Internal disagreement postpones ASUI senate selections
The friction between lawmakers in politics is a common and expected theme, and this doesn’t exclude itself from ASUI.
Last week, ASUI President Nate Fisher debated senators over which candidates were most suited to fill the four vacant seats in the senate. In an uncommon show of ASUI executive power, Fisher threatened to veto the senators’ choice of candidates.
Five of the six total candidates were present for the interview process, which was held by both Fisher and the ASUI senators. Fisher held individual interviews with each of the candidates, and said he chose the four candidates he felt would be most effective. Likewise, ASUI senators held a panel interview with each candidate before last week’s ASUI meeting. The collective, anonymous vote of the senators differed from Fisher’s selections.
“Nate recommended a specific list,” said Austin Karstetter, ASUI senator pro tempore. “We interviewed each candidate one by one, had a group discussion after each candidate interview, and our vote turned out to be different from President Fisher’s list.”
Of the four open positions, there is one yearlong position and three semester-long positions.
Fisher said the candidate he felt had the most experience and potential for the yearlong senate seat, Katie Cramer, was only selected by the senators for a semester-long term, while the candidate he didn’t include in his list, Zoe Balle, was appointed to the yearlong position by the senators.
“I was a bit disconcerted and concerned about some of their choices,” Fisher said. “I was initially frustrated because I spent more time with each of the candidates and was impressed with the people I selected.”
Though several senators supported Fisher’s decisions, other senators, including Karstetter, were interested in upholding the senate’s original vote.
“While I respect Nate’s decisions, we had voted in a way that it was set up to be,” Sen. Kate Ricart said. “I felt that, since it was un-precedented and this was the first time we’ve had to vote in senators, it was important that we make a decision and stick with it.”
Ricart, who is in the same sorority as Balle, said she agreed with Fisher that the senators did not have enough time interviewing candidates, but the senate would review candidates again this week.
“We are going to look at applications and applicants again so we can review and see who is qualified to fill these positions,” Karstetter said. “If we arrive at the same decision that we did on Wednesday, we’ll stand behind it.”
Karstetter said although Fisher is in a different branch, the senate always respects what Fisher has to say.
If the senate maintains their current list of candidates, they can expect the same respect from Fisher, who said if the senate arrives at the same decision, he will not attempt to veto it.
“I hope that the senate puts in their due diligence and hard work,” Fisher said. “They’re in the legislative branch, and I recognize the separation of powers and will respect their power of decision making.”
Fisher said he thinks it’s healthy that the different branches of ASUI can disagree on issues and debate them in a public setting.
“I am proud of the professionalism that has been shown by everyone throughout this process,” Fisher said. “I hope we can reach an agreeable conclusion.”
The new senators are to be decided upon and installed into their positions at 7 p.m. Wednesday, at the ASUI meeting in the Common’s Whitewater Room.
Cara Pantone can be reached at arg-news.uidaho.edu