SGA calls special session - senators cause debacle
By: Brian Feltch
Issue date: 2/26/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
A special session called by Senator Rebekah Stefanksi, Katy junior,- ended in near chaos with several senators boycotting the meeting and others scrambling to call another session.
Stefanski's session never officially began, as the meeting failed to meet quorum. There were enough senators in the building to meet quorum, but six senators refused to enter the room in a calculated effort to prevent the meeting from happening.
"I felt like using a special session as a backdoor tactic to pass a failed bill was an abuse of the system and blocking quorum was the best way to send that message," senator Kent Willis, Grapeland junior, said.
The meeting was promptly adjourned after roll call, but not before Vice President Jose Pinones, Garland sophomore and Stefanski's boyfriend, announced his intention to present a petition for "a special session 15 minutes from now."
It is highly unusual for the Vice President to interfere with senate proceedings in this manner.
While signatures were being collected for the petition, Senator David Durrett, San Antonio senior, drafted an amendment to increase the number of senators needed for a special session. The petition was signed by the appropriate number of senators, but was pulled by Pinones upon the discovery of Senator Durrett's legislation.
"This was a waste of our (expletive) time," Speaker Elliot Griffin, Whitewright senior, said.
After the meeting, Sergeant-at-Arms Brian Coburn, Coppell Junior, requested letters of apology from the six senators who refused to enter the meeting. As of press time, only Freshman Senator Zac Hales, Houston freshman, has complied.
bfeltch@thepinelog.com
Stefanski's session never officially began, as the meeting failed to meet quorum. There were enough senators in the building to meet quorum, but six senators refused to enter the room in a calculated effort to prevent the meeting from happening.
"I felt like using a special session as a backdoor tactic to pass a failed bill was an abuse of the system and blocking quorum was the best way to send that message," senator Kent Willis, Grapeland junior, said.
The meeting was promptly adjourned after roll call, but not before Vice President Jose Pinones, Garland sophomore and Stefanski's boyfriend, announced his intention to present a petition for "a special session 15 minutes from now."
It is highly unusual for the Vice President to interfere with senate proceedings in this manner.
While signatures were being collected for the petition, Senator David Durrett, San Antonio senior, drafted an amendment to increase the number of senators needed for a special session. The petition was signed by the appropriate number of senators, but was pulled by Pinones upon the discovery of Senator Durrett's legislation.
"This was a waste of our (expletive) time," Speaker Elliot Griffin, Whitewright senior, said.
After the meeting, Sergeant-at-Arms Brian Coburn, Coppell Junior, requested letters of apology from the six senators who refused to enter the meeting. As of press time, only Freshman Senator Zac Hales, Houston freshman, has complied.
bfeltch@thepinelog.com
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 5
B. Smith
posted 2/26/07 @ 12:41 PM CST
THEN:
"Several weeks ago, Senator Kent Willis, Grapeland junior, called a special session to reschedule the regular meetings to a time that better fit his schedule. (Continued…)
Christian Pena
posted 2/27/07 @ 10:33 AM CST
Am I mistaken, or is the purpose of a news article to present the facts, and not a bias one way or the other with regard to a particular topic?
The amount of slanted language in this article made it difficult to consider this article as a serious journalistic effort. (Continued…)
Chad Humphries
posted 2/27/07 @ 5:48 PM CST
Sometimes things are not just black and white. Sometimes the "tawdry incidentals" are needed to fully understand what exactly is going on.
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