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Ann Arbor, Michigan
Friday, February 17, 2012
michigandaily.com
GRADUATE STUDENTS
GEO faces
opposition
from state
Senate bill
Majority Leader
hopes to end GSRA
unionization effort
By RAYZA GOLDSMITH
Daily NewsEditor
In the battle over whether the
University's graduate student
research assistants should be
granted a vote to unionize, a new
player has entered the fray.
Michigan Senate Major-
ity Leader Randy Richardville
(R-Monroe) introduced a bill
Wednesday to amend the Michi-
gan Public Employment Rela-
tions Act to include a provision
barring GSRAs from achieving
the status of public employees -
denying them the right to collec-
tive bargainingrights.
The introduction of the bill
comes amid significant conflict
over the issue of unionization,
as members of the University
community have been debating
whether or not to define GSRAs
as public employees, subsequent-
ly granting them the ability to
vote if they want to organize. The
Graduate Employees' Organiza-
tion has primarily been fighting
the precedent of a 1981 Michigan
Employment Relations Commis-
sion ruling that state GSRAs are
not public employees.
In May, University Board of
Regents voted 6-2 in a party-
line, to classify GSRAs as public
See SENATE, Page 3
LEGAL DISPUT
Child porn
allegations
dropped at
state level
AooUSr UFFRD/~/Daily
Students from various organizations protest the University's policy of charging undocumented residents out-of
-state tution at the University's Board of Regents meetings yesterday.
Students advocate
for tuition equality
Regents to launch
external review to
investigate fallout
from Jenson case
By ADAM RUBENFIRE
Daily News Editor
Washtenaw County prosecu-
tors dropped charges accusing
former UMHS resident Stephen
Jenson of possessing child por-
nography yesterday as the
University's Board of Regents
independently called for an
extended investigation into the
University's handling of the inci-
dent at its monthly meeting.
At Jenson's preliminary exam-
ination yesterday morning, 15th
District Court Judge Christo-
pher Easthope dismissed the case
without prejudice after he was
advised to do so by county pros-
ecutors and Jenson's attorney,
Joseph Simon, due to the federal
charges brought against Jenson.
He didn't appear in court because
he is currently in federal custody.'
Jenson was charged on Tues-
day with the possession and
receipt of child pornography
in an affidavit filed by the U.S.
Secret Service. According to the
affidavit, agents found 97 photos
and four videos of suspected child
pornography in a search warrant
executed by detectives from the
University's Department of Pub-
lic Safety on Dec. 2.
UMHS officials waited six
months to appropriately alert
DPS after a resident found a USB
thumb drive owned by Jenson
that contained child pornogra-
phy in May. University President
Mary Sue Coleman ordered an
internal audit of the delay on
Dec. 3. At the University Board
of Regent's meeting yesterday
afternoon, Coleman spoke briefly
regardingthe results of the inves-
tigation.
"It is a frank, difficult and nec-
essary assessment of the incident
itself as well as the larger con-
text of safety and security in our
health system and on our cam-
pus," Coleman said.
Regent S. Martin Taylor
(D-Grosse Pointe Farms) intro-
duced a motion, which declared
that the regents will immediately
"assume control and responsi-
bility for the directed remedial
actions that must be taken" in
response to the Jenson case.
The motion calls for an exter-
See DROPPED, Page 2
Group organizes
at regents meeting
advocating for
new policy
By PAIGE PEARCY
Daily News Editor
When LSA freshman Dan-
iel Morales was first admitted
to the University, he deferred
the start of his freshman year
because his family couldn't
afford the out-of-state tuition
rate without financial aid.
At the time, Morales was an
undocumented resident.
Due to his lack of citizen-
ship, Morale, who attended
high school in Michigan, was
not offered in-state tuition
or financial aid. Yesterday,
Morales told the University's
Board of Regents his story at its
monthly meeting, advocating
for a policy change that would
allow undocumented Michigan
residents to pay in-state tuition.
Currently, undocumented
students must pay out-of-state
tuition and are not eligible for
financial aid.
This year, the cost difference
between the in-state and out-
of-state rate for a full-time LSA
freshman is about $25,000.
"For the first time in my
life, I came close to giving up,"
Morales said. "But students like
myself, the thousands of us who
graduate from Michigan high
See EQUALITY, Page 2
ELCIN21
Gov. Snyder
lauds Romney
Santorum tax
policy unveiled
Romney lands
endorsment,
slams Obama
By BETHANY BIRON
ManagingNews Editor
FARMINGTON HILLS -
In front of a packed house of
professionals hailing from
private sector industries
around the state, former
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt
Romney professed his ado-
ration for his native state of
Michigan, lauding the work
of Republican Gov. Rick Sny-
der in using his vast business
experience to revitalize the
ailing economy.
Romney's adulations come
on the heels of a formal
endorsement of the Repub-
lican presidential candidate
hopeful by Snyder, during
an event sponsored by the
Chamber of Commerce at the
Farmington Hills Manor in
Farmington Hills yesterday
afternoon. A crowd of almost
500 listened as Romney
discussed the importance
of understanding business
operations when working as
a government official seek-
ing to absolve persisting
problems of national debt.
With recent polls indicat-
ing a near tie between Rom-
ney and former Pennsylvania
Sen. Rick Santorum - who
also held a campaign event
yesterday in Detroit - lead-
ing into the Michigan presi-
dential primary on Feb. 28,
Snyder said it's crucial to
support a candidate with
business knowledge.
"We've got Governor
Romney, who has that acu-
men," Snyder said. "He has a
great combination of private
sector experience, but also
knowing what it takes to cre-
ate a job and how difficult
that is, how to succeed in the
private sector."
Romney echoed Snyder
and said utilizing the busi-
ness principles in develop-
ing government policy is
critical to assist a country
facing prolonged economic
peril. He praised Snyder for
See ROMNEY, Page 3
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ormer senator said he did not support the
federal government's 2009
highlights bailout of General Motors
and Chrysler, and he dis-
conservatlve cussed Michigan's troubled
ic go economy over the last few
policy goals years.
"The government should
y AUSTEN HUFFORD not be involved in bailouts,
Daily StaffReporter period," Santorum said.
Santorum addressed his
ETROIT - Amid surging proposed tax policy that
ularity in the polls both would simplify and reduce
onwide and within the taxes in order to "help pro-
e of Michigan, Republi- mote a strong and healthy
presidential hopeful and society." To make up for
ner Pennsylvania Sen. revenue lost due to low-
k Santorum unveiled his ered taxes, Santorum said
nomic policy plans at a he would decrease federal
paign stop at the Detroit spending by $5 trillion over
nomic Club at the Cobo the next half decade.
ter yesterday. "Less spending each year,
antorum, who spoke to a every year, and we will reach
wd of about 300 people, a balanced budget in five
ght to establish his eco- years," Santorum said.
tic credentials over other He added that spending
sidential candidates, most reductions and tax cuts alone
ably former Massachu- would not allow the coun-
s Gov. Mitt Romney, who try to succeed economically,
eived an endorsement culturally or socially. To
m Republican Gov. Rick encourage American manu-
der in Farmington Hills facturing, Santorum said he
erday. would implement policies
n his speech, Santorum See SANTORUM, Page 2
ADAM GLANZMAN, AU S TN HUOUR/Daily
TOP: Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks in suburban Detroit yes-
terday. BOTTOM: Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum in Detroit yesterday.
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WEATHER HI:40
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