In our very first episode of our Collegian Debate Series, we host Associated Students of Colorado State University Chief Justice Rioux Jordan and Collegian writer Skyler Leonard as they debate current legislation within ASCSU. Bill #4411 targets a reform in the impeachment process, and addresses the problems that ASCSU experienced last semester. Host Jacky Wilson moderates the duo as they present their claims on the bill.
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Thank you to both of the participants in our first debate.
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After the chaos surrounding last year’s impeachment of Associated Students of Colorado State University Senator Kwon Yearby, the organization is attempting to clarify its impeachment procedure, according to ASCSU Chief Justice Rioux Jordan.
“What I wanted to do when I saw it was fix issues — clarify those problems,” Jordan said. “If (another impeachment) does have to happen, I want to make sure the process in place for it works.”
Jordan has authored a potential impeachment-related amendment to the ASCSU constitution, as well as contributed to an expanded ethics code and official impeachment procedures.
“I was the chair of the impeachment committee last semester, so I was in a unique position to see everything that went right and everything that was not ideal,” Jordan said. “Some of what this came out of was formalizing things that the committee did last semester so any future potential impeachment wouldn’t have to completely figure it out as they went along.”
With these additions and revisions, Jordan aims to outline several procedures including how an impeachment committee would be structured and when an impeached official may appeal to return, as well as ensuring representation of an impeached senator from his own section of ASCSU.
During an ASCSU senate meeting, Vice President Lance Li Puma also said that after last semester’s impeachment difficulties, change was necessary.
“(Impeachment procedure) has been used before, but it’s never been seen all the way through,” Li Puma said. “That’s where this legislation is coming through — it’s adding to the structure that we saw that we must have. … The entire procedure is (now) more what we would have strived (for) it to be, as opposed to (when) it just wasn’t there.”
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Although Jordan has worked to ensure that the next ASCSU impeachment goes more smoothly than the last, he said he hopes the improved ethics code will alleviate problems within ASCSU before impeachment is necessary.
“Hopefully we are helping improve the way an official works,” Jordan said. “Hopefully we fix the problem before it ends up being bad enough that you have to completely remove them from office, because we’re here to serve.”
Collegian Reporter Ellie Mulder can be reached at news@collegian.com or on twitter @lemarie. CTV Reporter Jacky Wilson can be reached on Twitter @JackyTWilson.
