free
WEDNESDAY
feb. 8, 2017 high 44°, low 19°
t h e i n de p e n de n t s t u de n t n e w s pa p e r of s y r a c u s e , n e w yor k |
N • Back on road
dailyorange.com
P • Smart ladies
Otto’s Army will provide a bus for fans wanting to attend the Syracuse University men’s basketball game in Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon. Page 3
The WISE Women Business Center trains and supports businesswomen in the Syracuse area who, in total, have made more than $47 million in revenue. Page 9
S • Battle proof
For nearly 40 minutes, SU freshman guard Tyus Battle had been out of the spotlight. With the game on the line, Tyler Lydon hit him in the corner for the game-winner. Page 16
illustration by emmy gnat head illustrator
long and winding road
New York State Assembly members confident ride-hailing bill will pass By Jordan Muller staff writer
A
fter the New York State Senate on Monday passed a bill that would allow ride-hailing services to operate in upstate New York, New York State Assembly members have expressed that the assembly will passing a similar bill later this year. Uber has aggressively expanded into the nation’s metropolitan areas since the company’s founding in 2009. Other companies, such as Lyft, have taken a similar approach. Upstate New York is one of the last areas in the United States where
ride-hailing companies are still unable to operate because of a restriction in state insurance law. But the Senate bill would establish a Transportation Network Company Accessibility Task Force that would include ride-hailing service drivers in workers’ compensation insurance offered through the existing Black Car Fund, an injury compensation fund that gives benefits to drivers in New York City. The bill would also establish a 2 percent tax on ridehailing trips, require ride-hailing drivers to go through criminal and driving history background checks, mandate passenger notifications of driver information and trip charges, and create “zero-tolerance drug and
alcohol policies,” according to the Senate website. If the ride-hailing bills are passed in both houses, the bills will be combined in a conference committee, where differences between the Assembly and Senate bills are streamlined. Both houses vote on the revised bill before it is presented to New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo for approval. In June 2016, the Senate passed similar legislation that would have brought companies like Uber and Lyft to upstate New York, but debates over ride-hailing insurance policies stalled the bill in the Assembly. Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, who sponsored
see uber page 7
student association
Evangelista is not first president to face investigation By Michael Burke news editor
Student Association President Eric Evangelista is currently awaiting the verdict of an investigation stemming from his appointment of a cabinet member without opening applications to the student body. It isn’t the first time in recent years that an SA president has faced an investigation and potential consequences for a violation related to a cabinet member.
In 2013, then-SA President Allie Curtis faced a vote of impeachment because she allowed Colin Crowley, co-director of public relations, to serve in that position even though he was on a leave of absence from the university. Crowley stepped down from the position after his status as a non-matriculated student became public knowledge. Evangelista is under investigation because he appointed a student to co-chair of public relations without opening applications to the stu-
what is sa? The Student Association is the student government body of the university. SA is currently in its 59th session and Aysha Seedat is president. Outside of the cabinet, there are four committees and four boards, which report to the association.
dent body, even though the assembly asked him to do so. Evangelista in January nominated Nicole Sherwood, a senior public relations major, to the PR co-chair position. The assembly raised concerns over the nomination at its Jan. 23 meeting and had requested that Evangelista send an email opening applications to the student body prior to the next meeting on Jan. 30. When he did not send that email, he might have violated the SA constitution. According to the current SA
bylaws, any student can begin a petition of impeachment for any officer elected by the student body. Curtis ultimately remained as SA president for the remainder of 2012-13 academic year, with the assembly voting against charging her with impeachment. But that came only after her cabinet adopted a resolution by a 7-2 vote calling for Curtis’ resignation. Cabinet members accused Curtis of knowingly keeping Crowley on her see investigation page4