Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Page 1

T U E S DaY, N OV E M B E R 12 , 2 012

Election day 2012

Why you should vote (page 4) UOSA

UOSA

election ads fall short, rules violated OU Voiced concerns keep executive branch in check EmmA HAmBliN Campus Reporter

The UOSA Executive Branch was sent a notice for violating student government rules on advertising the offices of student election chairman and election board. The UOSA General Counsel released an opinion after a UOSA Graduate Student Senator pointed

out that the election legislation regarding the hiring of the election chairman and election board was not handled in a timely fashion. Senate Chairman James Cook brought the claims to the general counsel, which included the selection of the election chairman and poll locations by the deadline, the questioning of the election board members and whether the positions were advertised correctly. The counsel’s opinion stated even though election chairman legislation

was approved after deadl i n e, i t wa s d o n e s o by Undergraduate Student Congress and Senate, which implicitly waived the deadline, according to the opinion. The counsel also said the Senate knowingly waived its right to question the election board members. The only problem counsel found was that the UOSA Executive Branch violated the Code Annotated by not advertising the election positions to the full extent required by the code. Unless new facts come to

light that warrant further action as outlined under Title III of the code, the notice is as far as the counsel will take the measure at this time. It was brought to the Senate’s attention that the election legislation was not presented in a timely fashion, and this concerned some of the senators, Cook said. Presenting these concerns to the counsel was not so much a check on the student body president as it was on UOSA as a whole and ensuring that every OU student’s

right to a transparent election was met, Cook said. “The fact is, we’re going to have an election that has been approved by the General Counsel,” Cook said. However, any OU student has the right to file for an appeal to the counsel’s opinion, which means it would be taken to the Superior Court. UOSA President Joe Sangirardi said he realized a little too late all of the things see UOSA paGe 2

eLeCTiON

Early voters flock to polling stations Number of votes cast early is up by 400 since 2008 ARiANNA PickARD Campus Reporter

A steady line of voters has crowded the Cleveland Cou nt y E l e c t i o n B oa rd Office for three days to vote early for this year’s election. An estimated 6,400 Cleveland County residents will have voted early in this year’s election, said Jim Williams, the executive secretary for the Cleveland County Election Board. This is more than the 6,000 early votes during the 2008 election, Williams said. This year’s early voters make up about 4.3 percent of Cleveland County’s 150,000 registered voters. “The line has remained continuous every day from open to close,” Williams said. Early voting began Friday, and the office was open

SQ 758

polls open today

Students to vote on 2 referendums, 1 question ARiANNA PickARD Campus Reporter

While students rush to polls to vote for the next U.S. president, they also have the chance to vote on three initiatives involving OU student government and student life. The UOSA fall elections take place during the same week every year, and many years they happen to fall on the same day as the presidential elections, as it did this year, said UOSA President Joe Sangirardi. At this year’s fall UOSA elections, students can vote on two referendums and one question, Sangirardi said. One referendum would change the name of the University of Oklahoma Student Association to the Student Government Association, and another would change the UOSA presidential term from a year starting in the spring to a year starting in the fall , Sangirardi said.

SEE MORE ONLINE Visit oudaily.com for the complete story

HeatHeR BRoWn/tHe daiLy

registered voters stand in line outside of the Cleveland County Health Department on Monday to vote early. The line wrapped around the building, and there was an estimated 90 minute wait to vote.

STATe QUeSTiONS

Lowered tax cap slows rate of increase of revenue cHElSEy kRAfT

For the oklahoma Daily

Oklahomans will cast their votes Tuesday on a state question that would change the cap on increases of real property taxes for some property from 5 percent to 3 percent. The state constitution states the fair cash value of property cannot increase by more than 5 percent in any taxable year. If State Question 758 passes, the cap on property will decrease to 3 percent for some property, including homestead-exempted property and agricultural land. Rep. Jason Murphey, R-Guthrie, said he supports this measure. Because property taxes are a rare area in public policy where homeowners receive a tax increase without being able to vote on the increase, he said he has seen homeowners in his district frustrated by rising property taxation levels. This is especially true for senior citizens, who often are on a fixed income, Murphey said. If the measure passes, property owners should not see their property taxes double for about 25 years, he said.

eLeCtion

Opponents of the measure say voting for this measure will deprive public school districts and other common education entities of revenue. Steven Crawford, executive director of the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration, said the council opposes the measure because it will negatively impact the revenue stream for public education. “The real issue is taking money away from school districts that are already struggling to make ends meet based on the last recession,” Crawford said. Murphey said this is not the case. “It is not taking out revenue from any entities,” Murphey said. “It is simply slowing the rate of increase of revenue, not lowering taxation — just the cap — so that taxes don’t increase more than the rate of inflation.” However, the Oklahoma Tax Commission estimates the state question would have a $6.5 million statewide fiscal impact, according to the school administration council’s website. Public schools would lose $4.225 million in growth revenue, according to the website. A lowered cap would impact other entities as well, such as county government, Crawford said. see SQ paGe 2 & 3

will be held in oklahoma memorial union’s meachum auditorium from Watch parties 8 to 11:30 p.m. there will be free pizza, games take place all and trivia according to over campus the event page. students are encouraged to wear a students and faculty patriotic costume or their of all affiliations are ou Votes shirt. coming together tonight there will be a watch to host election watch parties. so if you’re look- party in the library of the Joe c. and carole Kerr ing for the best spot to mcclendon Honors college watch the votes add up, at 6 p.m. here are some on-camthere will be a watch pus options. party in the cate main ou’s young democrats social lounge at 6:30 p.m. is hosting their election to midnight. there will be watch party at seven47 on campus corner, said free papa John’s, Raising cane’s chicken and delivsam peyton, the orgaeries from Housing and nization’s president. Food services. this event will last from the society for 7 p.m. to midnight and professional Journalists is will be held on the upper hosting its watch party at 7 patio with three tVs, p.m. in Gaylord Hall’s Hall food and drinks. you of Fame Room. Free food can find information and drinks will be provided. regarding this event on Staff Reports Facebook. the uosa watch party

Student shows ogre layers in musical L&A: a school of musical theatre student took a year off from ou to let his freak flag fly in shrek the musical. (Page 6)

Sooners finish exhibition season against Reddies Sports: the ou women’s basketball team will take on the Henderson state Reddies at 7 tonight at Lloyd noble center. (Page 5)

VOL. 98, NO. 58 © 2012 ou Publications Board FRee — additional copies 25¢

inSiDe toDaY campus......................2 clas si f ie ds................4 L i f e & a r t s ..................6 o p inio n..................... 3 spor ts........................5 Visit OUDaily.com for more

Facebook

facebook.com/oudaily

Twitter

twitter.com/oudaily


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.