The Associated Students 75th Senate evaluated the position of the Internal Vice President as the presiding officer of the Senate, considering a report and proposal for the Senate chairship to be alternated and shared between senators. The Attorney General said this is against legal code and precedent, urging senators to retract this decision.
According to Associated Students (A.S.) legal code, the Internal Vice President (IVP) is responsible for chairing weekly senate meetings and represents the organization in all internal affairs.
Fourth-year art major and IVP Açúcar Pinto has chaired one out of the last four Senate meetings this quarter, citing personal reasons for their absence. This excludes the first meeting of the quarter on Oct. 2 which was boycotted by several senators due to claims that the IVP and members of University administration failed to reschedule the meeting after requests, due to a clash with the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah.
Pinto denied multiple requests for interviews but said that they will not be ceding senate chairship in a comment to the Nexus, despite the contents of the report.
The Senate convened on Oct. 30 for their weekly meeting with the IVP absent and First Senate President Pro-Tempore and third year political science and philosophy double major Dan Siddiqui acting as chair.
Siddiqui delivered a report which introduced a restructuring of Senate so that pro-tempores act as chairs instead of the IVP, except in cases where their tiebreaking vote is necessary.
Despite not being signed, the Nexus was able to confirm that Pinto was involved in writing the report, alongside Siddiqui and other members of senate leadership.
“The president of the ASUCSB Senate (IVP) shall only preside over the Senate for ceremonial occasions or when their tie-breaking vote may be necessary,” the report read. “For the vast majority of regular weekly senate meetings, the First Senate President Pro-Tempore shall call the meeting to order and chair portions of the meeting at their discretion.”
Siddiqui said that the biggest issue with the IVP chairing senate is that it takes time and energy away from serving students and A.S. entities in other ways. By removing this from their plate, the IVP would be able to focus on other tasks, according to Siddiqui.
“Literally, one of the biggest problems we have in the association is that [Boards, Committees and Units (BCUs)] feel completely disconnected from both the executive and the legislative branch. The reason for that, again, is because the office that is supposed to be handling decisions is forced to stay here every single week for six hours,” Siddiqui said.
In response to the report, Attorney General and fourth-year chemistry major Eric Carlson referenced three different forms of A.S. legal code, including standing policy, bylaws and the constitution — which supersedes all else. Carlson said the IVP has a responsibility to their constituents to chair the Senate, and failing to adhere to that responsibility would be unconstitutional.
“Long-term cessation of chairship is flatly not protected constitutionally,” Carlson said. “The student body elected you all and the IVP to fulfill responsibilities enumerated in the 2023-2024 legal code to serve this year, 2024-2025. An elected official is trusted with those responsibilities. To hold that position is to hold the obligation to make good on those deals.”
Carlson clarified the responsibilities of the IVP within legal code to senators. The code says the IVP should act as a representative of A.S. in all internal affairs, facilitate and monitor proliferation of student fees, serve as overseer for interactions between senators and BCUs, train senators on how to be liaisons and serve as a nonpartisan representative of the undergraduate body.
According to Carlson, the IVP can only adequately uphold these responsibilities by being present at senate meetings, during which most conversations regarding A.S. funds occur.
“These responsibilities are best served being in the room where it happens. The power of policy and entrusted leadership is a mighty thing. To serve as the leader of that body, armed with absolute privilege, especially of information, makes the position of the IVP, in my opinion, the most capable and powerful on the campus,” Carlson said.
Siddiqui argued that since the A.S. president has yet to appoint all members of A.S. Judicial Council, legal code states it is at the discretion of the Senate to “supervise and maintain the policies and procedures of the Association at large.” He said his interpretation of the term presiding officer is simply someone who oversees the Senate, not necessarily by being physically present at senate meetings.
“If we are using this definition the Internal Vice President is exercising guidance, direction and control by convening the senate executive committee biweekly as well as meeting with senate leadership, meaning myself and pro-tempore [Alexa] Butler, twice a week,” Siddiqui said.
Last year, former IVP Sohum Kalia attempted to yield chairship of the senate on Jan. 24 in order to allow the senate to function autonomously and not solely rely on the IVP for instruction. Kalia, however, was unsuccessful in officially stepping down as chair. Siddiqui said he has plans to create this change in A.S. Legal Code before the next A.S. election.
The Nexus will continue to report on this topic as more information becomes available.
A version of this article appeared on p. 1 of the Nov. 7, 2024 edition of the Daily Nexus.
