Activities Vice President Shanna Bowman's alleged plans to accept a free trip as an award for bringing political speakers to the ASU campus has resulted in an impeachment effort within student government.
An organization called Club 100, which calls itself the Conservative Movement's first and only campus activist rewards program, awards students for bringing political speakers to the their college campuses. Participants accumulate points for each speaker they bring, and any student who accumulates 100 or more points is invited to visit the Reagan Ranch.
Young America's Foundation, the parent organization of Club 100, bought the Reagan Ranch, which is a 688-acre property located in southern California, from former President Ronald Reagan.
Part of the job of activities vice president is to bring speakers to campus.
Although she has already been awarded the trip, Bowman said she would not accept it, in order to prevent problems within ASASU.
"Just so there is not confusion, I won't do it," Bowman said. "But I really think it's fine."
"[Young America's Foundation's] whole mission is to get speakers into college campuses," Bowman said. "I've done this before I was in office, but when I came into office I continued to use them as a co-sponsor."
Bowman brought Dinesh D'Souza, a senior domestic policy analyst for the White House and a best-selling author, during her term.
Title XI of the Associated Students of ASU bylaws prohibits members of ASASU from accepting any gift, "directly or indirectly" for "personal or financial benefit."
Citing the bylaw, fine arts senator Marcia James and nursing senator Nancy Collicott drafted a bill proposing Bowman's impeachment, though the attempt never made it to the senate floor at Tuesday night's ASASU meeting due to Executive Vice President Brian Buck ruling it out of order.
The executive vice president of ASASU is able to rule any bill brought in front of the senate out of order. The senate is able to overturn the decision with a majority vote.
The bill for impeachment alleges that Bowman "will be accepting a gift for an all expenses paid trip to the Reagan Ranch."
Because the trip to the Reagan Ranch would not take place until April, Bowman said she doesn't think it should be an issue worthy of impeachment.
"You can't bring articles of impeachment for something that has not happened," Bowman said. "It's a joke that this was even brought up."
James said she brought the impeachment bill in front of the senate so she could hear what the other senators had to say about Bowman's involvement with Club 100.
"She's collecting points and bringing in speakers that cost a lot of money," James said. "I wanted to know how people were feeling about it."
James added that she would probably not pursue any further action for impeachment.
"Impeachment was probably too much," James said. "I'm really glad she was willing to discuss it."
Buck said he ruled the bill out of order because he did not see any wrong doing on Bowman's part.
"They are trying to impeach her for something she hasn't done yet," Buck said. "She is one of the most experienced people we have in ASASU. I hope [Collicott and James] let it die out."
Reach the reporter at andrew.bernick@asu.edu.
