By Jacob Solis
Public Comment
Former Associated Students of the University of Nevada president Bill Hamma made an appearance encouraging the senate to “protect American jobs.” Hamma, who presided over ASUN in 1982, came to express his disapproval of President Barack Obama’s unilateral action on immigration and urged the senate to pass a resolution in support of Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt’s lawsuit against Obama.
Laxalt’s suit, which is part of a greater multi-state lawsuit, challenges Obama’s executive action that would defer the deportation of 5 million undocumented immigrants. The suit has proven divisive in Carson City and has put the new AG at odds with Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval and Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., among other notable Republicans.
Committee Reports
College of Business Sen. Bryce Warner of the Budget and Finance Committee reported that roughly 1,000 fewer students are attending the university in the spring semester. This means that ASUN’s revenues will be dependent on a robust summer session to make up the lost funds, totaling around $61,000, to break even.
Warner went on to note what he called, “some fun stuff going on” in regards to the Abbi Agency, the private company contracted by ASUN to build its revamped website. Warner did not go into further detail, and no senator pressed for more specifics.
In his report for the Public Affairs Committee, Sen. Quinn Jonas of the College of Liberal Arts discussed possible action on resolutions dealing with AB 2, the Nevada Assembly Bill that would allow weapons on campus in cars, and campus carry, a proposed idea in the Nevada legislature that would allow those with concealed carry permits to carry their weapons on campus.
Speaker of the Senate Caden Fabbi, who chairs the Senate Oversight Committee, reported the possibility of a censure resolution in the future, but gave no details at the time of the meeting. Following the meeting, Fabbi made clear that it was Sen. Alex Sung of the Interdisciplinary Program who was eligible for censure.
Legislation
Senate Bills 82-39 and 82-40, which both deal with conflicts of interest within ASUN, were brought to the senate floor for a vote and passed unanimously.
SB 82-39 defines conflicts of interest and establishes the protocol that any justice of the Judicial Council with a conflict of interest (be it financial, personal, emotional or otherwise) must recuse himself or herself from the case in question.
SB 82-40 acts similarly, but applies only to the ASUN Attorney General. The bill expressly forbids the Attorney General from prosecuting a case where he or she is a party, or if he or she holds an interest in the outcome. If a situation arises where the Attorney General does have a conflict of interest, the chair of the Election Commission will take over as a special prosecutor.
The Senate also passed SB 82-43, which put in writing that the chair of the Elections Committee must follow Nevada Open Meeting Laws. Previously, the Election Committee was not obligated to follow these laws as per the language in the Statutes of the Associated Students and as such, did not make their meetings open. However, Nevada law mandates that all student governments be subject to open meeting laws, thus creating the necessity for SB 82-43.
Jacob Solis can be reached at jsolis@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.
