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Election Commission selections delayed

Commissioners will be appointed soon, Wormly says

By Geronimo Rodriguez
Senior Staff Writer

Despite missing its Oct. 15 deadline, the Student Government Association Senate's Internal Affairs Committee will form an election commission in time for the SGA general elections in March, the committee's chairwoman, said after Wednesday's SGA Senate meeting.

Revising the SGA's Election Code, which was approved Oct. 15 -- the deadline for appointing commissioners -- caused a delay in appointing the commissioners, committee Chairwoman Krystal Wormly said, "because we didn't know what to look for in applicants."

She said the new Election Code calls for the three-member commission to be diverse and expounds on their duties. Three applicants have been interviewed and special meetings will be called in order to speed up the appointment process, Wormly said.

"We need to do it as soon as possible. We don't want to make the commissioners' job more stressful than it already is," Wormly told senators.

In other business, SGA Vice President Jon Quintanilla said he's talking with Cougar 1Card officials about improving the card's services. He said the refund problems some students dealt with last week were "just the tip of the iceberg" when it comes to the card.

"There are many flaws within this card. We need to start discussing the problems," he said, adding that students, who pay $6 for the card and $20 for a replacement, aren't getting what they deserve.

"We should find out where these fees are going and start looking at its budget -- auditing it more severely," he said.

Quintanilla, along with several senators, also expressed his concern with a possible tuition increase, saying it is important that students get involved before UH raises tuition again. He said he has been speaking with administrators about seats on a proposed tuition committee and, though nothing is final, five students might be appointed to the committee "to help determine how much is too much."

SGA President Dawona Miller said she has met with provost candidates Luanna Meyer and Cristina González to gauge their stance on students' issues, specifically tuition increases. She said she will continue to meet with candidates throughout the search process.

With regard to another possible increase, Quintanilla said Dean of Libraries Dana Rooks will attend the next SGA meeting to discuss a proposed hike in the library fee to $9 per semester credit hour from $6.

The SGA Senate will next meet at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 11 in the UC's Bayou City Room.

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