Iowa State University’s Government of the Student Body
Senate Meeting
February 26th, 2014
Meeting Called to Order at: 7:03 p.m.
Roll Call:
Excused Tardy: Fitten,
Excused Absence: Breitbarth, Debates, Johnson, Sweere,
Unexcused Tardy: Parkinson
Unexcused Absence: Agrawal
Adoption of the Agenda: Moved and seconded to adopt the agenda. Question. Seconded. Agenda
approved.
Approval of Minutes:
 Move to approve the minutes from two weeks ago. Seconded.
 Williams: I ask to lay this on the table until when Fitten arrives. Seconded. Question.
Seconded.
 Minutes from last week: moved and seconded to approve. Question. Seconded. Minutes from
last week approved.
Reports:
Rules:
 Williams: We observed some discrepancies in the bylaws. We are looking to sit down with
those organizations and make our laws move together. We will be going over contracts next
week and the bylaws that are up for first week. Let me know if you have any questions.
o Vos: You mentioned discrepancies with chapter 11 bylaws?
 Williams: Between rules of the court and bylaws there are some ambiguity between the two.
Finance:
 FDR: I sent out the memo about an hour ago. I apologize for getting it out late. Finance
committee has several hearings going on right now during regular allocations. Sent favorably
the investigating library bill. Funding SAE safety equipment was sent unfavorably. I will be
representing you all in Washington, DC soon, so contact me by email if I’m needed.
Questions? The current balance of Senate Discretionary account is $0 and that is something
that needs to be addressed before sending that on account. The bill to fix this is attached to
my memo as well.
PR:
 Bauer: Elections are next Tuesday and Wednesday. We finished filming the election video
last Saturday. This will be presented Monday night. Once it is posted on social media, please
share/retweet it. Polling stations will be both days of elections. We have polling boards in
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front of the library and the MU. We will be having table tents at the library, roughly between
3-500 tables to put tents on. If you are free next Monday night from 11 p.m. - 1 a.m., we will
be putting table tents out in the library. Any help is appreciated. I will send out an email if
that information changes. Sunday at 6 p.m. we will be writing on chalkboards about elections.
If you are available Sunday at 6 p.m., let me know (will also be sent out in an email).
o Vos: Have you had any volunteers for these events mentioned?
Bauer: Besides members on the public relations committee, no.
Vos: We are trying to get polling locations on campus to remind people they should vote and
to give opportunities to students to be able to vote. 2 commissioners will be there (qualified
under Election Commissioners’ discretion). If there is anyone who wants to help with this, let
me know. The best times are Tuesdays 12-2:15 p.m., and Wednesday 11:35 a.m. -2:10 p.m.
o Fitten: Do you plan on working at the polling location?
Vos: No.
o Snell: For all these locations, do we have enough people who have volunteered to do
this?
Vos: As of now we have enough people for 2 or 3 locations. I will be talking with ISU Police
if we can get a golf cart as well. We rented 10 ITS computers.
UA:
 Plantenberg: There is an open house for the renovations of the Hub from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. The
tentative date for Autism awareness soccer tournament is April 26 th, possibly 27th.
Vice-Speaker:
 Snell: The bills recently put up on Legman are the easy ones for all the changes we talked
about making to GSB. We will be spreading these bills out, so don’t freak. Main point: since
this is important stuff, please talk to me about it. The bigger ones will take a lot of debate.
It’ll be nice to hash out some details before a 2 hour debate. I commend what PR has done for
elections this year. I hope some of our changes will work out. I move to put finance bill to
transfer money to Senate Discretionary to the bottom of New Business for first read.
Seconded. Question. Seconded. UC called. No objection.
Comments from Executive Board:
 Chief of Staff Reed: There is a rental housing survey going out this week. Big 12 on the Hill
is next week. President Hughes, Vice President Kletscher, FDR and Senator Burch will be
going to that. We are working on the Jack Trice committee. We are down to 5 finalists.
Director Loomis will be discussing the Big 12 student conference. Elections are next week.
Next Tuesday March 4th, Ames will be having a special thing about the extension of the
Sherman building. Check that out. President Hughes is working on the contract negotiations.
Programs: Director of Special Events Amanda Loomis
 Amanda Loomis: My main task since April has been to plan the Big 12 Student Government
Conference. Every November, all big 12 schools meet up at one of the schools for the
conference. This is a 3 day event. We have selected final dates for the big 12 conference:
November 13th-16th (not homecoming this year). Each school brings different things to this
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conference. For approximate costs, we have $6,000 budgeted for this event. We were looking
in the range of having the cost of the conference increase from $50 to $60. We would be
spending around $6,000 before we got that payment back, and we should be left with about
$2,500. We have a rough website (www.gsb.iastate.edu/sgaconference). Questions?
o Williams: Thanks for coming and talking to us and thank you for setting all this up.
What are some of your biggest concerns for how this will go? How could we help
support you?
Loomis: We have discussed forming some kind of team for this event. It has been wonderful
planning ahead a year early, but a lot of the work is still going to happen the 3 days they are
here. That is why we would like to have a team for this event.
o Williams: Since we have an Event Planning Major, are you looking to grab some of
those students?
Loomis: I would entertain grabbing those students and some internal students as well who
know GSB and what would be helpful at this type of conference.
o Schulte: Is the funding for this coming from the Senate?
Loomis: No. Most is coming from alumni funding for majority of this from past GSB
members.
Chief of Staff Reed: I’m trying to raise the entire cost, but you’ll never know. The cost of this
bill will come through here at some point.
o Williams: Doesn’t the university have somewhere in its budget that have something
to fund this?
Chief of Staff Reed: We are currently pursuing multiple funding operations. We have about
$500 raised right now, and we are still pursuing alumina right now. The last option will be
funded by the Senate. That might be $3000, knowing that $3000 will be coming back in from
the registration.
Williams: Move to put the minutes from 2 weeks back on the table. Seconded, and back on
the table. I laid this on the table because Fitten was tardy when we were going to go through
this originally. I wanted him to have a chance to speak on his original objection to approving
these minutes.
Fitten: I talked with Vice-President Kletscher here earlier as I was marked absent though I
was here for ¾ of the meeting. It is a pretty arbitrary to say that you have to be here within 15
minutes. I move to amend my unexcused absence to an unexcused tardy.
Ward: I think Fitten is good on his intentions.
Williams: We give discretion to the chair to claim her attendance whether something is
excused or unexcused, and she did specify the 15 minute rule. This is amending something
that will almost be appealing the chair.
Fitten: If you do read the bylaws, it gives the chair discretion over excused or unexcused but
does not specify about tardy or absences.
Vos: We are holding up the meeting because of a debate over a tardy or an absence?
Fitten: Question. Seconded. By majority, motion carries. Minutes will be adopted. Minutes
approved.
Open Forum:
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Knee: The Cy-Ride next bus system has not been working within this week. Is that just an
error that needs to be reported?
o Chief of Staff Reed: Which bus?
Knee: Cardinal 21.
Chief of Staff Reed: On occasion, the system does have bugs. We can pass that along.
Knee: What is the protocol to fix it because it happened on the same route twice today?
FDR: You were having this issue during the day and is it on the same device? If so, I would
report that directly to Cy-Ride.
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Terhall: Dr. Hill requested your input on something concerning student loans. When you take
out a mortgage, there is generally a 5 day grace period. The same thing happens on private
loans. He has an issue where students are being approved for loans, but not receiving the
money and they cannot register for classes on time. He is going to approach accounts
receivable but he will like to know how big of an issue this is.
o Vos: I’ve had that problem before.
o Williams: I would just make sure that we all get those loans first.
Terhall: He is going to talk to accounts receivable regardless.
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Schulte: There is an app called Bus It that works really well (to Knee).
Special Orders:
Senate Order 2013-3-073 SD Seating a Frederiksen Court Senator
 Williams: Reads bill.
 Corinne Hastings: I’m a sophomore and I’m not sure what else to say about myself.
 Fitten: Question called. Seconded. UC called. No objection. Bill passes.
Senate Order 2013-3-074 SD Seating a CALS Senator
 Foley: Reads bill.
 Clayton Hora: I’m a sophomore. I’m involved in multiple clubs in Ag and Life Sciences and
outside of them. I’m excited to represent my constituents.
 Fitten: Question. Seconded. UC called. No objection. Bill passes.
General Order:
Senate Bill 2013-3-01 F Funding Noche Mexicana
 Abbas: Due to some cabinet position changes, I move to postpone this bill indefinitely.
 Fitten: Question called. Seconded. UC called. No objection. Bill is postponed indefinitely.
Senate Bill 2013-3-092 F Funding SAE Safety Equipment
 Knee: question to FDR: Did you inform the group that they should be here tonight?
 FDR: They were not present Monday night.
 Knee: I think it would be wise since no one told the group they needed to be there at finance
meeting or tonight. I move to postpone this bill for one week.
 Fitten: Question called. Seconded. UC called. No objection. Bill tabled for one week.
Senate Bill 2013-3-101 Y ASSET Funding Priorities Timeline
 Williams: Reads bill. We will be voting on this bill currently.
 Parkinson: Proposes amendment: “last enacted clause to change time to ‘second to the last
Senate meeting of the third session’” (amendment 1)
 Williams: Reads the amendment out loud again.
 Fitten: If anyone was here at the beginning of term last year, we tried giving FDR some
recommendations and that did not go so well. Question called. Seconded. UC called.
Amendment passes.
 Ward: Proposes amendment to add her name to the bill (amendment 2)
 Fitten: Question called. Seconded. Vote: 29-0-0 bill passes.
Senate Bill 2013-3-087 Y Adding Public Relation Committee Ex-Officio Member
 Bauer: Reads and explains bill.
 Snell: Proposes amendment to “amend line 20 to say “…President or their designee…”
(amendment 1) Seconded.
o Vos: Isn’t grammatically correct to have his/her specified?
 Vice-President Kletscher: This is more inclusive to the LGBT Community.
 Snell: Question called. Seconded. UC called. No objection. Amendment passes.
 Murrell: The public relations committee has existed for a long time, but why is it necessary
now?
 Bauer: Explains, but I missed it.
 Vos: There’s money in the account so now there is interest in having members on there. In
the bylaws, it said a public relations director is supposed to be there.
 Williams: The University affairs has this exact language under who can be an exact member.
This is for UA and what they are doing for PR. Question called. Seconded. Vote: 29-0-0. Bill
passes.
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Walsh: Based on what is on the agenda for next week, I move to add Senate Bill 2013-3-102
F Transferring Funds to the Senate Discretionary Account. Moved and seconded.
Williams: To change the agenda, this takes a 2/3 vote. We do not need this done this week.
Walsh: My thought was just to get it out of the way now.
Vos: It would be my intention if it were up for first read next week would be to wave second
read and get it out of the way next week.
Williams: Question called. Seconded. UC called. No objection.
Senate Bill 2013-0-102 F Transferring Funds from Capital Projects Account
 Abbas: Reads bill. Move to wave second read. UC called. Objection. By majority, second
read is waved.
 Williams: Proposes amendment to change to the correct title (Capital Funds to Senate
Discretionary)
 Fitten: I think the more appropriate title would be from Capital Funds.
 Williams: I withdraw my motion and propose to amendment to “Transferring Funds from the
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Capital Projects Account” (amendment 1)
Fitten: Question called. Seconded. No objection. Motion carries.
Williams: Proposes finance committee amendment to “change $10,000 to $5,000 in first
enacted clause (amendment 2)
Fitten: Question called. Seconded. Objected. Question withdrew.
Snell: Can someone from finance committee explain the change?
Fitten: This account has a surplus in it more than normal, so this makes sense. Question.
Seconded. UC called. No objection.
Fitten: Explains history of issues with transferring money originally to this account. This bill
is a restorative bill.
o Knee: Capital projects has $145 in it, the math isn’t right. With regulars coming up,
is that a concern?
FDR: Your math was right that time. I do not have a concern on regulars. Money will still be
there and can be exchanged between accounts. Backfilling will not be a thing this year.
Fitten: We tried balancing the budget this year in financing. Question called. Seconded. Vote:
29-0-0. Bill passes.
Benzoni: Before I launch any attack on our Vice-Speaker, it behooves me to
acknowledge just what asset he is and has been to this Government. Mr.
Snell serves on a great many committees, has introduced at least as
many bills as anyone here, and has served GSB better than most in his
tenure. To list his accomplishments, qualifications, and experience
would take much more time than I am allotted and I am proud to count
him among my friends, though I know not if that friendship will last
the night. However, this motion is neither about our friendship nor
his qualifications nor do his accomplishments recuse him from
scrutiny. I do not claim to be wholly innocent of sins of which I accuse
him, and for this, I beg his and your collective forgiveness. Though I
am in not qualified to judge him personally for his indiscretions,
professionally it has become my duty to speak out before any more
damage is wrought upon this organization that we hold so dear. Above all else, I must express
my deep disappointment in our Vice-Speaker. Mr. Snell's prominent position as a leader in
GSB underscores his responsibility to be a role model beyond reproach. His
past actions, though, demonstrate a long history of reprehensible
behavior unacceptable for his position. Namely, his smear campaign
against Senator Fitten, his subsequent court case, his failed duties
and bullyish behavior. It is no secret that Senator Fitten and I are not exactly on the best
of terms, and we have butted heads on a number of issues, both in
Senate and in private, something Senator Snell and I share in common.
The key distinction between us, however, is that I was able to
restrain myself from conducting a highly public smear "campaign"
masquerading as a presidential bid. This action unto itself makes a
mockery of GSB, our election process, and the students we serve. By dragging what is clearly
an internal, private issue into the public sphere, he further tarnishes the already poor image
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students have of our organization. It makes us look like a bunch of petty, bickering
fools drunk with power and with no self-respect. Had Mr. Snell conducted a clean, serious
campaign, he would likely have won my vote or even my endorsement. The Vice Speakers
conduct when validly blocked by the election commission by failing to meet the requirements
to be a legal candidate further underscores this fact. He threw the legal equivalent of a
tantrum, submitting a briefs full of logical fallacies, ad hominem attacks, and poor logic.
Rather than accepting the very laws he helped shape, he instead chose to turn to childish
tactics to get his way, once again airing GSB's dirty laundry for the world to see in such
manner that he embarrassed both himself and GSB. This establishes a clear pattern of divisive
and immature behavior intolerable of a man in his position. Not only this, but he has
consistently failed in his formal duties as Vice-Speaker. Enforcing office hours is, admittedly,
not an easy job, however, Senator Snell is a intelligent man, and I'm sure that he
could have come up with a solution had he applied his intellect to it. This would almost have
been excusable if not for his other failure in his already limited duties as Vice Speaker -providing a group of the week. It has been so long since we had one, I physically can't
remember the last group we had. His nigh complete failure in this area
serves to further emphasize his lack of fitness for his current
position. Finally, our Vice Speaker conducts himself in such a way as would a schoolyard
bully. If he doesn't like you or your actions, he yells at you. He isolates you. He manipulates
you. He does whatever it takes to get his way. This is not the mark of a leader, it is the mark
of a bully. While this may be archetype of a politician, it is not the sort
of politics I will tolerate in an organization that means this much to me. Our Vice-Speaker is
supposed to be the glue that binds GSB together. A leader who cannot tolerate not getting his
way does not bring us together, instead pulling us apart by encouraging polarization and
preventing constructive discourse. My fellow senators, should this motion carry, as I hope it
will, I ask that you neither celebrate nor take joy in our action. It is with heavy hearts and
bowed heads that we must ask to censure in one of our leaders. I'm sorry we had to do this,
Barry.
Vice-Speaker Kletscher: This is a debatable motion and takes a majority vote to pass it.
Williams: A motion to censure is a motion that is being made from a body to reprimand their
officers or chair or body for their actions. This is saying if you continue acting like this,
o Bauer: Who have you addressed about this?
Benzoni: The Speaker, but I did not address the Vice-Speaker because I figured giving him
too much forewarning of this would give him too much of a chance to bully his way into
having a majority.
Bauer: It has been discussed over 6 months now how we are reforming the office hours, and
the Vice-Speaker himself has given updates about this. You might as well censure me too
because there are people who have not completed the Outreach from last semester. By
censuring the Vice-Speaker, sensor me. If we are going rule by rule in the bylaws, none of us
do that. This is the biggest waste of time we have ever contributed. We are letting other
matters get in the way of our work. We are letting that interfere with our working matters of
GSB. I do not think he has neglected any of his duties in GSB. I think this is so far-fetched
and inappropriate. This is us being drunk in power and immature. I am not sure how to go
about this as it is completely immature and does more harm than good.
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o Decious: What does this officially do to the Vice-Speaker?
Vice-President Kletscher: This is a public way of the Senate saying this is a slap on the wrist.
Williams: It is a little more than just that as it is a public display of you exerting your right to
say you are unhappy with the conduct. This is serious. Nothing will happen to his position,
but it is saying you have crossed some lines and that you are unhappy with his conduct.
o Decious: What would this be for?
Williams: Mostly for ethical conduct, or if they were working against the organization.
Benzoni: It is his behavior during the petition, failed duties, court case, and his campaign.
Lund: Could we have Vice-Speaker leave?
Williams: I would like to do the same conduct that is in the bylaws and he is allowed to stay.
Vos: Has Senator Snell ever been wrote up for a duty?
Williams: No.
Vos: So this has not been brought up to Rules Committee?
Williams: No this is a motion on the floor for the assembly to conduct.
Vos: I always thought you were a bumbling idiot, but you surprised me.
Williams: You will be removed if anything like that comes out of your mouth again.
Terhall: I think it is a shame something like this has come out of the floor.
Abbas: I see the merits to Benzoni’s point. What’s going on with the elections is an
embarrassment to GSB. I think the election and court case has been an embarrassment to
GSB, though I have nothing against Snell.
o Snell: What is your official capacity in this election?
Abbas: Campaign manager for Fitten and Walsh.
Snell: So you are after me for participating in a court case that you are in?
Abbas: Yes.
Snell: Does any student have the right to file a court case to clarify the rules?
Abbas: Yes.
Snell: So I am exercising my rights. Why is asking a court for clarification on their rules
something wrong?
Abbas: That’s the intent of the Supreme Court.
Snell: There is nothing unethical or wrong about my petition.
Snell: Can you explain what official and public capacity where I had a smear campaign?
Benzoni: You have not done so.
Snell: If I have not, in any public function, smeared somebody, so I find your claim to be
groundless.
Beisel: The problem with Snell is that some comments were made outside of GSB that has
caused tension in GSB?
Snell: You got me.
Beisel: Do you believe you have acted in a way that is not good for outside of GSB?
Snell: No.
Walsh: I am a Vice-President candidate and a senator. I am very good friends with Snell as
well. I do not know that if this was necessary in order tonight. I think we have people who are
worried here tonight, who are wondering why we are here in the first place. I think we need
to question what it is we are doing, why these things keep taking place. We are not here just
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for the heck of it. We come here because we like working together.
Benzoni: Snell has not physically spoken in a public form in a smear campaign, unless you
count the internet and ISU Dailey. He clearly outlines somewhat of a smear campaign where
he states that he is running a smear campaign against Fitten.
Abbas: I am not saying you have no right taking your case into court. I think as a ViceSpeaker, it wasn’t fitting as a Vice-Speaker and it did not look good for GSB.
Murrell: I think if you’re going to try to censure somebody, you need to be a lot more
prepared. Question called. Seconded. Objection. By majority, we will proceed with voting.
Benzoni: I request a ballot vote.
Williams: I do think it would be good to do ballot. It is up to the discretion of the assembly.
The names will be released later.
Fitten: I move to suspend the rules and open up discussion. Objection. Question called and
seconded. Vote: 20-5-2. Rules will be suspend.
Fitten: One of the most memorable parts of my ISU experience will be the memories I have
had in this room. No one can ruin that for me. It’s worth it because this is what I like to do
and I enjoy this at the end of the day. I consider many of you as friends. The Dailey will write
a story about this that’s for sure. Snell may not consider me as a friend, but he is a very
standard part of my academic experience and I think publically shaming him is wrong. Thank
you Abbas for trying to defend me. Snell, this grief was about the rules. It wasn’t personal.
Let’s move on with our lives.
Williams: Question called. Seconded. For our voting process, voting by ballot: used when
secrecy of members vote is desired. Any vote related to charges before or after should always
be by ballot. Ballot may also be ordered by a majority vote. We can do secret ballot by
majority vote. I make the motion to vote by ballot. Withdrew.
Snell: So voting by ballot is for a trial?
Williams: It is any vote related to charges or proposed charges. We can do this by majority
vote.
Vice-President Kletscher: I think it would be for the best to have a ballot vote, but have the
names on the vote so we can release it for public vote. Vote: 14-12-3 we will not be voting by
ballot. Vote: 4-18-6. Motion fails.
New Business:
Senate Bill 2013-3-093 Y Establishing a Supreme Court Line Item
 Bauer: Reads bill.
o Fitten: Author’s intent to clarify how court can receive funding?
 Bauer: Yes.
o Vos: Author’s intent to have member of Supreme Court there at finance committee
next week?
 Bauer: We will try our hardest.
o Williams: Is it intent to have members here to explain expenditures?
 Bauer: Yes.
Senate Bill 2013-3-095 F Sending a Mass E-mail Survey Investigating the Possibility of a New
Library Fee
 Bauer: Reads bill.
o Williams: Intent to explain how PR committee can give money?
 Bauer: Yes.
Senate Bill 2013-3-096 Y Clarifying the Abstention
 Bauer: Reads bill.
o Knee: Intent to bring dictionary so I know what a word means?
 Bauer: Yes.
o Fitten: Intent to include language to explain yes/no votes as well?
 Bauer: No.
Senate Bill 2013-3-097 Y Eliminating the Pass Vote
 Bauer: Reads bill. No questions of intent.
Closing Announcements:
 Bauer: I will be sending out an email that goes in depth about what PR will be doing. If you
can help, let me know. Email me or Vos if you have questions about anything. The last
debate is tomorrow night (6 p.m. in Cardinal Room). If you are available, show up.
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Beisel: There is some stuff going on in Ukraine right now. Sabina is the VP of RSSA. She
asked for help to hand out ribbons to raise awareness about the issue. This is not taking a
side, but she would appreciate if you would wear a ribbon in support for these issues.
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Fitten: The first place I went after moving in was my fraternity. That is the longest connection
I’ve had with a group of individuals at this university. This group is the second longest.
Through all my experience at Iowa State, I find a lot of similarities with this body in my
fraternity. You can imagine that the thing most lacking with a large group is communication.
Some of you are my best-friends, the feeling is mostly mutual. I try to be funny every now
and then. You can’t lead people who aren’t following you. I’m passionate. I’m sorry I’m not
sorry. I invite you, whether it’s this week or two weeks from now, to sit down and talk with
each and every one of you. 90% of the drama we have experienced as a body has been in my
name. I am responsible for some of it. I feel responsible for how we move forward as a body.
I ask you all find room on your calendar and pencil me in sometime. Most of you do not
know me. I am not trying to guilt trip anyone here. I am not going to standby idly to let the
drama that has been caused in my name to continue. Thank you for doing what we do.
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Vice-President Kletscher: I knew most of those things about you. So thanks for being my
friend even in the campaign. I am sorry for yelling out at Benzoni earlier as it is hard to be in
this position when people talk out of turn. Please get all your absences and tardies to
Williams by 5 p.m. next week. Student Organic Farm is having a meeting March 3 rd 6 pm
Agronomy Hall 3140. Next Thursday, my sorority is hosting our philanthropy Alpha Gam
Pasta Slam. Tickets are $4 in advance. Our money goes to supporting juvenile diabetes
research as well as our international foundation.
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Election Commissioner: Debate tomorrow. Vote Tuesday and Wednesday next week. Friday
7 p.m. we have the announcements of the elections. The results from the court case will be
announced tomorrow.
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FDR: I have never had a meeting like this in my time at GSB. I think there is a lot that needs
to be addressed outside of this meeting. There is a lot coming up legitimately. We will be
over-budget when it comes to the budget cycle and there will be a long meeting that day. We
need to really be listening and having conversations that need to happen. We need to spend
more time on our relationships here and issues we have that get brought up from what we talk
about.
Meeting Adjourned at: 9:31 p.m.