Activities of the ASUO Programs Finance Committee are being put on hold until the ASUO Constitution Court can rule whether PFC has appropriately conducted
budget recalls.
While PFC members are still holding normal office hours, the committee canceled its normal Monday meeting and will probably have to postpone its Wednesday presentation to the Student Senate.
Oregon Daily Emerald editor in chief Michael J. Kleckner filed a petition for review with the court Friday, asking justices to halt the recall process because PFC has no established procedures or protocols governing budget recalls. The court issued a temporary injuction Friday against any further PFC recalls and has six days left to determine whether PFC conducted recalls properly.
PFC Chairwoman Kate Shull said if Constitutional Court justices do not reach a decision soon, the committee may have to skip further recalls and leave the budgets for the Emerald and Career Center untouched.
In an effort to speed up the process, Student Senate has submitted its own brief to the court, asking justices to rule in favor of PFC because the committee appeared to have followed correct meeting procedure in recalling budgets.
Shull said PFC also plans to make arguments in the case.
Court justices will decide the case based on one central question: Did PFC follow correct meeting procedure when it conducted recalls? The issue is complicated because PFC has no rules governing how recalls are conducted — so the dispute will only be resolved by consulting Robert’s Rules of Order, which is how most public meetings are conducted.
“We did follow Robert’s Rules of Order,” Shull explained. “But we used incorrect terminology, it appears. We’re now looking how to go back on that.”
The chairwoman said PFC only wants to recall the Emerald’s budget in order to come up with a clear method of linking the newspaper’s funding to a set formula. She added the committee wants to recall the Career Center to consider funding a graduate teaching fellow position, which the center now funds with its own reserve account.
Kleckner said he would actually welcome a formula that remains consistent.
“Given that the Emerald is a watchdog of student government, there should be the possibility of getting money that’s not variable,” he said.
Oregon Commentator publisher Bret Jacobson, who had his own experience with the Constitution Court two years ago, said the Emerald’s petition will probably just buy the newspaper some time.
“It’s important to use one set of standards so students have faith the money is being used properly and so no corrupt group can get a disproportionate amount of money to defend their cause,” said Jacobson, who appealed to court justices in 2001 when he ran for ASUO president. “The ConCourt will probably extend time for the Emerald’s budget hearing — I don’t think they’ll just kill the recall.”
Interestingly, Kleckner’s petition may stall the process so much that it will end PFC’s recall attempts altogether.
Shull said the committee needs to pass its budget soon so there is enough time for the ASUO Executive to review it by Dead Week.
“That’s why we’re kind of running on a short schedule,” she said.