersome one for the Senate.
“I’ve been very disappointed with the productivity of the Senate,” Hattaway said. “The one bill that we spent six weeks on was defeated with a veto.”
Hattaway and Busada both said they would work to make the Senate more productive in the spring.
Hattaway said he would attempt to work out the problems with his failed election code with Richey and re-submit it to the Senate in the spring.
“Once the active campaigning portions have been worked out we will meet a compromise,” Hattaway said. “A compromise that gives students a chance to talk while at the same time providing everyday students the chance to avoid campaigning.”
Busada said he would talk to different senators over the break and try to prepare an issue-heavy Senate session for the spring.
Busada promised efforts to address parking problems, a student-security force and implementing a waiting list for online scheduling.
“Fortune 500 companies with thousands of employees don’t have parking problems,” Busada said. “We want to gaurantee you can get to the center of campus in a timely manner.”