Congress talks student elections

After members of the Student Safety & Security Committee raised concerns about the way the group conducts its meetings, a resolution passed by Student Congress Tuesday aims to clarify the requirements.

The resolution bans the committee from voting online and clarifies that the committee can only conduct official business when there is a quorum.

The Student Safety & Security Committee, part of student government, appropriated $21,724.05 in student fees to groups this semester and often failed to publish the location of its meetings online, did not take meeting minutes and did not publish those minutes online.

“It’s a concern that was brought to me by several members of the committee and I encouraged them to talk to the chair to act ethically, legally, and if they needed, to raise those concerns,” said Speaker of Student Congress Connor Brady in an interview.

“They have raised those concerns to those of us who can change the code and make it illegal for those emailed votes to take place.”

The concerns include failing to post the location and time of meetings as well as those meetings’ minutes.

The bill passed without discussion Tuesday. It was on the consent calendar, meaning that it received unanimous favorable consent after being debated in the rules and judiciary committee. The bill must be signed by Student Body President Christy Lambden.

Brady served as the chairman of the Student Safety & Security Committee in fall of 2012, but was removed from the position by former Student Body President Will Leimenstoll because he “did not trust Connor to represent him positively,” according to a petition Brady started to attempt to be reinstated.

“Under my term as chair, we did not vote by email and we did not hold meetings that are under North Carolina law considered illegal,” he said.

But current Safety & Security Committee Chairman Tyler Jacon said in a previous interview he acted in the same manner as past chairmen. Jacon served under Brady.

Brady said there was the possibility that these actions were happening under his replacement.

Brady said he and Student Body Vice President Jacob Morse will work together to ensure that meeting laws under the clarified bill are upheld and access to agenda and minutes will be readily available.

“If we want to conduct ourselves in a transparent and open manner, and that includes the committee … if there’s something we could be doing better, we’re open to that,” Morse said in an interview Monday.

Plans have also been made to send committee minutes to the student body secretary to publish online, Brady said.

“That’s a step in the right direction to be able to get that information out to anybody who wants to access it,” he said.

Two bills were also passed Tuesday regarding campaign lengths and spending limits for student body elections. The previous campaign period included one week to collect signatures, two weeks of public campaigning and one additional week of campaigning in the event of a runoff.

The bill would shorten the overall time from four weeks to three, with one week instead of two for public campaigning.

“Shortening it will enable candidates to get their voice out more and reduce both voter and candidate fatigue,” said Rules & Judiciary Committee Chairman Will Stelpflug.

Another bill aimed to reduce maximum spending limits for candidates running for major positions, including student body president and Carolina Athletic Association president. The former maximum spending limit was $335 for a campaign for student body president that enters a runoff period — the bill will reduce this to $225.

Stelpflug said most candidates usually spend far below the former limits.

He said it is meant to encourage other ways of campaigning, including social media and volunteers, instead of spending high amounts of money on campaign items such as T-shirts and signs.

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