1 bE Alii~yan 4Iailjj 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 F B- D pop nati stat can forn Ric ecor cam Eco Cen S croc soul nom pros not sett rece fron Sny yest I1 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. l WEATHER HI:40 TOMORROW LO :26 GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and letus know. NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM My Ann Arbor: Michigan's Gentleman MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS/THE PODIUM INDEX NEWS .......................2 CLASSIFIEDS6...............6 Vol. CXXIINo.97 OPINION.....................4 CROSSWORD -.....-.........6 0) 011 The Michigan Daily A RT S ...................6 SPORTS.........................7 michigondoilyrcoi