ASMSU’s Student Assembly members still have business to finish at their last meeting of this session Thursday - but lack of attendance might make it impossible to finish.
Thirteen out of 24 members must be at the undergraduate student government assembly meeting to vote on items. Last Thursday, the assembly was short one person after about an hour into the meeting, preventing the passage of the 2002-03 budget.
Student Assembly Chairperson Quinn Wright said he is confident there will be enough members at Thursday’s meeting to vote.
“In the emergency that we do not have quorum, an emergency meeting would be called the very next day or as soon as possible,” Wright said.
At the end of each session, a lack of attendance usually is a problem, Wright said.
“I don‘t know why,” Wright said. “By the end of the year, what you have left is the die-hard people who really want to be there. Sometimes that‘s less than quorum.”
Members in the 2001-02 session had to approve their own budget, causing the organization to violate its own code. The 2002-02 budget includes a $12,000 cut and rearrangement of money allotted to groups. ASMSU officials say the failure of a $3 tax increase referendum is straining the budget.
Andy Schepers, finance committee chairperson, said he was surprised there were not enough members present to vote last week.
If the budget is not passed, the organization will be in violation of its code, Schepers said.
“I’m not too worried because I think we will have quorum next week,” said Schepers, who was not able to attend the meeting last week. “A lot of representatives are losing sight and they are disillusioned a little bit, but we still have business to get done.”
Schepers said if there are not enough people at this week’s meeting to approve the budget, the organization’s code will have to be waived, and a new bill will be drafted for the unconfirmed budget to be carried over to the 39th session.
Danielle DeCormier, Student Assembly College of Arts and Letters representative, said she is going to Thursday’s meeting and expects other members to do the same.
She said she wants the budget to be passed so the next group of representatives won’t come into their first meeting feeling overwhelmed.
“I think there will be quorum, but if not, we will go drag people out of their rooms,” said DeCormier, who plans on returning to ASMSU in a hired position or as a different representative. “I come to every meeting because that’s why I joined.”
