Student organizers who regularly lobby legislators in Salem questioned Wednesday ASUO presidential candidate Nick Schultz’s knowledge of the legislative process and his commitment to organizing a student presence in the state capital.
The organizers said Schultz, who is campaigning on the True Blue Student Coalition slate with Lidiana Soto, has not joined them on a single lobbying trip to Salem this session. They also questioned the legitimacy of his campaign pledge to regularly lobby in Salem next year when the legislature is not in session.
Schultz said he attended a lobby day in Salem with ASUO Vice President Johnny Delashaw and regretted missing the United States Student Association National Legislative Conference because he needed to care for a family member. He missed other lobbying trips because of family illnesses, he said.
“I believe these are legitimate concerns, but they are concerns that are easily explainable,” Schultz said. “I wish this would have been brought up earlier.” Soto said she has been lobbying in Washington, D.C. for education funding and other issues since she was in high school.
Oregon Students of Color Coalition co-chair Rachel Cushman and board member Kari Herinckx, and Oregon Student Equal Rights Alliance co-chair Jory Card expressed concern about True Blue’s campaign promises and commitment to lobbying. Soto has not attended any of the lobbying days this year, either. Soto said she attended the national conference, known as Leg Con, last year.
“I’ve been to Salem probably over 30 times this year,” Cushman said, “and it’s sad that they haven’t been there when we’ve recruited them, and then for them to say that’s what they’ve been working on – that’s a boldfaced lie.”
Card backed away from calling Schultz a liar. “We don’t feel Sen. Schultz or Soto are capable of representing students or participating in advocacy for education, as during this session neither one of them have shown participation after multiple aggressive (requests of them) as leaders on this campus to come and be a part of the legislative process,” Card said.
Cushman is listed as a committee member of the Students First campaign, and is the roommate of Students First presidential candidate Carina Miller. Cushman said she was acting as an organizer and not as part of any campaign. “I went to a barbeque and I have a shirt and that’s it,” she said of her involvement in Students First.
Students First campaign manager Andrew Crampton said committee members are “the people most involved in the planning and operating of the campaign,” but “the involvement of every person is not equal.” He said Cushman has attended some campaign meetings, but is not speaking for Students First. Crampton said he only learned of the conflict several hours after the organizers drafted a letter and spoke to a reporter.
True Blue, Students First and independent candidates Emma Kallaway and Getachew Kassa are all vying for the support of the same student unions and lobbying groups. Should any of them be the next executive, support from groups like OSERA and OSCC will be an important part of an effectively lobbying strategy.
Herinckx, who ran for ASUO president last year, said she hadn’t spoken with Schultz and Soto about their lobbying plans. She said she wanted the True Blue candidates to put their concerns about student representation “into action when it is the most pressing time, meaning now. Walk the walk.”
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