Student Association passes Sedition Act
SA can issue cease and desist orders against libel and slander
By Kevin Lessmiller
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The University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee Student Association barely met quorum Sunday night, due to the bitterly cold weather plaguing the area.
After approval of the agenda and the minutes from the Jan. 28 meeting, opportunity for comments was given to certain SA members, as well as the Dean of Students and a guest speaker representing Teach for America.
SA President Robert Grover kept his comments short, mainly thanking everyone who attended the 3rd district Aldermanic debates held at UWM. After comments by Speaker Daniel Bahr and UWM Dean of Students James Hill, Danielle Gonderinger spoke on behalf of Teach for America, an organization that recruits college graduates to teach at troubled public school systems for two years.
“There is a serious problem in the educational system in America,” said Gonderinger, a student at Marquette University. “It’s one of our country’s biggest disgraces.”
Senator Brandon Decker authored and proposed the Teach for America Welcoming Act, which basically states “we openly welcome Teach for America,” according to Decker. After accusations of being unnecessary, a vote for the bill resulted in a 10-10 tie. Since a majority is required to pass a bill, the Teach for America Welcoming Act failed.
Next up under items of new business was the controversial SA Sedition Act. Authored by Senator Joseph Ohler, the bill states that the SA can issue a cease-and-desist order to individuals or groups who communicate “libelous or slanderous” ideas about the SA. If such entities refuse to stop those communications, the “SA shall pursue civil relief” against them, according to the legislation.
“The first amendment does not protect against libel and slander,” said Ohler.
Despite being labeled as “insane” by Bahr and “ridiculous” by Grover, the SA Sedition Act passed in a 10-7 vote. Grover added that he would not issue a cease-and-desist order against entities described in the legislation, which is a formal request by a governing body to halt a certain action.
In other new business, a Legislative Transparency Act failed on the grounds of being “pointless,” according to Deputy Speaker A.J. Piwarun. In addition, the Non-Allocable Segregated Fee Budget Review Process Approval passed in a roll call vote.
Special orders on the agenda included three new appointments. Piwarun and Senator Appropriations Committee Chair Tyler Draheim were appointed to the Shared Governance Committee, while Piwarun was also selected for a seat on the Union Policy Board.
> Comments
"insane" and "ridiculous" on Feb 11, 2008 at 08:55 PM:
When the Nazis came for the communists, I remained silent; I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats, I remained silent; I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists, I did not speak out; I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews, I remained silent; I wasn't a Jew.
When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out.
-Martin Niemöller
Your Honor, I ask no mercy and I plead for no immunity. I realize that finally the right must prevail. I never so clearly comprehended as now the great struggle between the powers of greed and exploitation on the one hand and upon the other the rising hosts of industrial freedom and social justice.
I can see the dawn of the better day for humanity. The people are awakening. In due time they will and must come to their own.
When the mariner, sailing over tropic seas, looks for relief from his weary watch, he turns his eyes toward the southern cross, burning luridly above the tempest-vexed ocean. As the midnight approaches, the southern cross begins to bend, the whirling worlds change their places, and with starry finger-points the Almighty marks the passage of time upon the dial of the universe, and though no bell may beat the glad tidings, the lookout knows that the midnight is passing and that relief and rest are close at hand. Let the people everywhere take heart of hope, for the cross is bending, the midnight is passing, and joy cometh with the morning.
-Eugene Debs
RS on Feb 12, 2008 at 12:40 AM:
Not quite as dramatic as portrayed above, yet Speaker Bahr is correct. The SA Sedition Act is insane. The Senate is doing a great job however, holding down Segregated Fee costs, reforming Differential Tuition, and ending corruption. Kudos to Bahr, Piwarun, Grover, Draheim, and Voigtlander!!
Sheriff of Nottingham on Feb 12, 2008 at 01:17 PM:
Rotten Scoundrel,
Holding down segregated fees, but at what cost?
"How dare you question the authority of the mighty SA? To the gallows with you!!"
:) on Feb 12, 2008 at 02:19 PM:
This is cool let's see how powerful we can make he SA. They can solve lots of problems that way.
Carl Engelking on Feb 12, 2008 at 04:52 PM:
The first amendment gives people every right to publish libel and slander. But they are held accountable AFTER it's published. The SA has no right to prevent or CENSOR libel before it is published. This is a blatant abuse of power by the S.A. I hope The Post contacts the SPLC and anyone else protecting the rights of journalists.
The SA's bill would be thrown out in a heartbeat if this were ever brought to court. This Ohler guy should really review his constitutional law. I hope people are aware of this.
Ben Johnson on Feb 12, 2008 at 08:12 PM:
Yes, the Sedition act is crazy, but so is the UWM Post. They do not do a good enough job of getting credible and unbiased sources for their information. It seems that the Student Association and the conservatives on campus are constantly attacked by the UWM Post, no matter what good things they do, they are always condemned. With the sedition act in place, maybe the post will start doing work and actually investigating their information and sources and get opinions from both sides of the issue before they decide to publish their work.
Ben Johnson on Feb 12, 2008 at 08:12 PM:
Yes, the Sedition act is crazy, but so is the UWM Post. They do not do a good enough job of getting credible and unbiased sources for their information. It seems that the Student Association and the conservatives on campus are constantly attacked by the UWM Post, no matter what good things they do, they are always condemned. With the sedition act in place, maybe the post will start doing work and actually investigating their information and sources and get opinions from both sides of the issue before they decide to publish their work.
Katie Jesse on Feb 12, 2008 at 09:57 PM:
I don't think I've ever laughed so hard as when I learned of this amazing and tantalizing Senate Act. Thank you SA, for providing hours on end of delicious humor for I and my friends.
Nicholas Smith on Feb 13, 2008 at 09:24 AM:
You mean you and your friends didn't laugh when SUFC demolished you in the elections last year? Me and my friends are still having some good laughs over that. What are you going to find to cry about this year?
Crazy never wins!
Katie Jesse on Feb 13, 2008 at 09:56 AM:
We could turn this into a personal debate in where you continue to berate me and my friends for losing a non-resonating student election and I come back and make smart ass comments about how it never really mattered in the first place because you're all sniveling idiots that will never amount to more than you are right at this very moment, but what's the point. Let's just make out. I have an office full of condoms...
ps. Crazy is in the eye of the beholder, and as this argument get more and more ridiculous I can only imagine to what depths my crazy will extend.
Nicholas Smith on Feb 13, 2008 at 11:42 AM:
Condoms?? who needs em'! as long as we have VOX and student's for choice around, we don't have anything to worry about. I just need a written note from your doctor ensuring a clean bill of health and then we are good to go!
Nicholas Smith on Feb 13, 2008 at 11:42 AM:
Condoms?? who needs em'! as long as we have VOX and student's for choice around, we don't have anything to worry about. I just need a written note from your doctor ensuring a clean bill of health and then we are good to go!
Nicholas Smith / Kyle Duerstein on Feb 13, 2008 at 01:15 PM:
I always post two times...
Nicholas Smith / Kyle Duerstein on Feb 13, 2008 at 01:16 PM:
I always post two times...
Avery Smith on Feb 13, 2008 at 02:29 PM:
Katie, I had hours of laughter when you got kicked out of the Senate meeting for being a jackass
trojan man... on Feb 13, 2008 at 09:11 PM:
Katie you've got an office full of condoms because they'll never be put to use.
stop soliciting yourself in the student paper.
I'm glad SA pleasures you so much, but prolly not as much as your vibe.
Katie Jesse on Feb 14, 2008 at 09:27 AM:
I enjoy how supposed adults have lowered themselves to web post arguments. (They seem to be doing something quite similar under the article about resource center funding). I use sex as a way to mock the ridiculousness of your harassments because that's who I am and it's easy, and you use meaningless attacks to deal with issues I'm sure only you're aware of and maybe not even that. I bring this up only to point out to all of those in internet land who happen to be enjoying our melodramatic interactions. I know I would be enjoying this if I were reading anonymously too.
Testing 1-2-3 on Feb 14, 2008 at 10:21 AM:
I'm just testing whether an email address is required to post, as well as whether an entered email address is sent only to the Post or is also displayed on the message board.
Senator Ohler on Feb 14, 2008 at 11:41 AM:
Constituent Jesse, I’m surprised no one has taken the grammarian approach to criticism, particularly regarding how the appropriate way to phrase the second sentence in your original post is, “Thank you, SA, for providing hours-on-end, delicious humor for my friends and me.” In turn, thank you for describing my resolution as “amazing” and “tantalizing,” any hints of sarcasm aside.
AJ on Feb 14, 2008 at 12:05 PM:
Joe Ohler may just be the craziest senator in the history of the SA.
AJ on Feb 14, 2008 at 12:05 PM:
Joe Ohler may just be the craziest senator in the history of the SA.
AJ on Feb 14, 2008 at 12:05 PM:
Joe Ohler may just be the craziest senator in the history of the SA.
Crazy foo. on Feb 14, 2008 at 12:41 PM:
Nice three-peat AJ.
make your voice heard.
Johanan Raatz on Feb 14, 2008 at 12:50 PM:
"Joe Ohler may just be the craziest senator in the history of the SA."
Yes but crazy can be cool. Especially if it is simultaneously a sophiticated and yet illiberal kind of crazy. That's one of the reason's Joe is my friend.
The Sedition act has a radically anti-hippie bent to it and therefore is radically awesome!
Rebeling against authority is so 1960's. Asserting authority is so much cooler! Especially if it is asserted with great boldness and audacity! Good job Joe. :)
Johanan Raatz on Feb 15, 2008 at 11:04 AM:
"Maybe if editors at the post wouldn't pass such unbased crap across their desk and publish it in a widely circulated publication about their student government, the student government wouldn't have "crazies" like Sen. Ohler putting out cease and desist legislation."
That's a very good point. Bad behavior deserves an authoritarian response.
Isral DeBruin on Feb 17, 2008 at 10:59 AM:
If any of you would like to read our full follow-up coverage of the Sedition Act, please see: http://uwmpost.com/article/52/19/3084--Unconstitutional-on-its-face-