At the Athletics and Contracts Finance Committee/Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group budget hearing on Jan. 31, the committee passed the OSPIRG budget by a 3-2 vote.
Three days later, Sen. Ben Rudin@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Rudin@@ filed a grievance against ACFC Chair and Sen. Ben Bowman on the grounds that he violated viewpoint neutrality in his vote in favor of OSPIRG. As members of ACFC, we believe that this grievance was illegitimate and politically motivated. Bowman did not at any time or in any way indicate that he was voting in favor of OSPIRG because of OSPIRG’s viewpoint.@@really?@@ In fact, he clearly delineated his viewpoint-neutral criteria for funding at the hearing. Additionally, having reviewed the ruling by the ASUO Constitution Court asserting that Bowman violated viewpoint neutrality, we believe that the Court’s flawed ruling sets a very dangerous precedent.
Sen. Bowman’s comment, “I want to know that, while I might not be able to work on these issues, at least there is a group fighting for them. I am in support of OSPIRG because I want to leave a better world,” is not biased.@@really? sounds like it is in favor to me@@ What if he said, at the hearing for Sexual Assault Support Services, “I want to know that, while I might not be able to work on supporting survivors of sexual assault, at least there is a group fighting for them. I am in support of SASS because I want to improve our world”?
Rudin’s grievance was made on entirely political grounds, with the sole goal of defunding OSPIRG. It does not reflect what was actually discussed at the budget hearing. Even though our committee is split on the OSPIRG issue, we still believe that this grievance is unfounded and inappropriate, and that the Court’s decision is equally unfounded and inappropriate. We stand with our Chair and believe that the Court’s ridiculous ruling should be immediately reversed. @@see? I knew you wouldn’t say why it was a dangerous precedent.@@
Christina Hardesty@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Christina+Hardesty@@
ACFC vice chair
Shabd Khalsa@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Shabd+Khalsa@@
Executive appointee