SGA meeting turns into war of words

What began as a routine Student Government Association Student Senate Meeting turned into a political brawl between the executive and legislative branches.
In his executive report, SGA President Jamal Taylor reprimanded the Senate in what he called their “inability to represent the student body.”
According to Article 5, Sect-ion 4, Clause C of the SGA Constitution, one of the responsibilities of the vice president is, “To present all legislation passed by the Student Senate to the Student Government Association President within 48 hours of passage,” and according to Taylor SGA Vice President Phillip Wallace has not fulfilled his duties.
After the initial 48 hours, according to Taylor, the bill is dead.
In the meeting Wednesday night, Taylor said he would veto the Ethics Reform Bill and the Vote of ‘No Confidence’ Bill because the Senate had not followed proper procedures.
“It is time for this branch to get more active and represent the needs for the students. Last semester I asked you to address the police department and what happened? You formed a committee and said you all were going to meet with the department. That never happened. When I asked you to address the housing situation, you wanted to create petitions and survey the students. When is it going to be the right time to address these problems head on?”
Taylor went on say the Senate had not updated the University’s web site with the minutes, e-mails and other information for the student body.
Senate Bills 022 and 023 were voted on and passed.
The Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students, a campus organization, received $500 from the Finance Committee and Wallace asked Phillip Robinson, chairman of the finance committee, to query the executive branch as to why there has not been a treasury report since January.
Robinson introduced a resolution to the floor (SB 023) to be placed on the Spring 2009 election ballot asking students whether they wanted a live mascot, Lacumba, on campus.
“With no Lacumba in years (sic), nor in the near future, and a fee steady being drawn out of tutiotion (sic), the question should be raised if students still even want a live mascot,” according to a written statement from Robinson via Facebook.
When members of the Senate asked Robinson where the funds were currently, Robinson said he was unsure and that the administration also seemed unsure of where the funds were.
After a heated debate between Wallace and Freshmen Senator Demetrius Sumner over bringing the Vote of No Confidence Bill to the floor, Wallace stripped Demetrius from his position as chair of the student affairs committee.
“This is all politically motivated,” said Sumner. “Three days ago, I was a member of Wallace’s presidential campaign staff until I resigned. I was appointed to the committee only two weeks ago and since then I have been tirelessly been working on the Vote of No Confidence Bill for the Director of Residential Life, D. J. Baker. Now, all of a sudden, he will not recognize me or bring my bill to the floor.”
As a result, Sumner has co-authored a bill to censure Wallace for 10 business days, starting March 30 and ending April 10.
“Vice President Wallace is acting tyrannically…dangerous…the Senate already has a reputation of being inactive and it makes us look even more irresponsible when the work that is trying to get done fails because he is not following the Constitution.”
Wallace said he thinks the censorship is personally and politically motivated.
“I think the president and Senator Sumner acted unprofessionally. Neither of them spoke to me beforehand about any problems they had with my leadership.”
Taylor said the Senate would be meeting today at 6:20 p.m. in the Smith Brown Memorial Union for a special session to address Wallace’s actions.