Student Government Association Votes on Amendments to Constitution

By John Connolly

The Student Government Association (SGA) senate voted on four different pieces of legislation during its meeting on Monday night. Two of these bills are potential amendments to the constitution of the student government.

Music school senator, Aaron Mackisey, presented three bills during the meeting. The first bill, which passed with unanimous consent, requires that the Secretary of the Senate report all roll-call voting records on bills that do not have unanimous support or objection. This will require all votes on passage of a bill, nomination, or appointment by the senate to be voted on by voice roll-call. The secretary will then post the voting record on the Student Government Association page on the Nest, allowing all students to see how senators voted.

Mackisey also presented two constitutional amendments to the senate. The first amendment, which will change the language of Article II, Section 3 of the constitution alters the power that the vice president holds within the Senate.

Currently the vice president, who presides over the senate and acts as its president, is able to call questions, address the senate, and participate in floor debate on issues and different pieces of legislation. The vice president is also permitted to vote on legislation in the same way as senators.

Under the new rule, the vice president’s primary role will be to ensure that parliamentary procedure and decorum in debate is observed. Further, the vice president will only vote in the event of a tie.

The senate passed the new amendment with 16 senators voting in favor of it, one voting against it, and four senators who abstained from voting.

Since this is an amendment to the constitution, the student body will take up the question of the vice president’s power on the day elections are held.

Mackisey also proposed an amendment which would require members of the Treasury Board to write an explanation for each allocation decision they make. Mackisey felt that by having each member write a justification for their vote, it would provide more clarity to both organizations and to students who want to know how the student activity fund is being allocated.

Some present at the meeting, including Student Government Association treasurer Chris Mulcahey, felt that by requiring the board to write an opinion for each vote would add to an already extensive workload that the board faces. Many also felt that by forcing members to reveal their decision would open up the possibility for backlash from the student body if some were upset at their vote.
“A sentence or two could suffice why that board member voted the way they did. Others argued that exposing their votes would leave the TB members open to criticism. All due respect, the job is not supposed to be easy and there will always be critics, both legit and frivolous,” said Business School senator Tommy DiBenedetto.

The Senate also discussed the upcoming election and voting procedures. To prevent any confusion or doubt about the voting procedures of the past, all votes must be cast between 9am and 9pm in a designated area of the Pryz lobby. Students will receive an email with the ballot link. This link will only be accessible on designated computers in the Pryz. Student Government Association elections will take place on Wednesday, April 13th.