Students allowed to campaign with other candidates
By: Candace Birkelbach
Issue date: 2/12/07 Section: News
 Daniel Bates - THE BATTALION Freshman economics major Jess Allan Fields, co-counsel for plaintiff junior political science major Colt Clemens, cross-examines a witness during a session of the A&M Judicial Court on Thursday night. |
Texas A&M Judicial Court decided to void the rule, Rule No. 8 of the Campaign Finances section of the Election Regulations, after Clemens brought the issue before the court.
The court overturned the rule citing an inconsistency with the Student Government Association constitution.
The rule in question stated, "Campaign material for Student Senate may only contain one candidate's name."
"Any time the legislative branch chooses to directly limit the rights of students, through any regulation or resolution, motive for doing such must be given in order to prove that the overall welfare of the students is improved," justices wrote in the majority opinion.
"I'm looking for an injunction that would allow students to come together and have an organized Senate ticket," Clemens said in the trial.
Clemens said he wanted an explanation as to why students cannot run tickets together for Student Senate positions and have more than one name on campaign materials such as fliers.
Clemens described running a ticket as having a candidate state exactly what they stand for and then recruiting other people with the same interests. "(You) try to get as many people from your ticket elected as possible - that way you can more effectively institute change" he said.
He said the rule is a blatant violation of the First Amendment and it should not be a problem for students organizing together to accomplish something, and hoped the judicial court would uphold students' rights and really send a message to the student government that this is "spin on the U.S. constitution."
Jim Reed, A&M's election commissioner and defendant in this case, said this election regulation is not a violation of free speech.
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