Executive Candidate Spending Limits and Public Financing Now Uncertain

Be patient with me–I’m still trying to figure this all out, as is the rest of the ASSU. Last evening, Elections Commissioner Adam Adler sent an email to the public ASSU Elections email list explaining that there will no longer be ASSU Executive candidate spending limits or campaign financing. He wrote:

The Undergraduate Senate passed a bill creating rules and regulations for financing. This bill created public financing for ASSU Exec along with spending caps for Senate, Exec, and GSC. BUT before the bill was passed, the Senate amended it. When the bill went to the GSC for approval, the GSC approved the non-modified version of the bill. Because both the senate and the GSC must pass the same bill in order for it to take effect, the bill never actually passed.

Today, past ASSU President Angelina Cardona responded by email on the list giving her take on the legislation:

The same bill and amendments were passed in the GSC and the Senate, so the bill was indeed passed. The bill edited the pre-existing public financing (which was passed by David Gobaud and Andy Parker in 2009-2010) for Executive Slate and established spending caps on Executive Candidates and Class Presidents. During the friendly amendment processes, caps were not passed for Senate or Graduate Student Council Candidates.

The Brianna Pang/Dan DeLong and Robbie Zimbroff/William Wagstaff slates both qualified for public financing. If the Election Commission’s interpretation of events stands, then neither slate will receive their $500 check from the ASSU. It will mean, however, that the campaigns can spend as much as they would like. It’s unsure right now which slate that would advantage.

Updates as they come in…