Werner backs senate inactivity on referendum |
Daniel Toberman |
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Chancellor David Werner said he supports the decision of the student senate not to take the $8.60 student athletic fee increase to a referendum. The student senate unanimously passed the fee hike last month. Since then, Senators Jinnifer Calabrese, Michelle King and Jeff Twardowski circulated a petition to send the fee increase to a student vote. The petition bearing more than 450 student signatures is more than enough needed to call for a referendum. The student government constitution states that a petition must have 25 percent plus one of the number of students who voted in the last general election. More than 1,400 votes were cast last April and the petition needed only 361 signatures to force a referendum. Calabrese was not allowed to present the petition at the last senate meeting. Vice President Jay Salitza said he did not have to allow the petition to the floor because the fee increase had already been voted on. Werner said he doesn't think that the senate was wrong in ignoring the petition. "That is what we have the senate for," Werner said at a briefing Tuesday. "I don't know the procedures, but it appears that they have been followed." President James Walker, who was also at the briefing, said he was aware of the issue but had no comment at the time. This issue will not be finalized until the board of trustees meeting May 10 when the trustees are set to vote on the fee increase. On Wednesday Student Trustee Jason Holzum said he was unsure if he would present the petition at Thursday's board meeting because he was waiting on feedback from the executive board. Holzum promised last week to represent the best interests of the students by presenting the petition. "I have to represent the students," he said. Among the issues to be discussed Thursday at the next board of trustees meeting are next year's governor's budget and the renovations and construction of new space at the East St. Louis Center. | |